Movement Based Learning

Children who have special needs “switch off” more frequently than the average child. Perhaps the stress from neurological damage or simply a more sensitive nervous system creates a need for movements, such as Brain Gym, as well as skills of coordination. The intention behind the Brain Gym is to stimulate the brain so that the child has equal access to all dimensions of the brain. The Brain Gym activities address three specific dimensions of physical movement that correlate with three areas of the brain. Each dimension is described by a key word or function and by viewing postural and behavioral correlates. This means that by observing the child’s behavior or how he/she holds his/her body in space, we are lead to the appropriate Brain Gym movements and activities. Other information that would lead to knowledge about which Brain Gym movements or which activities to choose can be gathered by observing or noticing neurological soft signs. These can be eye or head movements, hand or foot movements. Also, if the child is able to move his/her shoulders and simultaneously move the hips, or, if the child can move in a contralateral way, though uses only one side of the body at a time, then we are able to gather information about the neurological system. They are called “soft signs” because there is no hard evidence from an EEG or a CAT scan; rather we are relying on the cues from the body to surmise how the neurological system is responding. The three dimensions and corresponding information are as follows:

Dimension	Key Word	Brain Gym Movements
Focus	Comprehension	Lengthening Activities
Centering	Organization	Energy Exercises
Laterality	Communication	Midline Movements

An example of a Brain Gym movement from the Energy Exercises is called the “thinking cap.” Prior to doing it, however, I invite you (right now) to turn your head to the left and see how far you can look and notice if there is any tension in your neck. Now turn your head to the right and notice how far you can look and notice if there’s any tension in your neck. Massage your ears by unrolling the fold of them by beginning at the top and going all the way to the bottom. Do this three times. (In Brain Gym, we call this the “thinking cap.”) Now, turn your head to the left and notice how far you can look and if there is any tension in your neck; and repeat with your head towards the right. Most of you (98%) will notice a very positive difference in your ability to turn your head. You’ve just relaxed your mind/body system so that you are better able to organize yourself as witnessed by your body’s ability to subconsciously organize itself so that turning your head is easier. This is how simple, yet profound, the Brain Gym movements are. As we experience this gentle, non-invasive techniques for stimulating the brain, imagine how the child might feel.

If you were to do some Lengthening Activities with your child, the brain will respond and he/she will become more able to focus. For example, in Brain Gym we have a movement called the “calf pump.” It is similar to the “runners’ stretch.” Extend your right leg behind you and as the heel is touching the floor, hold it down for approximately 8 seconds and release. Repeat 7-8 times and then repeat with the other leg. This should take about one minute on each leg. This movement stimulates the brain by using the body and subsequently the neurological flow increases and we are able to comprehend our task with greater ease.

To improve communication between one side of the body and the other (or one person and another), we can do a Midline Movement. For example, we can do a cross crawl. This movement is done standing, sitting or lying down by taking your left arm and crossing over the midline of your body to touch your right knee, and vice versa. Do this for approximately one minute, as slowly as possible, because the more slowly we go, the more the brain is able to absorb or use the information. When we do this movement, the hemispheres of the brain are activated and we are better able to communicate. After doing these movements and activities, the brain is stimulated and the rest of the body is more relaxed. Through this preparatory experience, we are then able to engage in the learning that is at hand. For example, if we would like our child to eat with a spoon, drink from a cup, reduce seizure activity, learn to walk, ride a bike or read with greater ease, we might do two or three minutes of Brain Gym designed to stimulate related areas of the brain, and then move into the learning that we intend to accomplish. The Brain Gym activities are best spread out during the day, just as we divide our meals throughout the day. Brain Gym is not a cure-all; it is however a very powerful tool to have as a methods/techniques intervention.

I have seen miraculous improvement in both children and adults who have used Brain Gym. In fact, three children with whom I’ve worked have gone from blindness to sight. One child began to walk independently at age five and, now seven and a half years old, has never returned to his wheelchair. A nine year old boy diagnosed as autistic, who previously used two words to express himself, began using functional speech after just three months of using Brain Gym. One five-year-old boy who was having intense and frequent seizures (about three times a week) decreased his seizure activity to twice a month, and the intensity was also significantly diminished.

A more in-depth understanding of how to use movement-based learning and/or Brain Gym® for Special Needs can be learned by:

• Attending a 3 or 4 day workshop taught by Cecilia Koester
• Attending a teacher-in-service taught by Cecilia Koester
• Scheduling a private consultation with Cecilia Koester
• Scheduling a phone consult with Cecilia Koester
• Scheduling a video consult with Cecilia Koester