We are so proud of each and every one of our graduates, and we wish them all the best of luck!
1. Our first young man, came to us about a year ago. He brought a smile to each one of our faces, and his hard work and determination was an inspiration to all of us:
Joseph is a sweet, very active 10 year-old boy. Joseph was
diagnosed with Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAP), and he had difficulty
focusing and attending in the classroom. It wasn’t until the summer going into
the 4th grade that
I noticed his auditory processing was getting in the way of his keeping up with
conversations among his peers. It was heartbreaking for me to watch him and
know he wanted to contribute, but just couldn’t get the words together in time.
I knew I had to do something, and more tutors were just not the answer. We
needed to make a change from within.
We were referred to Brain Balance (BB) by a fellow soccer mom. We
used to share our concerns for our boys sideline every Saturday, and when she
enrolled her son, I began to learn more about BB. My curiosity was peaked:
After reading extensively about BB we decided to have our son, Joseph, tested.
The test validated many issues and behaviors and actually made a lot of sense
in terms of why Joseph would react to certain situations. As it turned out
Joseph was holding onto many primitive reflexes.
We enrolled Joseph with the main goal of improving his oral
expression, ability to focus and attend in the classroom, and his reading
comprehension. At first, the program was very daunting, but as my mother always
said, “you eat an elephant piece by piece,” and we did. We embraced all the
demands and routines immediately as there was no time to waste if we wanted to
get the most out of this program. Within two weeks, we had our routine down: we
did exactly what was recommended as far as exercises, class attendance and
diet. Oddly enough, I thought Joseph would give me a problem going to sessions
3 times/wk, but he loved it! I always got an “Awesome!” when I asked, “How was
your session?” He loved each instructor, and they really seemed to keep the
kids engaged and motivated.
We started seeing positive and negative changes a third of the way
through the program. One big positive change was that Joseph started asking
more questions about everything, almost like a switch was turned on and he
began to notice his surroundings in a whole new way. His teachers noticed a
better focused Joseph, and his eye contact was improving. As we had been
warned, there was also some regressive behavior (the negative) that was very
evident and persistent for a good 4-5 weeks. He became argumentative and
obstinate as if he was revisiting his terrible 3’s. We weren’t too worried as
we were advised to hang in there while his right hemisphere was actually
playing catch up with the other side, and it eventually did. Since Joseph has
completed the program he has achieved increased focus and attention in class
and at home, is better able to follow written directions, his eye contact is
fantastic, his oral expression has greatly improved, and he increased multiple
grade levels in areas more specific such as math and reading. He is also more
willing to share his experiences with other adults and friends and isn’t as
shy. Although we were not looking for increased athletic ability, his hand eye
coordination and balance have greatly improved.
It is too difficult to pick just one, single-most-important change
because there are so many. However, I would say it is Joseph’s overall
awareness of where he is and his ability to follow the conversation or topic in
the room. In the past he would either drift off or simply walk away as it was
too overwhelming. Now he get’s it! We can really see he is following the
conversation and shows sincere interest.
The best advice I could give anyone considering the program: it is
a lot of work, but do exactly what is recommended for your child. There are no
excuses for 12 weeks: do the exercises, don’t cheat (you are only cheating your
child), stick with it and you will see the results. It really works. This is
one of those many commitments in life that truly is you only get out of what
you put in. Remember, it’s only 12 weeks! I remember our last session riding up
the mountain to Summit and Joseph said “Wow I can’t believe this our last time,
this went really fast!” As parents, we will do anything to help our children, and
this program pushes the limit, but the reward is priceless.
We got so lucky to find such a
great program that works, but we also were very fortunate to work with Betsy
and her very professional staff. Betsy’s thorough knowledge and experience was
always a great source of support. Erin who runs the office was always pleasant
and knowledgeable and if she didn’t know the answer she would always get back
to me in a timely manner. Sara Ann and Chrissy are wonderful educators who were
tough but kind and supportive and always motivating Joseph to try harder.
Lastly, Casey went over the top to help with Joseph’s elimination diet, and my
endless nutrition questions. She was always suggesting new foods or web sites
and couldn’t have been more supportive. Overall, it was very obvious the Summit
Brain Balance staff truly cares for their students and they were integral in
Joseph’s success at Brain Balance.
2. Our next young man came to us over the summer. He traveled a very long way to see us three times a week. We are so proud of the success that he was able to achieve:
My son was an easy-going loving boy
until he turned 3. Then something changed.
He couldn’t stay still and would get very aggressive and abusive. We
started getting phone calls from school. That’s when we started looking for a
reason and a solution. A Psychologist evaluation, occupational therapist
evaluation, neurologist evaluation, the list is never ending. By the time he
turned 7, we finally got an ADHD and Sensory Disorder diagnosis. When I was
browsing the bookstore, I came across “Disconnected Kids”. I read the first 10
pages in the store, went home, found the closest Brain Balance Center to us and
called them. We started the program 2 months later. Can I say he’s a
completely different child now that he’s done with the program- no, he’s not.
But the small changes that happened throughout the program are amazing.
The child, who would only eat one
meal a day, forcefully, because he was never hungry, now eats 3-4 times a day.
He experiments with his food, and eats foods I never thought he would touch.
The child, who never liked to be
hugged or kissed (couldn’t stand the skin to skin contact), now hugs and kisses
me every day.
The child, who used to have tantrums
because he couldn’t get what he wanted, now rationalizes, and asks me what he
can do to earn what he wants.
The child, who I used to spend 2
hours trying to catch so he could do his homework, now comes home and sits down
to do his homework all by himself.
This is just a small portion of the
changes we see. If you look at each change separately- it doesn’t look like a
big deal, but all of them together have made our life so much easier. Now I
have a mature 8-year old boy, who I can have full and interesting conversations
with, who understands his responsibilities, and follows through with his
promises.
The Summit Brain Balance Center has
people who really care about your child and kids feel that. My son loved going
there, and not once complained that he wouldn’t go. Would I do it again,
now that I see the results? In a heartbeat.
3. Our third testimonial is from one of our few young ladies that have gone through this program. She worked so hard, and in the end left with an amazing experience:
Our daughter “Sam” had been
suffering with a multitude of issues from a very young age that were getting
worse and worse with each passing year – severe anxiety, phobias, frequent
temper tantrums, poor eating and sleeping habits, sensory issues, and learning
disabilities. In the fall of 2009, she
began pulling out her eyelashes at the age of seven, and we began a three-year
journey into a disorder called trichotillomania.
We sought help for our
daughter from numerous health care professionals such as psychologists, social
workers, neurologists, and psychiatrists, trying cognitive behavioral therapy,
habit reversal training, and ultimately, medication. They all kept saying, “it’s anxiety…” but we
felt it was deeper-rooted than that.
Anxiety lived inside something else going on in her brain.
I read a lot of information
online and came across Dr. Melillo’s book, Disconnected
Kids. It caught my eye as a
revolutionary new approach to treating kids with emotional, social, and
academic problems – all issues we were dealing with! At that time, I put the
book aside and continued conventional measures, but still saw no real
improvement. After a meeting with her
IEP team last spring, after a year of her being pulled out to a resource room
for her learning disabilities, we decided we needed a new plan.
After seeing an add in a
Kid’s Guide booklet in my pediatrician’s office for the Brain Balance Center in
Summit, I was brought back to a feeling that Dr. Melillo’s approach might be
the answer we were looking for. The
owner, Betsy, and her staff of coaches there were so knowledgeable and
supportive. Everything made sense – we
were impressed with the testing process and the in-depth individualized
instruction we received there.
Most importantly, Samantha
thrived with each passing week! She
became more focused, calm, and confident.
At some point during the course of the program, it was like a light
switched on and eyelashes began to come in!
By the end of the program, the eyelashes are fully grown in, and we have
not seen any evidence of the trichotillomania returning. We had tried everything before, and have no
other explanation than that Brain Balance works! We now have a confident, thriving,
ten-year-old daughter. As in all parts of life, there is always room for
improvement, but we have to say that Brain Balance changed our family’s life
and we are forever grateful.
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