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Three New Brain Balance Achievement Centers Open—Colorado,

Connecticut & Texas
Between March 24 and April 12, 2010, three new Brain Balance Achievement Centers held grand
openings; the new centers are in Colorado Connecticut, and Texas. On March 24, a center opened in
Golden, Colorado; on March 29, a center opened in Plano, Texas; and on April 12, 2010, a center opened
in Norwalk, Connecticut. The company now has 29 locations in 18 states. The centers provide the Brain
Balance Program—a non-medical after-school supplemental learning program for children ages three
through eighteen who exhibit symptoms of neurobehavioral disorders such as autism, attention deficit
disorder (ADD), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or dyslexia. The 12-week program
integrates physical and cognitive activities with dietary change to improve children’s functioning and to
reduce or eliminate negative behaviors by correcting underlying imbalances in the connections within the
brain hemispheres.

The Brain Balance Program methodology was developed by Robert Melillo, D.C., DABCN, FACFN,
FABCDD; he started using it in 1994 with patients as an educational program. In August 2006, Dr.
Melillo co-founded Brain Balance Achievement Centers with William Fowler, who is currently the
company’s chief executive officer. The company operates one center in New York; to facilitate program
expansion, the company offers a franchising program through BB Franchising LLC. Franchise owners
and center directors receive training about the Brain Balance Program, consultations with Dr. Melillo,
corporate support, center management software for student activities and parent reports, and a staff
training platform.

Because the program is designed to be an after-school or supplemental learning session, the program
tuition is not covered by insurance. The enrollment process starts when parents bring their child for a
comprehensive assessment that evaluates the child’s motor, sensory, behavioral, academic, nutrition, and
autoimmune functioning. The assessment measures more than 1,000 functions. The results are used to
determine the severity and type of hemispheric imbalance and if the Brain Balance Program is
appropriate for the child. The Brain Balance Achievement Center staff design an individualized program
to correct the child’s hemispheric imbalance. The program team includes a sensory-motor coach, a neuro-
academic teacher, and a nutrition coach. Students are assessed each day and their programs modified as
needed. The program team members also instruct parents on how to provide support at home. At the end
of the 12-week program, the student is reassessed and the results compared to the first assessment.

A recent study found that the program significantly improved the participant’s educational outcomes. The
study, “The Effect of Hemispheric Specific Remediation Strategies on the Academic Performance
Outcome of Children With ADD/ADHD,” was conducted by Gerry Leisman, M.D.; Robert Melillo, D.C.,
MSc.; Sharon Thum, MSc; Mark A. Ransom, MSc.; Michael Orlando, D.C.; Christopher Tice, D.C.; and
Frederick R. Carrick, D.C.; Ph.D. It has been accepted for publication by the International Journal of
Adolescent Medicine and Health in 2010.

The study included 122 children ages six to twelve years in Nassau and Suffolk Counties New York. All

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were diagnosed with ADD or ADHD; 94 were male and 28 were female; and all were of average
intelligence. Before starting the study, each participant completed Wechsler Individual Achievement
Tests (WIAT) including subtests for Word Reading, Reading Comprehension, Mathematical Reasoning,
Spelling, Written Expression, Listening Comprehension, and Oral. Sixty participants were assessed using
the Brown Attention Deficit Disorder Scale before starting the intervention.

The intervention was the basic Brain Balance Program—a 12-week multi-modal program delivered
through 60-minute sessions three times per week. The sessions included sensory stimulation, motor
training, aerobic strength and conditioning, and academic training. A key activity included auditory
feedback through synchronized metronome treatment to improve the participants’ ability to match
physical motion to the beat. Treatment also included primitive reflex inhibition exercises and academic
home training. Results were evaluated by comparing pre-and post-intervention WIAT scores, and
reassessment on the Brown Scale. Of the 60 who had been assessed with the Brown Scale, 81% of their
parents said the children no longer demonstrated ADD/ADHD behaviors.

The WIAT subtests revealed improvements, sometimes as much as two grade levels in reading,
comprehension, written and oral expression, and mathematic reasoning. In Word Reading—38 took the
pre-test; the median score was 3.34; after the intervention, their median score was 5.31, an improvement
of 84%. In Mathematical Reasoning—122 children took the pre-test; the median score was 3.2. After the
intervention, their median score was 5.6, an improvement of 81%. In Spelling—119 took the pre-test; the
median score was 3.2; after the intervention, their median score was 5.6, an improvement of 57%. In
Written Expression—119 took the pre-test; the median score was 2.8; after the intervention, their median
score was 5.8, an improvement of 76%. In Listening Comprehension—121 took the pre-test; the median
score was 3.2; after the intervention, their median score was 6.1, an improvement of 82%. In Oral—117
took the pre-test; the median score was 2.7; after the intervention, their median score was 6.1, an
improvement of 71%.

For more information, contact:

z Zee Krell, Corporate Office, Brain Balance Centers, 2500 Plaza 5, Harborside Financial Center, Jersey
City, New Jersey 07311; 201-387-1797; E-mail: zkrell@brainbalancecenters.com; Web site:
www.brainbalancecenters.com
z Adam Kluger, Spokesperson for Brain Balance Achievement Centers, Adam Kluger Public Relations, 7 East
86th Street, New York, New York 10028; 917-655-1450; E-mail: adamklugerpr@yahoo.com; Web site:
www.adamklugerpr.com
z Gerry Leisman, M.D., Corresponding Author, Carrick Institute for Clinical Ergonomics, Rehabilitation and
Applied Neuroscience, 647 Franklin Avenue, Garden City, New York 11530; E-mail: drgersh@yahoo.com;
Web site: www.carrickinstitute.org
z Josh Cormie, Executive Director, Brain Balance Achievement Center of Plano, Plano Centre 2000 East
Spring Creek Parkway Plano, Texas 75074; 972-467-5911; E-mail: joshcormie@gmail.com; Web site:
www.brainbalancecenters.com
z Tamara Eslich, D.C., Executive Director, Brain Balance Achievement Center of Golden, 1211 Avery
Street, Unit 101, Golden Colorado 80403; 303-278-1780; E-mail: golden@brainbalancecenters.com; Web
site: www.brainbalancecenters.com
z Mark Goldenberg, D.C., Executive Director, Norwalk Brain Balance Achievement Center, 15 Cross Street,
Norwalk, Connecticut 06851; 203-847-3000; E-mail: Norwalk@brainbalancecenters.com; Web site:
www.brainbalancecenters.com

Three New Brain Balance Achievement Centers Open—Colorado, Connecticut & Texas. (2010, May 10). OPEN MINDS
Weekly Wire.

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