TESTIMONIALS
From Parents
“My son was struggling with anxiety and Bal-A-Vis-X helped him to settle down. As a result, he was able to work up to his cognitive capacity.”
– Brie Stosick
“My kids love going to Katy and we love what she does for our kids. She has given my kids’ an awareness of their bodies and tools to navigate life in a smoother way than before.
My son did brain gym regularly in his kindergarten class and I really wanted to start my daughter on it. She was a premie, has epilepsy, is developmentally delayed, and was having a very rough school year. I debated whether or not I should buy a Brain Gym book, take a Brain Gym course, or find a teacher to do a private lesson. We found Katy and couldn’t have been happier. She is knowledgeable, dedicated, and generous with her experiences.
Brain Gym and Bal-A-Vis-X have become a regular part of our lives. If we are running late in the morning we’d sooner skip teeth brushing than PACE. And I’m sure that had I just bought a Brain Gym book, we would not still be doing PACE today.”
My son did brain gym regularly in his kindergarten class and I really wanted to start my daughter on it. She was a premie, has epilepsy, is developmentally delayed, and was having a very rough school year. I debated whether or not I should buy a Brain Gym book, take a Brain Gym course, or find a teacher to do a private lesson. We found Katy and couldn’t have been happier. She is knowledgeable, dedicated, and generous with her experiences.
Brain Gym and Bal-A-Vis-X have become a regular part of our lives. If we are running late in the morning we’d sooner skip teeth brushing than PACE. And I’m sure that had I just bought a Brain Gym book, we would not still be doing PACE today.”
– Erica M.
“Prior to working with Katy, our son wasn’t interested in reading anything except comic books with lots of pictures. After just a few days of Brain Gym, Bal-a-Vis-X and eye-strengthening exercises, he was devouring thick chapter books at the rate of one a week. It took him just under two months to work his way through the entire Harry Potter series! His teacher said she noticed a difference in his handwriting and in his ability to sit still and pay attention in class. Katy relates well to both kids and adults, and has a special gift for helping families find the fun and play in learning.”
– Laura McReynolds
From Adults
“I have taken the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification test for Cognitive Impairment 5 times, passing it on the 5th time. I had tried everything before I came to Katy, and looked at controlling my emotions while I took the test. I had contacted someone to help me as a tutor and I had bought all of the practice books for the test but nothing seemed to help. See the thing was I had passed each section of the test I just had never passed each section all together.
I went to see Katy and learned different ways that I could control my emotions. Both while I was studying for the test, but mainly how to control my stress while actually taking the test. I had the knowledge base and I had the ability I just needed to be able to control my emotions while in the testing site. So to the best of my ability with the help from breathing to 4, the cross crawl and from relaxing my temple. I could not have passed this test with out the help from these different stress-relieving drills. I still had stress but I was so much more in control and I think with being in control I had the ability to access more knowledge during the test.”
I went to see Katy and learned different ways that I could control my emotions. Both while I was studying for the test, but mainly how to control my stress while actually taking the test. I had the knowledge base and I had the ability I just needed to be able to control my emotions while in the testing site. So to the best of my ability with the help from breathing to 4, the cross crawl and from relaxing my temple. I could not have passed this test with out the help from these different stress-relieving drills. I still had stress but I was so much more in control and I think with being in control I had the ability to access more knowledge during the test.”
– Jonathon J Sollinger
“Katy has a very positive and friendly attitude. She asked us what we wanted to learn and focused the sessions on that. She is a great teacher – she has great skills and knowledge that she is happy to share.”
– Marcia A.
“Katy was really informative and made the class fun. Katy and the class were both exceptional for seniors! I can also see it would be of value to any age and very diverse people – not just seniors.”
– Jane G.
“Fun – she really knows the stuff she’s teaching – very knowledgeable and she has a great enthusiastic spirit, very supportive.”
What did you like best about the class?
The joyful positive energy that Katy brought – it set the tone for the training and thus the trainees followed suit.
From Teachers And Therapists
“Our team of occupational therapists at Family Tree Therapies thoroughly enjoyed Katy’s instruction at our Bal-A-Vis-X training course. Katy’s style cultivated learning and growth. Through her teachings, the course brought us joy and camaraderie, strengthening us as a team of therapists. It also empowered us with a series of new, exciting therapeutic activities to address the needs of our clients, and increased our observation skills. We began using the exercises immediately, and continue to integrate them into our practice.”
– Terri Cooper Zartman, MSOT, OTRL
Occupational Therapist, Owner
Family Tree Therapies
Grand Rapids, MI
“Hello Katy,
I wanted to update you on what our center has been doing since Mel and I attended your brain gym seminar. We have been teaching a monthly brain gym movement and making sure to connect with each classroom to help them continue to use brain gym with the children – we want to make it a routine in the classrooms, it is so easy to forget!
Thank you so much for continuing to teach these important classes.”
I wanted to update you on what our center has been doing since Mel and I attended your brain gym seminar. We have been teaching a monthly brain gym movement and making sure to connect with each classroom to help them continue to use brain gym with the children – we want to make it a routine in the classrooms, it is so easy to forget!
Thank you so much for continuing to teach these important classes.”
– Denise M. Pelky
Head Teacher
U of M Towsley Children’s House
“Katy,
I’ve been using Brain Gym every hour every day for years. My 6th graders use this as the starting point for reading, writing and speaking presentations. They have just recently completed a writing exercise regarding the ability to write clear and concise directions for one of the brain gym activities. It has been fun and very useful. I find that, if I give up 2 to 5 minutes every hour for Brain Gym, I get 50 minutes of work from students. When we skip Brain Gym, time on task noticeably disintegrates.
Some years ago, when I began using Brain Gym in the classroom, I had quantitative data to prove its effectiveness. I give credit for on-task behaviors because, to become a better reader / writer / speaker, one must be reading and writing and speaking in a focused way. I put a slash mark on my seating chart over the name of students who were off task. I chronically had 10 to 20 marks per class each day. I introduced Brain Gym and found that number reduced immediately to 0 to 3! I dropped Brain Gym because of perceived lack of time, and the number jumped right back up. I returned to daily Brain Gym activities, and the number immediately dropped. Since that time, Brain Gym is such an expectation in this classroom that students remind me when I slip past it! I often see a student sitting back and repeating a Brain Gym activity in order to focus or think more clearly. I hear of students doing this in other classrooms even though the teachers there don’t teach the techniques.
Thanks for all you do!”
I’ve been using Brain Gym every hour every day for years. My 6th graders use this as the starting point for reading, writing and speaking presentations. They have just recently completed a writing exercise regarding the ability to write clear and concise directions for one of the brain gym activities. It has been fun and very useful. I find that, if I give up 2 to 5 minutes every hour for Brain Gym, I get 50 minutes of work from students. When we skip Brain Gym, time on task noticeably disintegrates.
Some years ago, when I began using Brain Gym in the classroom, I had quantitative data to prove its effectiveness. I give credit for on-task behaviors because, to become a better reader / writer / speaker, one must be reading and writing and speaking in a focused way. I put a slash mark on my seating chart over the name of students who were off task. I chronically had 10 to 20 marks per class each day. I introduced Brain Gym and found that number reduced immediately to 0 to 3! I dropped Brain Gym because of perceived lack of time, and the number jumped right back up. I returned to daily Brain Gym activities, and the number immediately dropped. Since that time, Brain Gym is such an expectation in this classroom that students remind me when I slip past it! I often see a student sitting back and repeating a Brain Gym activity in order to focus or think more clearly. I hear of students doing this in other classrooms even though the teachers there don’t teach the techniques.
Thanks for all you do!”
– Donna Davison
English teacher
Slauson Middle School, Ann Arbor
“Katy Held has spent her adult life exploring the world of special needs, discovering first hand what most effectively meets those needs and applying in multiple settings what she’s learned. Whether with a teen confronting physical/mental challenges or a child struggling with developmental issues or a senior concerned about declining confidence–Katy becomes a partner in their joint effort to maximize benefit. For the past seven years, Bal-A-Vis-X has been a primary means by which she helps them do just that. For all these reasons I have sanctioned Katy to conduct BAVX’s 16-hr training: Level 1 + Level 2 + Adaptive BAVX.”
– Bill Hubert
Founder of Bal-A-VIs-X
“There are so many new insights into my personal soul, family and children I work with as an occupational therapist. Literally this is 1 of 2 of the best CE classes I have taken since being licensed in 1997! Thank you.”
– JV
Occupational Therapist
Grand Rapids, MI
“Many of the children and families we see in our work are suffering as a result of childhood adversity on many levels and have brain-body dysregulation. Bal-A-Vis-X is an engaging and effective way for us to begin to bring their brain-body into balance to spark healing.”
– AS
MD
Chicago, IL
“Movement is a daily part of my curriculum as per the whole school model – Bal-A-Vis-X can be integrated seamlessly into it both to serve the needs of struggling indicvisuals in a therapeutic sense and to strengthen the whole class in a fun and educational way.”
– BW
Special Education Director
Chicago, IL