Sleep and Learning

                             Good Sleep – the Most Important School Supply

Sweet Dreams

Newswise cites Jodi Mindell’s article regarding sleep and learning.  WikiHow describes 12 steps to Sleep Better, 8 of which use natural, non-drug approaches.  Many other sleep articles are listed.  Enjoy The Lion Sleeps Tonight video, better yet sing along and move.  Expressing joy and movement throughout the day will help create nighttime comfort.  

Get ADD Students Organized (video)

Base your teaching approaches on the brain part affected

Kathie Nunley from Brains.org has posted a short video, Teaching Tip 12, explaining ways to help ADD and ADHD students get organized. She relates methods based on whether the hind brain or pre-frontal cortex is involved.

Remember, low dopamine production can be raised through gross-motor movements, helping boost attention what ever areas of the brain or approach is used. Insist on more classroom activity, recess and daily physical eduction!

Vestibular Disorders Cause LD

Remedy learning disabilities by first starting here

The vestibular system located within the inner ear unifies the visual, auditory, tactile, and proprioceptive (body) systems involved with attention, focus, eye tracking, auditory discrimination, posture, laterality, directionality, sitting still – all of which affect writing, reading, language development, concentration and ultimately self-esteem.

If the vestibular system is weak, an overwrought hypervestibular system is easily overwhelmed with school activities. A slow hypovestibular system is underwhelmed with its low muscle tone and weakened sensory and motor functions.

What to do? Test the vestibular system first, then use specific movements to strengthen the hyper or hypo systems.

Daily physical education offers vestibular stimulation needed by students to excel, especially those falling behind. For a spin on this key learning system visit Vestibular.org.

Learning Challenges Unfold

When physical movement is put on hold…

Writer’s block, reading delays, LD, ADD, ADHD, and a host of other learning and behavioral challenges can result from lack of movement.

Examples include a fetus frozen by excess stress in the uterus, C-section babies who fail to exert themselves during birth, infants lying on their back or trapped in a car seat, baby swing or playpen for extended periods, young children deprived of plenty of robust play, young learners sitting in their desks doing endless worksheets rather than learning concept through frequent sensory and motor activities, lack of repetitions writing, talking, reading, and primary reflexes (e.g., ATNR, STNR, grasp, spinal gallant) not integrated through repeated physical movement… the list goes on.

Daily Physical Education, morning and afternoon recess, and multiple movement opportunities during each class period will engage the body brain, helping resolve some of these learning issues taking root in body tissues. For more severe learning delays a more focused, remedial physical approach is needed to mature neural networks, helping people realize their living and learning potential. Movement is key!

Prime the Brain Before Studying

Move your muscles to produce and pump learning chemicals

Chemical messengers communicating between neurons are needed for the brain to pay attention and focus. Since attention precedes learning, it makes good sense to produce and pump enzymes, hormones, and neurochemicals needed, especially for people with ADD, ADHD, and other attentional challenges.

Large muscle movements (e.g., circling the arms overhead) produce dopamine, the pleasure/reward motivational chemical that orchestrates the pre-frontal cortex called upon to learn. Moving the arms and legs across the body engages both sides of the brain, helping with sequential and global brain functions involved with writing and math.

Daily Physical Education and frequent movement activities throughout the day will help brain cells excel. Why rely on stimulant drugs when the body can do the work!

Do the Body and Brain Cell dance to prime the brain.

Alternative Therapies from A to Z

Dozens of natural (non-drug) therapies for LD

Karen Johnson and Jodee Kulp have briefly described dozens of natural non-drug approaches to help remediate learning challenges. It is one impressive list offered by Tool Box Parent.

Quantum Healing – Energy Medicine

Learn how to heal yourself physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually

Sherry Anshara founder of QuantumPathic Center of Consciousness has a mission to teach individuals how to heal themselves physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. I felt her healing energy yesterday. I was sitting at a meeting and suffering from a painful stomach ache. Sherry noticed my discomfort, approached me during the break, and offered to help. Naturally I accepted. She applied pressure on various parts of my back. Her healing touch helped relieve my pain. I can’t say enough for her caring attitude. Visit Sherry’s website – she offers articles, videos, books on Energy Medicine.

Stopping ADHD Naturally

STNR Reflex may cause ADHD symptoms -- Integrating STNR is one non-drug solution

Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex may be the root cause of Learning Disabilities and misdiagnosed as ADHD. Read the passages in the book Stopping ADHD by Nancy E. O’Dell, Ph.D. and Patricia A. Cook, Ph.D. describing the STNR reflex. It shows why many students are having such difficulty sitting still and focusing. Natural exercises from the Miriam Bender Achievement Center are used to mature this primitive STNR reflex. It’s another example of using a body brain enhancing non-drug approach to solving ADHD and other learning challenges.

Myomancy.com examines the Stopping ADHD book and comments on its validity.

Treat ADHD, Dyslexia, Autism Naturally

Non-drug approaches treat and prevent learning challenges

Myomancy.com plays an important role exploring body-brain causes of ADHD, Dyslexia, and Autism. Many articles examine natural ‘non-drug’ approaches currently being used to effectively prevent and treat these learning challenges. I thoroughly enjoy Myomancy’s critical thinking dealing with such emotional issues. Once again the body-brain's capacity to strengthen itself and overcome living and learning challenges using movement and exercise prevails.

NCLB Developmentally

Leave No Child Behind Using Developmental Activities

I can’t wait to present my session ‘Neural Basis of Common Learning Problems Along with Natural Solutions’ at the Learning Brain Expo tomorrow. The Body Brain Boogieman will join me, lol. We’ll lead people though a progressive series of movements designed to integrate primitive reflexes and strengthen the visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and vestibular sensory-motor systems involved with reading, writing, spelling, and math.

We will show how sensory-motor immaturity can result in learning challenges; then demonstrate natural (non-drug) solutions in the form of neurostimulation to remediate problems. This will be great fun!

Jeff Haebig

Natural Ways to H.A.N.D.L.E. ADHD

New Perspective on ADD and ADHD with Natural Solutions!

The HANDLE Institute http://handle.org provides Highly Effective, Non-Drug, Holistic Treatment for Learning, Behavior and Other Challenges. What does HANDLE think about ADD/ADHD? Visit http://handle.org/index2.html and get their perspective. I like Judith Bluestone’s approach, addressing attention deficit as APD… Attentional Priority Disorder.

Activities are offered that strengthen the vestibular system and treat hypersensitivity of the senses including touch, vision and sound. Once again, the body brain has remarkable ability to strengthen itself through movement and exercise! Hats off to HANDLE for heading us down that natural path.

Jeff