As part of Alamo City Mom’s blog partnership with Brain Balance Achievement Centers- San Antonio, I had the opportunity to sit down with a mother who has first hand experience with the Brain Balance program. This post is the first in a series about Brain Balance’s innovative and brain-based approach to helping children overcome behavioral and academic challenges.
A “Difficult” Child
Something that moms don’t often talk about is dealing with children that cause problems. We tend to have a fierce outer shell to protect our young, never wanting anyone to think less of him. Andrea, a mom of two young boys, was kind enough to let her guard down and share her honest story of the first four years raising her second son, Cooper. I simply asked what brought her to Brain Balance and I could see the pain in her eyes as she thought back to the first time she came to the center, a mere three months ago. Andrea described Cooper as a difficult baby, colicky and always upset. As he continued through toddlerhood, his temper grew and his anger became uncontrollable. Cooper’s coping mechanisms including hitting, throwing, and violent verbal outbursts. Andrea knew something wasn’t right, so she sought help with a local psychologist. After eight long and frustrating months of awkward doctor’s appointments, Cooper’s behavior only worsened and there were no answers. Andrea and her husband were finally able to meet with a psychiatrist who offered a solution: a prescription and a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. Shocked that someone would be willing to give her then barely four-year-old drugs, Andrea hesitantly took the prescription from the doctor and it sat on her kitchen counter for two months. She knew in her heart that she didn’t want to put her child on medication, especially without much explanation of why he needed it, but Cooper’s rage and defiance became too much to handle. At her wits end, she filled the prescription and gave Cooper half of the prescribed dose. Andrea was beyond floored when it caused Cooper to become lethargic and fall asleep. She knew this was not what she wanted for her child and that it was not helping him with his underlying behavior and social issues. Andrea was discouraged, her marriage was suffering, and she hadn’t been out to eat in a restaurant since before Cooper was born. She felt like she had nowhere else to go.
Finding Brain Balance
At a mutual friend’s birthday party in early June, Andrea struck up a conversation with Amanda Petter. It was the beginning of summer and after hearing about the struggles Cooper was having, Amanda suggested that Andrea bring her boys down to San Antonio from their home in Temple to do some preliminary testing to see if Brain Balance could help Cooper. Andrea knew this would be a huge financial and time commitment, but she felt that this was a chance for help and if nothing else, she was willing to give it a try.
Nutrition and Blood Test
There are several components to the Brain Balance program and one of the most important is the assessment aspect and figuring out what each individual child needs. This includes a blood test that takes a look at possible allergies, or food that triggers certain behaviors. In Cooper’s case, the blood test came back that he has a sensitivity to egg whites and whey. After removing these two foods from his diet, Andrea was again surprised by the dramatic changes she saw in his behavior. I went on to ask that if Cooper were to accidentally eat egg whites now, would she see a big difference in the way he acted? She said yes, that she had received a call from Cooper’s school a few weeks ago because of his behavior. Andrea realized that she had mistakenly given him bread that contained egg whites. She laughed when saying she was at first skeptical about the blood test and nutrition aspect, but it has helped significantly in figuring out how to help her son.
“I Have My Family Back”
Andrea and I went on to talk more about Cooper’s treatment and activities at Brain Balance and how his life has changed through this program. She told me that the program has been so powerful, she and Cooper now travel down to San Antonio three days a week so he can continue his therapy. Her words that stuck with me were, “I wouldn’t keep doing this if it wasn’t working. I have my family and my life back.” She is able to take Cooper out of the house, and went out to a restaurant as a family just this last month.
I look forward to sharing the rest of our conversation, including more information about his progression through the Brain Balance approach in an upcoming post.
Interested in learning more? Visit Brain Balance’s website or contact the San Antonio office at 210-620-7378.
