New discoveries in brain function mean innovative and more effective methods of intervention for struggling students. To help parents educate themselves about what’s available, Kids Enabled researched some of the therapies that are providing help and motivation.
Choosing the right therapy would be easier for parents if there was a “one size fits all” solution to helping their child overcome a learning difference. Since every child is unique, the task of determining the most effective therapy can be daunting. The good news is that current brain research provides new ways of looking at and treating learning differences. While there are more choices for parents to research, the likelihood that one will help a student succeed is high.
Brain Balance Achievement Centers
The Brain Balance program recognizes that many children who are diagnosed with learning differences have an “under-connectivity” of brain activity within and between the two halves (hemispheres) of the brain. Identified as “functional disconnection syndrome,” this condition can be responsible for many of the learning and behavioral struggles associated with learning and cognitive disorders. Participants in the program engage in “hemispheric-specific” activities which stimulate sensory, motor, behavioral and biochemical components of the brain. These activities can include any combination of
- balance and posture training
- light, auditory, olfactory, tactile or vestibular stimulation
- aerobic, breathing and strength exercises
- and fatty acid, vitamin or mineral supplementation.
The goal of these activities is to restore a balance in communication between the hemispheres of the brain. All Brain Balance activities and exercises are developed and implemented to address each child’s specific areas of difficulty and increase brain function. Jennifer Plunk’s 7-year-old son, who was diagnosed with high functioning Autism, showed marked improvement after three months in the Brain Balance program. Jennifer says, “…Matthew is more interested in others, more responsive and able to have much more natural conversations. His endurance has also increased. He still gets tired, but he’s much more likely to take a break and then join back in with us…His handwriting and other fine motor skills have also improved significantly.”
Brain Gym®
Started in the 1970s, Brain Gym® is a program designed to help children and adults with learning differences. This program focuses on learning through movement and is known as “educational kinesiology.” Brain Gym® includes more than 25 targeted exercises and activities that “integrate mind and body” to increase skills in concentration, reading and writing, physical coordination, and listening and memory. Brain Gym® is not just for academic students and is used in corporate, performing arts and athletic training programs. Though Brain Gym® movements are best learned when taught by a licensed instructor who correctly models the movements, there is a short book entitled Brain Gym® by Paul E. and Gail Dennison, the program’s founders. This book gives brief information and illustrations of each of the Brain Gym® exercises.
Chiropractic Neurology
Chiropractic neurology is a brain-based chiropractic practice that combines current neurological understanding and chiropractic care. Its goal is to achieve a balance of left-brain and right-brain function thereby achieving optimal brain health. Using the latest techniques in assessment and rehabilitation, chiropractic neurologists discern how the body’s different systems (visual, olfactory, auditory, vestibular) are stimulating the central nervous system and its relation to the brain. A specific treatment plan may include chiropractic adjustments, percussive treatment, brain exercises, cold laser and diet and nutritional supplementation. Neurofeedback, a method for training brainwaves, might also be used. Training brainwaves may change the structure and function of the brain and enhance its performance. Dr. Soutar, who practices at the New Mind Neurofeedback Center says, “We make a brain map, like a weather map, of each person’s brainwave patterns and determine the best way to train them. Brainwave training is like working out at the gym, but instead of a better body you get a better brain.”
Craniosacral Therapy
The craniosacral system of the body consists of the fluid and membranes that surround and protect the spinal cord. It encompasses the bones of the skull, face and mouth (the cranium) all the way down to the sacrum and coccyx, or tailbone. During craniosacral therapy, practitioners “apply a subtle movement of the spinal and cranial bones to bring the central nervous system into harmony.” This treatment can eliminate distortions and tensions in the craniosacral system by assisting the flow of cerebrospinal fluid. Reiko Donato says her daughter, Alex, was more “with it” and connected to her environment after craniosacral treatments.
LearningRx™
By focusing exclusively on training the cognitive processes which impact the ease of information processing, LearningRx ™ learning centers identify and strengthen the skills behind how students learn. These cognitive skills, such as attention, memory, processing speed, auditory and visual processing, and reasoning are measured using specialized tests developed from 30 years of research and clinical trials. LearningRx™ traces its beginning to the work of Dr. Ken Gibson, a specialist in visual processing whose practice was one of the nation’s first to concentrate on children exclusively. His work with children inspired him to commit to helping them become better learners. Through the preschools, learning centers and private schools that he founded, Dr. Gibson gathered clinical data and experience. He observed that children attended to task and focused better, experienced better recall and processed information faster when they were given short but intense periods of cognitive training. The results of Dr. Gibson’s work have been tested and refined, and today LearningRx™ uses two primary training programs to work with students, ThinkRx and ReadRx. These one-on-one non-academic training procedures can strengthen the brain’s core mental abilities. One parent whose daughter went through the LearningRx™ program for six months says, “Tena has improved in her memory, her comprehension, her organizational skills…In addition, she is much more confident.”
Neuropsychology Therapy
Neuropsychology is a specialty of clinical psychology dealing with the relationship between behavior and brain function. A neuropsychologist has a Ph.D. or Psy.D. in psychology and works closely with other professionals such as neurologists, neurosurgeons and psychiatrists. Various assessment techniques are used to evaluate the brain-behavior relationship in each client. This assessment can include a review of medical, academic and/or psychological records, standardized psychological testing and computerized functional brain assessment techniques. Once strengths and weaknesses are defined, the results are used to prepare an individualized treatment plan which may include medical, chemical, psychological and/or physical or occupational techniques. The goal of neuropsychology is to increase positive brain function. For struggling students that can mean a rise in reading, writing and math skills, better organizational skills and an increase in focus and attention.
Partners in Achievement (PIA) and PACE (Processing and Cognitive Enhancement)
The purpose of the intense PACE program is to produce significant changes quickly so that the student sees the changes and stays motivated to learn. The program is now distributed world-wide by licensed therapists and educators and is available for both adults and children. The PACE approach is process-specific using planned, repetitive exercises that place demands on mental functions. Once the student masters the exercise, the same cognitive skill is targeted again with a more demanding exercise. Darren Scheyer, M.S., is a member of Partners in Achievement, a group of highly experienced doctoral and master’s level-trained psychologists who administer the PACE program. He says, “All activities, school, sports, art, dance, music and even video games, require different mixes of processing skills. … A weakness in even one processing skill can cause even the brightest of students to become frustrated with school to the point of losing motivation.” Partners in Achievement believes processing skills are the underlying cognitive “tools” that are critical to effective learning and academic success. Developing these skills requires one-on-one attention. Besides providing cognitive training to increase processing skills, Partners in Achievement provides diagnostic evaluations to help parents determine the best course of intervention for their student.
While researching available brain boosting therapies, parents should be aware of costs, program duration and expected outcomes. They should also remember that what works for one child may not be the best match for another. The unique needs of each student should be at the forefront of the decision making process. Knowing their child’s strengths and weaknesses with learning and cognitive skills is invaluable in helping to develop an effective therapy plan. Current brain research augments the parents’ knowledge base as they look at appropriate solutions for treating their child’s specific learning differences.
Article photos courtesy of Brain Balance Achievement Center and Learning Rx™.
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