I am bursting with pride!!!

I am sitting in an auditorium with hundreds of people – certainly also bursting with pride – watching my daughter walk across the podium to receive her post-graduate degree. The gown, the funny hat, a tube with the prized diploma, all theatricals communicating what a special day this is.

The link between coordinated movement and learning

What makes this extra special for me, is the testament she is for chiropractic. ‘WHAAAT???’ you may think. Obviously, the reason she is getting her degree today is her inspiring dedication, grit, intelligence and perseverance. And no, I can’t prove that chiropractic has helped her get to where she is today. However, I have been by her side from the start, sad and horrified to experience her low tone at birth, difficulties with achieving her gross motor milestones, her being dismissed by her Kindergarten teacher as slow, behind, not achieving….

How a child’s body functions is a reliable predictor for how well they learn.

A recent systemic review found a positive correlation between children’s gross and fine motor abilities and their academic performance (1). Several studies show that a child’s performance at school entry predicts their future performance in both school and life
(2,3).

School readiness is determined by a child’s overall development and capacity to function in a group. The skills include:

• physical skills such as movement and handling
• cognitive function like listening and attention
• academic performance as literacy and math
• emotional control
• social skills

Children who struggle prior to starting school are more likely to be in the bottom 20% of all student scores on the Australian NAPLAN assessments for years 3, 5 and 7
(2). Another paper indicates that these children are less likely to finish high school at all compared to their peers (3). Specifically, motor skills at school start are linked to concentration and attention, academic achievement, cognitive ability, social behaviour, hyperactivity and self-control (4). Currently 22% of Australian (2) and 28% (4) of UK children do not have the essential skills required to succeed in the school system.

The power of chiropractic

Way back when, realising the link between my daughter’s physical abilities and her early school challenges hit me as a ton of bricks. However, the improvements I witnessed first-hand from upscaling the focus and intensity of her chiropractic care, as well as incorporating supportive motor coordination exercises, dietary changes and a lot of positive support, was life changing! There may be minimal ‘scientific evidence’ for chiropractic in this miraculous metamorphosis, however, there is plenty of research showing that improving a child’s motor skill ability will positively impact the child’s academic performance (5). What we need is research showing that chiropractic impacts motor skills, coordination, cognitive function, brain function, overall health …. And the great news is that you can help to do this. By attending The Kids Summit in Sydney September 7-8, 2024, you will help raise funds for research into chiropractic care for kids.

BJ Palmer said a few years ago:
“You never know how far reaching something you think, say, or do will affect the lives of millions tomorrow.”

That is the feeling I am sitting with today. A warm glow in my center that shares the pride that I have for my daughter’s wonderful achievement with the knowing that chiropractic is nothing less that life changing, and that is what we as chiropractors get to do every day.

Would you like to learn how to help kids be their best? Join us for:

Switched-on Kids UK June 22-23
Switched-on Kids NZ September 14-15

Or design your own learning journey with Switched-on Kids Mastermind mentoring.

1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10969452/

2 – https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/children-youth/australias-
children/contents/education/transition-primary-school

3 – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38778320/

4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8622578/pdf/ijerph-18-11931.pdf

5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9721199/