Brain Gym

I would like to share quickly about my son Austin who was labeled autistic and ADD.  I wrote years ago saying we were using the “patterning” which was started by Glenn Doman and Carl Delacato. We tried vitamins, and even a brain scan which Dr. Amen wrote about in his book on ADD.  We were looking for something to help with his anger.  You may know the type.  You wonder if you should  ask him to do something and endure a huge meltdown, or just do the task yourself.  After the meltdowns he would usually say he was sorry and that he didn’t want to be so angry. 

When I went to an ADD meeting, I asked about anger and they said that really wasn’t a sign of ADD.  Right then I knew I wasn’t in the right place, but didn’t know where else to go…Then someone told us to look into Nonverbal Learning Disorder.  This has made such a difference in our understanding of Autism. 

I read books by Rondalyn Varney Whitney and Pamela Tanguay.  This fit Austin perfectly.  I also read Explosive Child by Ross Greene.  That was excellent.  But Austin was still easily upset.  Now we are doing something called Brain Gym and this is really helping.  A book about it is called “Smart Moves” by Carla Hannaford  (she also wrote the Dominance Factorwhich is great).  It has a success story in the beginning, but I didn’t bother to read that.  I’m tired of success stories.  (I’ve read too many and had my hopes dashed each time.)  What I like about Brain Gym is that it lets Austin decide his goal and the simple movements he wants to do.  By doing this for a short time (15 minutes or so, sometimes we go for an hour) it helps him to be calmer and think more clearly. 

When we first went to see Carolyn (the instructor), Austin wouldn’t even cooperate, so I did it and was amazed that it made a difference in me.  Carolyn continues to say, “It’s not a cure all” and it’s not, but I liken it to climbing up a mountain.  Brain Gym lets us take those baby steps and I know that after a while we will see that we are half way up the mountain.  I encourage you to look on her website and the national one and see if Brain Gym would help your child.  Fortunately, Carolyn is fairly inexpensive compared to all the other therapies we have done in the past.  I don’t have an e-mail so you can write me at:       6068 Gale Rd., Pataskala, OH  43062      if you’d like. 

 The websites will offer more help that I can, but I’d love to hear from you.  I encourage you to find someone in your area and give it a try.  I will be amazed if it doesn’t help some.

  The websites are:

www.braingym.com  

 cybyland@yahoo.com  

 http://gobraingym.com    (this is Carolyn Nyland who we see).

Years ago someone wrote about autism and the book Autism & Pervasive Development Disorder by Karen Seroussi.  I got the book, read it, took Austin off wheat, and did notice a difference.  Also gave him acidophilus (natural medication) because he also had a leaky intestine.  It’s wonderful that God lets us share with others what He has taught us.

  I hope the Brain Gym helps others.  There isn’t a “Magic” cure for most kids.  I was told that a long time ago, but I am glad to continue to look for ways to help him, and this is definitely “a way”.  I like that Carolyn doesn’t promise results, but I can see the difference in Austin every time we leave her house.  She likens it to an aspirin, saying brain gym doesn’t mean you won’t get a headache again, but it will help for a time.  We have only been doing it for a few weeks and he still gets angry, but we see him doing better.  That’s what is so exciting.