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Post by jenjie on Jun 27, 2019 16:41:19 GMT
Have any of you heard of brain balance center? The concept is that we are either left or right brain dominant. If there is a large disparity between the strong and weak sides, this can contribute to issues in learning, social, sensory etc. Brain balance centers work on the weak side to help bring both sides into balance.
My friend had good success with her son so I took Logan for an evaluation. He is left brain dominant. On his right brain he scores pretty low on some things, functioning as a 5 year old or 10 year old in some areas. It’s disheartening but it all seems to fit. Remember I kept saying I don’t know if it’s “I can’t” or “I won’t”? Looks like a whole lot of this is “I can’t”
if he is going from point A to point B he doesn’t notice the people around him and may bump into them. I repeatedly tell him to pay attention. Normal for a 6 year old, not so much for a 14 year old..
He scored low on hearing -actually low on a lot - but what hearing said is that your ears may hear one thing and your brain registers it as something else. Which makes sense. His math teacher kept saying “I said this repeatedly” and he was like “she never said that”.
I’ve heard really good feedback. So I signed him up. I don’t know how else to help him. This year was such a fight. I was so incredibly stressed, so were jared and Caitlin. his math teacher was stressed, and Logan’s in la la land.
Case in point: I said this might help you have an easier time next year. “This year was easy!”
It’s like the world is in flames around him and he’s in the middle holding a match. He doesn’t realize there is a fire, or that he started it.
I’m hopeful this will help him. They will do therapies with him at their office and he has exercises to do every day. And music therapy. We will also work on nutrition - an elimination diet to see what is causing any problems. Plus they will come to a meeting at the school to explain what’s going on and help everyone get on the same page helping him.
his gross and fine motor skills, which we knew were weak - she said it’s like he has to expend more energy and put in more effort than his classmates and when he gets home he’s exhausted. Probably physically and mentally. So no wonder he has a hard time following through on finishing homework. Even just looking from the teacher or blackboard to his paper repeatedly is a lot.
I’ve been talking to him about capitalizing on strengths and compensating for weaknesses, and apparently that’s the exact opposite of what should be happening. My one friend says “it makes sense. If I have a weak muscle and only use the ones around it, but not that muscle itself, then it never gets better. Hmmmm.... sort of a mind blowing moment there.”
We are on session 3. It’s 3 hours out of our day every time we go (an hour away) so I’m trying to get as much in over the summer as we can.
One mom I talked to here said her kid kept getting in trouble at school for being disruptive, getting out of his seat, etc. I think he’s 8. So anyway they had her son do an exercise where he put his arms out in front and look to the left and right. Where most people can move their eyes without moving their head, he was moving his entire upper body! And nobody ever realized it. So let’s say someone comes into the classroom. Everyone looks, they can’t help it. But everyone else’s kid sneaks a peek, while her kid does what everyone else does but moves his whole body to see who came in.
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Post by cadoodlebug on Jun 27, 2019 16:47:09 GMT
Very interesting. I look forward to hearing about what progress is made this summer. Hugs!
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Post by christine58 on Jun 27, 2019 16:49:01 GMT
Does Logan have an IEP or 504 for school?? Has he by chance been diagnosed with a form of autism?? This new therapy sounds awesome and it sure can't hurt. I justg wonder if his current school placement is best for him. (I am a retired Special Ed teacher---I taught in 6:1+1 classes at the HS level)
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Post by jenjie on Jun 27, 2019 17:06:02 GMT
Does Logan have an IEP or 504 for school?? Has he by chance been diagnosed with a form of autism?? This new therapy sounds awesome and it sure can't hurt. I justg wonder if his current school placement is best for him. (I am a retired Special Ed teacher---I taught in 6:1+1 classes at the HS level) Yes at the beginning of last school year he was diagnosed with Aspergers/HFA. Plus he has dysgraphia. We are at a private school and they are not required to follow IEP or 504. They try to help as best they can with what they know. But his math teacher last year... she makes it so easy for the typical kid to pass. She sends home a syllabus and gives plenty of opportunity to earn extra points by redoing incorrect work. She did her part, I did mine, but Logan didn’t do his. He had a really hard time writing all the steps for pre-algebra. He would forget what he was supposed to do. Forget to finish. Leave it at home etc. she made some allowances but we were both about ready to go over the cliff by the end of the year. Because we didn’t understand. I talked with a friend the last week of school. Her son is a few years ahead. She said Mrs D should have made Abc and XYZ accommodations, she did for my kid. If we had that conversation earlier it would have made such a difference. If I said bob’s mom said you were able to do such and such, She would have remembered that it worked out fine for him to do that. Next year’s math teacher is his biggest advocate at the school. She is going back for her masters and has been the biggest help. She gets it and is able to work out what will help him and still meet the requirements at the same time. I’m going to ask for her to come to the meeting at the school. |
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Post by dewryce on Jun 27, 2019 17:13:05 GMT
I have never heard of that, but it sounds interesting. I find it amazing the advances we are making these days. I hope it helps and look forward to hearing about his progress!
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Post by christine58 on Jun 27, 2019 17:45:03 GMT
Does Logan have an IEP or 504 for school?? Has he by chance been diagnosed with a form of autism?? This new therapy sounds awesome and it sure can't hurt. I justg wonder if his current school placement is best for him. (I am a retired Special Ed teacher---I taught in 6:1+1 classes at the HS level) Yes at the beginning of last school year he was diagnosed with Aspergers/HFA. Plus he has dysgraphia. We are at a private school and they are not required to follow IEP or 504. They try to help as best they can with what they know. But his math teacher last year... she makes it so easy for the typical kid to pass. She sends home a syllabus and gives plenty of opportunity to earn extra points by redoing incorrect work. She did her part, I did mine, but Logan didn’t do his. He had a really hard time writing all the steps for pre-algebra. He would forget what he was supposed to do. Forget to finish. Leave it at home etc. she made some allowances but we were both about ready to go over the cliff by the end of the year. Because we didn’t understand. I talked with a friend the last week of school. Her son is a few years ahead. She said Mrs D should have made Abc and XYZ accommodations, she did for my kid. If we had that conversation earlier it would have made such a difference. If I said bob’s mom said you were able to do such and such, She would have remembered that it worked out fine for him to do that. Next year’s math teacher is his biggest advocate at the school. She is going back for her masters and has been the biggest help. She gets it and is able to work out what will help him and still meet the requirements at the same time. I’m going to ask for her to come to the meeting at the school I thought he was at a private school. Sounds like next year will be better and the more informed his teachers are..the better for him!! (and you and his siblings). |
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Post by jenjie on Jun 27, 2019 17:54:56 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2019 17:58:14 GMT
I have heard of it and looked into.
A friend gave it a go for her autistic daughter and the program did nothing.
She took out a loan to pay for it. It us VERY expensive. She spent over $10,000 for a year.
Anyways, when I was looking into the center, a few things threw me off.
They are not doctors. They are people who start the center. The people who work for them are not doctors. Or therapists. At most they have a BS or BA. They lady who started our city center was a teacher. Only 1 "coach" has a masters in education.
I just feel, after reading articles and parent notes, that this center is grabbing onto curing Autism and ADD/ADHD to make money. And that is why my friend did it.
Another mom I know had her son there for 2 years and he barely made any gains.
To me, our kids need medical based centers.
We have done PCIT, DIR Floor Time Therapy, Play Therapy, pt, ot, autism slp clinic (that program got my son to read), sensory ot, visual therapy.
All of those have done wonders. And it was free!
I just would be very leery of that center.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2019 18:04:35 GMT
Btw on the hearing test...
Did they tell you that he has Auditory Processing Disorder?
If you get in with private OT through insurance there is a really good listening program to help.
For the visual it is visual processing disorder. Both a pediatric ophthalmologist and sensory OT can work on that. Dd has that as well and gets accommodations and help at school along with therapy.
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Post by hop2 on Jun 27, 2019 18:07:22 GMT
What is their music therapy?
I only know brain balance from their commercials, I hope it helps Logan with his problem areas cause the things you say about him here he sounds like such a great kid.
As moms we gotta do whatever works for our kids right?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2019 18:07:50 GMT
Also it is very common for Aspies and Autistics to need to see it in writing. This is because they have to hear and process while processing environment visuals.
So it is common to need to say it 3 times.
Dd gets all instruction orally and writen. Been that way since 2nd grade. Teacher used to also "check in" with her by tapping her shoulder, waiting a few seconds and then talk to dd and state next part to do and show writen instructions.
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Post by pierkiss on Jun 27, 2019 18:19:54 GMT
Are there peer reviewed studies that you can read that show the efficacy of this therapy? Doesn’t your son have an autism spectrum diagnosis? Have you looked in to ABA therapy?
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Post by pierkiss on Jun 27, 2019 18:21:15 GMT
I have heard of it and looked into. A friend gave it a go for her autistic daughter and the program did nothing. She took out a loan to pay for it. It us VERY expensive. She spent over $10,000 for a year. Anyways, when I was looking into the center, a few things threw me off. They are not doctors. They are people who start the center. The people who work for them are not doctors. Or therapists. At most they have a BS or BA. They lady who started our city center was a teacher. Only 1 "coach" has a masters in education. I just feel, after reading articles and parent notes, that this center is grabbing onto curing Autism and ADD/ADHD to make money. And that is why my friend did it. Another mom I know had her son there for 2 years and he barely made any gains. To me, our kids need medical based centers. We have done PCIT, DIR Floor Time Therapy, Play Therapy, pt, ot, autism slp clinic (that program got my son to read), sensory ot, visual therapy. All of those have done wonders. And it was free! I just would be very leery of that center. This is exactly what I am worried about after reading your OP jenjie. |
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Post by bc2ca on Jun 27, 2019 18:41:15 GMT
Btw on the hearing test...
Did they tell you that he has Auditory Processing Disorder?If you get in with private OT through insurance there is a really good listening program to help. For the visual it is visual processing disorder. Both a pediatric ophthalmologist and sensory OT can work on that. Dd has that as well and gets accommodations and help at school along with therapy. The hearing issue jumped out at me, too. DD has both an input and output auditory processing disorder. We had to go outside the school system to a private Audiologist for testing and diagnosis. Sounds coming in don't process in the right order and she could not manage more than two step instructions. The SLPs she worked with were pretty phenomenal. I'm not familiar with the brain balance center. It sounds like it might be similar to Brain Highways, a program that was developed through a local school district. I looked into it briefly about 10 years ago but didn't pursue it (partly logistics and partly DD started making great progress with her new SLP). |
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Post by tc on Jun 27, 2019 19:21:32 GMT
Thank you for sharing your experience, jenjie. I've seriously thought about it, but I know insurance doesn't cover any of it. And I don't feel like we've exhausted other avenues for our son yet. Of course I'd do anything to help him, but I also have to be realistic when it comes to finances. I'll be interested to hear of any updates as you progress through the program.
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Post by jenjie on Jun 27, 2019 19:32:18 GMT
@calimom2 pierkiss our neurologist didn’t recommend any of those things. He just said take zoloft and get him involved in things that interest him. I appreciate your thoughts. I’m hopeful this will be beneficial. Like I said, my friend - my very good friend - is very pleased with the support it’s given her son. Calimom I’m so glad these therapies are helping! |
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Post by jenjie on Jun 27, 2019 19:34:11 GMT
What is their music therapy? I only know brain balance from their commercials, I hope it helps Logan with his problem areas cause the things you say about him here he sounds like such a great kid. As moms we gotta do whatever works for our kids right? It’s some weird (to me) instrumentals created for the program. Logan is right brain weak and he listens to it in his left ear. A child who is left brain weak would get a different CD and listen in his right ear. |
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Post by Delta Dawn on Jun 27, 2019 19:38:58 GMT
Hi Jen, could you ask him something. It’s easy and it will help me. When he hears the word 5 (for example) and has to write it does his brain tell him to write 7 or 3? Or other number?
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Post by jenjie on Jun 27, 2019 19:51:35 GMT
Hi Jen, could you ask him something. It’s easy and it will help me. When he hears the word 5 (for example) and has to write it does his brain tell him to write 7 or 3? Or other number? [br He says 5. He writes it like the letter S |
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Post by Delta Dawn on Jun 27, 2019 19:59:00 GMT
Thanks. I appreciate it. I wondered if he did the same thing. It makes no sense to me how I hear 5 and write 3 but I know I do it.
Does he have trouble writing with a pen or pencil? I preferred pencil because it was faster than ink.
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Post by pierkiss on Jun 27, 2019 21:03:18 GMT
@calimom2 pierkiss our neurologist didn’t recommend any of those things. He just said take zoloft and get him involved in things that interest him. I appreciate your thoughts. I’m hopeful this will be beneficial. Like I said, my friend - my very good friend - is very pleased with the support it’s given her son. Calimom I’m so glad these therapies are helping! I am floored that your neurologist didn’t recommend ABA therapy to help treat his Aspergers. |
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Post by jenjie on Jun 27, 2019 22:00:34 GMT
Thanks. I appreciate it. I wondered if he did the same thing. It makes no sense to me how I hear 5 and write 3 but I know I do it. Does he have trouble writing with a pen or pencil? I preferred pencil because it was faster than ink. He has dysgraphia. Any type of writing is difficult. |
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Post by christine58 on Jun 27, 2019 22:01:25 GMT
I am floored that your neurologist didn’t recommend ABA therapy to help treat his Aspergers. There's a new thought on ABA>....some believe it doesn't work. jenjie Your eyes are wide open and I think that not every program will work for every child. It may help Logan and I truly believe if you think it's not helping, you won't hesitate to stop. |
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Post by jenjie on Jun 27, 2019 22:03:08 GMT
@calimom2 pierkiss our neurologist didn’t recommend any of those things. He just said take zoloft and get him involved in things that interest him. I appreciate your thoughts. I’m hopeful this will be beneficial. Like I said, my friend - my very good friend - is very pleased with the support it’s given her son. Calimom I’m so glad these therapies are helping! I am floored that your neurologist didn’t recommend ABA therapy to help treat his Aspergers. No therapies whatsoever. This is the neurologist my sil takes her son to. He has developmental disabilities bc he stopped breathing when he was born. She absolutely loves him. And he was the only one who has given us more than 5 minutes and was willing to say yes there is a problem. |
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Post by jenjie on Jun 27, 2019 22:06:59 GMT
I am floored that your neurologist didn’t recommend ABA therapy to help treat his Aspergers. There's a new thought on ABA>....some believe it doesn't work. jenjie Your eyes are wide open and I think that not every program will work for every child. It may help Logan and I truly believe if you think it's not helping, you won't hesitate to stop. Thank you. Yes my eyes are open. I have felt hamstrung and helpless. This is giving me hope - and helping me understand my child a little better. Thanks for your encouragement. |
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Post by hop2 on Jun 27, 2019 22:24:28 GMT
Thanks. I appreciate it. I wondered if he did the same thing. It makes no sense to me how I hear 5 and write 3 but I know I do it. Does he have trouble writing with a pen or pencil? I preferred pencil because it was faster than ink. He has dysgraphia. Any type of writing is difficult. is it better on a computer? My DS did so much better when he could use a computer. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2019 22:29:54 GMT
Thanks. I appreciate it. I wondered if he did the same thing. It makes no sense to me how I hear 5 and write 3 but I know I do it. Does he have trouble writing with a pen or pencil? I preferred pencil because it was faster than ink. He has dysgraphia. Any type of writing is difficult. DD has that too. Does he have a chromebook or laptop to use at school? Speak to text? DD has both accommodations as well as oral answers when appropriate. |
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Post by jenjie on Jun 27, 2019 22:33:01 GMT
He has dysgraphia. Any type of writing is difficult. is it better on a computer? My DS did so much better when he could use a computer. Yes! |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2019 22:34:00 GMT
I am floored that your neurologist didn’t recommend ABA therapy to help treat his Aspergers. No therapies whatsoever. This is the neurologist my sil takes her son to. He has developmental disabilities bc he stopped breathing when he was born. She absolutely loves him. And he was the only one who has given us more than 5 minutes and was willing to say yes there is a problem. Jenjie, do you have a developmental pediatrician in your area? Typically that is a good start for kids who have any type of mental, developmental, and physical condition. Aspergers, Autism, ADD, ADHD, Seizures, CP, etc. Our pediatrician is the one who has sent us out to various private therapies. The PCIT, Floortime, and Play therapy were through our Mental Health portion and I gained access to those. And yes, while for some ABA helps, DIR/Floortime along with play therapy is more sought after now. This is because with ABA a child can become very robotic. As with DIR, Floortime, Play therapy they learn emotions as well. The play therapy worked on anxiety skills as well as play with peer skills |
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Post by jenjie on Jun 27, 2019 22:37:08 GMT
He has dysgraphia. Any type of writing is difficult. DD has that too. Does he have a chromebook or laptop to use at school? Speak to text? DD has both accommodations as well as oral answers when appropriate. I think he would be allowed to use one at school but he doesn’t want to. Oral answers would be helpful. My friend’s son has that accommodation. I asked for suggested accommodations - which is something else the neurologist did not provide. I feel like he could have helped us so much more. |
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