Our Brain Highways Experience

What is Brain Highways?
For a full explanation visit their website and watch the little videos.

This post is personally written by me as a mother and participant without the knowledge of the Brain Highways organization. I chose to write my experience to hopefully help someone else.

Brain Highways is described as a educational program where the parent acts as a coach, motivator, and educator for their children, as their children complete daily physical activities to enable brain organization. A parenting class component it also integrated into the courses.

Here's my quick way of explaining it:

What is it for?
Environment and experiences during pregnancy, birth and the first year can affect early brain development. If certain lower areas of the brain do not develop the first year, other parts of the brain may be overloaded trying to compensate. Functions that should be automatic take more brain and body effort and can show in a person's learning ability and behavior. Being overwhelmed, a stressed over achiever, an underachiever, showing ADHD type symptoms, Autism like symptoms, or sensory processing issues etc. can result. A person can be very very smart, but have what is sometimes as referred to as a "disorganized brain." Almost everyone, could benefit from some work in building their brain to work more efficiently (adults too!)

Brain Highways teaches that the brain can change, and the lower areas of the brain can be developed and take over the jobs they should have changing the brain and result in a better organized brain. This frees the higher levels of the brain (like the cortex) to be able to do more advanced cognitive functions.

How is this done?
Go back to the movements that should be building the brain the first year.
This includes reflexive movements that should turn off at certain times, but do not always do. So the Brain Highways program includes getting into reflexive like positions seen in newborns.
Then, comes creeping- belly on the floor. The key is to stay low and creep - 30 minutes a day... it is hard work! While creeping it's the parents job to keep it fun, and keep the cortex involved with games and activities to do at the end of each "Lap"
In the second 8 week class, we add crawling - on hands and knees along with the creeping and now do 45 minutes of floor time a week.
It takes 100-300 hours of floortime to complete the lower brain development.

It is an intensive program, a HUGE commitment, and A LOT of work, but the results will last a lifetime, and changes will take place that even doctors/therapists say are not likely.

What do you have to do?


There is a 1-2 time a week class to attend (for those who live near the center), "homework" for parents, and then daily exercises/work.
In the class:
At the classes, The kids start of by doing many fun proprioceptive activities - like a physical therapy/gymnastics center (swinging hammocks, balance beam/boards, spin discs, mini trampoline, etc. The theory here is that spinning, rocking, jumping, etc. can stimulate the brain to be better able to pay attention (oh how I wish teachers would embrace this more!) Then, the children do some floorwork. They showed the parents how to help the children get into the correct positions for the swords and lizards, and modeled how to interact with your children as you did all the floorwork. They keep everything fun and have games and mini science experiments planned for the kids to do as they creep and crawl. They have a short group time at the end (might be longer for the school age kids, but will was in a 3-5 year old class) where the children learned about neurons and how the floorwork helps their neurons connect, and how that can help them think faster, see better etc. They learned how sugar is bad for your brain, and how we can "slip and slide" negative thoughts" and "go with the flow" and much more.

The Homework:
So along with all our with our class time and daily floorwork, I have had homework each week. This homework explains what behaviors are due to incomplete lower brain development, and which are more likely from environmental factors - mainly parenting. There is a parenting piece that focuses on see what messages you may be passing to your child through subconscious thoughts. Ex. think of members of your family in a play... which role does each person have? If the parent admits that their child is the villain, the destructor, etc. the child may feel this even if they have never heard the parent say such a thing. It is better to have a negative role in the play, than not be in the play at all. So, the child may be trying to play their role really well. Same for the family if the child is defined by their negative behavior they may continue it, or do more to ensure their spot in the family.
Other homework included more about brain development, eye development and the importance of sensory and proprioceptive experiences, and much more I can't type all out.


Here's what we did daily:
As soon as we wake up we pull on fleece pajama pants over our regular cotton ones. We head downstairs to do log rolls which help "wake up our brains" It truly does feel good and wake you up so I plan to continue these for the rest of my life. All you do is lay flat on your back and stretch your arms straight over your head touching your hands together, and then remember to keep your feet together. Keeping your body straight roll three times, onto your stomach and back to your back (don't continue rolling one way, stop on your stomach and then roll back they way your rolled to get back onto your back). Then close your eyes and do the same thing rolling the other way
Then we do 60 swords - which is mimicking the tonic neck reflex of newborns.
Then we move to the hardwood floor to do 60 lizards on our stomach and now 60 advance lizards (more reflex like positions)
Then we creep laps up and down our living room. By creep I mean with your whole body flat on the floor, a hardwood type floor that your body can slide along.  I would creep as well while we are getting warmed up then we start playing games - board games, bingo, art activities, snowball fights (with socks), guess if the penny will be heads or tails, guess what hand the penny is in (then they get to keep the pennies) etc.
After 8 weeks of creeping, crawling can be added.
We would do our crawlig in the afternoon on carpet. We crawl to the freeze dance song, we have little bases we crawl like a baseball field, we listen to stories on CD, we play more games, we bake - adding one ingredient between each crawling lap, and we crawl around the upstairs after taking off each clothing item before getting in the tub, and when getting dressed into PJ's. We even crawled outside at Sports Park with fake grass, and made special trip to Grandma's house where she has lots of carpet and we could do scavenger hunts and egg hunts.
watch a video of it all 

Because of the cost, I just took my younger son Will (age 4 at the time to the classes) I included Wes (age 6)  just as equally at home, even though Will was the only one going to classes at Brain Highways. I didn't want to single Will out and Wes needed this just as much... just for less obvious reasons. I also did the exercises myself.


So Does It Work?
It worked for us! The changes, especially in Will who showed the most challenges, were noticeable to friends and families. Our daily life at home was completely transformed for the better.
By 4 months of doing Brain Highways:
Me:
I didn't do as many hours of floorwork as the kids, because I would do some with them, but then facilitate their activities, but even with what I did do, I noticed I am able to read faster and without falling asleep right away.
Parenting wise, I have learned a few more techniques to use in certain situations, and have focused on allowing for very logical consequences. I also think more positively of my children. I am enjoying them more.
I also realized how Wes and Will both had underdevelopment in their lower areas of their brain, but Wes was lower in one area and Will's was lower in another. This helped explain the quarrels we often saw between the boys. Understanding this helped with dealing with them, and their floorwork helped develop what they needed developed.
For example, Wes' brain needed intensity of reaction. Actually bumping into another person and hearing them React "ahh, stop, don't!" stimulated his brain. While Will on the other hand was oversensitive to touch.  This used to happen daily, it rarely happens now.

Wes (age 6):
Wes has done great in school all year, but he used to use up all that goodness, and when he got home I got the raw kid. He literally would come home and lay on the floor and make animal growling type noises. That doesn't happen anymore. He also would be very quick to anger... especially with Will.  He is calm and more peaceful, and there have been many incidents where he has responded so calmly to Will (being around Will can take a lot of patience). He used to get frustrated and squeeze on Will, he doesn't do that anymore.
Compliance was never a major issue, but he is more compliant than before.
In school and homework wise, he has done fine, except he has never enjoyed writing. Getting him to write sentences or the few lined stories was painful. Now he writes without complaining, and often writes more than is required. He is just doing well all around.
Oh- and he learned to tie his shoes in 5 minutes one day (previous numerous and longer attempts were never successful, this time it just clicked!)
Wes has been released from speech services in school.

Will (age 4):
Here's a list of changes in Will:
No more Whining and Crying!
Has a more peaceful, happier demeanor.
Does not get set off and shut down when something not ideal happens. (can cope with disappointments)
Listens when asked to do something. Can complete multi step directions.
Eats breakfast, clears his plate, gets himself dressed, puts dirty clothes away, brushes his teeth, goes potty, and get in the car all without multiple reminders or help.
Sometimes he gets in the car and waits (patiently) for me to be ready to go somewhere)
Has tried over 25 new foods.
Took yucky liquid medicine without a major fuss.
Understands sugar is not good for you and often self regulates how much he eats.
He will now wear jackets with zippers, pants with buttons, and new shoes.
Does not complain about loud sounds.
Does not bite my shoulder (which he used to do when he wanted to leave somewhere that was overwhelming to him)
Does not bite or hit Westley (he never did that to other kids).
He will try some new things that he used to be afraid - like the twisty slide at the park.
Gives kisses to Mom and Dad! (sensory issues prevented this before doing Brain Highways)
He has dropped his ritualistic behaviors- like having to eat 5 Wheat Thins first thing every morning
He does not feel like he constantly needs to be eating.
He does not drop his spoon/fork every time we eat a meal.
No longer gets car sick on trips around San Diego.
No longer wets the bed!!
No more night terrors!! - this is huge, they used to happen every night, since he was a baby!
He is much better about not interrupting when someone else is talking.
He still talks a lot, but not incessantly like before.
I can understand what he is saying most of the time.
Talks to others more often (less shy behavior). He will talk to my friends, ask a waitress for something in a restaurant, answer his teachers out loud, etc.
Has made a few close friends
Has made great progress in speech - including 100% proficiency on sounds "f" and "s"
Coloring and drawing interests and abilities have greatly improved
Shows an interest  in letters and writing
and my favorite... 
says "I love you Mom" all the time

 I do realize that it's possible, that for a few of these things it could just because he is a little older. However, these changes began within one month of starting Brain Highways, and were all present within 3-4 months total.

After 9 months of Brain Highways:
We continued to do the Brain Highways exercises/movements on our own after completing the two 8 week courses. We do not spend as long as we were on it each morning (we were doing 45 minutes, and have gone down to 20 min), but we still did some of everything just about every day.

 Will got to return to Brain Highways for a reunion type party. At the event, they assessed his creeping and we were excited to find his creeping (which relates to the pons area of the brain) is complete! He no longer has to creep - that area of the brain has finished its development!!
A surprise came when I asked to be assessed myself. I can't see my creep so I didn't know if mine completely evolved, but I received good news that mine is complete too! The teachers said they have never had a parent and child finish creeping together at the same time so it was an extra special moment.

The teacher also checked our eye tracking. Will's has greatly improved but has a little ways to go (the sword motions we do improve eye tracking). My eye tracking was "normal" which is a great success for me, as I had an eye doctor talk to me before about my eye tracking problems and it was noticeable to me as I struggled to read - especially on the computer. It took so much energy to focus my eyes on the words. I knew my eye tracking had improved as I read a book in bed and stayed up almost all night reading. I have never done that before as I would usually fall asleep before finishing 1 chapter. I also was able to grade the papers at the end of the semester this Spring with much more ease. I finished grading them so much quicker than usual!

She also checked on one of my reflexes, targeted by our "lizards" movement activity and found that it was completely integrated.

We continued to do Brain Highways - mainly focusing on the crawling now - which takes the most time to evolve/develop. We slowed our pace which makes changes less obvious, but their crawl continued to improve.

A year later, both boys started a new year of school. Will, in Kindergarten. Both are succeeding and happy to be in school. Will's teacher said she would love to have 25 Will's. Trust me... she wouldn't have said that before Brain Highways!!

Will Brain Highways Work For Your Family?
I guess I cannot definitely answer that or make a guarantee, but I believe it can... if you give it 100%

I HIGHLY recommend this program to EVERYONE. Some children need it more than others, but almost everyone could benefit. It's worth the time to explore their website, and go to a free screening/info session on a Sunday if you live in Southern California.
It is a lot of work- but what you pay/do to have the changes we have had?

• To be able to read 3 times faster?
• To have your child no longer wet the bed?
• To decrease the number of tantrums/whining in your house by 90%?
• To get out the door on time each morning without stress or screaming?
• To eliminate sensory processing disorder symptoms/quirks and ritualistic behaviors?
• To create more peace between all family members?

 It's been done. With us, and many many other families
www.brainhighways.com
http://www.thecortexparent.com/