Brain Gym (Dennison; contested)

1. Introduction

Version followed: the Brain Gym® programme as described by its owner, the Educational Kinesiology Foundation (trading as Brain Gym International; the official site braingym.org now redirects to Breakthroughs International), and by Paul E. Dennison and Gail E. Dennison in Brain Gym: Teacher's Edition (Ventura, CA: Hearts at Play, c2010), with the programme's content described here only as far as independent and school sources confirm it. Status: contested. This guide does not present Brain Gym as a treatment, and it is not one.

What it is. Brain Gym is a commercial, movement-based "learning-readiness" programme that grew out of Educational Kinesiology (Edu-K), which its developers summarise as "enhanced learning through movement". Paul Dennison was a Southern California reading specialist. Gail Dennison is his wife and collaborator, and she is credited with related courses (Double Doodle Play, Movement Dynamics, Visioncircles). The Educational Kinesiology Foundation was incorporated in California in 1987 as a nonprofit. It provides training and licenses instructors, and "Brain Gym" is its registered trademark. The programme centres on "the 26": 26 short movements such as cross-lateral marching, tracing figure-eights, rubbing or holding points on the body, drinking water and yawning. Teachers, parents or licensed instructors lead them, often as a short routine before learning tasks. [source: braingym.com/about; Wikipedia, Brain Gym International; Patterson 2012]

The developers' claim about how change happens (attributed, not established). Dennison argues that "movement can create intelligence" (Dennison 2009, quoted in Patterson 2012). Practitioners say intentional movement builds new neural pathways and improves reading, writing, focus, attention and self-regulation, often quickly. Independent reviewers group the programme's stated bases under three headings: neurological repatterning (repeating early movements such as crawling to make up for missed developmental stages), cerebral dominance / hemispheric integration (cross-lateral movement said to coordinate the two hemispheres), and perceptual-motor training. Brain Gym's own literature also speaks of three "dimensions": laterality, focusing and centering. Other stated ideas include "brain buttons" on the upper chest said to increase blood flow to the brain. [source: Patterson 2012, summarising Hyatt 2007; Kroeze, Hyatt & Lambert 2016; Wikipedia; USF Brain Gym session page]

Evidence status, as reviews and official bodies state it. Hyatt (2007, Remedial and Special Education 28(2):117–124) found no evidence for the claimed neurological changes or for the brain model behind them. Spaulding, Mostert and Beam (2010, Exceptionality 18(1):18–30) examined the programme's theoretical foundations and the studies of its efficacy, found little research backing its promoters' claims about mental and physical development, and gave educators guidance on whether it is worth their time and money [source: Spaulding et al. 2010, abstract, Liberty University repository]. Kroeze, Hyatt and Lambert (2016) call the programme a "pseudoscientific practice". They say both earlier reviews found it "has failed to provide research support for its use", and they recommend that schools abandon it as an academic intervention unless research supports it. Most studies in its favour appeared in the programme's own journal or as testimonials. Repatterning has been criticised by the American Academy of Pediatrics (warnings cited for 1968 and 1998). [source: Kroeze et al. 2016; Patterson 2012] In England, Ofsted's Chief Inspector, launching the 2017/18 annual report on 4 December 2018, warned in general terms against "fashionable gimmicks" that have mostly been debunked; the speech text does not name Brain Gym [source: Ofsted 2018 speech]. Press coverage linked this warning to Brain Gym, Sense About Science issued a critical report (2008), and Goldacre criticised the programme in the Guardian (2006) [uncertain: secondary, unverified]. Clinical stance: nothing here promises gains in learning, reading, attention, ADHD, dyslexia or any developmental condition. The movements are presented as what they plainly are: light physical activity and self-touch routines. A family or school may already be using them, and the psychotherapist's job is to talk about them honestly.

Roots in applied kinesiology. The name "Educational Kinesiology" and the use of muscle checking in Edu-K sessions are generally traced to applied kinesiology and Touch for Health [uncertain: not verified]. See Domain XII, entry 061 (Applied kinesiology) for that method and its evidence.

Who delivers it. The programme is delivered by classroom teachers and parents, and by Licensed Brain Gym Instructor/Consultants trained and licensed through Brain Gym International / Breakthroughs International. The course sequence (an introductory course often called Brain Gym 101, and further courses including one devoted to the 26 movements) and the licensing requirements are [uncertain: not verified]. It is not a regulated health profession, and the licence is a trademark licence, not a clinical qualification. This guide is written for the psychotherapist alongside the teacher or parent, not for delivering Brain Gym as therapy. A psychotherapist who has trained may lead simple movement breaks, but should do so under their own professional framework, without Brain Gym's neurological claims (see section 3).

2. Framework

As the programme presents itself [source: braingym.com/about; USF session page; Patterson 2012; Mohamed (Assiut J.)]:

Format. Short daily sessions of selected movements, led by a teacher or parent, in class, at home, before tests or at transitions. The movements are said to be used with all ages in schools, workplaces, care homes and sport. Some materials recommend drinking plenty of water.
Organisation of the 26. Activities are grouped into families. The groupings named in published descriptions include midline movements (crossing the body's midline), lengthening activities (stretches), energy exercises (point-holding and rubbing, water, yawning) and deepening-attitudes activities (calming postures). A Spanish school-resource booklet hosted on the Castilla y León regional education portal uses the same four headings (in Spanish), places Hook-ups and Positive Points under deepening attitudes, and lists among the midline movements Neck Rolls, Lazy 8s, the Elephant, the Rocker, the Owl, Thinking Cap, Alphabet 8s, two-handed drawing (Double Doodle), Cross Crawl on the floor, Belly Breathing and Balance Buttons [source: López-Peredo, educa.jcyl.es; translated]. One secondary source lists six groupings, adding three-dimensional repatterning. The full official membership of each group is set out in the Teacher's Edition [uncertain].
Opening routine ("PACE"). Two sources describe a fixed opening sequence: drinking water, then Brain Buttons, then Cross Crawl, then Hook-ups. The Spanish school booklet names this sequence PACE. [source: Mohamed; López-Peredo, educa.jcyl.es]
Individualised sessions ("balances"). In Edu-K, licensed consultants also run individual sessions in which a goal is set, movements are chosen (sometimes by muscle checking) and the result is noticed. The structure and steps of a balance are [uncertain: not verified]. Course descriptions mention identifying a person's "Learning Profile" from sensory preferences. [source: USF session page]
Phases and criteria for moving on. The programme publishes no clinical phases, session counts or progression criteria. Progress is judged by teacher, parent and learner report. Reviewers count this kind of report as testimonial, not evidence. [source: Kroeze et al. 2016]

The psychotherapist's framework when Brain Gym comes up [synthesis]:

Find out. Who suggested it, for which child, for what problem, what it costs (courses, private consultant fees, time), and what the family hopes for.
Hold the main work. Make sure the child's actual difficulty (reading, attention, anxiety, motor coordination, suspected neurodevelopmental condition) is being assessed and treated by the right professionals. Use what has a research base, such as direct reading instruction, standard ADHD assessment pathways and occupational therapy for motor problems. Never advise starting or stopping medical or educational care; route those questions to the child's paediatric, educational or OT team.
Talk honestly. With parents and, with consent, the school: evidence status, what the movements can plausibly offer (a physical break, a familiar calming routine), and what they cannot.
Consent and safeguarding. Check that the child assents, especially to any touch by an adult, including muscle checking.
Review. Check the child's wellbeing, the family's load and spending, and any adverse effects, such as shame, pressure, injury or delay of effective help.

3. Guiding principles

Label it contested, every time. Practical meaning: when you name the programme to parents or schools, say "a popular programme whose claims are not supported by research", and do not repeat the neurological claims as fact. [source: Hyatt 2007; Kroeze et al. 2016]
Attribute every claim. Practical meaning: say "the developers say…" and "reviewers found…", never "this works on the brain…". [synthesis]
No promises. Practical meaning: never suggest it will improve learning, reading, ADHD, dyslexia, autism or developmental delay, and never set it as a goal of therapy. [synthesis; Kroeze et al. 2016]
Protect the main intervention. Practical meaning: the real risk is time and money taken away from effective help. Ask what else the child is receiving. Reviewers recommend teaching the target skill directly. [source: Kroeze et al. 2016]
Respect parents' hope. Practical meaning: parents often come to these programmes after frustration with services. Explore why they chose it before giving information, and avoid shaming. [synthesis]
The child's voice counts. Practical meaning: ask for the child's assent for any activity. A child may decline or stop any movement or any touch, with no penalty and no "you're blocked" interpretations. [synthesis; USABP Code VIII.5 on the right to refuse touch]
Touch only with explicit consent, never sexual. Practical meaning: most Brain Gym movements are self-touch. Any adult touch, such as muscle checking or guiding a limb, needs explicit consent from the carer, assent from the child, a visible setting and the option to stop at once. Genital or sexual touch is never acceptable. [source: USABP Code of Ethics VIII; EABP Ethics Guidelines 2020 Principle 7]
Physical safety first. Practical meaning: think about the child's body before suggesting any movement, including neck problems, balance, hypermobility, breathing difficulty and medical fluid restrictions (see section 4). Do not set repetitions or durations. [synthesis]
Work in partnership. Practical meaning: share concerns with consent through the school's SENCo or special-education team, the educational psychologist and the paediatric team, not around them. Educational psychologists are advised to discuss with schools which interventions they use and the evidence behind them. [source: Patterson 2012; HCPC SoP 8.1/8.4 on partnership working]
Stay within competence. Practical meaning: a psychotherapist does not diagnose learning or motor disorders or run muscle checking. Refer instead. [source: UKCP Code items 23–24; APA Ethics Code 2.01(a)]
Separate the useful core from the claims. Practical meaning: a short movement break or a calming self-hold can be offered on its own ordinary terms, as a break or a grounding moment, without the brain-integration explanation. [synthesis]

4. Intervention inventory

This section has two parts. Part A describes the Brain Gym movements whose form independent and school sources describe, so that the therapist can recognise what a child or school is doing. Each "Purpose" is the developers' or practitioners' claim, not an established effect. Counts, timings and repetitions found in school handouts are left out on purpose. Part B gives the psychotherapist's own interventions: conversations with parents and schools, consent, safety and review. These are [synthesis] unless a source is given.

Other named movements (recognition only). The programme names 26 movements in total. Besides the thirteen described in A1–A13, a Spanish school-resource booklet names these Brain Gym activities, listed here with literal translations: Búho (the Owl), Mecedora (the Rocker), Ocho Alfabético (Alphabet 8s), Activación de Brazos (Arm Activation, placed under lengthening), Energetizador (the Energiser), Bomba de Gemelo (Calf Pump), Flexión de Pie (Footflex), Toma de Tierra (Grounder), Balanceo de Gravedad (Gravity Glider), Botones de Tierra (Earth Buttons), Botones del Espacio (Space Buttons), Botones de Equilibrio (Balance Buttons) and Marcha cruzada en el suelo (Cross Crawl on the floor). The booklet links them to school aims such as listening, posture, copying, handwriting and attention, which are claims, not established effects. It does not describe how they are done, so no steps are given here [source: López-Peredo, educa.jcyl.es; translated]. The official descriptions are in Dennison and Dennison's Teacher's Edition (2010) [uncertain]. The same watch-points apply as for A1–A13: assent, no adult touch, a seated or simpler option for any child with balance, joint or breathing difficulties, and no suggestion that a child who cannot do a movement has a "brain problem" [synthesis].

Part A. Brain Gym movements (descriptive, for recognition)

A1. Water

Purpose (claimed): drinking water is part of the opening routine, and programme materials recommend drinking plenty. [source: Patterson 2012; Mohamed]
Steps (as described): the child takes a drink of water before the other movements.
Example language (illustrative): "Having a drink is fine if you're thirsty. It's a good habit, but it isn't a brain switch."
Watch for: children told to drink when they are not thirsty, or competitions over how much they drink. Children on medical fluid restrictions (some kidney, heart or endocrine conditions) must follow their medical team's advice. Large forced volumes are unsafe. [synthesis]

A2. Brain Buttons

Purpose (claimed): said to increase blood flow to the brain and to "switch on" readiness. Wikipedia describes the stated belief as points on the neck or upper chest said to stimulate blood flow. [source: Wikipedia; Mohamed]
Steps (as described): the child rubs the soft spots just below the collarbones on either side of the breastbone with one hand, while the other hand rests on the navel. One school handout adds side-to-side eye movement. [source: school handout (weduc)]
Example language (illustrative): "Some classes do this one. You can do it yourself, and you can stop whenever you like."
Watch for: this is self-touch only. An adult should not do it to the child. Pressing hard on the chest can be uncomfortable. Children with chest wall pain, recent surgery or a port or central line should skip it. [synthesis]

A3. Cross Crawl

Purpose (claimed): the core "midline" movement, said to coordinate the left and right hemispheres. [source: Patterson 2012; Mohamed]
Steps (as described): marching on the spot while touching each elbow or hand to the opposite knee, alternating sides. [source: school handout (weduc)]
Example language (illustrative): "Want to march for a bit? Touch opposite hand to knee, or just march if that's easier."
Watch for: falls in children with balance or coordination difficulties, hip or knee pain, or hypermobility. Offer a seated version or plain marching. A child who cannot do it should not feel there is a "problem in their brain". [synthesis]

A4. Hook-ups

Purpose (claimed): a "deepening attitudes" posture said to calm, aid decision-making and improve focus. [source: Patterson 2012; school handout caption]
Steps (as described): a seated or standing self-hold in which the arms and ankles are crossed and the hands interlaced, often followed by a second part with fingertips touching and quiet breathing [uncertain: not verified in detail].
Example language (illustrative): "This is a way of holding yourself that some people find settling. Try it, and tell me what you notice. It's fine if it does nothing for you."
Watch for: crossed or held postures can feel trapping to some children who have been restrained or abused. Offer open alternatives, such as feet on the floor and hands resting on the thighs. Watch for freezing, breath-holding or dissociation. [synthesis]

A5. Think of an X

Purpose (claimed): a visualisation of crossing the midline. [source: school handout (weduc)]
Steps (as described): with eyes closed, the child pictures the letter X and notices how the two sides of the body work together.
Example language (illustrative): "You can keep your eyes open if you prefer, and just imagine an X."
Watch for: closing the eyes can increase anxiety or dissociation in traumatised children. Keep eyes open as the default option. [synthesis]

A6. Lazy 8s

Purpose (claimed): a midline movement linked to reading and eye tracking. [source: school handout (weduc)]
Steps (as described): with one arm outstretched and the thumb up, the child traces a large sideways figure-eight in the air and follows the thumb with the eyes.
Example language (illustrative): "Let's draw a big sideways eight in the air and follow it with your eyes, nice and slow."
Watch for: dizziness or eye strain, especially in children with vestibular or visual conditions. This is not a substitute for an orthoptic or optometric assessment if there are eye concerns. [synthesis]

A7. The Elephant

Purpose (claimed): a midline movement combining head, arm and trunk. [source: school handout (weduc)]
Steps (as described): the child rests the ear on the shoulder, extends the arm like a trunk and traces a sideways figure-eight in front with the knees relaxed, then changes sides.
Example language (illustrative): "Only lean your head as far as is comfortable. No pulling."
Watch for: neck strain and loss of balance. Children with neck conditions, hypermobility or atlanto-axial instability (for example some children with Down syndrome) need advice from their medical team or physiotherapist before any sustained head-tilt movements. [synthesis]

A8. Neck Rolls

Purpose (claimed): a movement said to release neck tension. [source: school handout (weduc)]
Steps (as described): with the head dropped forward and the shoulders relaxed, the child gently rolls the head from side to side across the front, breathing easily.
Example language (illustrative): "Small, gentle movements only. Stop if anything hurts."
Watch for: the same neck cautions as A7. Never let anyone move a child's head for them. [synthesis]

A9. Belly Breathing

Purpose (claimed): a breathing activity. [source: school handout (weduc)]
Steps (as described): with the hands on the abdomen, the child breathes out, then breathes in so the belly rises, and breathes out slowly.
Example language (illustrative): "Just notice your breath under your hands. You don't have to change it."
Watch for: over-breathing, which can cause dizziness or tingling and can trigger panic in anxious children. Children with asthma follow their asthma plan. Do not set breath counts or holds. [synthesis]

A10. Energy Yawn

Purpose (claimed): an "energy" activity said to relax the jaw. [source: school handout (weduc)]
Steps (as described): the child yawns with a relaxed sound while lightly touching the jaw-joint area near the back teeth.
Example language (illustrative): "Big, silly yawn if you like. Light touch only."
Watch for: jaw pain or clicking (temporomandibular problems). Light pressure only. [synthesis]

A11. Thinking Cap

Purpose (claimed): an "energy" activity said to aid listening. [source: school handout (weduc)]
Steps (as described): the child gently unrolls the outer rims of both ears from top to bottom.
Example language (illustrative): "Gently, like smoothing the edge of a leaf."
Watch for: discomfort with recent piercings, ear infections or grommets. This is self-touch only. It is no substitute for a hearing assessment if listening is the concern. [synthesis]

A12. Positive Points

Purpose (claimed): a "deepening attitudes" point-hold said to ease stress. [source: school handout (weduc)]
Steps (as described): the child lightly touches the points on the forehead above each eyebrow, closes the eyes and breathes slowly.
Example language (illustrative): "Rest your fingertips on your forehead if that feels okay. Eyes open or closed, your choice."
Watch for: the same eyes-closed caution as A5. It must not be done by an adult to the child without explicit consent. [synthesis]

A13. Two-handed (symmetrical) drawing

Purpose (claimed): a school handout describes symmetrical drawing as helping "co-ordination and multi-tasking". It appears to correspond to the Dennisons' Double Doodle activity [uncertain: not verified]. [source: school handout (weduc); braingym.com/about on Double Doodle Play]
Steps (as described): the child draws mirror-image shapes with both hands at once.
Example language (illustrative): "Let's try drawing with both hands at the same time and see what comes out. Wobbly is fine."
Watch for: frustration in children with motor coordination difficulties. Frame it as play, not a test. [synthesis]

A14. Individual Edu-K sessions and muscle checking (recognition only)

Purpose (claimed): licensed consultants run individualised sessions to set goals and select movements. Muscle checking is used in Edu-K and derives from applied kinesiology [uncertain: not verified]. See Domain XII 061.
Steps: not described here. The psychotherapist does not perform muscle checking.
Example language (illustrative, to a parent): "If anyone tests your child's muscles to decide what's wrong or what they need, I'd want to know about it. That kind of testing isn't a reliable way to assess learning or health."
Watch for: adult hands on the child's arm or body, sessions behind closed doors, diagnostic-sounding statements ("blocked", "switched off", "not integrated"), recommendations to stop other help, and rising fees. [synthesis]

Part B. The psychotherapist's interventions [synthesis unless sourced]

B1. Exploring the family's choice

Purpose: understand why the family is using Brain Gym, what they hope for and what it costs them, before giving any information. Use it when a parent mentions Brain Gym or Edu-K, or a school report refers to it.
Steps: (1) Ask who introduced it: the school, a private consultant, a friend or the internet. (2) Ask what problem it is meant to help with and what the parent has noticed. (3) Ask about cost, time, home practice and how the child feels about it. (4) Ask what other assessment and support the child has, or is waiting for. (5) Reflect the parent's hope and effort before moving to information (B2).
Example language (illustrative): "It sounds like you've been looking hard for something that helps. Tell me how Brain Gym came into the picture and what you've noticed since."
Watch for: guilt ("we didn't do it enough"), money worries, waiting-list despair, and a consultant who discourages other services. It is working if the parent feels heard and gives you the full picture.

B2. Giving balanced information to parents

Purpose: give an honest, non-shaming account of evidence status so that parents can decide for themselves.
Steps: (1) Ask permission to share what reviews say. (2) Say plainly that independent reviews have found no research support for the programme's claims about the brain or learning. [source: Hyatt 2007; Spaulding et al. 2010; Kroeze et al. 2016] (3) Name what it can plausibly offer: a movement break, a routine, a moment of calm. (4) Bring the conversation back to the child's actual needs and to approaches with evidence, such as direct teaching of the skill and proper assessment. (5) Leave the decision with the parent, unless there is a safeguarding concern.
Example language (illustrative): "The movements themselves are mostly harmless and some children enjoy them. The research doesn't back the idea that they change the brain or improve reading or attention, though. My worry would only be if they took the place of help that has better evidence."
Watch for: defensiveness or a sense of being judged. If that happens, slow down and return to B1. It is working if the parent can hold both points: "the child likes it" and "it is not treating the reading difficulty".

B3. Consulting with the school

Purpose: with parental consent, help the school's special-education team (SENCo or equivalent) and the educational psychologist keep effective support in place. [source: Patterson 2012 on EPs discussing interventions and evidence with schools]
Steps: (1) Get written consent from the parent, and from the young person where appropriate, about what may be shared. (2) Ask what Brain Gym is being used for and whether it has replaced any targeted support. (3) Share the child's emotional picture, such as anxiety or shame about learning. (4) Support evidence-based approaches and appropriate referrals (EP, OT, speech and language, paediatrics). (5) Suggest that movement breaks are described honestly to children, as breaks rather than brain treatment.
Example language (illustrative): "I'm not here to tell you how to run your classroom. Movement breaks clearly help some children settle. I'd just like to make sure his reading support carries on alongside, and that he isn't told his brain is 'switched off' when he struggles."
Watch for: professional defensiveness, and staff who are personally invested after paying for training. Respect your remit. It is working if targeted support stays in place and the language used with the child changes.

B4. Consent, assent and touch check

Purpose: protect the child when any adult outside the family leads Brain Gym, especially in individual sessions or with muscle checking.
Steps: (1) Ask whether any adult touches the child, for example during muscle checking or by guiding limbs. (2) Make sure the carer gave explicit, informed consent and that the child can say no and stop at any time. [source: USABP Code VIII.2, VIII.5; EABP 2020 Principle 7] (3) Check that sessions take place in an open or observable setting, with a parent present or a chaperone. (4) Check that the practitioner is subject to the school's or organisation's safeguarding checks, such as the DBS check in England or the local equivalent [synthesis]. (5) Any sexualised or secretive touch, or a child's disclosure, goes to your local safeguarding procedure at once.
Example language (illustrative, to a child): "In some activities grown-ups put their hands on your arm. You're always allowed to say 'no' or 'stop', and you won't be in trouble. Has anyone ever done that when you didn't want them to?"
Watch for: a child going quiet about sessions, reluctance to attend, secrecy, or gifts. It is working if the child can describe sessions openly and knows they can refuse.

B5. Physical-safety screen before any movement

Purpose: prevent injury when a family, school or the therapist uses movements.
Steps: (1) Ask about neck or spinal conditions, hypermobility, balance problems, seizures, heart or breathing conditions, recent injury or surgery, and medical fluid restrictions. (2) Where any of these apply, ask the child's medical team or physiotherapist before the child takes part. (3) Offer seated and gentler versions. (4) Do not set repetitions, durations or intensities.
Example language (illustrative): "Before anyone does stretches or neck movements, I'd check with his physio, given his hypermobility."
Watch for: dizziness, pain, breathlessness or falls. Stop and seek medical advice as needed.

B6. Offering a plain movement or grounding break in therapy

Purpose: for a child or young person who settles with movement, offer a short break or self-hold on its own ordinary terms, without Brain Gym's claims or branding. This is optional and within ordinary therapeutic practice. [synthesis]
Steps: (1) Ask whether the child would like to move or pause. (2) Offer a few choices, such as marching on the spot, a stretch, or hands resting on the chest or knees. (3) Invite the child to notice what changes, if anything. (4) Return to the session's work.
Example language (illustrative): "We've been sitting a while. Want to stand and stretch, or march a bit? Then tell me how your body feels."
Watch for: overexcitement, shame about coordination, and crossed or held postures feeling trapping (see A4). It is working if the child can say whether moving helped and uses it by choice.

B7. Working with a child's sense of failure

Purpose: counter explanations that blame the child's "brain" or effort when a programme does not help.
Steps: (1) Ask the child what they think the movements are for. (2) Gently correct any frightening or shaming ideas, such as "my brain is broken" or "I'm not integrated". (3) Separate liking an activity from learning difficulties. (4) Build a strengths-based story about how the child learns.
Example language (illustrative): "Lots of children find reading hard for lots of reasons. Your brain isn't broken. Some things help you learn, and we'll find them together."
Watch for: self-blame, avoidance of school, low mood. It is working if the child's self-talk becomes kinder and more accurate.

B8. Recognising and passing on adverse effects

Purpose: notice harm and act on it.
Steps: (1) Ask regularly about injuries, distress, money, time and delays to other help. (2) Record concerns. (3) With consent, share them with the school or paediatric team. (4) For safeguarding concerns, follow local procedure. A complaint about an instructor's conduct can also be raised with the licensing organisation (Brain Gym International / Breakthroughs International) [uncertain: not verified].
Example language (illustrative): "You mentioned the sessions are getting expensive and the reading tutor has stopped. Can we think together about what's most useful right now?"
Watch for: the main risk the reviews identify is opportunity cost: instruction time and resources taken from validated methods. [source: Kroeze et al. 2016]

5. Handling problems

The programme's sources do not address clinical problems. Everything below is [synthesis] unless a source is given.

A parent is strongly committed and hears criticism as an attack. Do not debate the neuroscience. Go back to B1: their hope, their effort and what they have seen. Agree on shared goals, such as the child's confidence and reading. Ask, "How would we know if it's helping?", and suggest checking progress with the school's own measures. Keep the relationship. You may need several conversations.
A parent asks you to endorse it or write a supporting letter. Decline to endorse claims the evidence does not support, and explain kindly. You may describe the child's emotional needs and say that movement breaks are acceptable to you, without making claims about learning or the brain.
The school uses it class-wide and the child is not the issue. It is not your role to challenge school policy. Focus on the child: their experience, any shaming language and their targeted support (B3). Educational psychologists are advised to raise the evidence with schools. [source: Patterson 2012]
Brain Gym is replacing assessment or effective help. Name this gently but clearly as the main concern [source: Kroeze et al. 2016]. Encourage the family, with consent, to ask the school or paediatrician about assessment, such as for dyslexia, ADHD or developmental coordination disorder. Do not tell the family to stop anything medical or educational. Route those decisions to the responsible professionals.
The family is overloaded by home programmes or cost. Explore guilt and fatigue. Give permission to scale back optional, unproven activities, and frame rest and play as legitimate. Watch for strain between parents or siblings.
A consultant claims to diagnose by muscle checking ("switched off", "blocked", "not integrated"). Explain that this is not a valid way to assess learning or health (see Domain XII 061, Applied kinesiology). Ask what has been recommended and whether it conflicts with medical advice. Raise any conflict with the paediatric team, with consent.
A child refuses or is distressed by the movements. Respect the refusal, because assent matters. Explore what is distressing: being watched, coordination difficulty, touch, closed eyes, crossed postures. Help the parent or school offer an alternative or let the child sit out without penalty.
A trauma reaction to self-holds, closed eyes or adult touch. Stop the activity. Ground the child with eyes open and feet on the floor, orienting to the room. Afterwards, tell the school or parent, with consent, that the child should not be asked to do that activity. Assess any safeguarding implications (B4).
Physical injury, dizziness or a fall. Stop, get first aid or medical advice, and tell the parent and school. Review the safety screen (B5).
A child believes their brain is "broken" or "wired wrong". Use B7, and help the adults change their language too.
The therapist is unsure about their own role. Stay within competence: do not diagnose learning or motor disorders and do not perform muscle checking. Refer to the right services. [source: UKCP Code items 23–24; APA Ethics Code 2.01(a)] Take dilemmas, such as differing from a school's or parent's view, to supervision.
A safeguarding concern arises (inappropriate touch, secrecy, isolation from other help, financial exploitation). Follow your local child-protection procedure and record what was said. Never investigate yourself. Sexual or genital touch of a child is always a safeguarding matter. [source: USABP Code VIII; local procedures]
Therapeutic rupture after you share the evidence. Acknowledge the impact ("I may have come across as dismissing what you've been doing"), repair, and return to shared goals for the child.

Sources

Web sources

Books and articles cited

Dennison, P. E., & Dennison, G. E. (c2010). Brain Gym: Teacher's Edition. Ventura, CA: Hearts at Play.
Hyatt, K. J. (2007). Brain Gym®: Building stronger brains or wishful thinking? Remedial and Special Education, 28(2), 117–124. doi:10.1177/07419325070280020201 (details as given in the Wikipedia entry and in Patterson 2012).
Spaulding, L. S., Mostert, M. P., & Beam, A. P. (2010). Is Brain Gym® an effective educational intervention? Exceptionality, 18(1), 18–30. doi:10.1080/09362830903462508.
Sense About Science (2008), Brain Gym report; Goldacre, B. (2006), Guardian column; Guardian report of 4 December 2018 linking Ofsted's "gimmicks" warning to Brain Gym (all as cited in the Wikipedia entry) [uncertain: secondary, unverified].

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