Your child does not need a diagnosis to begin the program. The program is designed to help those with any diagnosis or symptoms related to ADHD, autism spectrum, reading or learning delays, speech difficulties, expressive language challenges, sensory processing disorder, emotional regulation, ODD, anxiety and more. The research is irrefutable that the sooner children get the help they need–the better the results. Either way a diagnosis is irrelevant to the brain-body approach especially since many children often don’t meet all the criteria of a diagnosis and still struggle significantly with learning, reading or behaviour. Instead of labelling, the brain-body approach screens for underlying factors that contribute to learning and behaviour struggles such as nutrition, skipped milestones and poor brain organization.

Because this approach is not medical–the program is not covered under insurance policies. However, Registered Holistic Nutritionists are covered under several insurance companies so the portion of the program that involves nutritional consults may be covered. Although there are no guarantees, some parents are able to submit the receipts because they receive funding from the government for a child with an official diagnosis.

The brain-body approach looks beyond the limitations of labels and one-size-fits-all therapies. This program seeks to uncover and correct the root cause of why your child is struggling–and there’s almost always more than one! An individualized approach which integrates various therapies helps parents to achieve real solutions in nurturing their child’s full potential. Once the assessment is complete and imbalances and deficiencies are identified, a customized plan that combines multiple therapies to address your child’s unique needs is developed. This assessment and plan looks at your child as a whole–rather than from a perspective of a label or a diagnosis. The brain-body approach is based on the most recent knowledge and research in educational therapy and functional medicine. Targeted nutrition and learning therapies are the starting point in transforming many of the common childhood disorders that are rising in epidemic proportions among children today.

Many current therapies just look at learning or behaviour difficulties through one angle. By just looking at nutrition, or just looking at sensory-motor development there will likely be results, but they will not be as transformative as an approach that screens from multiple angles. My education and background in both educational and corrective therapies and functional holistic nutrition enables me to see the whole picture and put all of these solutions together into one simple, easy-to-follow program that can have life changing results with as little effort as twenty minutes a day.

Educational therapy is focused on correcting underlying learning or behaviour glitches so that your child can actually overcome limitations and experience real success.  Educational therapists are trained in how the brain learns, where and why learning or behaviour challenges originate and how to help promote changes in brain organization, memory, reading, learning ability and overall processing. The problem with many reading and learning programs is that they do not address or resolve the underlying reasons for learning difficulties or behaviour challenges.

Traditional remedial learning and reading programs like tutoring often teach around the problem and create strategies to manage a disorder rather than correcting the source of the problem. Unfortunately, remedial learning may at times cause more damage by re-enforcing “˜faulty’ connections. The answer to improving your child’s abilities is not always “˜more practice’. Certainly practice makes perfect when the right connections are in place. Rigorous, rote learning may not only strengthen the wrong connections but it often leads to mental exhaustion, lack of motivation and even potential failure.

Educational therapists assess and screen where the weaknesses and underlying problems reside so that the correct therapies can be applied to create strong corrections. When the right connections are in place learning takes place more naturally and confidence and motivation soars. Tutoring is focused on extra practice and homework and can help to improve grade levels but tutoring benefits are short-term. Tutors are not trained in therapies that help to improve the way the brain processes, retains and stores information.

Yes. Connections in the brain are made strong throughout the six month program. As long as healthy nutrition, regular movement, and cognitive stimulation that is typically a part of every child’s daily life, is occurring, then the brain will not only maintain healthy connections but will continue to create new ones through ongoing learning and stimulation. When I follow-up with parents long after their child has completed the program, they often tell me their child is continuing to improve academically and socially. When the right connections are in place, the brain can’t help but continue to build and grow!