Brain Balance

Ok, this is probably my favorite post to date. I'm so excited about this topic and to share this experience with you!!

I heard about a program called Brain Balance late last year, that addresses behavior, social and academic performance. I  did a little research, then kept it in my back pocket.  Early this year when Paige started really amping things up for us, the Brain Balance program was on my mind more often.  Although Paige was never diagnosed with RAD, she was displaying a lot of signs/symptoms.  In March we took her into Brain Balance, had her assessed, and in April we pulled her out of her Therapeutic Preschool and she began the Brain Balance program.

So, what is Brain Balance?

Brain Balance is a comprehensive program that combines physical and sensory exercises with cognitive skill training and healthy nutrition. Brain Balance's coordinated program approach balances and synchronizes left brain/right brain interaction. The newly strengthened connections trigger advancements in behavior, social and academic performance.

To begin the program an assessment is needed to determine if there is a left or right brain deficiency. In Paige's case her assessment showed that she was right brain deficient. Signs of right brain weakness are:

Awkward/Clumsy
Hyperactive/Anxious
Poor Non-Verbal Skills
Impulsive/Lacks Focus
Lacks Emotional Control
Poor Reading Comprehension
Obsessive/Repetitive Behaviors
Immature Social Behavior
Allergies/Autoimmunity
Lacks Interest in Sports
Misses the Big Picture
Poor Eye Contact
Space Invader

Paige attends her class 1-hour, 3 times a week. There are also exercises at home that are required 3 times a day as well as changes in diet. We have yet to fully implement the change in diet, but it's something we are working on. So we at home are held responsible for her progress as well.

The majority of their students are those who have been adopted.  They see that these kids' situations have played a major role in their brain development so I feel very at home here :)  We were also informed that things will get worse before they get better, which we have witnessed.  And lastly, they mention how a lot of families won't see positive changes until they have left the program.  I feel so grateful, that after only 15 sessions, that we are already starting to see a shift in her.  A couple of small changes we've seen are she still has tantrums, but they do not last as long.  She still gets angry, but its not as intense.  And I look forward to seeing continuing changes in her.

There are two books written by the creator and co-founder of Brain Balance; Disconnected Kids and Reconnected Kids  I've been reading both of these, which has helped me gain a better understanding of how her brain works and how balancing out her weaknesses (not restricted to just her behaviors but other developmental weaknesses) will help her now and in the future.

I wanted to get this information out there for you readers and I will continue to post about this program and Paige's personal progress as we continue with this program.  But if anyone has any questions, wants more details, wants to hear more about our experience thus far, I would LOVE to chat more about it with you!!!  It is so fascinating yet so simple to see how what our kiddos have missed in their developmental stages, and how it relates to their current behaviors and such.  This program simply helps to go in and fill in those gaps.

I think it says a lot when a portion of their employees come from a background of years of working as behavior health specialists yet once they were introduced to this program, they made the switch to work for Brain Balance. I can truly say that as Paige has been receiving behavioral health assistance for over a year now, we've learned and been given tools to help manage and cope with her.  And I am grateful for that.  But I've been more change in her over the past month with brain balance, then over a year of behavior health assistance.  It all starts with the brain!

Questions, comments, anyone else heard of this program, have experience with it, know someone who has been through it??  Let's discuss!!