Brain Integration FAQ
Please click on the links below for answers to your questions.
What is Brain Integration Technique (BIT)?
What makes BIT different from what is currently available?
How long does the treatment take?
What happens during the treatment?
What kind of results should I expect with BIT?
How quickly will I see results?
What kind of research do you have behind BIT?
Where can I get more information about BIT?
How do I schedule BIT treatment?
What is Brain Integration Technique (BIT)?
BIT is a cutting-edge technique based on principles of Applied Physiology and acupressure that is used in the treatment of learning difficulties in children and adults. BIT specifically relieves stress as it affects aptitude, resilience and performance.
BIT is completely non-invasive, and is suitable for people of all ages. In fact, most of our clients report that BIT is a very soothing and relaxing experience!
BIT has been recommended by neurologists, psychologists and other health professionals because it consistently produces improvements measurable by standard psychological and neurological tests.
What does BIT do?
The human brain performs extremely complicated electro-magnetic functions and, like any other organ, shows symptoms of stress. Under stress, the brain’s blood supply is redirected for ‘fight’ or ‘flight’ in the body, and the logic center or creative center simply shuts down. With the shutdown, the synchronization of brain function is lost and we just cannot ‘think’ clearly. Then we blame ourselves for not trying harder, or worse, not being intelligent enough, when the true culprit is stress. All too often we learn to ‘switch off’ when we could be welcoming new experiences.
The BIT program can help children and adults to repattern brain activity around such difficulties and use more of their potential.
What is BIT for?
This treatment helps all kinds of learning difficulties such as attention deficit disorder (ADD) both with and without hyperactivity, sensory integration, dyslexia, poor coordination, closed head traumas and brain injuries, autism and nervous breakdowns. It enhances learning abilities and improves reading, comprehension, spelling and coordination for children as well as for adults.
Who is BIT for?
Children and adults with learning difficulties will often display the following characteristics, among others:
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Difficulty concentrating
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No sense of time
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Poor reading comprehension (despite being a fast or fluent reader)
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Attention and focus cannot be held for long
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Difficulty spelling (putting letters together until it ’sounds’ like the word)
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Difficulty with mathematics (concepts as well as times tables)
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Tendency to be impulsive
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Not understanding consequences or relation between cause and effect
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Difficulty budgeting time (thus projects are often left incomplete)
What makes BIT different from what is currently available?
Most treatments involve medication, giving on-going exercises to do indefinitely, purely removing emotional stress, or changing the format of how material is presented to the student. The work we do actually changes the functioning of the brain.
We work with the electromagnetic flow of information in the brain and re-wire this flow internally. This specifically addresses approximately 80 different components involved in learning. For example, we can address the lateral hypothalamic nuclei to ensure correct pupillary dilation.
We are changing the brain function from the inside out, not the outside in. This involves making sure that information comes in through the eyes and ears and is directed to the correct location within the brain with the correct timing. When this is established, function is restored.
Part of this treatment may involve ensuring that the right and left sides of the brain are able to process information simultaneously across the corpus callosum that connects them (as many academic functions require both hemispheres to be active at the same time). A typical person with learning difficulties will have very limited communication through their corpus callosum. An individual may therefore have to rely mostly on one hemisphere for all their processing of information. This can create processing delays, failure to create or retrieve memories, frustration, and loss of self-esteem.
In addition to every aspect of the physiological functions involved in learning, we address the emotional subconscious to remove any relevant blocks to learning as well.
How long does the treatment take?
The basic correction program takes approximately eight to twelve hours, an estimate based on the median time for treatment. The length of each person’s program varies because of individual needs. Some people with only one or two areas of deficit may take just six hours to complete the whole program, whereas others with many areas of deficit need more time.
What happens during the treatment?
The first session of treatment includes an initial assessment that serves as a benchmark against which to evaluate future change. During this session, we assess the electro-magnetic activity in the brain using muscle monitoring and acupressure. This technique reveals the specific brain areas that need the most attention. At the end of the assessment we can tell the client the probable length of treatment required in her individual case. This session takes one hour.
Subsequent sessions involve correcting the specific brain areas that showed in the assessment. The correction technique involves very light touch on specific acupressure points to re-establish electro-magnetic integrity within the brain. Thus brain functioning is improved, specifically in learning ability, creativity, and physical co-ordination. This is done by pinpointing stress in the brain that affects learning, and relieving these individual stress patterns.
The client may also come in for a 6-8 week post-integration follow-up. This session usually lasts an hour.
Is BIT permanent?
The only situation that would require a person to be fully re-integrated would be if he sustained an injury to the head. Other than that, once a person has been integrated, they will not need to be integrated again. Sometimes a client will feel like her brain function has gone ‘off-line’ again. In this situation, there has usually been an emotional trauma that caused enough stress to block the brain function. We call this ‘temporary dis-integration.” To remedy this, the BIT practitioner need only to address the emotions surrounding the trauma. The brain function can then come back ‘on-line.’
What kind of results should I expect with BIT?
We consistently improve learning ability of the individuals we treat. They are able to read with high comprehension, learn and retain spelling words, understand mathematical concepts, become physically coordinated and modulate their emotional responses. Often, medications are not needed after treatment in the majority of cases. However, while we give our clients the ability to learn, the amount of improvement is still dependent on them participating in school. If there is organic brain damage, there is still improvement but it will be limited depending on the location of the damage. However, even those that were suspected to have damage (i.e. Autistic tendencies) often improve significantly enough that the suspected damage is no longer evident.
In a nutshell, we enable the brain to learn within any limitations posed by organic brain damage. However, we do not make the brain learn. That takes studying and perseverance on the part of the client!
How quickly will I see results?
Every individual is different. Some people feel different during the treatment, and some do not feel anything until after the integration is entirely complete. The timeframe can range from a few days to a few months. We enable the brain to learn. We cannot make the person learn. Therefore, external variables like family and school dynamics can affect when and how the integration takes hold. It is often the people around the integrated person who notice the changes first!
What kind of research do you have behind BIT?
Susan McCrossin, the developer of BIT wrote several research papers from her research at the University in Melbourne which involved very sophisticated EEG studies of the brain. We also have extensive clinical experience seeing profound results with many thousands of cases since 1989.
Where can I get more information about BIT?
Susan McCrossin published a book, Breaking the Learning Barrier: Eradicating ADD, ADHD and Dyslexia, which describes the treatment, her research, and includes many testimonials.
How do I schedule BIT treatment?
Please call Arin Balbinder at 303-775-3480 to schedule an initial consultation.
Please click on the links below for answers to your questions:
Do you have to do the whole integration at once?
What age do you have to be to be integrated?
What do I have to bring to BIT?
Should I plan to stay with my child during treatment?
What if I (or my child) is on medication?
Can BIT help people with drug or alcohol problems?
Will we still need additional help, like tutoring or other therapy, after BIT?
How do I schedule BIT treatment?
Do you have to do the whole integration at once?
BIT takes between 8 and 12 hours, depending on the individual. It can be done all at once (over two or three days), or spread out over a longer period of time. For small children who have trouble being still, we recommend breaking the appointments up by scheduling one hour on, one hour off, etc. For extremely small children and infants, we recommend half-hour appointments, with a break in-between.
What age do you have to be to be integrated?
BIT is helpful for people of any age. When integrating young children, sometimes we cannot assess (and therefore correct) certain functions because the child has not yet reached that developmental milestone. In this case, we complete the integration and might recommend bringing the child back in a couple of years to integrate the remaining areas.
You cannot be too old or too young to benefit from this treatment.
What do I have to bring to BIT?
We recommend that our clients come well-fed and well-hydrated. Please bring water and snacks for long or multiple sessions in one day. Children may play with toys (with no batteries or electricity), read (or be read to), or listen to music during the treatment.
Should I plan to stay with my child during treatment?
We always welcome parents during treatment, and ask that they plan to stay at least for the first hour of assessment. However, sometimes children behave differently when their parents are present, and that might be more challenging. In this case, for the other treatment sessions the practitioner might suggest that the parent take a break and enjoy an hour or so on their own!
What if I (or my child) is on medication?
Medication does not compromise the treatment, nor does the treatment compromise medication. We are not MDs, and do not make any recommendations regarding prescriptions. Please consult your doctor or psychiatrist with any questions.
Can BIT help people with drug or alcohol problems?
BIT is beneficial for almost everyone! For individuals with addiction problems, BIT can help relieve stresses that might be causing those behaviors. But remember, we enable the brain to learn. We do not make the brain learn. Please consult your doctor or psychiatrist with any questions.
Will we still need additional help, like tutoring or other therapy, after BIT?
That depends on a few factors. For example, if we see a student who is 16 years old and has missed a few years in his mathematics knowledge they will probably need tutoring to catch up to his grade level. If a student is very young, the normal practice of reading and/or spelling in the classroom may be all they need. In addition, the child might still need behavioral therapy or modification, or the family might need counseling for help with family dynamics. We recommend that you would see the appropriate professionals for those services.
Another factor that is often overlooked is nutrition. According to a recent article in the Boulder Daily Camera, there are numerous national studies that show that children high on a lunch packed with sugar and caffeine have a hard time concentrating, and thus learning. And that when students had a healthy meal, their performance went up and ADD symptoms went down.
And let’s not forget the importance of hydration!
How do I schedule BIT treatment?
Please call Dr. Arin at 303-775-3480
You may also email us from our contact page.
A complimentary phone consult is available for inquiring patients.