Brain Balance Achievement Centers are after-school learning centers that offers a program of brain training, exercise, simple physical exercises, skills training, and dietary advice that it says helps children with developmental and learning disabilities. The Brain Balance program was developed by Robert Melillo, a New York-based

chiropractor Chiropractic is a form of alternative medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially of the spine. It has esoteric origins and is based on several pseudoscien ...

who later added what he calls "functional neurology" to his practice. He began developing the business and its learning centers in 2006, opting for a franchising model. The first center opened in 2007. By early 2018 there were 110 centers in the chain and the business had an annual revenue of $41 million. As of 2018 there was no good evidence that the company's program helps children. In the scientific and medical community, Brain Balance has been criticized for the lack of scientific evidence for its marketing, as well as its claims about

neuroplasticity Neuroplasticity, also known as neural plasticity, or brain plasticity, is the ability of neural networks in the brain to change through growth and reorganization. It is when the brain is rewired to function in some way that differs from how it p ...

and other aspects of brain development. That assessment is consistent with a 2015 determination by the

Wisconsin Department of Health Services The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (WisDHS) is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin responsible for maintaining public health. It administers a wide range of services in the state and at state institutions, regulates hosp ...

that there was insufficient evidence of effectiveness for the company's claims. The results of a June 2018 year-long investigation by

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

cast further doubt on the veracity of claims by the company.

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* {{Brain training programs American companies established in 1995 Brain training programs