The structure of our nervous system, hemisphericity in particular, is one of the things that sets us apart from other species. For instance, reading of words takes place predominantly on one side of the brain (typically the left), while comprehension of what was just read typically occurs on the right. If each side performed both jobs our potential would be much more limited. At this point it becomes quite apparent that both sides of the brain must be in constant communication. Otherwise, in the example given, if the two side of the brain did not communicate well a child might be able to read what is on a page, but not be able to comprehend what he just read.
human-brainA key component to communication is timing and synchrony. The faster a person’s brain can fire, the more developed it becomes. Communication will be impaired If there are differences in the firing rates between the two sides of the brain. An analogy would be if you were trying to drive in a straight line, but the wheels on one side of your car were turning faster than the other. The hemispheric approach to treatment is essentially finding out which part of the brain is lagging behind, then use exercises to balance the system allowing the child’s development to accelerate forward in a straight line.

One of the factors that contributes to imbalances of synchrony/timing in the nervous system is sensory input. If a particular area of the brain is not receiving proper stimulation it will not be as healthy as it’s counterpart and synchrony will be impeded. Therefore parents should not think of their child as having a learning deficit or behavior problem, but rather a stimulus deficiency.

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