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The Brain/Body Connection: Re-wiring the Brain Through Movement
Movement is the key to learning and this is why: The brain and the body are irrevocably
connected. The human brain is composed of two kinds of brain cells: glia and neurons. Glia
provide metabolic sustenance and the structural framework of the neurons. The neurons perform
the brain’s work. The neuron has three components: the cell body containing the nucleus which
oversees the cells basic major metabolic function, the axon (which has two responsibilities: to
conduct information in the form of electronic stimulation and to transport chemical substances,
such as myelin, a fatty substance that insulates the axon, enabling it to conduct information
faster), and dendrites-branchlike wires that grow out of the cell body to receive incoming
information. Neurons pass on information through synaptic connections: information flows in
one direction from the cell body, down the axon, to the synapse. These are the brain’s
neurotransmitters.
The most important part of brain development is synapse formation. Although no neurons are
added once a child is born, 83% of dendrite growth occurs after birth to accommodate a huge
synapse formation. Babies’ brains are “works in progress” and sculpt themselves to the world
around them. “All areas of the brain must work in an integrated way for the brain and body to
fully function“(Gilbert, 2006, p. 6). The brain develops in a certain sequence. When that
sequence is disrupted and stages are missed, the brain must compensate. Gaps in sequence cause
problems in information processing, which can compromise cognitive function.
The parts of the brain that develop through sensory and motor activity in the first years of life are
the lower and mid brain. The lower brain is the unconscious or automatic brain that regulates
self preservation to ensure survival. During its development between conception and fifteen
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The Brain/Body Connection: Re-wiring the Brain Through Movement
months, an estimated 100 trillion nerve nets are created that link all of our senses with muscle
movements. “These nerve nets are sensory-motor encoded upon which all of our learning is
based” (Hanniford, 1995, Brain-Compatible Dance Education, p.54.) The lower brain houses the
cerebellum and brain stem including the medulla oblongata, pons and mid brain. The brain stem
is the body’s autopilot; all sensation must go through the brain stem. The medulla oblongata
helps maintain and organize the brain stem. It is responsible for circulation, respiration, heart
rate, and wake and sleep patterns. The pons is our body’s switchboard that carries messages from
the spinal cord to the brain. The mid brain serves as the nerve pathway of the cerebral
hemispheres. It contains auditory and visual reflex centers. The cerebellum is located next to the
brain stem. It is linked to coordination, balance, posture, muscle movements, cognition and
emotions.
It is critical to understand how much information the lower brain receives and processes when
trying to identify atypical early childhood development. “Less and less time is being spent on
low brain development. For example, many of our infant rearing practices are emphasizing early
and out-of-sequence eye-hand and bipedal activities (infant car seats, baby bouncers, early
walking) and less and less time devoted to prone, supine and quadrupedal development which
stimulates the lower brain” (Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, 1981, Contact Quarterly reprint No. 1, ,
p.6 .)
The mid brain combines conscious and unconscious thought. It connects with the upper brain to
allow emotional and cognitive processing and links with the lower brain to elicit physical signs
of emotion. It can be thought of as the emotional and social brain. The mid brain includes the
thalamus, hypothalamus, amygdale and hippocampus. The thalamus is the receptionist for all
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The Brain/Body Connection: Re-wiring the Brain Through Movement
incoming senses except smell. It helps interpret temperature, pain, and touch and is related to
emotion and memory. The hypothalamus rules over the pituitary gland to act as a thermostat for
appetite, thirst, digestion, hormone secretion and sleep patterns. It is involved in rage pain,
pleasure and aggression. The section of the midbrain called the amygdala is the processor of our
senses and it controls our emotions. The amydgala helps us recognize facial expressions and
body language which helps us respond appropriately in social and emotional situations. It
provides super-human strength or endurance in life-threatening situations and is involved in rage,
pain, pleasure, and aggressiveness. It is understandable why children who show difficulty
processing information in these critical areas have problems with mid brain functionality.
The upper brain, the cerebellum, is divided into two sides, the right and left hemisphere. There is
a crossover pattern so that each side of the body communicates with the opposite hemisphere.
The cerebral cortex or neocortex is the outermost layer of the cerebellum. It is referred to as our
grey matter: it is one quarter inch thick, six layers deep and packed with 85% of the total neurons
in the brain. The white matter of the cerebellum made up of myelinated axons, quickly carries
sensory information to the neocortex and then sends its motor commands to the body. The
body/brain connection- here is where the fun begins!
The frontal lobe of the brain controls voluntary movement, creativity, problem solving, verbal
expression, and planning. Proprioception, the body’s understanding of where it is in space, is
handled in the parietal lobe. The occipital lobe processes vision by interpreting shape, color, and
movement. The temporal lobes are responsible for hearing, gravitational understanding,
language and memory storage. Building our sensory-motor brain through the developmental
movement patterns is how we integrate all parts of the brain. Learning takes place when first we
have a sensory experience, then we make connections and finally we take action based on our
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The Brain/Body Connection: Re-wiring the Brain Through Movement
experience. But what if learning is not taking place? What if a child’s brain is not fully
functioning as evidenced in her not-so-fully-functioning body? Is there anything we can do?
Nerve and brain cells learn to connect through whole body movement and sensory stimulation.
This neurological organization takes place from conception through eight years of age. In the
first year infants engage in tasks that lead to walking and talking. By 12 months the brain has
learned 50% of everything it will ever know (Bette Lamont,1996,developmentalmovement.org.)
Understanding neurological development helps teachers chose appropriate content for braincompatibility in order to help children with learning and behavioral problems.
The BrainDance is a series of movement exercises based on fundamental movement patterns that
babies instinctively discover in their first year (Gilbert, 2006, p.36). The BrainDance is a short
sequence of exercises through eight movement patterns in developmental order: breath, tactile,
core-distal, head-tail, upper-lower, body-side, cross-lateral and vestibular. The BrainDance is
based on primary movement patterns that wire the central nervous system. The brain is
reorganized each time we move through them. The BrainDance is sequential, holistic, and
effectively integrates the mind and body.
From a baby’s first breath, oxygen fills the brain, beginning the growth of dendrites and axons
and the brain “wires”. Sensory integration and bonding occur through tactile communication
with the mother. Touch, movement, vision and hearing are all equally important to the baby’s
developing brain. What appears to be random wiggling is the babies’ attempt to reach out to
discover the world through core – distal movement. At about two months the baby’s movements
become more organized in the head-tail pattern. It t is critical to supply baby with ample “tummy
time” for body-side lizard crawling. Placing the baby tummy-side down on a safe, smooth
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The Brain/Body Connection: Re-wiring the Brain Through Movement
surface helps strengthen and align the cervical and lumbar spine. From two and a half to seven
months the baby organizes movement into an upper-lower pattern (pressing the upper body and
grounding the lower body.) Next in the pattern of developmental movement is crawling to or
away from noise or an object. (We get our terminology from the military- the army crawl.)
Creeping occurs somewhere between seven and twelve months. This movement puts distance
between the body and the floor by pushing up onto the hands and knees. This cross-lateral
movement triggers vertical eye-tracking, and the convergence of vertical and horizontal eyetracking which we understand to be essential for reading and writing. Creeping also triggers the
vestibular system because it requires balance to remain upright on hands and knees. Vestibular
plays a critical role in all learning: this system analyses movement through our whole body.
“Humans are genetically programmed to develop through specific fundamental neural-motor
patterns but our environment determines how successfully this happens. Babies who are not
given ample opportunity to roll, crawl, creep, rock, turn, stretch, clasp, focus, and babble may
develop gaps in sensory motor functioning that later appear as developmental disabilities. These
gaps result in focusing and filtering problems, sensory integration problems or poor social skills”
(Gilbert, 2006, p.38.) How do babies miss these instinctive activities? When they are stuck in a
car seat that converts to a carrier, then to a walker or jumper….. When a baby is on his back or in
an apparatus he cannot move naturally through the critical developmental patterns during his first
twelve months. The good news is moving through these eight patterns at any age may correct the
flaws in the perceptual processing and integrate the body with the brain to enhance learning
(Gilbert, 2006, p. 39). That is why movement as early intervention can be effective.
Using The BrainDance for broad assessment educators can identify which children are less
integrated or are have trouble performing the movement patterns. By consistently incorporating
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The Brain/Body Connection: Re-wiring the Brain Through Movement
The BrainDance neurological re-patterning occurs to develop better behavior, attention, memory,
eye-tracking, proprioception, motor skills, and sensory integration. Children become more aware
of the visceral and muscular systems that support the body. Using The BrainDance for broad
assessment educators become aware of students who need more individual help with
developmental patterns or require specific intervention. (*See attachment for examples of
movement assessment tools.) Is there a connection between reading and movement? Katie
Johnson, an author of three books on reading and writing thinks so. Katie combines reading
instruction and neurodevelopment exercises, specifically The BrainDance. “If a child is
interrupted in the development of the brain between the ages of 0 and 3, physical, emotional and
sensory balance will not be achieved because the work of the mid brain is unfinished. Later,
when this child is trying to learn in school, these ragged edges will be interfering with learning.
Fortunately unfinished neurodevelopment can be completed through exercises designed to
replicate the brain’s early patterns” (Johnson, 1987, Brain-Compatible Dance, p. 277).
Neurological re-organization is a process through which Bette Lamont of The Developmental
Movement and Education Center works to help children with behavioral and learning problems.
“When we take an individual through their early development, we give them the opportunity to
ultimately use more of the creative, artistic, intellectual, and civilized part of the brain” (Lamont,
1996, Pathways:Creative Dance Center Newsletter, p.4-5. )She believes that Attention Deficit
Disorder is not a deficit of attention but rather a surplus, attending in part to everything all the
time. Ms. Lamont has found children with ADD have the inability to filter “secondary”
information. Dr. Daniel Amen, MD, a psychiatrist and author of the book Healing ADD
(Amen,,2001,Berkley Pulishing Group) finds that through brain imaging (Transcranial Magnetic
Stimulation) he has identified six types of ADD by looking at blood flow and activity in certain
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The Brain/Body Connection: Re-wiring the Brain Through Movement
areas of the brain. Dr. Amens treats children with ADD as well as ADHD (Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder) according to the type of brain activity or lack of activity he uncovers
with brain imaging rather than prescribing stimulant medicine based on symptoms alone.
“Researchers used a new and promising imaging method called Arterial Spin Labeling to
measure blood flow, in a non-invasive fashion, to brain regions associated with depression. They
found that measuring blood flow could identify with 81 percent accuracy which women were
depressed (unipolar depression) and which women had bipolar depression. They also used a new
analytical method called Pattern Recognition Analysis that allows researchers to individualize
brain differences to a specific person” (University of Pittsburgh, Schools of Health Sciences,
2013, British Journal of Psychiatry). *See brain scan attachment.
The brain is the organ of behavior; when children show signs of behavior problems at home and
in school, the diagnosis is based on symptoms or observable behavior. The same is true for
Autism. Based on the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
(DSM 5, updated May 2013), the following are behavioral criteria experts use to diagnose
Autism Spectrum Disorder:

Diagnosis made on the basis of observed behavior

Deficits in social communication and social interaction

Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests and/or activities

Symptoms cause significant impairment in school, occupational, or other
important areas (Sensory Processing/Integration Disorder)

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Symptoms must be present in the early developmental period.
The Brain/Body Connection: Re-wiring the Brain Through Movement

Asperger’s Disorder and PDD-NOS (Pervasive Development Disorder-Not
Otherwise Specified) no longer a separate diagnosis but now considered ASD, if
meet the criteria.
One of the challenges in working with children with autism spectrum disorder is finding the
motivation for each child. UDL, Universal Design for Learning, the what, how and why reminds
educators to provide multiple, accessible pathways to learning so that most or all of the children
we teach, including those children with special needs, are in their zone of proximinal
development. In the words of Carly Fleischman (Carly’s Café: Experience Autism through
Carly’s Eyes, A Short Film, 2013) “Never presume incompetence.”
“The term learning disability usually refers to specific problems with school subjects such as
reading, writing, spelling or math. These problems have nothing to do with the overall
intellectual capability” (Healy, 2009, p. 347). Particularly critical are the brain systems
associated with:

Self control

Directing and controlling one’s own attention

Getting oneself motivated

Interacting effectively with others in groups

Managing emotions

Harnessing the creative forces of one’s brain
These all profoundly affect school progress and later success in life.
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The Brain/Body Connection: Re-wiring the Brain Through Movement
Adding up current estimates of learning, behavioral, and emotional disorders, The Center for
Disease Control suggests that a child born in the United States now has a 30% chance of being
diagnosed with some type of problem that affects learning. Seventy five percent of dropouts
report difficulty learning to read (Nanci Bell, 2008, Different Learners, p.316.) “Parents have a
powerful role in shaping a child’s learning abilities. Along with teachers they create the
environments that help determine how talents, skills……….and problems develop. Positive
environments at home and at school can prevent, ameliorate, and maybe even extinguish many
types of learning and behavior difficulties. They can even improve the outcome for genetic
learning disorders. If only the adults involved had the right information" (Healy, 2009, p.316).
We can never give up. We must not judge a child by her symptoms; intense early intervention
can make a difference. We can re-wire a child’s brain by repetition and frequency that makes
lasting changes in brain connectivity. The brain is plastic; it rearranges itself when learning to
read. Our genetics create the outline of who we are, the environment fills it in. We each have a
built-in developmental timetable. Not all kids learn at the same rate. Teachers must be sensitive
to the child’s interests and abilities and take their cues from them. Specialized teaching
techniques can improve the efficiency of learning circuits in a child’s brain. New techniques for
brain scanning may not guarantee a perfectly clear picture; the brain is a highly complex organ.
With proper scaffolding and a positive approach children with mixed abilities can achieve little
or big successes. Educators can give students power and ownership of their learning.
_________________
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The Brain/Body Connection: Re-wiring the Brain Through Movement
“If your child could do better, he would. Show him, teach him, don’t just tell him. If we don’t
teach these self management skills, we can’t expect them to do it by themselves” -Warren Rosen,
psychotherapist.
_________________
Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states that
every young person "has the right to participate freely in cultural life and the
arts."
Invest now, or pay later.
Every child, every day, in every school.
Thank you,
Rachel Carnes
(Carnes, October, 2008)
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The Brain/Body Connection: Re-wiring the Brain Through Movement
References/Bibliography
Bell, Nanci, 2008, Lindamood-Bell Learning Process, Anaheim, CA.
Carnes, Rachel, 2008, Ready to Innovate: Economic Impact of Brain-Based Arts
Learning, www.sparkplugdance.org
Cohen, Bonnie Bainbridge, Contact Quarterly reprint No. 1, p.6.,Northampton,
MA, www.contactquarterly.com
Fleischman, Carly, 2012, Carly’s Café, A Short Film, www.carlyscafe.com,
Gilbert, Anne Green, 2006, Brain-Compatible Dance Education, National Dance
Association, AAHPERD, 1900 Association Dr., Reston, VA 20191
Hanniford, Carla, 1995, Smart Moves: Why Learning is Not All in Your Head,
Arlington, VA: Great Ocean Publishers
Healy, Jane M., Ph.D., 2010, Different Learners, Identifying, Preventing, and
Treating Your Child’s Learning Problems, Simon and Schuster, NY
Hillman, Elizabeth M. C. Ph.D., 2013, Early Brain Development in Children,
The Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives, www.dana.com
Johnson, Katie, 1987, How Exercises Help Struggling Readers in School, Boston,
MA: Houghton Mifflin.
Lamont, Bette, MA/DMT, 2008, Treating Autism with Developmental Movement
Therapy, Developmental Movement Consultants, Seattle,WA
www.developmentalmovement.org
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The Brain/Body Connection: Re-wiring the Brain Through Movement
Powell, Megan Andre, 2008, Assessment in Dance/Movement Therapy Practice: A
State of the Field Survey, A Thesis submitted to the faculty of Drexel University in
partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Creative Arts
in Therapy: Dance/Movement Therapy
http://dspace.library.drexel.edu/bitstream/1860/2944/1/Powell.pdf
PA ,2013, Brittish Journal of Psychiatry
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The Brain/Body Connection: Re-wiring the Brain Through Movement
Brain Scan (SPECT)
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The Brain/Body Connection: Re-wiring the Brain Through Movement
Movement Assessment A
4 Consistently moves safely through space
3 Moves through space safely most of the time
2 Occasionally bumps into other children
1 Constantly bumps into other children
Student Checklist for Movement Skills
Name_________ Grade or Age__________Date_____________
___ I can crawl across the floor on my belly using four limbs in a cross-lateral
pattern
___ I can skip across the room
___ I can walk in a curved pathway.
___ I can spin three times to the left and three times to the right.
___ I can run, stop quickly and hold a shape for five counts.
___ I can balance on one leg for eight counts.
___ I can perform four movements in a row with smooth transitions.
___ I can fall safely to the floor and rebound.
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The Brain/Body Connection: Re-wiring the Brain Through Movement
The Body/Brain Connection: Re-wiring the Brain Through Movement
Laurie Tarter
Carlow University
December 2, 2013
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The Brain/Body Connection: Re-wiring the Brain Through Movement
Abstract
Back in the twelfth century, a poet and philosopher named Hidegard of Bingen
came up with a metaphor that remains relevant today. At birth, each child comes
equipped with a golden tent of creative potential all folded up inside. It is the task
of the individual, throughout life, to unfold that tent---and to the adults in each
child’s life to assist that process. Nine centuries later, I seriously wonder how we
are doing? (Jane M. Healy, Ph.D.) Children of the new millennium need all the
help we can give them, even if it means getting down on the floor and acting like
a lizard.
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The Brain/Body Connection: Re-wiring the Brain Through Movement
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