virtual autism treatment; sensory processing, ADHD

brainconnex@gmail.com

Clinically proven online movement & sensory programs to improve development, learning, sensory processing, behavior, and attention & focus in children.

Brain Connex Therapy online primitive reflex & brain integrations program was created for children with developmental & neurological delays, autism, sensory processing disorder, ADHD, cerebral palsy, and more. Our foundational programs provide a combination of primitive reflex integration, neurodevelopmental movements, sensory stimulation, and brain hemispheric balance techniques to bring optimal results…all in the comfort of your home. We focus on accelerated outcomes and greater access to care for all families in need.

Brain Connex Therapy is designed to develop:

*Balance;

*Muscle tone, stamina, and controlled motor movements;

*Posture and control;

*Body and sensory awareness;

*Gross and fine motor movements;

*Self-control, persistence and organization;

*Language, rhythm and communication skills;

*Attention, listening and processing of sound;

*Self-esteem and confidence;

*Improved reading, writing, and learning ability.

Children who demonstrate delays and/or difficulties in the following areas can benefit from our program:

*Concentration/Attention/Memory

*Speech, Language

*Written Expression & Reading Comprehension

*Social Communication/skills

*Behavior

*Fine motor delays

*Gross motor delays

*Anxiety, Depression, Decreased self-worth

*Processing Speed

*Sensory Processing

“Our mission is to improve as many lives as possible while empowering clients with knowledge, and passionately learning from continued research in neurological movement to continuously improve treatment methods for optimal results.”

Results seen with Specific Conditions

Autism

ADHD

Sensory Processing

Dyslexia & Learning

Dyspraxia

Vision Issues

brainconnextherapy

#truestory Our bodies need to have the right balan

#truestory
Our bodies need to have the right balance between parasympatehtic and sympatheitc nervous system in order to engage, be social, have appropriate digestion, and sleep well.

Many kids on the spectrum suffer from too my sympathetic nervous system actviation. This occurs when the brainstem is in control of the body, rather than the cortical brain.

The best ways to improve balance between our PNS & SNS is by integrating primitive reflexes and balancing brain hemispheres. We also recommend starting with a passive pathway via a vagal regulation listening program that helps to stimluate the vagus nerve which controls digestion, heart rate, and other internal responses.

DM or email 📧 to get started today!

#restanddigest #parasympathetic #fightorflight #sympathetictone #safeandsound #socialengagement

“Brain Connex therapy has been absolutely life c

“Brain Connex therapy has been absolutely life changing for my son! Integrating reflexes, core strength exercises and stimulation of the weaker hemisphere massively helped with regulating emotions, stopped bed wetting and his academic performance is incredible now. He is a completely different child. Kara is amazing and her support is fantastic. 🙏🙏🙏”

#testimonialthursday #reflexintegration #hemisphericbalance #virtualcoaching #occupationaltherapy

Quick testimonial from a client using the vagal re

Quick testimonial from a client using the vagal regulation listening program with her son. They were seeing major behaviors at school that were causing many issues, as you could imagine.

The program helps to calm the nervous system by stimulating the vagus nerve. The middle ears are also engaged to understand human voice better which helps our children with sensitivities to their environment.

Typical responses include children feeling less anxious, less agitated by external stimuli and more comfortable in social settings. We may also see better sleep 😴, better articulation and increased language skills.

The program takes 10-20 days to complete and is as simple as listening to music 🎧

#vagusnerve #calmandconnect #reduceagitation #reducesensitivity #bettersleep #calmmind #calmbody

It is common for children with autism to have diff

It is common for children with autism to have difficulty understanding non-verbal expressions and gestures. If 90% of human communication is non-verbal, what happens for these kids? How difficult will social interactions become if you don't understand the majority of communication?

We learn how to interact with other people via non-verbal communication. Think about all of the simple non-verbal communciation strategies we use on a daily basis:

* Smile "I'm happy"
* Frown "I'm upset"
* Head shaking "Yes" "No"
* Shoulder shrug "I don't know"
* Pointing "Look at that" " Over there"

What would it feel like to not understand what those meant? This is what happens for many children on the spectrum. But WHY does it happen?

Not understanding non-verbal communication comes after not undersatnding your own body. Having poor proprioception, low muscle tone, impaired brain balance, and unintegrated primitive reflexes all contribute. When we do not understand how to move our own body in space, we cannot understand the actions (or feelings) of others.

Can we teach understanding non-verbal communication through repetition? Through a cortical level of teaching like ABA?

NO. Not if we want the child to communicate naturally.

To communicate naturally we must develop the brain and help to re-wire areas of disorganization. This way the brain create the neural pathways needed to understand others, develop relationships and improve social skills.

#braindevelopment #socialskills #nonverbalcommunication #nonverbal #autismkids #asd #parentingautism

When we look 👀 for the ROOT cause and treat wit

When we look 👀 for the ROOT cause and treat with an integrative approach, improvements are permanent and seen quicker than with traditional treatment methods.
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At Brain 🧠 Connex Therapy we understand that your child’s symptoms, diagnosis, or condition is multi-factorial. We must look at the whole child (and family) to create the lasting improvements parents want to see. We empower parents with knowledge and guide you through neurological movements and lifestyle factors.
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#lifestyle #rootcause #childrennottheirdiagnosis #beyondsymptoms

Have you taken time to build a relationship with y

Have you taken time to build a relationship with your child? A true connection?

As parents of children who are struggling it is common to get obsessed about the right treatments and therapies and doctors and supplements.

But how often do we think 🤔 about our child’s ability to connect on a deeper level? It first starts with us. Mom and dad. Then the child will develop a relationship with a sibling, then pet, then other adults and finally other children. There is a hierarchy to the development of relationships, just like the brain 🧠

As much as we work towards improving our children’s speech, learning and motor skills, we need to also consider fostering their ability to relate to others.

Start with 20 minutes of PLAY every single day. Time together without screens or devices, just the two of you. Interacting or playing side-by-side, be with your child where they are at. Go by their lead and progress the interactions as they build upon them.

Research has shown a persons EQ or emotional quotient is superior to their IQ when it comes to their level of success as an adult.

Building this relationship can be hard for many of us that are wired similar to our children. We have to act out of our comfort zones. But try it out anyways — see what comes of 20 minutes/day with pure interaction with your child and share what happens 💕

#eq #emotions #socialskills #playtime #floortime #relationshipdevelopment #emotionalquotient

ATTENTION, BEHAVIORS, LEARNING.....How do we devel

Repost from @brainconnextherapy • There is nothi

Repost from @brainconnextherapy
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There is nothing abnormal about behaviors IF they occur at the appropriate time in brain development. There are basic positive and negative behaviors that all children go through stages of in development. When they get "stuck" in a stage OR have the behavior beyond the appropriate age is when there is a problem.
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For all children it is typical to see a fight for independence around the older 2/younger 3 year old age. Even behaviors such as hand flapping is typical of children at a certain developmental stage.
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When a child is "stuck" with a behavior that isn't appropriate for their age or their reaction to an environment is a concern. This will affect your child's relationships and social skills.
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How we can help is through a brain integrations approach that helps to strengthen the weaker brain hemisphere and create a better balance. Primitive reflex integration and sensory stimulation to the weaker hemisphere, followed by movements incorporating both sides of the body to stimulate both hemispheres in balance.
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We also want to look at the full picture. Behaviors are rarely a stand-alone occurrence. You'll want to encourage all areas of brain health including whole food nutrition, sleep, decreasing screen time, and outdoor/free play daily.
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#brainhealth #behaviors #kidsandbehavior #add #hyperactivity #adhd #odd #defiant #pediatricoccupationaltherapy #brainconnex #primitivereflexintegration #reflexintegration #brainbalance #balance

Can you imagine what it would be like to have to r

Can you imagine what it would be like to have to re-learn how to tie your shoelaces every morning?
Or re-learn how to spell your name?
Or re-learn how to ride a bike?

This is what it can be like for our children whose cerebellum is not fully developed. The cerebellum helps to automate movements so that we don't have to spend energy re-learning them everyday. After several rounds of practice, our body is able to remember the movements and automate them, leaving energy for new activities to learn. Things like riding a bike, driving a car, writing our signature, and brushing our teeth are so automated we don't even have to think about it.

When the cerebellum automates these basic "everyday" activities it frees the brain up for more difficult tasks like learning new information -- and if the cerebellum isn't fully developed or functioning properly we will struggle. Research shows the cerebellum is also important in language and social skills so many areas of our lives would be effected.

To help develop the cerebellum you need to work your child's brain from bottom-up. Start at the foundational level of regulating vagal tone, then integrating primitive reflexes, followed by cerebellar activities. When we challenge the neurological system in the specific functional developmental order, we will see children succeed in movement and learning.

Why Do Treatment Programs Fail??. Why doesn’t “this or that” program work for your child when it helped someone else’s?

I’m so proud to announce I am officially Melillo

I’m so proud to announce I am officially Melillo Method Certified 🤩I am honored to learn from the master himself, Dr. Robert Melillo @drrobertmelillo and to be a part of this amazing movement.

My passion continues to be helping families, especially those that can’t reach services due to location or price, improve their children’s lives so that they can live an optimal one! ☝️

Emotional regulation and behaviors....two of the h

Emotional regulation and behaviors....two of the hardest things to deal with during the younger years -- and if it's not dealt with then, it becomes a nightmare as they get older.

But how can we help kids? Do they truly understand mindfulness, breath work, or movement-based activities like yoga?!

The short answer: NO

Those types of emotion lregulation tools are top-down techniques. Meaning the child needs to have cortical control to understand and utilize the techniques for their benefit. But majority of the kids I work with do not have top-down control yet. Their brain stems are not fully developed, which leaves the cortical brain immature. Can we still do something to help improve behaviors and emotional regulation?

The short answer: YES!

We can use passive pathways to help reduce anxiety, reduce fight-or-flight symptoms, and improve mood, regulation, and attitude. Passively we are able to create change in the autonomic nervous system, shifting the child away from sympathetic tone (fight or flight) and into a more balance place with parasympathetic tone (calm & happy). Our favorite tool for this is an auditory vagal regulation tool that consists of 10 days of listening to modulated music. It's simple to do and has profound effects. There are also simple passive movements that are rhythmical in nature you can do to help calm the body.

When the child's brain is not fully developed and they have behavioral issues, the BEST tools to help emotional regulation are PASSIVE.

DM us or comment below with questions.
#vagalstimulation #vagaltone #behaivors #emotionalregulation #kids #pediatrics #brainstem #bottomup #fightorflight #freeze

Social Skills OR ABCs??. Which is more important?

Social Skills OR ABCs??. Which is more important? A focus on your child’s development or them going to school?

What do you think 🤔 is more important in the ea

What do you think 🤔 is more important in the early stages for your child??

Comment below and we’ll give you our thoughts tomorrow!
👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇

I often get asked how primitive reflex integration

I often get asked how primitive reflex integration will benefit my child. What if they are already coordinated and good at sports, but have sensory issues? What if they are "typical" but have trouble reading, like dyslexia? What if they were born with delays and are so far behind their peers? What if the doctors have told me reflexes integrate and there is no need for the treatment?

The amazing thing about primitive reflex integration lies in its ability to create a strong neurological foundation so your child can achieve their optimal function. When we look at the Pyramid of Development & Learning (second picture), where your individual child has delays in the middle & upper parts of the triangle will differ from another child. Some have behavior challenges, others have visual-motor challenges, and still others have academic struggles.

No matter where your child's development has a gap, ALL children need a strong neurological foundation, created by reflex & sensory integration, to fill in the gaps in the upper part of the triangle. This is why ALL children with delays in sensory or motor would benefit from primitive reflex integration. Then, once the reflexes are integrated, treatment becomes individualized to skill development of wherever your child lacks. After reflex integration your individual child may need more support with reading, or vision therapy, or coordination.

Most mainstream therapies start at the middle & upper part of the triangle; leaving the neurological foundation with gaps. Your child does not need to struggle. You do not need to spend countless hours in a waiting room just to see nominal improvements every year. There are things you can do at home to accelerate their learning, skills, and development. We want to help your child achieve their UNIQUE POTENTIAL.
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#primitivereflexintegration #reflexes #integration #sensory #processing #disorder #autism #developmentaldelays #spd #adhd #hyperactivity #cp #occupationaltherapy #virtual #brainconnex #learning #dyslexia #homeschool #treatment #therapy #brain #movetolearn #movementbased

Disturbances in sleep can be really hard on a fami

Disturbances in sleep can be really hard on a family because let's face it......mom or dad is getting up (or staying up) with the child that has trouble with sleep.

Having troubles falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking early can all be indicators of a sympathetic nervous system being too high or out of balance with the parasympathetic nervous system.

We know this intuitively as adults....when we are in a high stress state or have anxiety over an issue, we have more trouble falling asleep and can wake in the middle of the night. Same thing can happen with our kids except many times they don't know how to express what they are feeling.

Calming the nervous system can be done using a neurological approach and targeting the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is a cranial nerve that regulates internal organs (heart rate, digestion, etc), swallowing, speech, and taste. When we stimulate the vagus nerve we are able to tap into the parasympathetic nervous system and calm the body & mind.

At Brain Connex Therapy our preferred method of treatment to calm the body & mind, allowing better sleep and mood, is the Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP). A 10-day listening program that specifically targets the vagus nerve. It is different than any other listening program out there. We see success with both children and adults. Combine the SSP with primitive reflex integration for an even more powerful treatment that re-connects disorganized areas of the brain when it is in a ready state.

Reach out today to find out more details and whether it's the right program for your child.
#calmandconnect #safeandsound #vagusnerve #parasympathetic #sleepbetter #sleepsound #bottomuptreatment #brainconnex #primitivereflexintegration

Is your child stuck in a fight-or-flight zone? Sym

Is your child stuck in a fight-or-flight zone? Sympathetic tone is naturally higher in infancy. When a child has an immature brain, they will have tendency towards "sympathetic tone".

Staying in a fight-or-flight zone will cause more behaviors and emotional dysregulation.

Many children with trouble learning, or you have behaviors, have an immature brain stem, that never fully developed, leaving the cortical (thinking brain) to not fully develop either and not have top-down control over emotions and higher-level skills.

There are simple ways to help a child's brain mature through movement. Specific movements that re-create what helps the brain grow during infancy and toddlerhood. These movements, performed with frequency & intensity, will mature the brainstem and allow the cortical brain to have regulation of learning, behaviors, and processing sensory information properly.

#primitivereflexintegration #brainconnex #connextions #virtualtherapy #reflexintegration #retainedreflexes #brainstemgrowth #bottomuptreatment #fightorflight #emotions #behaviors

There is nothing abnormal about behaviors IF they

There is nothing abnormal about behaviors IF they occur at the appropriate time in brain development. There are basic positive and negative behaviors that all children go through stages of in development. When they get "stuck" in a stage OR have the behavior beyond the appropriate age is when there is a problem.
.
For all children it is typical to see a fight for independence around the older 2/younger 3 year old age. Even behaviors such as hand flapping is typical of children at a certain developmental stage.
.
When a child is "stuck" with a behavior that isn't appropriate for their age or their reaction to an environment is a concern. This will affect your child's relationships and social skills.
.
How we can help is through a brain integrations approach that helps to strengthen the weaker brain hemisphere and create a better balance. Primitive reflex integration and sensory stimulation to the weaker hemisphere, followed by movements incorporating both sides of the body to stimulate both hemispheres in balance.
.
We also want to look at the full picture. Behaviors are rarely a stand-alone occurrence. You'll want to encourage all areas of brain health including whole food nutrition, sleep, decreasing screen time, and outdoor/free play daily.
.
#brainhealth #behaviors #kidsandbehavior #add #hyperactivity #adhd #odd #defiant #pediatricoccupationaltherapy #brainconnex #primitivereflexintegration #reflexintegration #brainbalance #balance

Does your child have empathy towards others? Do th

Does your child have empathy towards others?
Do they understand social cues?
Do they understand and use non-verbal communication?

Interoception is the ability to feel what's going on, on the inside of our body (are we hungry, cold, tired, thirsty, etc)? It helps us understand how we feel. When we don't perceive interoception well, we don't feel our own body well, then we have difficulty interpreting what other people are feeling.

Interoception is primarily house in the RIGHT brain hemisphere. We see many children diagnosed with autism that lack empathy, have difficulty with social skills, and trouble understanding their bodily needs. Generally, children with autism have an imbalance in their brain, with a weakness in the right hemisphere.

This weakness leads to poor social skills, poor eye contact, lack of understanding non-verbal skills, lacking empathy, and the ability to "read" other people. If we can't understand our own emotions, we won't be able to understand what others are thinking or feeling.

The good news is there are ways to help. We can balance the brain using a hemispheric balance treatment approach. We create a strong neurological foundation with reflex integration coupled with sensory stimulation specific to the child's hemispheric weakness.
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Brain Connex Therapy offers a virtual GUIDED Primitive Reflex & Brain Integrations Program that helps to balance the brain and develop new connections needed for enhanced learning, sensory, and behavior.

Any deviation from all four's crawling can be a si

Any deviation from all four's crawling can be a sign of underdevelopment in the brain. The milestones have been "loosened" by pediatricians because so many children are delayed in their milestones now. It does not mean that it's okay. Your pediatrician will tell you "no big deal", but if your instincts tell you different, please reach out to a professional that understands.

Deviations can be delays in the time it took to crawl on all four's (even one month late can be an issue); or awkward crawling like dragging one leg behind.

All four's crawling is one of the first times we are working contra laterally -- moving the right arm and left leg, and vice versa. This helps to develop the corpus callosum, the super highway connector between our right and left hemispheres.

If your child is not crawling yet, or has an awkward crawl, or had these delays when they were younger, you can help re-connect those areas they missed in development. Simply practicing crawling the correct way and/or working through a cross-crawl pattern can help.

#crawling #developmentaldelay #developmentalmilestones #hemisphericintegration #brainbalance

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