Any advice Re Brain Balance?

[LOATer]

Hi,

Has anyone had experience with the national franchise Brain Balance Achievement Center to help with ADHD? We did assessment and it sounds like my daughter has a lot of visual and sensory issues going on. Program supposed to do exercises/tasks to strengthen neural pathways in brain and improve function, behavior, academics, focus, sensory etc. by addressing underlying issues. It takes a while/months (as would be expected similar to when you exercise to lose weight) and not cheap.

We have had to take her off some medicine (afternoon focalin booster) due to side effects. I wonder if this could help her avoid or decrease medicine and just help her be successful in school and life. Not totally again meds but We are interested in the non-medication approach of addressing the weakness in brain and trying to figure out if we should invest our time and money in this.

brainbalancecenters.com/bra...

[Klmamma]

I've read a lot of reviews and it seems like if you stick with the diet etc they give you, you will see good results. For sensory issues we did Occupational Therapy and they are now mostly resolved. For vision issues, there are actually vision specific therapies at ophthalmologist offices. Are you in NC?

[LOATer in reply to Klmamma]

Thanks, we are in Texas.

[Onthemove1971]

Please consider doing an assessment with your son's school Occupational Therapist by putting in writing and asking for there opinion about how your son's education is impacted by his ADHD. ADHD is not a weakness in the brain.

Best of luck.

[Klmamma in reply to Onthemove1971]

Agreed. We did two year of OT for sensory issues. There's a whole lot more that goes on with ADHD kiddos than most people realize.

[Onthemove1971 in reply to Klmamma]

It's also one thing to look at how a child functions outside the school, but vital to see how there issues impact learning.I have ZERO experience with Brain Balance, but many years experience in and educational environment.

[Klmamma in reply to Onthemove1971]

Yes. We are homeschooling, full on homeschooling, this year and it is now glaringly obvious to me why some parents medicate just to "pay attention at school"

[Onthemove1971 in reply to Klmamma]

It is wonderful you are learning about your child and the impact ADHD has on their educational process. We and I am sure many other families do not just give our children medication, only to "pay attention at school".

Medication has a global impact in helping children slow down, control their bodies and minds. It also reduces many of the other symptoms.( emotional regulation, improve listening, decrease talkativeness, be less combative, etc) Many of us give medication so our children so they have an opportunity to be stable and improve the ability to function. There is homework, after school activities, tutoring and sports which are vital to the balance of our children and peer relations.

[Klmamma in reply to Onthemove1971]

Oh I know, that was why I out quotes. I think when they feel bad/overwhelmed/stressed in one area it carries over to others as well.

[Lovelanguage]

I did this program for my son when he was 7 yo. They did the assessment and said he would benefit. I chose to pay more money and drive to an office 3x a week for about an hour session. Because I knew it would not follow through at home with this program. The activities included laying on the ground following a moving ball attached to a string. Tracing a pen moving side to side with eyes. Looking at a picture board briefly then guessing which pictures go missing when the administrator removes the pictures and several other activities. I paid 3000 dollars. The woman running the program was very good at her job. My son really did not benefit that I could see. The activities got too difficult for him and we quit the program eary as he had to start working with letters and at 7 my son really struggled with letters having dyslexia, as well as adhd.

I felt like it was not worth the time and effort. I do believe this process works for someone who is maybe older and a bit more self directed like say.....a college student looking to improve cognitive function to do better in his studies, focus etc. I’m mot sure the level or age of your child but my son was not ready and I feel like the assessment may have not really been done correctly to show this. I think any activity that physically pushes the left and right side of the brain to communicate would do the same thing. My son ski raced for several years and the movements in this activity seemed to help more than the brain activities?

Best of luck to you.

[Klmamma in reply to Lovelanguage]

Bike riding supposedly has this same effect. Like you said, activities that get both sides of the brain working together.

[Patriot14]

Hello LOATer,

Our 9 year old son has been on Focalin for a while now and the only side effects that we have seen are lack of appetite which we are combating with Cyproheptadine and he will also look at his hands more and really study them sometimes when he is on the medication. His schoolwork though has really thrived on the medication and his teacher sees a big improvement.

We have also brought him to an ADHD specialist in the past few months and they have helped a lot. They provided some tests which helped us determine where he is on the ADHD spectrum and gave us guidance of how to proceed.

It’s still a daily challenge but it’s comforting to know that there is help available if you should choose to go that direction,

I hope this helps you on your journey.

[Jordie1]

Did you end up trying Brain Balance? If so was it worth the money and time commitment? Did it help your child get off the meds and be successful? We are now considering Brain Balance.