Welcome to the Brain FUNdamentals Blog!
I began this blog in May 2020 while working as the Lead Coach and Educator at Brain Fit Academy Inc. Today, I’m excited to continue sharing my insights and experiences—only now, I’m writing from the perspective of my own company, Brain FUNdamentals LLC! While the name has changed, my passion for this work remains the same!
What’s Next?
At Brain Fit, we don't want our clients to stay forever. We want there to be a last day. But that also begs the question- what's next? Once you finish integrating the reflexes, is that it? Is that when the last day happens?
I See Them Everywhere
You know how once someone points something out to you, you start to notice that thing everywhere? Like if they tell you about a certain street sign or a new type snack food. Once you know about it, you start to find it everywhere you look.
Confidence
"I don't know." My 8 year old client replied (with a shrug) when I asked him if he had any ideas for a goal for that day's session.
It May Not be What You See- But What You Don’t See
"She's no longer waking up at night." "He's not having melt-downs every afternoon." "She's not fighting every step of our morning routine!".
Compensations
We all have them. Compensations- I'm talking about. Work-arounds. We all compensate for our weaknesses in some way or another. Some of us might use the GPS on our phones everywhere we go because we aren't good with directions. Or maybe we avoid going to certain stores because they feel too "overwhelming".
The Baby Brain
🎵🎵🎵 The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside...Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I've tried. 🎵🎵🎵
Sometimes it Just Doesn’t Seem to Stick
Imagine being in a boat. It could be a row boat, or a kayak or canoe. You choose- it doesn't matter. You're rowing and rowing as hard as you can and just aren't getting anywhere- or at least, not as far as you would like.
It’s All About You (them-not you)
“This is about you”, I said to my 10 year old client. You tell me when you’re ready to stop. We were doing an assisted movement (which is just like it sounds- a movement in which the child needs assistance in order to complete it) and I wanted him to know that it was up to him to tell me when he felt like he was “done”. He- his brain and body- really seemed to be enjoying the movement and I let him continue until he gave me the word that he was all set.
They Start to Ask
I love it when a parent tells me that their child has started to ask for some of the movements. During my sessions with kids through Brain Fit Academy (since we are a movement based program) we do a lot of different movements. Some of these movements are ones that my clients really enjoy and feel good to their bodies.
How Long?
Sometimes I get asked the question "How long?" "How long do you think he/she will need Brain Fit?".
It Might be Different Than you Think
When families come to Brain Fit Academy, they tend to come with expectations about what changes they are hoping to see in their child. It's natural, of course. The reason why they came to Brain Fit in the first place is to help their child with their struggles. Those struggles might be anxiety or ADHD, dyslexia, learning challenges, sensory processing or a host of other things.
It’s Not Rocket Science
When parents (or teachers or therapists) first start to learn about Primitive Reflex Integration, it might seem a little daunting. It can seem like a lot of information, but let me tell you a few things:
“My Brain and Body Aren’t Friends”
"My brain and body aren't friends. They don't like to say sorry to each other". This is what my six year old client said to me as we sat outside on the step. He had been having a difficult time during our session and this young child was trying to articulate a confusing concept to a six year old- that his brain and body don't feel connected.
Behaviors are Communication
I didn't listen to him. I didn't listen to his words that is.
Safety
It doesn’t really matter who you are, young or old, kid, adult, or teen. We all want (and deserve) and sense of safety. And I’m not just talking about safety as in feeling safe from physical dangers. I’m also talking about the sense of safety that comes from feeling emotionally safe.
It Might Get Worse
I emailed my son's Brain Fit Coach in a bit of a panic. We had recently started with weekly sessions and all of a sudden he started having an exaggerated response to noise that he never had before. His teachers were telling me that he was refusing to go into the cafeteria and was covering his ears. The teachers (graciously) allowed him to each his lunch just outside the cafeteria and even allowed him to invite a friend to eat with him.
Asymmetrical Tonic…What Now??
I've been a teacher for quite awhile. 20+ years actually. I've taught pre-schoolers, I've taught 2nd graders, I've taught 4th and 5th graders. I'm also a mom to two teenage children. And in all that time of being a teacher and a mom, I had never heard of the Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR) until about two years ago. Never.
Parents are Partners
Parents know their children best. They are the ones that kids spend the most time with. Parents know the ins and outs and the ups and downs of their children. Parents are usually the first ones to know if something is "off" with their child or if they are just having a bad day.
There’s Not Much Left
I did some Brain Gym® movement activities before I sat down to write this post today. I needed to. I was (what we call at Brain Fit) "out of the loop" and I wasn't able to access my thoughts in order to write.
Trust the Process
"Trust the Process" is one of the Guiding Principles for us at Brain Fit Academy. Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the cognitive part of our job that it becomes difficult to remember that. Even the best of us coaches have it happen sometimes.