What They Studied
Researchers conducted a retrospective review of archived parent survey data to estimate the impact of the Brain Balance program on mental well-being in children and adolescents with developmental or learning challenges. The study was authored by Dr. Rebecca Jackson of Brain Balance and Dr. J. Michelle Robertson of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas.
The review encompassed survey data collected over four years (2015–2018) from parents of 25,206 students enrolled at Brain Balance centers across the United States. Participants ranged in age from 4 to 17 years (70.8% male, 29.2% female). All enrolled students had tested below age-appropriate developmental levels before program enrollment, as assessed by standardized functional tests measuring fine motor skills, body coordination, auditory processing, visual reading fluency, proprioception, balance, and vestibular function.
Parents completed surveys before and after their child's program participation, rating 11 items related to anxiety and emotional functioning on a 0–10 numeric scale (0 = not observed; 10 = frequently observed). The program duration was 5–6 months, with three one-hour in-center sessions per week consisting of 45 minutes of sensorimotor exercises and 15 minutes of academic activities, plus home-based exercises and nutritional guidance.
The focus on anxiety and emotional outcomes distinguished this study from prior Brain Balance research, which had concentrated on cognitive performance and attentional functioning. The researchers noted that children with developmental challenges frequently experience co-occurring emotional difficulties — including anxiety, depression-like symptoms, and problems with emotional regulation — but few studies had examined whether multimodal training programs could address these emotional dimensions.
What They Found
Anxiety and Emotional Functioning: Broad Improvement Across 11 Domains
After 5–6 months of program participation, parents reported improvement across all 11 areas of anxiety and emotional functioning measured. 75% of children showed up to 25% improvement in symptom intensity, while the top quartile (25% of children) demonstrated substantially larger gains of 60–85.7% improvement.
The 11 Emotional and Anxiety Domains Measured
| Domain | Category |
|---|---|
| Panic / anxiety attacks | Anxiety |
| Worrying | Anxiety |
| Obsessive thoughts or behaviors | Anxiety |
| Depression-like symptoms | Mood |
| Mood regulation | Mood |
| Pessimism | Mood |
| Emotional regulation | Emotional functioning |
| Emotional self-awareness | Emotional functioning |
| Emotional expressiveness | Emotional functioning |
| Social withdrawal | Social-emotional |
| Overall mental well-being composite | Composite |
Panic and Anxiety Attacks: The Most Commonly Cited Outcome
Among the 495 parents who specifically rated the "panic/anxiety attacks" item, 75% reported a 20% or greater reduction in their child's anxiety symptoms after program completion. This finding is particularly notable because anxiety attacks are among the most visible and distressing symptoms for both children and families, and they often resist improvement without direct therapeutic intervention.
Consistency Across Four Years of Data
The researchers noted that little variability was observed in the data from one year to the next across the four-year collection period (2015–2018). This consistency across four independent cohorts strengthens the finding — if results were driven by a single unusual cohort or seasonal effect, year-over-year variation would be expected. The stability of the pattern suggests a repeatable, program-level effect.
Why It Matters
Beyond ADHD: The Emotional Dimension
Most Brain Balance research focuses on attention, cognition, and developmental milestones. This is the only study in the Brain Balance library that specifically isolates anxiety and emotional functioning as primary outcomes. For parents whose children struggle with anxiety, mood dysregulation, or social withdrawal alongside developmental challenges, this study provides evidence that those emotional dimensions may also respond to the program.
The co-occurrence of developmental challenges and emotional difficulties is well-documented in the research literature. Children with motor skill deficits, sensory processing issues, attention disorders, or learning differences are at significantly elevated risk for anxiety and depression. The researchers cite evidence that these emotional difficulties may stem both from the stress of failing to achieve age-appropriate functional skills and from underlying neurobiological vulnerabilities — specifically, abnormalities in connectivity between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex that have been repeatedly reported in studies of adolescents and adults with anxiety and depression.
The breadth of improvement across 11 distinct emotional domains is noteworthy. Most behavioral interventions target specific emotional symptoms — cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety, for example, or social skills training for withdrawal. The Brain Balance program's multimodal approach was not specifically designed as an anxiety treatment, yet parents reported improvement across anxiety, mood, emotional regulation, and social-emotional domains. This is consistent with the theoretical framework underlying the program: that developmental domains are interconnected, and that strengthening sensory-motor integration can produce cascading improvements in emotional functioning.
The four-year data collection window (2015–2018) and the enrollment of 25,206 students make this one of the largest datasets in the Brain Balance research library. While the study analyzed a subset of survey respondents for each item rather than the full enrollment, the consistency of results across four independent annual cohorts provides a measure of replication built into the study design.
Study Limitations
This study relied on retrospective, parent-reported survey data without a control group or standardized clinical anxiety measures such as the SCARED or MASC. Parent perceptions of emotional change may be influenced by expectations, investment in the program, or global impressions of improvement. The survey instrument was designed by Brain Balance professionals rather than being an independently validated clinical tool. The study reports percentage improvement in symptom intensity rather than effect sizes or statistical significance tests, which limits comparability with other intervention research. Participants' specific clinical diagnoses were not available. The 10% dropout rate was noted but not analyzed for differential outcomes. Future research should employ standardized, validated anxiety measures, include a control group, and assess whether anxiety improvements are sustained after program completion.