Dana Jonson [00:00:09]:

Hello and welcome back to Special Ed. On Special Ed, I am your host Dana Jonson and Today I have Dr. Rebecca Jackson with me. Dr. Jackson is a brain health expert and the Chief Programs Officer at Brain Balance, a board certified cognitive specialist and a Doctor of chiropractic. With over 15 years of dedicated research and hands on application in cognitive development, Dr. Jackson has passionately worked towards improving children’s and adults well being. Beyond her work at Brain Balance, she’s continued her studies with extensive postgraduate education in neurodevelopmental disorders, clinical translational research, nutrition and functional neurology.

Dana Jonson [00:00:50]:

She is the author of Back on Track which combines her vast clinical experience with over 1000 children and adults and her role as a mom to offer practical guidance aimed at helping individuals of all ages thrive. In Back on Track, she addresses brain issues such as attention, mood, emotions, behaviors, organization, communication, social interactions, learning and confidence. That’s a mouthful, but I love it. Her innovative approach to neuroscience seeks to enlighten and provide tangible solutions to enhance daily lives. So thank you so much for joining me. Rebecca.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:01:25]:

Thank you for the introduction. I appreciate it.

Dana Jonson [00:01:28]:

Of course. Now, before we get started, I have to play my disclaimer because that, you know, I’m a lawyer, so that’s what I do.

Dislcaimer [00:01:33]:

The information in this podcast is provided for general informational and entertainment purposes only and may not reflect the current law in your jurisdiction at the time you’re listening. Nothing in this episode creates an attorney client relationship, nor is it legal advice. Do not act or refrain from acting on the basis of any information included in or accessible through this episode without seeking appropriate legal or other professional advice on particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer or service provider license in your state, country, or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction.

Dana Jonson [00:01:54]:

Hi. So welcome. Rebecca. Thank you so much for joining me.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:01:57]:

Great to be here.

Dana Jonson [00:01:58]:

There’s so much in there. I mean, that intro is very impressive. There’s just so much. I’m ready to dive in, but I was hoping we could start with your background. Like what brought you here? How did we get to Brain Balance and Back On Track? What brought you to this?

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:02:12]:

I think like so many things in life, I couldn’t have landed here had I planned it, but it was just the path that life took me. As you mentioned in my intro, I started my professional career as a car park. I’ve always really gravitated towards understanding the why behind things. So I’m the one. If I have a headache before I pop the Advil, I’m going to think, have I had enough to eat? Did I Have enough sleep? Am I dehydrated? Am I, do I have congestion in my sinuses? I think I was just attracted to that understanding root cause of things and a more natural, holistic approach. That being said, I think there’s absolutely a time and place for other interventions and other approaches. To me it’s about the combination of services and options available. So I started life as a chiropractor and then my husband’s job moved us across the country.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:02:59]:

So I sold my practice at the time that my daughter was born. My plan at that time was to be a stay at home mom. And I was really excited to do that. And I quickly found I needed mental engagement and stimulation. I was, I’m a lifelong learner. That’s what gives me energy and excitement as a new mom. And my husband was traveling a lot for work. I went back to school and the more I was learning about the neurology of pediatric development, the more I realized stay at home mom really isn’t me.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:03:29]:

I still wanted to be a super hands on mom, but I was learning information that I just felt driven to apply. And I was attracted to the neurology of pediatric development because I was a young mom. I wanted to understand for my kids what could I do to optimize their development. I know that, you know, the sand table and the water table and singing songs and playing games were great. I wanted to know why, what was happening in the brain that drives development and if there were concerns with development, what to do about it. And I’m fortunate. My mom was an elementary school psychologist. So as I was learning this information, I would call my mom and say, mom, what are the schools doing about this? If a child’s struggling with attention, how are they changing that? If a child has dyslexia and their eyes aren’t tracking properly and their multisensory integration isn’t working, what are they doing? And her answer floored me and it was, you know, we’re not.

Dana Jonson [00:04:28]:

And yeah, I was going to say, I want to know her answer too.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:04:31]:

Yeah, and I have again, love for our educators. They have such an important, such a test job. And she just said, we simply don’t have the tools. And she felt like she spent her career putting in place modifications and strategies to work around the problem rather than changing the underlying 100% concern. So that’s where I became driven of, I can’t wait till my kids are school aged to go back to work. If the information is out there and it’s not being applied, it needs to be that needs to change. And so that’s, that’s ultimately what. What brought me to brain balance is the ability to exercise and improve the brain to help to minimize complications so that we’re not just modifying and working around the challenge.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:05:18]:

We have the opportunity to change it.

Dana Jonson [00:05:21]:

I can totally relate to just about everything you just said. I was also not the stay at home mom, but I was in the middle of law school when I had my first child, so it wasn’t like a huge option. But I remember being home for six months with one of them and I was like, yep, this is it. That’s all I got. I gotta get back to school or something. When you talked about the schools, it is so true. And when I was an educator, now as an attorney, we see that because as you said, they don’t have the tools. Right.

Dana Jonson [00:05:46]:

You know, they’re not bringing brain balance into the public school that would. I don’t even know how they would. Right.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:05:51]:

Yeah. Oh, I want to. We’re going to find a way.

Dana Jonson [00:05:53]:

Okay, good. I’m on board. But you know, I think that these kinds of things are really important for parents to understand and know that they’re out there because they do make a difference and they can really help. And you know, I always say when parents, when you have a child with any disabilities, you’re the one, right? You’re the advocate, you’re the CEO, you are in charge. Nobody else is going to show up and say, hey, I got a great idea. So I’m so glad to have you here to talk a little bit more about it. Why don’t you talk about a little bit about what brought you to back on track.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:06:27]:

I started writing back on track during the pandemic. Again, it was. I was driven. But what was happening during the pandemic is all of a sudden it was just this escalation in concerns parents were having. I feel like the pandemic or gasoline on the fire. We already have too many kids and adults struggling with attention, anxiety, depression, the list goes on and on. So we already had that in the background. And then the pandemic hit.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:06:53]:

And what came along with that was a tremendous amount of sustained stress, which is fatiguing on the brain. And a tired brain is more negative and has a harder time functioning. And we were facing massive amounts of change, changing how we work, changing, you know, whether it is school from home, school in person, masks on, masks off. And change is also really stressful and fatiguing for the brain. So there were very real reasons why the brain was Having a harder time in kids and adults. And at that time, I was doing a ton of media spots, right? The media was wanting to talk about how is this impacting our kids, parents, how do we get through this? How do we support our kids? So I was doing a lot of writing and speaking about what the impact of these changes were having in the near term and long term with kids. It was already on my mind. And then I was getting phone calls from friends from all across the country, from neighbors, from family members, saying, why am I seeing this? What do I do about it? And the news was just filled with the negative headlines.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:07:54]:

Bigger achievement gaps with disproportionate impact socioeconomically. Higher rates of adhd, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation. Shortages of ADHD medication. Because there was such a spike in taking medication as well as newly prescribed medication, I felt like we were just in this storm of negativity and questions and uncertainty. And at that time, well.

Dana Jonson [00:08:19]:

And not to mention all the people dying.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:08:21]:

Yes, right. It was just so much.

Dana Jonson [00:08:24]:

It was not okay.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:08:25]:

And no judgment for any of that. Again, everybody was doing what they needed to do in the moment to feel safe, to feel comfortable, to do what was. Was needed in the moment. But we changed how we functioned, and there was a very real impact. And I felt like the conversation was so negative, but there was no. Where was the solutions? Where was the guidance? Where was the path forward? Forward? We knew that there was an impact, but there was no guidance in what to do to minimize that. And I say all the time, you know, my goal is always to not be the smartest in the room. I want to surround myself by people far smarter than I am so that I continue to learn and grow.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:09:03]:

But I got tired of sitting back waiting for somebody else to lead the conversation. And so I thought, okay, I don’t have all the answers, but I see it in the data of at brain balance. With increased challenges with kids, greater developmental gaps appearing, and hearing it in friends and family, if I’ve got some ideas, I want to contribute to the hope, to the path forward. And parents need to know that there are options. The brain is malleable. The brain is changeable. You don’t ever need to feel stuck as a parent or an adult. You just need to know there’s options out there.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:09:34]:

So even if you feel like you’ve tried everything in the traditional options and there’s still a struggle, there’s other things to do, and there’s other things try. So I want to equip parents and educators and grandparents and Adults with knowledge on what can we do on a daily basis, optimize our current functions, and then what can we do going forward to change them for the future? So that was.

Dana Jonson [00:09:57]:

Yeah, and I’m glad you brought up Covid, because, you know, I think we are still, and we will be for years, I think, dealing with the impact and the fallout of that. And if there’s a good thing that came out of COVID I do think it’s this awareness of mental health and other issues that really came up for children. And I think there’s a combination. I think, yes, the environment and what we’re hearing and seeing and experiencing was very negative. I also think children being home with their parents full time gave parents a whole new view of their children. Right. It’s easy to, like, send your kid out, you know, for 10 hours a day or however long they go to school and after school and all that. And then, you know, you get a smaller glimpse of them.

Dana Jonson [00:10:40]:

And don’t get me wrong, parents are the number one authority on their children. I don’t mean that they don’t know their kids, but, you know, some parents weren’t realizing their kids couldn’t read. Some parents didn’t realize, you know, their child was suffering from more mental health issues. And, you know, they’re good at hiding things from us. So I think the pandemic brought up so many things. And as you were saying, you know, some. I found that kids came back. The kids who were timid were more timid.

Dana Jonson [00:11:06]:

The kids who are mean are more mean. And the whole cycle is just, just not positive. And as you said, our world around us, it’s still very, very negative. And I don’t know how we’re going to get back on track. But I am excited to hear your ideas. I do want to back up a little bit to Brain Balance. Can you tell me a little bit more about what Brain Balance does? Like, what do you do there?

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:11:28]:

Yeah. Brain Balance is a program that’s designed to strengthen and improve the brain, strengthen and improve brain connectivity in both kids and adults. So if you back up to childhood, it’s all about development. Development has this typical trajectory that’s a series of events that starts in utero. And, you know, if you think about a book like what to expect when you’re expecting, it walks.

Dana Jonson [00:11:50]:

I hated that book. I just have to say that out loud.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:11:52]:

It’s not my favorite either.

Dana Jonson [00:11:54]:

It scared me. You know, I was like, you know what? That’s it. I’m not reading these books. I’m just Going to go through it?

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:11:58]:

Yeah. But, you know, I think it’s interesting because we’ve got information on week by week, in utero, what development looks like, and it can continues on and on and on. And if development, for whatever reason, goes off track at all, it impacts not just that function in the moment, but it impacts development going forward. So at brain balance, we’re focused on going back and strengthening foundational development, because it’s foundational development that sets the stage for our executive functions, our sustained attention, our inhibitory control, our emotional regulation. So one of the things that I love about brain balance is we’re not focused on the symptom, but saying, is there a reason that this is harder for this child or adult than it is for others? So we go back and look at are there any gaps and holes in foundational development that’s making it harder to learn or regulate your mood or emotions, or pay attention? So it’s a program that’s physical and active. I always say we exercise the brain the way you use it in real life. And in real life, if you think about our conversation right now, you and I are watching each other as we talk, we’re listening, we’re blocking out distractions, we’re using working memory to think about what we’re saying and move to the next point. Our brain has to be able to synthesize vast amount of information instantly in order to react in the appropriate way.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:13:19]:

That takes a mature brain. So through combination of sensory stimulation, physical activities, eye exercises, cognitive activities, and supported by nutrition, we’re here to help mature the brain. And a more mature brain is faster, stronger, more efficient, so that you’re more able to block out distractions, pay attention and perform.

Dana Jonson [00:13:39]:

Wow, that’s really interesting. So when you talk about that, you’re saying physical activities like, can you give me an example of somebody who would come in and they’re doing all those things? Are they doing them all at once or is. Does it depend on the person?

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:13:51]:

Both. You know, I always say our secret sauce at brain balance has nothing to do with any one thing that we’re doing. It’s the fact that we do it all together. There’s this amazing thing in the brain called co activation, where when you engage multiple regions together, even more areas light up. So it’s this like multiplier effect. So if you were to do the program, it’s personalized to your levels and needs and progresses at your rate and pace. But ultimately you would get to a point where you’ve got colored glasses that light and Flash, you’ve got tactile stimulation happening. There’d be olfactory stimulation with particular auditory stimulation while you’re doing core muscles, balance, rhythm and timing.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:14:38]:

And then we do a lot with the visual system. The visual system is so complex and fascinating. And if our eyes aren’t moving with the speed and accuracy that’s age appropriate, it can make things like reading so much more complicated. If your eyes are jumping and skipping and jumping down a line and up, that can hurt comprehension. When comprehension might not be the issue, it might be that you don’t have accurate control of eye movements. So it’s a combination of the physical, of technology, so games and activities on a tablet, and then cognitive activities. I said that already combined with the physical, and then all supported by healthy nutrition. So it’s a really comprehensive program that’s all about optimizing brain health and development.

Dana Jonson [00:15:23]:

So with the eyes, is that like, like the emdr? Am I saying that right? Where the eye movement that some people use to like, get through trauma or. I don’t really understand that. But is it similar to that?

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:15:36]:

No different than. Different than emdr, but the visual. You did. You did. The visual system is. It’s so complex. So we’re really looking at speed, accuracy and endurance for the visual system, for both how you perceive what you’re seeing as well as the control of the eye movements. And because the visual system is so complex, we get a sense.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:16:01]:

So we use eye tracking technology. And so we have you through a special computerized device that tracks how your eyes move in real time. And so we have you look at a dot to see. Do you have gaze control? Do you have the ability to hold your eyes still? That’s actually a very difficult thing. And then can you jump your eyes from position to position? And then we have you read in real time and we get a live playback to show how the eyes are moving. And it’s fascinating to see. I can gauge or get a sense of a child or an adult’s attentional capabilities by looking at the visual system. If the eyes don’t have the appropriate control or endurance, the brain’s having to work so much harder throughout the day, and a tired brain is going to have a harder time paying attention.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:16:46]:

So we’re really looking at speed, accuracy and endurance and then working to improve that so that brain has more energy to dedicate to other things. And the eyes move and perceive faster and more accurately.

Dana Jonson [00:16:59]:

That’s so cool. I have a tangent too, that I want to ask you, because you said that a lot of this. It starts in utero, right? So all the experiences that a person has from the very beginning, beginning contribute to this. What really popped into my head immediately were when children are adopted and they change, and I hear people say, well, they were adopted as an infant, so it doesn’t matter. But isn’t there something there that. Like that change or that shift that impacts. Because I have three adopted children, so I did not get them as infants, though. But I’m interested in that concept of there are things that happen as an infant.

Dana Jonson [00:17:34]:

My son was in the NICU for two months. So there are things that go on. And I think we as adults think, well, they won’t remember that because they were infants, but that they actually do impact how they are as adolescents or as adults. Is that accurate or am I making that up?

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:17:51]:

No, it is. And layers of an onion, there’s multiple contributing factors there. So the mother’s health and nutrition and sleep and brain health during pregnancy has a huge impact on that developing infant. And so if the mother’s under high levels of stress or, you know, drugs and alcohol, there’s a toxic impact. The mother’s movement, if there’s any autoimmune conditions that’s driving up systemic inflammation, all of those things can have an impact on that developing baby. Then when you think about, you know, there’s some amazing things that happen during pregnancy is you’re bonding with that baby before you even know it. Your voice is what they’re hearing all day long. You’re sharing nutrients.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:18:35]:

And so, you know, there’s some really fascinating studies looking at the mother’s sound and smell and how an infant reacts to that right away. And so then when there’s change of we’re shifting an infant from one primary caregiver to another, that is a initial traumatic experience, and it might be the best possible thing for that child going forward. Forward, but there is an impact on that. So, absolutely, when there’s an adoption or foster care scenario, there are additional considerations of additional factors that will contribute to brain health and development for that child. But to me, then it always goes back to the health. And the hope is we know that the brain’s able to change and trauma is real. Trauma has an effect on the brain, and it doesn’t matter if you remember it or not. There’s a stress response that happens.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:19:25]:

But we also know through maturing the brain and the appropriate counseling and support services that the brain can be positively impacted. It doesn’t ever make the trauma go away, but it still can have a positive impact. On that child’s development.

Dana Jonson [00:19:41]:

I love that you said that even if it’s the best option for the child moving forward, because I think we have that misconception too, that, that when a child’s life is then put in a more positive place, like you pick them up and you put them somewhere positive, that suddenly everything should be okay and it’s just not, you know, all of that, even as you said, if they don’t remember, it is still in their brain. I remember what got me thinking about this originally was I met a woman who had adopted a child from, I want to say from China as an infant. But she was explaining to me that all the sounds this baby was hearing were different, all the smells that it was experiencing were different, and that that was a huge shock to their system. Even again, if it’s the best outcome, it still was a huge shock to the baby’s system because it just wasn’t anything close to what they were used to. And I thought that was so, so interesting. And again, we hear, well, they don’t remember it or they’re too little or it’s a good house or whatever it is. And that just doesn’t solve all the problems. You know, as you said, there’s a root issue.

Dana Jonson [00:20:43]:

And I think as a society we are really focused on addressing the symptoms, not the core of where that came from.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:20:53]:

We are. And you know, when you think about something as simple as attention, a child that’s struggling with attention or behavior, telling them what to do. You know, if practicing attention, if practicing good behavior was going to get you there, you wouldn’t need additional services. Like, why not?

Dana Jonson [00:21:09]:

Right? So I mean, wouldn’t that be great?

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:21:11]:

Right? The adult that’s struggling with, you know, impulse control and emotional regulation and attention, we’ve been practicing that for a really long time. And so to me, it’s not about practicing what you’re deficient in. It’s going back to say, why is this harder for you? And understanding. When you think about the development of attention for a two year old, we expect them to play with something for 30 seconds to 4 minutes and then move on to the next thing. And that is typical healthy development for a 2 year old. By the time that child matures and is in kindergarten, the developmental expectation is to be able to sit long enough for circle time in the morning to talk about the weather and the calendar and the days of the week and talk about the day. But then not all kids develop equally in all areas of development. So then we’ve got a five or six year old sitting in that classroom that might have some aspects of development right on track and might have other aspects of development behind.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:22:05]:

And that can look like putting a three year old in a kindergarten classroom and asking them to pay attention. As long as they’re peers, not get frustrated and upset, share toys, apply what they’re learning. And all we see as the parents and educators is the child standing in front of us. We don’t get to see and understand those nuances of development to know what are the appropriate developmental expectations for that child and then what can I do to close that developmental gap so I can have age appropriate expectations for that child that can then perform like their peers?

Dana Jonson [00:22:39]:

Yeah, and I think with children it depends on where they are developmentally appropriate or delayed. And at least in my work, I know that if a child can sit still in class and isn’t bothering anybody else, they’re way less likely to be identified or get services. And that doesn’t mean that I always say it’s the problem of them not bothering anyone. You know, if they’re not bothering somebody else, then they get overlooked. Because I think in our classrooms now, I mean, it’s a whole different conversation. But we have way too many kids and all that other stuff. It is tough for an educator to be able to identify those subtle nuances and not recognize what’s going on. If the child is just, they may not be paying attention, but they’re sitting quietly and they are acting the part, then we can easily miss past those things.

Dana Jonson [00:23:24]:

And I think that’s a, that’s a real challenge for educators. You know, it is.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:23:29]:

And my heart breaks for that child because that child to me is the duck in the water, where you see this cute little duck and they’re working so hard, you know, under, underneath the surface. And when we’ve got a child that is the inattentive ADHD type or struggling with a learning disability where it maybe isn’t loud and destructive to the classroom and they engage appropriately with their peers and they’re, you know, kind and respectful and they can read social cues and nuances. What I hear over and over is parents and educators saying she’s just not trying hard enough. You know, she can apply herself.

Dana Jonson [00:24:05]:

Oh, that makes me nuts.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:24:06]:

She likes oh it when it. And I, I understand where it’s coming from because you have a conversation with this child and this child is bright and intelligent and interesting and then their work doesn’t match the aptitude. So then it’s easy to say they’re lazy, they’re not trying hard enough. This is the child that’s spending two to three times longer than their peers on homework and still isn’t executing. And then they internalize that. What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I do this? There is feelings of shame. So then it turns into this.

Dana Jonson [00:24:38]:

You know, there’s a whole, whole bigger issue that becomes. Well, and that’s why we see so often that particularly in girls, sometimes in boys, but more often in girls when they have issues like that that are not addressed, they turn into mental health issues as teens. You know, that’s where you get the eating disorders and the cutting and the suicidal ideations. And you know, it’s a pretty. It can be incredibly significant to not address something as, I don’t want to say simple, because nothing’s simple. But you know, something like ADHD that just is presenting in a different way.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:25:09]:

Yeah. And you know, to me the gender piece is fascinating and understanding that for so long research has been focused on males. There’s far less research on females. And it’s because it was this concept that females are more volatile and it’s harder to get accurate research. We’re volatile because of hormones and for very real reason. I share this example all the time, but I was at an interview international Brain Injury conference a few years ago in Toronto and these are, you know, top neuro people in the world that were having a conversation and discussion around concussion and do you know, up until just recently concussion hadn’t ever been studied in females. And they have recently discovered that for a female, the time of month in your cycle of when a concussion occurs has a huge impact on your symptoms in recovery. So you could have a very mild concussion, but depending on the time of month and your hormone combination, it could have severe repercussions.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:26:10]:

We need to look at ADHD and development the same way. We know that often it is quieter and less behavioral related for females, but it’s no less impactful. And so it’s often then picked up later. And so I think it’s important for parents to know what is it that you’re watching for early on. And I bring the conversation so often back to the sensory system. If there is disruption with how you regulate and take in our senses in a child that might look like a child that doesn’t like getting their hands dirty or is particular with tags and textures, or is a really picky eater as that child matures, what that looks like in an older child is greater struggles with attention and focus, greater struggles with emotional regulation, greater struggles with Executive function. That sensory piece is a really early red flag that brings us information to say this child is immature and how they’re processing this information. What can we do to improve that so that we’re starting to minimize these complications before it turns into something bigger and harder to address down the road.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:27:21]:

So it’s always looking at that chain of events.

Dana Jonson [00:27:23]:

Right. I don’t think anything happens out of the blue. Right. I mean, we may think it does, but there’s so much behind it especially, I mean, the brain is so fascinating. What do you find you see most at brain balance? Like is, do you mostly see ADHD kids? Do you see kids on the spectrum? Do you see emotional issues? Is there a realm that you see more of or is it. I mean, I know disability does not discriminate, but I’m just curious as to what you see.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:27:49]:

You know, I’m going to take a step back first and say, one of the things that brain balance is we really don’t focus on the label. We want to take a fresh look at each child or adult coming in to say, regardless of the label. Where objectively are you measuring when it comes to cognition and foundational development? Because the reality is the person that struggles with attention could have no diagnosis or several diagnoses. Depression impacts attention, anxiety, adhd, autism, sensory processing, all of those result in an impact negatively on attention. ADHD is not the only thing that’s about attention. The number one thing or concern that we see are issues with attention and how that disrupts and plays out in, can vary person to person, in scenario to scenario. So it’s not, to me, it’s not about looking at the label or the diagnosis. It’s what is your particular combination of strengths and weaknesses in development? We can’t help everyone and everything at brain balance by any stretch.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:28:49]:

We’re always looking at it through the lens of development. If your development is on track in all areas, then our approach isn’t going to get you to where you need to be. And our focus is on maturing and strengthening the brain. If there’s a stressful home environment, there’s so many other external factors that we’re not able to influence. But we look at it to say, are there opportunities in the brain that we can strengthen and improve? But I do want to see that it ties with the parents or adults concerns. So if you come to me to say, you know, gosh, Rebecca, I’m really struggling with executive function, are you able to help if I don’t see anything in your data that ties to that then we’re not the right answer for as a program. And so we look to the data, it tells a story. And when the data tells a story, then it’s, it’s the right fit where we see opportunities for improvement.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:29:36]:

And I feel like I just went on a tangent. So did I. Did I answer your question?

Dana Jonson [00:29:39]:

No. No, you did, because I think that’s a great, a great answer. Because what I’m hearing is a lot of these pieces impact a lot of people, regardless of their label. Right. That doesn’t mean that, you know, you can have the mental health issue or you can have autism or ADHD or as you said, sensory processing. And still all of those things will impact the attentional piece. And so that would be the common thread that you’re addressing.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:30:08]:

Yep, attention and cognition. And so absolutely, we work with individuals on the spectrum with learning disabilities. It is a broad range, but the common denominator is there’s gaps in development and the most common symptoms or concerns that parents are reaching out for in adults. Adults really talk about things more in terms of executive function, even if they’re not using those words. So struggle with time management. Adults are seeking us out when it’s impacting work and relationships. So, you know, maybe I just got a new promotion and the load on me has increased and I can’t rise to meet that challenge, or I’m constantly late and I just can’t pull it together. That’s really what adults are reaching out, asking for help in.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:30:48]:

It’s interesting if we go back to talking about labels, because labels can be helpful. It gives you a frame of context. It gives you a frame of reference. For adults, there’s this aha moment of, you know, for the adult that’s diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, it can be this relief of like, oh my gosh, suddenly my whole life is making more sense to me. But what we know about ADHD is for the child or adult, that there’s parts of the brain that are about 30% behind, and those parts of the brain are all throughout. But it does impact sustained attention, executive function, emotional regulation. It impacts areas all throughout the brain. But then we also know.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:31:26]:

So if about 10% of the childhood population in the US qualifies for an ADHD diagnosis, there’s an additional 17% that are considered sub threshold ADHD, which means they’re falling just shy of the clinical criteria for adhd. But there’s still a challenge in the struggle. So that’s where to me, it’s not about the label. It’s about is something making life harder than it needs to be and it’s disrupting and impacting your life. Whether or not there’s a diagnosis, there may be an opportunity to minimize that concern or challenge.

Dana Jonson [00:32:00]:

And I always say when we talk about labels, if a child has a hearing impairment or ADHD or auditory processing disorder, they may present the same in the classroom, but how you address them would be different. You’re not going to teach a child with ADHD like you would a child who’s hearing impaired and get the same results. But that goes back to we’re dealing with the symptoms. Right. You know, and so to understand that, and it sounds like, you know, what you guys are doing is going way down and saying, okay, where’s the attentional piece or what piece are we trying to address that isn’t lining up? What are the brain balance Sounds amazing. I wish I was there. Back on track. What are the core principles of back on track? So I know why you got to it, but what are you addressing? I mean, you can’t take brain balance home, right? So.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:32:46]:

Right. And well, we do have an at home virtual program, so you can do brain families all over the world. But, and I always say a book is never a replacement for a full comprehensive program. But to me, the purpose of the book is to give parents and adults an aha and an understanding. This is why I’m seeing what I’m seeing. This is real. It’s not just in your head. And we get that question for parents all the time.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:33:11]:

You know, is it because he’s a six year old boy? Is it because, you know, she’s a middle schooler or is there something more going on? And then it’s interesting to me going back to that conversation about the trajectory of development and we know what development looks like week by week, in utero, we stopped talking about developmental milestones beyond the toddler years. And so I created each section of the book as what are the developmental milestones from birth to age 18 in these categories that I think are critical for all of us. So not just gross motor and fine motor development, but what does our social development look like from birth to age 18? What does anxiety look like or how we react to stress and frustrations and upsets? There are age appropriate reactions for a 10 year old that’s different than a 15 year old or an 18 year old. So I wanted to empower parents with what does healthy development look like across all the ages in the categories of learning, sensory processing, relationships, all these key areas of life and Then so that can allow a parent to see, okay, maybe my child’s on track here, here or here. But help them to identify where some of those gaps in development are that are contributing to complications and other aspects of life and then what to do about it. How do we start to close those developmental gaps? And I would say the theme of the book is really quite simple. So often it’s backed to the basics. The brain is enormously complex, but what our brain needs, sleep, movement, sensory stimulation.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:34:47]:

And so it’s empowering families with what can you do at home on a daily basis without fancy gear and equipment? What can you work into your day in a really purposeful way that is like a, you know, highly specialized exercise regime for the brain and body to drive and improve and change cognition, attention, emotional regulation, executive functions.

Dana Jonson [00:35:09]:

Is there any area that, when you’re looking at the book, what’s the hardest thing for, for someone to do on their own?

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:35:15]:

That’s a good question. You know, I think it’s get started.

Dana Jonson [00:35:18]:

Yeah.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:35:19]:

You know, when I, when I talk with families, sometimes it’s having both parents are both caregivers on the same page. And it takes getting started and it takes consistency. There was a quote that I heard the other day that I loved and it was, I’m going to get it wrong. But the gist of it was excellence isn’t about what you do sometimes, it’s what you do all the time or success is based on you all the time. So you know, if I, if I wanted to lose weight, eating healthy one day a week, this isn’t the answer. And so it’s how do we take these things, concepts and work them in to our daily habits and routines. And to me, what’s so important about that is my kids aren’t always going to be under my roof. Your kids are off in college.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:35:59]:

I’ve got kids getting closer to those ages. I need them to have the self awareness and the knowledge of what does their brain need to be healthy and happy and productive. So when I’m not there to say, hey, you’re not getting enough sleep, you’re spending way too much time on TikTok, you haven’t fueled your brain to perform or you’re having a hard time focusing and you take five minutes and go do some burpees to use your muscles to turn back on your brain, it’s empowering our kids and ourselves to have a little bit of control in a world that we have so little control over. What can I do on a daily basis? So I think the hardest parts are getting everybody on the same page, getting started, and then it’s changing habits and routines so that it’s consistent, so that it truly is impactful down the road.

Dana Jonson [00:36:44]:

Yeah, I think I totally hear that. I mean, getting started well, both of those things. You know, being on the same page, even just getting my husband to read the book sometimes is a little challenging, you know, but it is hard to not be on the same page because it’s. Then there’s that conflict. The kids are not getting consistency. Right. If you’re not on the same page, even if someone’s not actively working against you, but they just might not be in line with what you’re. What you’re trying to implement.

Dana Jonson [00:37:09]:

And that can be. That can be stressful for kids, too, because they don’t have that expectations. Right. So, yeah, they’re. They’re guessing a lot of the time.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:37:18]:

Yeah. And, you know, a common comment I hear from parents is, oh, I was that way as a kid, and I turned out fine. To me, it’s not a matter of, did you turn out fine? Is, life is hard. What can we do to minimize the complications? So it’s not a matter of turning out fine. It’s, could things have been better? You know, what would your life look like? And if you were better with executive functions, if you could pay attention longer, if you didn’t lose your cool as often, it’s just, again, it’s making the brain stronger, faster, more efficient.

Dana Jonson [00:37:44]:

Well, that’s funny you say that, because when someone says that, like, well, that’s what I had to do when I was growing up, like, yeah, but you didn’t enjoy that, so why would you then impart that on your children? Like, that was a really tough part of my life, but I made it through. So you do it, too. You know, it just doesn’t make sense. And, you know, I do think we often have this fear of. I refer to my kids as snowflakes all the time, but of making our children, you know, not tough the way that we are tough or whatever that is. But I think on one level, it’s we both. For me, I’ll speak for me, you know, becoming tough in certain areas was not an option. It had to be because there were struggles that I had.

Dana Jonson [00:38:22]:

Right. That I had to overcome or deal with. If I didn’t have those struggles, how much better would my life have been? Or. I mean, I’m happy with my life where it is. So I’m not saying that, but you know what I mean? It’s I watched my daughter, for example, who has. We both have dyslexia and adhd. The idea wasn’t a thing when I went to school with her. She’s been identified since she was in second grade.

Dana Jonson [00:38:43]:

So it’s watching this completely different environment that she’s growing up with, learning her strategies and stuff like that. And sometimes I do think like, oh, suck it up, buttercup. Like, what? She’s just not tough enough. But at the same time, she has so many more skills and healthier skills than I ever did that it is going to make her more resilient and more able to face and handle challenges, not just because she can white knuckle it. You know what I mean?

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:39:12]:

Yeah. And I think for parents, again, this is what I’ve watched over and over. I think sometimes it’s hard to say out loud that there’s a struggle or a challenge. And I think it’s almost like a parent doesn’t want to say that they don’t love and accept their child exactly how they are. So we’re not here to say there’s something broken, there’s something wrong. It’s again, nutrition and exercise, you can be healthy and you still benefit from eating well and exercising. It’s not as something wrong. And broken is, can we strengthen something and would that have a positive benefit on your life? That’s a great thing.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:39:45]:

And I think there’s also this conversation around ADHD of ADHD is my superpower or ADHD is ruining my life? Both, Aunt.

Dana Jonson [00:39:54]:

Right, right, Exactly.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:39:55]:

It’s not or it is. And sometimes parents have this fear of if I work to strengthen or minimize the challenge, am I going to negate the gift and the amazing creativity or the gifts of my child? And by strengthening areas of weakness, it doesn’t undo pathways or take away from the amazing. It’s, you know, when a child has, or an adult has this splitter, this dichotomy where some skills and functions are at or above age appropriate and some aren’t, that’s hard. As a parent, you’re going to see volatility, inconsistency, and it makes it hard to understand because you’re like, you did it just fine yesterday. You did your homework and turned it. Then why didn’t you today? So now again I’m going to think, is this behavior, do you just not care? Are you lazy? When for that child, the star and the sun and the moons need to align in order to do it? And maybe it all aligned that day. They were well rested, well fed, they weren’t stressed. And so they were more easily to access the functions to allow them to remember and execute.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:40:55]:

So parents don’t need to worry about strengthening and supporting areas that they have to work harder and isn’t going to take away from the joy and wonder and gifts that your child has. It in fact is going to give them more energy to apply to other areas. So as parents, it’s the inner turmoil that we’re facing. Right. Of how do we love and accept and support our kids and set them up for ultimate success and wellbeing.

Dana Jonson [00:41:18]:

For me, I try to look at it as my children aren’t purposely trying to irritate me. Right. They’re not purposely trying to do much, actually. But you know, what is the reason? What are they trying to communicate to me by having this fit or by not doing that or, you know, looking at it from a. Not taking it personally. Right. Not saying this has to do with how you’re impacting me, but rather, what is this doing for you? What are, what are you getting out of this behavior or action? And I think that leads you to better answers.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:41:52]:

Yeah, easier said than done, right?

Dana Jonson [00:41:55]:

Oh, yeah, a hundred percent. I’m not saying yes.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:41:57]:

It’s so much easier to sit here and talk to other people about what to do with their kids than it is to do it with your own.

Dana Jonson [00:42:01]:

Exactly.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:42:02]:

You know, one of the things that’s helped me as a parent just thought process wise, is when there’s an upset, it’s often we’re asking a child or an adult to do something that they don’t feel equipped to do. So when we feel overwhelmed, we get stressed and irritable and cranky and we lash out and we melt down and it looks different at different ages. And so when I start to see one of my kids escalate or have not ideal behavior, it’s stepping back and asking the question of what’s overwhelming them right now. And sometimes it has everything to do with what you’re asked, asking them to do in the moment. And sometimes it has nothing to do with that and has, you know, what’s going on in the background of their life that I may be not seeing. And then from the brain health perspective, it’s what can I influence? I can’t change the way your friends are behaving. I can’t change the homework that your teacher is assigning. But we can make sure.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:42:51]:

Have you eaten? If the brain has run out of fuel, you can’t focus, you can’t concentrate, you can’t make decisions. Can we engage the muscles to reengage attention and memory. Can we help to reduce stress by I can’t make the homework go away, but let’s sit down and make a to do list and put dates and times by it. So let’s prioritize that list so that you don’t have to do all of this right now. We just have to get through steps one and two today. So what can we influence to have that overwhelm feel less from that perspective of brain health? What does the brain need to be productive?

Dana Jonson [00:43:27]:

Yeah. That’s wonderful. Well, thank you so much for joining me. Is there any. I feel like we talked about so much. Did I miss anything? What did we not cover?

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:43:35]:

I. I forgot we were even recording a podcast. I know we were just listening and having a conversation.

Dana Jonson [00:43:40]:

I’m so fascinated.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:43:42]:

I don’t know what we covered and didn’t from our original topic outline, but I enjoyed the conversation and hope hope parents have some nuggets. And I just want to point out too, I say all these things. To be clear, I annoy my kids constantly, so I say the things that I want them to hear. But my kids are just as annoyed by me as everybody else’s kids. But I hope my voice haunts them. I hope my voice is in the back of their head when they’re not in my house and living at home.

Dana Jonson [00:44:08]:

I hear you. I absolutely hear you. And you know, my kids are in, most of them are in college now, but so they’re not fully on their own yet. That’s like the halfway part. They’re sort of on their own, but not really. And it’s definitely like that’s white knuckling it. That’s like, okay, did I get anything through? And you know, you learn volumes about them as they become adults. So it is fascinating.

Dana Jonson [00:44:31]:

But thank you so much for joining me. This was really great. I love Brain Balance. You did say that you do have an online thing as well.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:44:40]:

We do. So We’ve got over 70 centers all across the US so you can do the program in person. We also have an at home virtual program that is still live coached from a Brain Balance coach through the computer. But you get all the gear and technology needed in order to do the program from home. So we work with kids and adults from all over the world.

Dana Jonson [00:44:58]:

Wonderful. Well, I’m going to have all that information in my show notes, so if you’re listening to this on the run, you can go back and check the show notes and I will have your website as well and the link to the book because I think this sounds like something that any parent can benefit from disability or not, and probably some educators as well could use this book in their pocket. So thank you so much for joining me. This was a wonderful, wonderful conversation.

Dr. Rebecca Jackson [00:45:25]:

Thank you. Dana.

Dana Jonson [00:45:27]:

Thank you so much for joining me today. Please don’t forget to follow this podcast so you don’t miss any new episodes and leave a review when you have a chance. If there’s anything you want to hear about or comment on, please to my Facebook page, special Ed on Special Ed, and find me there. I’ll see you next time here on Special Ed on Special Ed. Have a fabulous day.

Disclaimer [00:45:46]:

The views expressed in this episode are those of the speakers at the time of the recording and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company, or even that individual today.