New research published in the Journal of Mental Health and Clinical Psychology suggests that Brain Balance is an effective, non-drug option for reducing and improving emotional and developmental challenges associated with anxiety, ADHD or autism.
The study focused on children who were at or below developmental milestones and evaluated the changes in their behavior before and after undergoing 5-6 months of the Brain Balance program.
The findings revealed that nearly all the children who participated in the program showed improvements in mental well-being, with most categories reaching an average of 40-50% improvement.
Brain Balance offers a personalized, drug-free program helping individuals improve focus, behavior, social skills, anxiety, and academic performance. The program takes an integrative approach to strengthening brain connectivity through sensory engagement, physical development, academics, and nutrition.
The non-drug nature of the Brain Balance program may make it a more appealing option than the use of medication, which at optimum dosing has been shown to have a clinician-rated reduction of 30% in ADHD symptoms.1
"It is exciting to see parents document symptomatic change in many areas,” said Rebecca Jackson, Vice President of Programs & Outcomes at Brain Balance and co-author of the study. “Many families are looking for non-drug options for their children. Programs like this, which are comprehensive in nature, can be a great alternative or supplement for them to consider.”
The study looked at four years of archived survey responses from parents of 25,206 enrolled students aged 4 to 17 years old.
Parents were asked questions at the beginning and end of the program about anxiety, worrying, depression-like symptoms, mood, obsessive thoughts or behaviors, social withdrawal, pessimism, emotional regulation, emotional self-awareness, and emotional expressiveness.
Responses showed that, after program participation, the greatest average improvements in social-emotional function were reported in the following categories:
| Category | Average Improvement |
| Child seems depressed | 53.1% |
| Child does not seem to be in touch with his/her feelings | 49.1% |
| Child often appears unhappy | 44.9% |
| Child does not demonstrate a lot of emotion | 44.4% |
| Child withdraws socially | 42.4% |
The most significant changes were reported among 25% of the participants, whose improvements in each category ranged from 60.0% to 85.7%.
| Category | Average Improvement among 25% |
| Child seems depressed | 85.7% |
| Child does not seem to be in touch with his/her feelings | 85.7% |
| Child often appears unhappy | 80.0% |
| Child does not demonstrate a lot of emotion | 80.0% |
| Child withdraws socially | 80.0% |
“The insights from this study are significant, and we’re looking forward to additional research that will further examine the intricacies at play in children with developmental delays,” noted Jackson.
Additional Research Supports Findings
Brain Balance has also completed research studies with Cambridge Brain Sciences and Harvard University’s McLean Hospital to evaluate the impact of integrative training programs on brain activity and connectivity. This research is leading to better and brighter futures for children and teens with emotional, learning and developmental challenges.
About Brain Balance
Extensive scientific research demonstrates that the brain is malleable, allowing for brain connectivity change and development and creating an opportunity for improvement. Brain Balance has applied this research to develop a program that focuses on improving the foundation of development and brain connectivity, rather than masking or coping with symptoms.
For over a decade, Brain Balance has helped over 50,000 individuals improve the critical skills needed to create a brighter path for their future. Brain Balance strives to build and strengthen the missing developmental components by working to address why things aren’t connecting for your child to set each person up for success.
If you believe your child could benefit from Brain Balance, an assessment could help show if there are areas for improvement. To book an assessment, find your local center here.
1 Strawn, J., Mills, J., Sauley, B., Welge, J. (2018). The impact of antidepressant dose and class on treatment response in pediatric anxiety disorders: A meta-analysis. J. Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. Apr; 57(4): 235–244.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2018.01.015.