Autistic Developmental Challenges

Six basic developmental skills lay a foundation for learning

ICDL, The Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders website provides insight of the milestones needed to lay a solid foundation for learning and development. Autistic and other special need students need more time and help to master these skills. ICDL addresses this challenge with their DIR®/Floortime program that targets social interactions and problem solving, as well as sensory-integration therapy, designed to change the way the brain processes sensory input.

An article written on Edutopia focuses on Overcoming Autism: Public Schools Deal with a Growing Problem

Health Benefits of Generosity

Giving is Good for Our Health

M. J. Ryan author of The Giving Heart describes the positive effects of generosity on the mindbody. Not only do we make others feel good, we can also increase our physical well-being, raising endorphins in the bloodstream to relieve pain, increasing the number of T-cells in the immune system to help resist disease, feeling simultaneously energized and calm, and extending our lifespan.

Let’s be mindful of Etienne de Grellet’s words, “I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”

Or remember Ellen Glasgow words, “You can't take it with you. You never see a U-haul following a hearse.”

Yoga for All Ages

Older Adults Increasingly Turn to Yoga for Health

John Hanc writing for the AARP Bulletin Today offers good reason for older adults to practice the physical type of yoga designed to keep the muscles and joints resilient. I agree wholeheartedly with John about picking a knowledgeable yoga instructor sensitive to the aging body. Every pose has its variations suitable to people with stiff joints and those most supple. The key is keeping within your own daily comfort level. Proper breathing is also essential.

Serious Need for Play

Social, emotional and cognitive development rises from play


Scientific American Mind article written by Melinda Wenner cites compelling reasons to extend childhood play largely for social and emotional reasons. The article failed to address sensory motor development that comes from play. The visual, auditory, vestibular, tactile and kinesthetic systems are strengthened, allowing children to be more successful later on in school, writing, reading and carrying on other academic performance skills. This Body-brain Boogie Blog playfully works to fill in this gap, showing how play is core essential to learning.

Fuzzy Kisses

Early Childhood Brain Insights Blog

Early Childhood Brain Insights written by Deborah McNelis is well worth your time. Be sure to click on the videos showing the baby getting hysterical tearing paper and the baby finding the dog’s paw -- precious. Many excellent child development ideas are found on this body brain enriching Blog – Fuzzy Kisses and all -- way to go Deborah!

Squeeze In Daily Exercise

Finding Fitness: 10 Easy Ways to Fit in Exercise

Everyday Health website’s article by Beth Orenstein suggests ten ways to get your 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activities spread over five days a week, or 20 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity on each of three days a week. Be less efficient carrying groceries and laundry, making more trips carrying lesser amounts on each trip… and other useful ways to bring more movement to each day. Are you standing up, stretching while reading this post? I am standing on my balance board while writing it. Let's have fun exercising the body brain. Jeff

Mind Your Room Design

How Room Designs Affect Your Work and Mood

Emily Anthes writing for the Scientific American Mind cites brain research showing how to craft spaces that “relax, inspire, awaken, comfort and heal.” The article urges us to fabricate rooms and buildings with the Mind in Mind. Ceiling height, greenery, sunlight, room contents, furniture choices, all have a bearing on our moods and our ability to attend and think. In fact, students can perform better on their test scores with wise school design. Neuroeducation the new buzz may get into furniture and light fixtures… as well as body brain enhancing teaching and learning methods – the focus of this Blog.

Exercise Brain Wellness

Train Your Brain to Be Happier

Alvaro Fernandez writing for Sharp Brains starts his article with the understanding that our ‘mind’ or awareness emerges from the physical brain. Yes! That is why I continue to write “body brain” throughout this blog. The brain without the body is like the Pope without a church… or rain without the sky. From now on, say “body brain” ok? OK! Then pay particular attention to how your body is nurturing your brain to be happy.

Music and the Brain Video

Master my movement routine to speed your body brain!

Current body brain research shows the significance of learning novel and complex movements to extend neural networks. The new, speedier connections created between the sensory and motor system are the same pathways used during academic pursuits (e.g., writing, reading, calculating, spelling). Myelin is being added, speeding visual and auditory processing along with fine and gross motor movements.

How long will it take you to memorize the movement sequence and lyrics? When you do master it, send me a video clip. I will send a free copy of my perpetual Health Care-toons Calendar, 365 Ways to Feel and Look Great to the first five respondents who demonstrate mastery doing the entire routine (reciting the lyrics and mimicking the gestures), straight through without stopping the camera!

Drum Therapy

Rhythm for self-expression, healing and heightened well-being

Michael Drake cites research on About.com, showing how drumming can reduce tension, anxiety and stress… control chronic pain…boost the immune system… deepen self-awareness… induce altered mental states of euphoria… team with others… connect with the natural rhythms of life… integrate the body, mind and spirit… and heighten self-expression. What a fun way to get the beat on overall health! For more resources check the Shamanic Drumming website.

Autism Games

Use play for social, emotional and sensory motor development

Tahirih Bushey has developed a playful site full of articles and fun videos showing how to play with an autistic child. Autism Games shows a variety of effective ways to use play to build language and boost attention. Sensory and motor skills are being developed through repetition. Visit Tahirih’s blog and enjoy her engaging ways to help autistic children "regulate emotions… navigate the social world… and interact in the physical world.”

Creative Breath Taking

Boost mental clarity/creativity with breath taking

Enchanted Mind website suggests several ways to enhance your creativity. As a body brain enthusiast, I was impressed with the article on breath control, explaining how holding the breath, and alternate nostril breathing is effective. How about the deep water method of writing down ideas – hopefully you won’t drown of a writer’s cramp. Jeff

Relax to Soothing Music

Enjoy the rich aural delight of peaceful music

Change Your Thoughts blog brought to life by Steven Aitchison offers ten beautiful pieces of ambient music. Sit back and enjoy!

Eye! Eye! Learning Success!

Strengthen vison needed to read, write, learn!

View the All About Vision website for many insightful ideas about vision, including eye nutrition. One glaring omission occurs on their page citing how important eye exams are for children, relating various aspects of vision needed for learning – but failing to offer exercises that can be used to strengthen visual processing. Such exercises can be viewed on Eye Can Learn website! Seems strange that children’s eye exams in school do not measure these visual skills, and little thought is given about strengthening vision to help students better focus as they read, write, calculate, draw, catch a ball, etc. People talk about No Child Left Behind, but can't see that many children are left behind because of visual challenges. Let's change their view!

Music and the Brain

Music training changes brain networks

The DANA website reports the most current research related to brain science. For those of us interested in ways to enhance body brain function, exciting research has been reported relating musical rehearsal on the developing brain. Research by Ellen Winner and Gottfried Schlaug shows, “that children who receive weekly music instruction and practice regularly perform better on sound discrimination and fine motor tasks. Furthermore, brain imaging shows changes to the networks associated with those abilities.” Sound discrimination is central to reading and fine motor movement is key to writing. Let’s convey this research to educators who often fail to understand the importance of music to academic performance.

Active Sitting

Rid back, neck and shoulder pain caused by sitting

Mary Newell’s article posted on a leading Feldenkrais website shows the importance of regularly attending to your sitting position while at the computer, especially if you sit for extended periods of time. Have you noticed back, shoulder or neck pain recently? Then use a dynamic sitting position. The Feldenkrais method is worthy of your time and attention,

Exercise Improves the Brain

How your inner athlete makes you smarter


Robert Nixon writing for Live Science has a fine article showing how aerobic exercise improves the brain creating new brain cells and improving the cellular connections. Carl Cotman explains how nerve growth factors come into play.

Goldmine of Health Resources

Free online source of health information abounds with facts

Medline Plus delivers information about health topics, journal articles, illustrated medical encyclopedia, drugs, and the latest health news. Check out the 750 health topics and resources on physical fitness. This keen comprehensive source of information is provided by the National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health.

Build Your Brain LINKS!

Build Your Own Brain with 100 Tools, Exercises, and Games


Imagine 100 engaging (fun!) ways to build your body brain! Thank you Kelly for e-mailing me this very impressive collection of activities sponsored by Healthcare Administration Degree, listing mental exercises, physical exercises, Online brain games, senior games, work games and puzzles, riddles, trivia, learning tools, and more creative brain activities… wow! WOW!

e-Health Promotion

Second Life on Web 2.0 is the future of e-health promotion

JMIR, Journal of Medical Internet Research reports the unique design feature of Second Life as part of Web 2.0 communications strategies. If you are interested in the most effective ways to inspire health over the Internet, read this extended Abstract. It examines the most innovative and popular sites, and assesses the potential utility of Second Life for the dissemination of health information and for health behavior change.

Yoga – The Benefits

Yoga exercise will stretch your body and brain in powerful ways

If you were to choose one exercise to do for the rest of your life – what would it be? For me, it’s yoga! For a comprehensive reason why I chose yoga, visit HolisticOnline.com and read the extensive list of benefits including healing, anti-aging, weight reduction, mental health, beauty, sex, pride, knowledge, wealth, and insomnia. Quite a list! Read more about yoga on HolisticOnline.com. Teach yourself or find an excellent teacher who has a solid understanding of the body. Take it easy and enjoy your life-enhancing yoga venture.

Nutrition for Healthy Skin

Keeping your body beautiful from the inside out with nutrition

Becky Hand has posted 120 articles relating to nutrition. Simply write the name Becky Hand in the Search Box at the top of the SPARKPEOPLE website and presto! You will discover a rich resource of insightful and delightful nutrition articles that will satisfy your healthy appetite. This article on ‘Making a Healthy Diet Your Beauty Secret’ is excellent for rejuvenating your skin. Water, green tea, avoid simple carbs (darn), and ingest the ten recommended nutrients. Let’s give a big hand to Becky! Jeff

Earthly Family is Tops!

Visit this amazing website for family-fun and much more!

Earthly Family is a precious jewel of a website offering fun-filled family activities, scrumptious healthy recipes, many insightful articles, parenting tips, travels, good reads, links, and special ways to celebrate each day! This amazing site is full of wholesome ways to foster family wellness – it is a rich resource that will pay great physical, mental, emotional and spiritual dividends.

Embodied Cognition

Research Shows Body Movements Can Influence Problem Solving

Physical movements can aid in learning and memory. Research reported by Newswise.com cites Alejandro Lleras’s study at the University of Illinois showing that a person’s ability to solve a problem can be influenced by how he or she moves. Embodied Cognition describes the link between body and mind. Our main goal of this blog is reporting research demonstrating how the body and brain work together to optimize vibrant living and learning. BINGO!

Embodied Cognition defined by the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy and Six Views of Embodied Cognition by Margaret Wilson, University of California, Santa Cruz.

Reflex Integration Needed for Learning

Early motor development of a healthy child and child with Cerebral Palsy

Svetlana Masgutova's extensive article does a masterful job describing how a healthy sensory-motor system develops and what goes wrong with children with Cerebral Palsy. According to Dr. Masgutova, “Maturation of the nervous system involves the inter-connection of reflex circuits. The role of these latter phases is to expand the development of a reflex in order to create the groundwork for reflex integration with motor skills and abilities. This supports the development of academic skills such as elementary reading, drawing, writing, and calculating. Delayed reflex development, or the omission of any phase, adversely affects the formation of future skills.”

CranioSacral Therapy and Autism

Autism Spectrum Disorder: How CranioSacral Therapy Can Help

According to Tad Wanveer’s article, “CST, CranioSacral Therapy has been successfully used to help the brain decrease levels of abnormal inflammation, sensation, tension, toxicity and chaos leading to greater ease and efficiency of nervous system processing, which often manifests as a reduction of ASD systems.” Spend time reading more about CST on The Upledger Institute website, including natural headache relief . Once again, the body/brain shows natural healing capacity.

Integrate Psychiatry and Neurology

Helping traumatized children like Justin raised like a dog

Read this interesting interview with Dr. Bruce Perry, co-author of the book, The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog. I like Dr. Perry’s statement, “We need to learn how to use psychotropic drugs in a way that is responsible and is a true adjunct to treatment, as opposed to a cop-out.” The purpose of this blog is to demonstrate convincingly the body/brain’s remarkable capacity to revise itself through sensory and motor stimulation designed to strengthen its function. I also applaud Dr. Perry for his peace initiatives based on neuroscience.

Ultimate Body/brain Resource

Neuroscience Education Resources Virtual Encycloportal

NERVE is an amazing website sponsored by the Society for Neuroscience. Enter the Subject/Theme, the Grade/Level and the Type of Resource you are seeking and presto! You will have free access to activities, animations, assessments, newsletter articles, case studies, curriculum materials, fact sheets, games, images/clip art, interactive web experience, journal articles, movies/videos, Podcasts/RSS feeds, pamphlet and booklets, Online exhibits, PowerPoint/slides, software, tutorial, and many links to Web resources related to neuroscience – phenomenal!

Attack LD with Martial Arts

Martial Arts Helps People with Learning Disabilities

Deb Fjeld’s article in Toolbox Parenting cites compelling reasons to involve children in Martial Arts. She includes physical, mental, social and emotional benefits, along with a brief neurological explanation pointing to Dr. Bruce Perry’s work with Pattern Repetition Stimulation. This therapy is helpful to children and adults recovering from brain trauma. I am very proud of Christian and Tianna my grandchildren advancing in their martial arts training. Visit ChildTraumaAcademy.com for a free Online Course on the Amazing Human Brain and Human Development.

Wellness Cheer Video

Experience the enthusiasm of International Wellness Coordinators

International Wellness Coordinators meeting for their first IWC Conference last month in Phoenix, Arizona joined me in a movement sequence that captures the essence of wellness promotion. Notice how passionate people are about vibrant living and learning. What an incredible conference this was, thanks in large part to the incredible enthusiasm of the participants! Jeff