Integrated Brain Health
The IBH Dierence! At IBH, we start with the "why?"
and interventional services under one roof, eliminating the need for clients who need comprehensive services to shuffle to multiple providers, potentially without a wholistic treatment plan guiding all parties. Lacey also looks at the relationship between nutrition, screen time and behaviors and explains to families how these factors impact neurodivergent kids. Lacey has found when kids and their parents understand the “why” behind their behaviors, they’re more accepting of themselves and others. “Information is a game changer,” said Lacey. “Their brain may be over activated here and under activated here. Their behavior is sending a message about something. They need help to understand how their brain functions and to be able to work on the issues.” A previous client was getting in trouble at school for fighting, which he would instigate when other students made fun of his clumsiness. He tested for dyspraxia, a condition affecting physical coordination, and that diagnosis helped him move from feeling anxious and angry to understanding that his condition was caused by a difference in his brain. Whether a child has ADHD versus sensory processing disorder, they are good at math but struggle in English, they are shy versus outgoing or they have difficulty with memory or executive functioning, families gain understanding of diagnoses and behaviors as a function of that child’s unique brain structure and then get the specific accommodations or help needed to allow that child to excel. Once a child and his or her family understands their unique needs, the next hurdle is often working with the child’s school and teacher. That process also requires a new way of thinking, which can be challenging for all involved, says Lacey. “We expect in schools for all children to do the same exact thing all day, every day, expecting everyone to learn the same way, and that is unreasonable at best,” said Lacey. “Parents’ expectations are based on society’s model, and we have to change that. The model is wrong.”
Much like Wright does in her special education classroom, a study in Autism reported in 2020 that when classes and schools are taught facts about neurodiversity, students are significantly less likely to bully other kids for being different and are much more likely to be kind and inclusive toward those children. At Trinity School at Edgemere in Oklahoma City, more than half the student population has diagnoses of ADHD, generally in tandem with other diverse diagnoses, according to Traci Epperson, head of academic support and counseling. The school focuses on educating students with learning differences in a supportive environment, where conversations about accommodations and differences are common. “We need to be having more of these conversations in the world,” said Epperson. “Everybody needs support somewhere. I think people get caught up in the assumption that kids do stuff because they are lazy or defiant. We have found that when you take the cognitive load off kids who are struggling by offering accommodations, modifying assignments when necessary or providing extra support, they do better.” Teaching kids about their brains When feasible, Wright encourages students in her class to help explain their accommodations to their peers, like how carrying a comfort item helps them feel safe or moving their body during a lesson helps them focus. This basic level of understanding helps her students normalize that all brains and bodies function differently, and that’s OK. Lacey and her multidisciplinary team work with a variety of clients, from elementary through high school, assessing brain health, providing diagnostic assessments through a matrix she developed and implementing evidence-based treatment plans. The team at Integrated Brain Health provides ABA treatment, counseling, occupational therapy
Often behind behavioral and emotional issues are undiagnosed learning disabilities, developmental, and neurological conditions . Using evidence-based diagnostic and assessment tools, we gather meaningful information about all areas of development, we will help determine the "why" behind the behaviors.
We have highly trained multi-disciplinary intake and assessment clinicians that look across multiple areas of developmental, emotional, and neurological functioning to determine best treatment options. Call us at (405) 702-9032 or visit our website at IBHealth.co We accept most major insurances!
Occupational Therapy Applied Behavior Analysis, ABA Individual and Family Therapy 3838 NW 36th St, STE 200, OKC 73112 @integratedbrainhealth
METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / SEPT-OCT 2022 47
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