OUR FAMILIES
We value our enduring relationships with our clients. We believe in facilitating connections among young families and educating others on how to prevent and treat head shape asymmetry. If you wish to talk with a family who has undergone a similar experience with their child, please do not hesitate to ask one of our practitioners during your visit. Alternatively, you may send us an email, and we will gladly put you in touch. We have included a few accounts from our families below.
KENNEDY, ASHER and FORREST
Elizabeth and Tina first noticed that their triplets were showing signs of head shape asymmetry around 3 months old. They followed recommendations for at-home exercises, such as lots of tummy time and repositioning techniques. However, it wasn’t enough to correct their babies’ head shapes, and so they started looking into treatment with cranial bands.
A family member was already familiar with the ROKband Pediatric Headshape Clinic, having received head shape treatment for her two children. She recommended that Liz and Tina come into our clinic for more information. “She said that prices were very similar across the board, but that the team there were the best- and she was right!”
At first the family was a little nervous about introducing three little ones to a new world of living with a ROKband on their heads. But, after meeting with the teame for their initial assessment, their minds were put at ease. They learned that most babies adjust to wearing a ROKband quite quickly, and many don’t even notice they are wearing it at all! Luckily, all three little ones were very accommodating to the whole process. “There really was no adjusting to the ROKbands. We put them on, and the kids went on with their day like nothing new (except they looked super cute with their new gear)!”
Forrest, Kennedy, and Asher each had different areas of flatness to correct, so each received a ROKband with a different opening design. It was exciting to have one family in treatment with us with three unique head shapes! Each triplet also had a different length of treatment with us. Forrest had the shortest treatment length, at just over 4 weeks. Kennedy was next, with a total treatment time of 10 weeks. Asher was the final graduate, with a treatment time of just over 16 weeks.
It was bittersweet to say goodbye to these three little ones, who were always such good sports at the clinic. But we are so proud of how far they have come, and are so pleased with the results from their ROKband programs! Here is what Liz and Tina had to say about their experience working with the ROKband Pediatric Headshape Clinic:
“We couldn’t be happier with the entire process and the results. Our friends and family already know where to go if their babies need similar treatment! Seeing how cute and comfortable our trio looked in their ROKbands, compared to the old-school giant foam ones, makes it an obvious choice. We are so glad we made the choice, and that our babies have perfect little heads to show for it! Plus, they loved all the extra attention they got from the best, most caring and knowledgeable team ever!! If you have any doubts, talk to them. They give you all the information you need to make the right choice for your kids with absolutely no pressure. You 100% will not regret seeking treatment for your little one at the ROKband Pediatric Headshape Clinic. Thank you for everything!! You guys are the best there is!!”
LUCY
When Lucy was around 3 months old, I started noticing that her head was quite flat and that she had a significant angle forming on the back of her head creating a lopsided look. In my opinion, she was already getting lots of tummy time and time where she was upright; however, in her carrier and crib she would favour laying on the one side of her head.
A family I followed on Instagram had been sharing their son's journey with his helmet and shared all the benefits and progress that they were seeing. Out of curiosity, I started Googling head shape clinics and I was shocked to learn that a city near to us had a [ROKband] Pediatric Headshape Clinic! The clinic had self-referral as an option so I booked Lucy in immediately. It was a very smooth process. I was able to do it all online and they had great availability of appointments.
I then felt like I may be skipping a vital step, and should consult our family doctor first. I booked in with our family doctor and after she'd seen Lucy for a few short seconds, she recommended we see a head shape clinic. I mentioned to her that through self-referral I already had Lucy booked in. After my concerns were validated, I then changed Lucy's head shape consult appointment to the following day!
The clinician we met with was absolutely wonderful. She explained the process thoroughly, went over Lucy's scans and recommendations and was very supportive with whatever route we were ready to go with. At that appointment we decided to go forward with ordering Lucy a helmet. Her measurements landed her in the "severe" category and we felt that this was the best option for her at 4 month old. We loved that it was non-invasive. I was very pleased with how fast the whole process was from getting in for our free consult, to ordering her helmet and getting her fitted.
I was shocked with how fast we saw progress with Lucy. Her 5 week progress blew me away! Lucy adjusted very well to helmet wearing. Lucy was slowly introduced to the helmet following their recommendations of slowly increasing the increments of how long she needed to wear it each day. This was a great way to slowly work up to wearing it for 23 hours a day. Communication through the whole process was excellent. We would communicate via email and were able to problem solve through sharing pictures back and forth. And when that method was not successful, then we were able to schedule an in-person visit as soon as possible.
I would encourage families to reach out to other families or follow along a child's journey so you can learn more about the process.
Lindsay, Lucy's Mom
JESSE
My husband and I were concerned about our sons head shape. It was around 3-4 months when we were considering to seek help. I googled head shape places, and just like that I found ROKband.
Our son had his first scan (complimentary and no referral) at 4 months, and had severe asymmetry. They say the window of time to get the best results is between ages 4-6 months. After 4 months later, my son has graduated from the program with normal head shape measurements.
The clinic is beautiful, clean and inviting. The staff are absolutely phenomenal. They are informative, professional and beyond kind and friendly. I have not one negative thing to say regarding the treatment process or the service and care we received as a family. It was an absolute pleasure for myself and my son.
They took a graduation photo of him along side all the other beautiful children that have graduated on display. You get a certificate also. Overall it was an absolute joy to be a part of the entire process not only as a parent but rewarding my son with amazing results. We love you ROKband!
Vivien, Jesse's mom
RORY
Rory was very low in utero and when he was born he had a very asymmetric head because of his positioning. When Rory was 5 weeks old we took him to see a Paediatric Physiotherapist. It was then that he was officially diagnosed with Torticollis and the Physiotherapist provided us with the names of a few local helmet clinics and suggested we book an assessment - after doing some research, we decided to make an appointment with the ROKband clinic as we read great reviews and loved the innovative and light weight design of the helmets!
We first met with Sarah for our initial assessment and she was so incredibly reassuring and did not make us feel pressured at all. Our second appointment was with Maeve who was equally as amazing. I specifically remember them saying “You have a few options, and option 1 is not to do anything”. Right away this reassured me that they were not pushing anything on us and would work with us to determine the best plan for our family.
Once we received our ROKband, I was amazed at how efficient it was! It was so exciting to go back every three weeks and get a re-scan. It was so encouraging to see such wonderful correction. We are so grateful that he adjusted right away - we followed the initial wear schedule and he never fussed, not even once. There were a handful of times we had to go into the clinic for an impromptu adjustment as Rory had some minor skin irritation from the helmet, but it didn’t bother him at all. I was surprised at how much I missed the helmet after graduation - it was so cute and became part of Rory’s wardrobe.
If you are looking into visiting the ROKband clinic, it is a decision you will not regret! I would suggest educating yourself and your family on the process prior to starting your helmet journey. There are lots of online support groups that proved to be extremely helpful throughout our entire journey. My very best advice would be to trust the process and don’t worry unnecessarily, often easier said than done. It’s okay to acknowledge things like skin irritation and discomfort from the helmet are possibilities, but rest assured, many children adapt to their helmets very quickly and are not phased by their new accessory. Your clinicians are here to answer all of your questions and address any concerns you may have - they’re on your side and they ROK. Remember, the days are long but the months are short - your journey will fly by! P.s there is a hole in the top of the helmet so you can still kiss their heads :)
Megan and Curtis, Rory’s Parents
ALFRED
In the womb Alfred spent most of his last trimester in one position, this lead to one side of his neck developing with very tight muscles meaning most of his time after birth was spent looking (and sleeping) to his right. This, unknown to us, was called Torticollis.
The flat spot on the back right of his head, technically called plagiocephaly, started to develop early because of the consistent pressure he was placing on his skull with his ‘Zoolander’ napping tendencies. We hadn’t even realised any of this was happening until it became obviously misshapen! So after a Torticollis diagnosis the Doctor referred us to the Kids Physio Group. They were fantastic and gave us customized exercises to bring his neck back to neutral. Unfortunately his Torticollis was not improving fast enough to slow down his growing flat spot so we were then referred to The ROKband Pediatric HeadShape Clinic.
As a new mum I was exhausted and emotional and just wanted the best for Alfred. I was skeptical of having a head band fitted, but Jason from the clinic was amazing and never put any pressure on us to make decisions. He simply educated us, making us feel informed, reassured and in control. After a few weeks of monitoring Alfred’s head had got progressively worse and we decided to go for the helmet. Jason used a 3D scan of his head to 3D print the head band, it was amazingly light, small and fitted his head like a glove. Alfred took to it straight away and never had problems with discomfort or sleeping, which as we were using it full time we were really worried about. Within weeks his head was getting back to shape! Unfortunately Alfred had quite a soft head so keeping it that way took a little more effort, but 5 progressively larger helmets and 9 months later Alfred has a beautiful little head!
Rebecca, Alfreds Mum
FINNEGAN
I noticed Finnegan’s head was always positioned to the left as soon as we arrived home from the hospital. At 3 weeks of age his paediatrician confirmed a diagnosis of right torticollis and we started physiotherapy and osteopathy soon afterwards. Despite these therapies, diligent repositioning, use of a mimos pillow and tons of tummy time his head shape continued to worsen. By 9 months of age I knew I had done everything I could on my own to help Finnegan and I began to research other options to help out. I came across the pediatric headshape clinic and immediately began connecting with other parents who had used the [ROKband] cranial band, as well as other orthotists in the field. As my research progressed I was quickly convinced that this was the product for us! I was determined to not lose the progress we had made fixing his torticollis by plunking something heavy on his head, so I was so pleased to see how lightweight this product is compared to other products on the market. I also loved how ventilated the product was, considering it was summer and Finnegan already had a sweaty head! The final push was the anecdotal reports from other parents on the quick timelines for progress and how well the [ROKband] was tolerated. Okay and I’ll also admit that I thought it looked way cooler than the traditional helmets on the market!
We booked an appointment the same week with Anna at the Burlington location. She scanned Finnegan’s head and went through the numbers and all the options with me. I love how there was no tough sell and that the appointment focused on what I felt was best for Finnegan. I ordered our helmet that day and was so pleased on the quick turn around timeline of a week to receive it. Given Finnegan was now 9.5 months we had no time to lose! Finnegan started with his graduated wear schedule and easily hit his groove with it on. I was exceptionally pleased that it did not interfere with his habit of sleeping through the night!! We diligently wore it for the 23 hours a day and our biggest issue by far was Finnegan’s messing eating….luckily the helmet is very easy to clean! At our one month check in appointment I was so pleased to see exceptional progress.
We ended up getting a second helmet after Finnegan’s head grew, which is conveniently included in the initial price. And at 7 weeks in our numbers had gone from moderate-severe to within the normal range! I was absolutely blown away at how quickly this all occurred, especially as Finnegan was older. I was really expecting we’d be in a helmet for a long time. I kept it on another month out of fear of regression from sleeping, although Anna did reassure me it was unlikely at his age. All in we were done in 11 weeks. And ultimately we achieved correction of his misaligned ears, which was one of my biggest concerns.
I’m so incredibly pleased with the whole process and how Finnegan’s head looks. I’m glad I committed to the drive to Burlington, even though we live much closer to some other places offering traditional helmets. A huge thank you to the entire team for all the work that you do!
Amanda Lee, Finnegan’s mom
LUCY
Around 6 months, we noticed that our daughter Lucy’s head was getting flat on one side. We weren’t sure if it would correct itself eventually so we waited for a few months. But over time, it just didn’t seem to be improving. At 9 months, we brought her into the Pediatric Headshape Clinic where they did a scan of her head. The scan showed that immediate correction was necessary.
When I showed up to our next appointment, they had already 3-D printed the helmet (so cool!) and Lucy then had to wear it 23 hours a day. Within 3 weeks, we could already notice a visible difference in the shape of her face and by 5 weeks, Lucy’s head shape had already been corrected to the point that she only needed to wear her helmet at night.
We’re grateful that Lucy got the help that she needed so quickly. Through talking with the team, I learned that a flat head can have long-term negative consequences, impacting the functioning of the child’s vision, jaws, and ears. We appreciated the support and education that we received from the team and have been pleased with how quickly Lucy’s head corrected.
Kristin and Brian Vandegriend
MILA
This is Mila at just 6 months old! She had been wearing her helmet for 8 weeks and was already showing massive improvement to her head shape! We are helping Mila reshape her head, she has plagiocephaly with brachycephaly, this is when the back of an infants head is more flat than usual and particularly on one side. This can be caused by sleeping on your back or prolonged external pressure to your head from excessive time in strollers, swings and car seats.