About Parents with Purpose

Hello! My name is Donna Bateman and I am the founder of Parents with Purpose. I was born in Texas and grew up in Grand Prairie. I attended Brigham Young University, where I met my husband, Bart — luckily, a fellow Texan! Following college, we moved back to Texas and have lived in Plano since 1989. I am the very proud mother of eight children—Clark, Katy, Preston, Annie, Kent, Callie, Carson and Dawson.

I began my journey into the world of Child Brain Development on February 1, 2000 with the birth of my eighth child, Dawson. Dawson tied a true knot in his umbilical cord causing periodic pre-natal anoxia. He was initially diagnosed with nystagmus and strabismus — leading to functional blindness, but later was given an additional diagnosis of global developmental delay. The worst part of the diagnosis was the pronouncement “there is nothing you can do.”

Through many miracles and hours of research I came upon a program that had successfully helped parents of children with brain injuries do a home therapy program. I attended some classes about child brain development and our entire family began working with Dawson right away. After three months, Dawson crept on his hands and knees for the first time in his life! This motivated us to work even harder!

Years have passed since those days when I had a desperate, icy grip on my heart. Dawson has amazed everyone who has seen his journey. He is reading two to three years ahead of his grade level. He walks and runs. He is very funny and keeps us on our toes. He is not completely cured, but he is well on his way. We are certainly prepared to continue our work with him and, thankfully, we know just what he needs.

Just as any mother would, I used what I had learned about the brain to help Dawson with my other seven children and saw tremendous results. This includes bringing one daughter from being miserably dyslexic and unable to read independently, to learning easily in the talented and gifted program at school. This information helped me teach them in a way that maximized their potential, helped me understand what was “going on in there” whenever obstacles came their way, and gave me the tools I needed to deal with the root cause of any issues — not just find coping skills or a way to circumvent the problem. The knowledge I had gained was truly universal in its application and our whole family has benefited.

Two things became abundantly clear: One: I had to learn more — I was insatiable. And two. I had to share what I had learned with other parents. When you learn of something good, you always want to pass it along. I wanted to stand on the rooftops and shout out to all parents. I wanted them to understand their children’s development and know the wonderful, exciting and pro-active role they held. I knew this when I took my first class about child brain development in December 2000 and as time passed those desires only strengthened. We decided as a family to make the sacrifice necessary for me to become certified to teach parents, evaluate children and design individualized home programs for them.

My training began with the years of experience with my own family, and has expanded through formal certification from The Family Hope Center. I have also trained in the following:

Cranial Sacral/Fascia Release with Dr. Barry Gillespie
Reflex Integration with Dr. Svetlana Masgutova
Certified Provider of Fast ForWord (a product of the Scientific Learning Corp.)
Neurodevelopmental Programs through The Family Hope Center (as mentioned above)
Earobics
EASe Listening Program

Outside of formal certification, I have also had experience with:

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Nutrition (including gluten-free/casein-free diet)
P’Roshi
Neurofeedback

I attend many professional training seminars in locations around the country. I am excited to be able to offer some of the most successful programs throughout the country and to integrate them together in a way that is individually-tailored to suit the needs of your child and your family situation.

My job is to design programs and coach parents in such a way that I work myself out of a job. The best days for me are the ones when a child no longer needs my services. I work with you toward the objective of your child being academically successful, physically coordinated and socially gracious. When those objectives are met, we celebrate together. I’ve had celebrations with many parents, and those are the reasons I love what I do!

I walk in your shoes — I have worked with all the children in my home on a program to help improve their neurological function. I’ve been through the hard times, the good times, the days that can get very long and the joy of victory. I’ve had to learn how to set up and run a program within the midst of a very busy family. I know how to keep the laundry done and the dinner cooked all while getting the program done. I have had to adjust my program and my methods as children have gotten older and more neurologically organized. I’ve been where you are — standing at the threshold and wanting more than anything for my child to be well, and willing to do whatever needed to be done to provide that wellness for them. I understand because I am a mom, just like you, and have been in the same boat. That’s one of the reasons I can help you navigate the process — and why I feel so deeply about your success.