Brain Balance is the leading drug-free training program designed to help kids improve focus, behavior, social skills, anxiety, and academic performance.
The program goes above and beyond the more traditional, mainstream approaches you may have tried before to help your child get to the root of their challenges.
This fall, as kids and teens return to school, you can make up for lost time and help your child get ahead by improving focus, behavior, social skills, and learning. Brain Balance’s non-medical program is tailored to your child’s unique needs with a personalized plan of action and coaching. We’ll help you in the way that works best for you. The program is available onsite or online, at home. Join the 40,000 other Brain Balance families and help your child thrive in the new school year.
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Receive a phone call to talk personally with one of our knowledgeable program specialists.
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Learn how Brain Balance's unique program uses physical, sensory, and cognitive activities to help your child see improvements.
We have helped more than 40,000 kids get to the root of their struggles and achieve lasting improvements, including:
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At Brain Balance, there is hope for children struggling with meltdowns, low confidence and/or focusing both inside and outside of the classroom. Our holistic program can help children with a variety of childhood developmental and learning disorders, including Attention Hyperactivity Deficit Disorder (ADHD), Dyslexia, Sensory Processing Disorders, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Asperger Syndrome, and Leaky Gut. Our program at Brain Balance Achievement Center of Bergen County addresses the root cause of each child’s unique issue and creates a custom plan based on the results of a child’s personal assessment. Our center’s drug-free, integrated approach combines sensory-motor activities, academic skill activities, and a healthy eating program with at-home exercises to address the whole-child. Want to help your child achieve their full potential? Contact Brain Balance Achievement Center of Bergen County to get started.
The Brain Balance Achievement Center of Bergen County starts with an in-depth assessment of your child to help us personalize the learning program, to meet your child’s needs. From there, we have in-center sensory motor training and academic skill sessions that are an hour long, three times per week. Each program is personalized to the challenges of the child and the timeframe varies. The number of sessions is determined by the results of your child’s assessment. Generally, programs are completed in between 36-72 sessions on average, with some children needing more sessions to achieve their goals. The Brain Balance Achievement Center of Bergen County also provides in-home activities including a nutritional program that establishes a healthy environment for the entire family.
The Brain Balance Program begins with conducting a personal assessment for your child to get to the root of the underlying issue. This allows us to develop a specific plan tailored to your child’s areas of struggle. Once the Brain Balance Achievement Center of Bergen County has mapped out your child’s personal plan, we have in-center training sessions to cover social, behavioral and academic skills. These sessions are one hour up to three times a week. Depending on the initial assessment will determine the number of sessions your child will need to complete the program. On average, our program is completed within 3-6 months. However, due to the uniqueness of our plans, some children need more or less time in order to achieve their individual goals. The Brain Balance Program includes in-home activities and exercise regimens to partake in outside of the in-center training. The activities at home are key to successful outcomes. We provide a bevy of tools for establishing a healthy environment. Performance reports are provided every 12 weeks and presented at parent conferences.
If your child has difficulty paying attention, understanding other people’s feelings or talking about their own, has a learning disorder such as dyslexia, or lose their temper often, the Brain Balance Achievement Center of Bergen County can help you and your child manage or overcome the symptoms of common disorders.
At Brain Balance Achievement Center of Bergen County, NJ we proudly serve children and families throughout Bergen County, Ridgewood, Englewood, Alpine, Upper Saddle River, Montvale, Woodcliff Lake, Paramus, Franklin Lakes and Wyckoff. Our unique and comprehensive approach centers around creating the opportunity to help your child reach their physical, social and academic potential.* We work to help children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder, learning disorders such as dyslexia, processing disorders such as sensory processing disorder, Asperger Syndrome, and a variety of other common childhood disorders.
Our center works directly with the following New Jersey school districts, Ridgewood, Paramus, Ramsey, Montvale, Allendale, Woodcliff Lake, Englewood, Fort Lee, and Mahwah. As part of our program, The Brain Balance Center of Bergen County will work with your child’s individual education plan (IEP’s) to help them succeed. In order to help them achieve the best results and get back on track, we will work directly with school staff to support any child who has an IEP or 504 plan.
The Brain Balance Achievement Center of Bergen County cares about giving back to the local community in Bergen County. Therefore, we have engaged in a partnership with multiple charities and organizations in New Jersey. These include The Dana Foundation, Autism Speaks, and Easter Seals.
For more information about our program offers, please give us a call at 201-825-1030. Interested parents and family members can also plan a visit to The Brain Balance Achievement Center of Bergen County, NJ to meet our dedicated team members and observe how our program has helped other local children.
The Brain Balance Achievement Center of Bergen County offers seasonal promotions. Please contact our center directly at 201-825-1030 for more information.
Brain Balance does not require that a child has a medical diagnosis, nor do we clinically diagnose medical conditions. Our focus is on understanding the struggles these children experience and helping them develop and strengthen the connections to help reduce those struggles.
For those who do have a diagnosis,1 research has shown that the unique challenges your child is facing can be linked to weak connections across different regions of the brain.
The Brain Balance assessment provides you with a deeper view of your child’s struggles. During the assessment, your child’s sensory, motor and cognitive development are evaluated. This assessment helps identify areas of development that need strengthening. The reasons why a child may excel in some areas but has trouble in others will become clearer. From the results, we create a plan that helps your child overcome their struggles.
Fill out our form now to get started. A Brain Balance team member will reach out to personally discuss your child’s challenges and schedule your child’s assessment.
When kids struggle with focus, behavior or sensory processing, it can be linked to weak connections across different regions in the brain. The good news is, we know that the brain can change in a way that may lead to improvements for your child or teen. The Brain Balance program exercises and activities are uniquely designed to help strengthen and build new connections by using a combination of physical, sensory, and cognitive activities. These new, efficient, and effective connections in the brain lead to improvements in our ability to complete cognitive tasks and in our executive functioning:
When these skills and functions improve, a child may feel improved confidence and be better equipped to engage and thrive in the world around them.
The Brain Balance program was recently part of a research study conducted by Harvard University’s McLean Hospital. The research study focused on the impact of aspects of the Brain Balance program, completed at home, on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).We are incredibly excited to share the preliminary findings of this ongoing research.
The Brain Balance Program offers a comprehensive, drug-free option that goes beyond the more traditional, mainstream approaches you may have tried before to help your child get to the root of their challenges instead of masking them.
A Whole-Brain Approach
The program activates many regions of brain all at once through sensory engagement, physical development and academic learning activities.
Personalized to Your Child’s Challenges
The program is tailored to your child’s needs and development level.
1:1 Coaching & Support
Our coaches will personally guide you through the program, including evaluating progress and leveling up as your child advances.
1:1 Nutrition Sessions
A Registered Dietitian will help customize a healthy nutrition plan fit for your child's lifestyle and needs.
On-Demand Resources
You’ll have access to a Program Portal where you can view on-demand helper videos, nutrition content, and program resources.
The Brain Balance Program is available at our local center and virtually, so you can find an option that best fits your family's needs.
At Your Local Brain Balance Center
Your child can work onsite with our coaches three times per week.
At Home with Virtual Check-Ins
The virtual option is parent-led and completed at home. You'll have weekly video check-ins from your program coach.
A program specialist can help you learn more about the two options and understand which format will work best for your child.
The struggles they experienced in the past may be familiar to you.
“Above all, our little girl is loving life in a positive way!”
To take advantage of what we considered the best treatment available for our daughter we moved to New York from the United Kingdom between July and December 2013! From the day Arielle was born she was very sensitive and anxious. Just before she turned 3 yrs old, Arielle developed some severe behavioral and social issues that made a big impact on our daily family life. We tried various avenues of help with no success. At the end of 2012 we were put in touch with Brain Balance via a friend who had proved fantastic results with their son who had done the program. After identifying that the UK had nothing to compare with the Brain Balance Program we took the big decision to temporarily move to New York to be able to attend a Brain Balance center and complete the program. This took several months of planning, obtaining visas etc. Understandably, this involved cost and sacrifice in many areas.
The outcome was worth waiting for – it’s not a quick fix, these stages need to happen, it’s been a lasting and ongoing improvement. The excellent result has been worth every step. We now have a very happy daughter who has confidence, can reason, can react to good or bad situations in a balanced way, is stronger physically, is making new friends, is accomplishing big steps forward academically with a very strong willingness to learn….. she now has the ability to achieve her full potential now and in the future! Above all, our little girl is loving life in a positive way!
When we returned to the UK and Arielle went back to her school for the first time her teacher was amazed – her words to us on the first day back were “She’s a ‘different child’, interacting, making friends, being sociable and her eyes are different – she is so happy” Dr. Melillo and his outstanding centers are a phenomenal provision for the people of the United States and one that will hopefully extend worldwide in time.
To anyone reading this who has a child with developmental issues or similar conditions we would strongly urge you to do all you can to connect with a Brain Balance Center near you. You will be undoubtedly doing the best for your loved one and investing everything in their potential.”
~Scott & Anna Swansea, UK
“After 12 weeks of Brain Balance, our daughter was in a place of expanded neurologic readiness.”
“I first heard about Brain Balance in from a mother/speech pathologist/yoga teacher who shared that her son had improved so dramatically the program that he no longer met criteria for Asperger’s and ADHD. This was after years of exhaustively trying other approaches. While there was no local program at the time, we were willing to take our daughter whatever distance as she was 4 years old and non-verbal because of profound apraxia (inability to plan and sequence motor activities). She hadn’t walked until the age of 2 and had significant issues navigating her physical environment because of apraxia.
My husband and I being physicians, we brought our daughter to many “skilled diagnosticians”. Not only were we not offered a useful diagnosis, we were not offered any guidance towards targeted therapeutic interventions. Within 1-2 weeks of beginning the program our daughter was alternating feet when walking up stairs, something that she had not been able to do previously, even at over 5 years of age.
She started approximating a couple of words in sequence. And, of utmost importance to my mother, who was so devoted to helping in the care of my daughter, she started saying ‘Nonna.’ After 12 weeks of Brain Balance, our daughter was in a place of expanded neurologic readiness. She is now 7 and while still struggling to make herself verbally understood to her peers, she is much better functionally.
The Brain Balance team were wonderfully kind and generous in the care of our daughter. They coordinated with her elementary school teachers and therapists to refine a more holistic, comprehensive program to address her neurologic needs. I am exceptionally grateful to them.”
~Dr. AnnaLisa Pastore, MD
“Her processing is much better too.”
“Anna did her homework today all by herself and she did it quickly and with little help! Such an improvement. I am amazed how quickly she read the problem, processed the information, and answered the questions. She beat me! I am really impressed and amazed! She is also talking so much more and saying phrases that are amazing to me. She is also speaking clearer too.
When she grabs my hand, I can feel the muscles developing in her arms and hands. She has gotten so much stronger. Her processing is much better too. Rarely do I have to repeat myself when I am talking to her. She also is not losing objects around the house as much anymore…”
Cushla Hall has been improving the lives of children and youth with behavioral health and developmental needs for nearly 15 years as a Care Manager, Court Appointed Special Advocate, and as a Casework Specialist. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology as well as numerous certifications from the Department of Community Services. From Australia originally, she has been serving the New Jersey community since 2011. She brings lots of energy and enthusiasm to supporting families at our center!
Mayra is a licensed Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, who holds her Associate in Applied Science Degree, is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association and is a Certified Athletic Trainer. Of all the clinical work she has done, she finds working with children the most rewarding and humbling. She loves watching kids improve over time and see them develop into amazing human beings. While she chose her career because of her love of helping, the best part of what she does is seeing the impact she’s personally made with the kids she’s worked with. Besides helping kids, Mayra enjoys sports (especially Spanish league soccer), hiking the Palisades, and drinking specialty teas and coffees.
Michael Tobin, born and raised in Allendale, NJ, and has over ten years of experience working with children with special needs. Our first-ever hire, he has worked at Brain Balance since before our doors opened in 2011. He studied at the University of Pittsburgh and worked with Board Certified Behavioral Analysts, implementing ABA strategies. An avid sports fan, Michael coaches and plays basketball year-round. He enjoys the outdoors, live music, and is the proud owner of a 3-legged dog named Skittles. He and his wife live in town.
Marilyn Rukaj has over 5 years working with children and we call her ‘the child whisperer’. She has been at Brain Balance since 2015. Marilyn is pursuing a career in Child Mental Health Counseling and Child Advocacy. Fun Fact: Marilyn was a Jr. Olympian!
Nicholas Clark was introduced to Brain Balance through his classmate, and daughter of our program’s founder, Dr. Robert Melillo. Nick had already earned his B.S. in Kinesiology and Applied Physiology at the University of Delaware but was inspired when he realized that his talent and skills could impact the development of a child’s brain. “Coach Nick” joined our team in 2014 and was a natural, guiding children through their sensory-motor and synchronization activities. Nick has a unique way of inspiring kids to try harder and do their best; you may hear him sing a tune or two during your child’s sessions! Another fun fact about Nick: he has five sisters!
For Brian McHugh, working with children with special needs is a family affair; his mother was a teacher of children with autism and his brother works at a behavioral school. As a result, Brian grew up around kids with special needs and is truly passionate about helping them achieve their full potential. He studied psychology and sociology at Montclair State University and will attend graduate school for psychology this year. After he completed his externship at Brain Balance in 2015, he joined our team permanently. In his free time, Brian enjoys hiking, photography, and archery.
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Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop
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Location
140 Hopper Avenue
Waldwick, NJ 07463
Phone
Hours
Monday: 11am – 7:30pm
Tuesday: 9am – 6:30pm
Wednesday: 11am – 7:30pm
Thursday: 9am – 6:30pm
Friday: 11am – 6:30pm
Saturday: By Appointment Only
©2020 Brain Balance Achievement Centers. All rights reserved.
*At-home exercises and nutrition are a vital part of our program and compliance to program protocols is essential to achieve and maintain results. Your hard work and commitment to program requirements and protocols of the program translate to greater success for your child. Our advertising features actual parent testimonials. Individual results may vary. Brain Balance Achievement Centers are independently owned and operated.
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