Prevent Summer Learning Loss in Baltimore | Brain Balance

School is out, and a well deserved break is upon us! Summer serves as an excellent opportunity for reflection. What went well for your child this year? What was challenging for them? Were there notable difficulties with attentiveness, impulsiveness or academic performance? Your child is not alone.

Many children and teens struggle during the school year and feel the relief summer brings. But next year can be different. It’s very likely your child simply needs supportive coaching through a structured program to cultivate skills that will support their success and improve their confidence this Fall.

How Does the Brain Balance Program Work?

At Brain Balance, we’ve developed a research-backed, integrative approach to skill building. We work collaboratively with you and your child to identify their strengths and growth edges, allowing us to best meet their developmental needs. Our multimodal program works to improve attention, reduce hyperactivity and impulsivity, strengthen emotional regulation skills and make academic challenges feel less daunting.

To get started, our team provides an assessment that consists of sensory, physical and cognitive activities that help to identify which developmental domains should be targeted. The results of your child’s assessment inform the plan our team creates. Each plan is intentionally crafted to meet the unique needs of the individual. The Brain Balance program is designed to form new neural networks, and strengthen existing beneficial networks.

Our program includes a wide variety of exercises and activities that:

• Strengthen gross motor skills such as balance and coordination
• Improve sensory processing and cognitive functions such as attention and memory
• Encourage healthy lifestyle habits, including balanced nutrition and physical movement
• Cultivate a more expansive window of tolerance, promoting emotional regulation skills

Studies Show The Brain Balance Program Consistently Delivers

With 8 peer-reviewed studies published across 7 academic journals in the past 6 years, we’re confident in our approach and ability to positively impact your child’s academic performance, attention span and emotional functioning.

A study conducted in collaboration with Cambridge Brain Sciences² reported that children and adolescents who participated in the Brain Balance program demonstrated significant, measurable improvement across all cognitive tasks assessed. The 12 cognitive domains measured and improved upon included:

• Episodic memory
• Visuospatial working memory
• Short-term memory
• Verbal reasoning
• Mental rotation
• Cognitive processing
• Attention and concentration
• Deductive reasoning
• Planning and executive function
• Visuospatial processing
• Working memory and strategy
• Verbal working memory

A 2020 study published in the Journal of Mental Health and Clinical Psychology¹ found that 75% of children with developmental difficulties demonstrated significant reduction in anxiety symptoms and significant improvement in emotional functioning. Symptoms assessed included:

• Panic and anxiety attacks
• Worrying
• Depressive symptoms
• Mood regulation
• Obsessive thoughts or behaviors
• Social withdrawal
• Pessimism
• Emotional self-awareness
• Emotional expressiveness

You can explore the full research library at brainbalance.com/research.

Taking Advantage of the Summer Slow-Down

Between pool parties, holidays and vacations, there are still opportunities to keep your child’s skills sharp. Our Summer Program is the perfect opportunity to bridge the gap. This accelerated program allows your child to:

• Maintain progress and gains achieved last school year
• Cultivate important new skills for the academic year ahead
• Achieve confidence in their abilities and sense of self
• Have a fun, balanced summer!

In addition to your child seeing improvements in cognition , behavior and emotional skills , we value the importance of embracing fun along the way. We look forward to supporting your family in having an active, safe and healthy summer.

To learn more, get started and benefit from our enrollment and assessment bundle, click here. We’re happy to answer any questions you might have, don’t hesitate to reach out to us directly!

Sources:

1- Jackson, R., & Robertson, J. M. (2020). A retrospective review of parent-reported anxiety and emotional functioning in children with developmental challenges after participation in the Brain Balance® program. Journal of Mental Health and Clinical Psychology, 4(1), 10–20. https://doi.org/10.29245/2578-2959/2019/1.1192