People often ask me- why did you want to become a Brain Fit Coach? And my answer is simple- because I love the work.
I first became involved with Brain Fit Academy for my own son. After watching a presentation about Primitive Reflex Integration by Brain Fit, hosted by a local Autism group (TACA Massachusetts) I was immediately intrigued by the whole process and couldn't understand why I hadn't ever heard of it before!
You see- my son is on the Autism Spectrum. Diagnosed at two years of age, he began 30 hours of ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) soon after his diagnosis. By the age of four, we had started multiple natural therapies that improved his symptoms. Therapies such as changing his diet to address his food sensitivities and introducing supplements. I was no stranger to the world of "alternative" therapies, not to mention the fact that I'm an elementary teacher so I work with kids all the time! However, I had never even heard of primitive reflexes- these early movement patterns that can affect kids and adults in a life-long way!
By the time my son was 13 (his age at the time I saw the presentation by Brain Fit) he was doing "ok", but not great. He had many sensory issues, and had a very hard time controlling his emotions and focusing at school was a definite struggle. As I watched the 2 hour presentation and learned about Primitive Reflex Integration, all I could think of was "We need to do this!!". I went home to my husband and told him "I'm not sure how we're going to make it happen- but we need to do this."
Fast forward about 9 months or so later. My son had been participating in the Brain Fit program since a few months after the initial presentation. He was calmer, his sensory issues had reduced, his focus at school had improved tremendously, he was able to better control his emotions and he had tools. Movement tools that actually worked!
In that year, I became very involved with Brain Fit. I started attending the three day adult trainings as well as any other classes they offered! At first, I attended the reflex class- learning at an in-depth level about the primitive reflexes, how they develop and can affect kids' brains if they don't "finish" they job they are there to do. During that first reflex class (and it was the first of many I attended!) I myself had many "Ah-Ha!" moments- not only for my son, but also for students I knew in the school where I taught, and- an even bigger surprise- about ME! Me personally!
I also attended the three day Brain Gym® class- to learn the 26 movements in the program, as well as how to use it to help myself, my son and the kids at school. Before the end of that three day class, I had approached Pam Formosa (the owner/director of Brain Fit) and asked if I could work for her. I felt so passionate about the work! It all resonated so well with me that I just knew that I wanted to be a part of working with kids and families in that capacity. Now, keep in mind that I was still teaching, so this was a second job for me- after school, but it didn't matter because it never felt like work for me, it was always fun and rewarding beyond belief. Why- you might ask? Watch for my next blog post and I'll explain.
For now- just know- there are things your child (or you!) can do to calm anxiety, improve focus and attention, improve coordination and balance and overall just be a happier, more settled person. And it all has to do with intentional movement.
