The Effect of Brain Gym® on Academic Engagement for Children with Developmental Disabilities.

Abstract

Following recent legislative initiatives in education requiring evidence-based practices, schools have implemented various instructional programs characterized as evidence-based. However, it is important to question whether these methods are truly effective. One example of a methodology currently promoted and used in schools is an educational kinesiology program called Brain Gym®. Brain Gym ® is reported to improve various education related skills. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of Brain Gym ® on academic engagement for children with developmental disabilities. In this study, Brain Gym ® was compared to an alternate intervention, simple physical activity, which did not conform to Brain Gym ® guidelines. Neither intervention produced consistently positive effects for academic engagement. Based on these findings, it is questionable whether Brain Gym ® can successfully be used with children with developmental disabilities to improve engagement. These results can inform the decision-making process of selecting evidence-based practices in education. In recent years, legislation such as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 or the 2004 revision of the Individual with Disabilities Education Act have prompted schools in the United States to begin choosing instructional practices that are evidence-based. However, not all instructional practices are equally effective. Some produce more positive