Written by: Murugalakshmi Thirumalai, USA
It is not surprising to see differently abled children struggle much more in learning. Those activities that are easily accomplished by normal children had to be accomplished with much effort by differently abled children. Why is this happening? Why these children had to go through so much toil to accomplish their age appropriate learning goals?
Children with mental disability lacks adequate supply of oxygen to their brain. This results in loss of contact with the nerve synapses. Brain gym comprises of movements or exercises that stimulates neurons in the brain, improving blood circulation. This stimulates the nerves in the body and provides adequate oxygen to the brain. Thus Brain gym helps to rebuild the synapses by ensuring sufficient blood supply to the brain.
The 26 brain gym movements were de-signed to activate the various cognitive functions like seeing, listening, comprehension, organisation and communication. Brain gym exercises are divided into midline movements, energy exercises, deepening attitudes, and lengthening activities. The Midline movements enable learners to integrate fine motor and large motor skills. The cross motor activities helps to activate brain.
A study on special needs children has found out that about 80% of them are homolateral. Functioning in a homo-lateral state means using less than 50% of their brain potential to complete the work that has to be done with 100% of their brain potential. Under stress children rely more on one cerebral hemisphere. This causes unnecessary and stressful demands on the whole body. Hence a disabled person needs to con-tribute extreme effort to do the same task contrary to an average person who uses both sides of the cerebral cortex and pre frontal cortex. This extreme effort along with failure, frustration and stress, results in academic failures and acting out behaviours. Dr. Paul Dennison calls this state as “switched off” state. Children with special needs “switch off” more frequently and this creates a need for movement.
Brain gym movements help to re pattern both brain hemisphere to work simultaneously, enhancing smooth neural functions resulting in calm and effective learning experiences. A study by Dr. Robert Eyestone, 1990 states that more than 95% of the people labeled as “at risk”( teen mothers, juvenile detention, ADD/ADHD, special needs, drug rehabilitation, alcohol support groups) has been identified as homolateral. Once this homolaterality is addressed using brain gym movements, dramatic changes in cognitive functioning and behaviour are observed. Being integrated helps children with special needs to greatly ease and function more productively.
References:
Synapses: it is a structure that permits a neuron or nerve cell to pass an electric or chemical signal to another cell.
Midline: the line that separates one visual field and hemispheric awareness from the other.
Homolateral- involuntarily choosing to access only one cerebral hemisphere, thus blocking integrated thought and movement.
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