Parents in Suwanee and the surrounding areas concerned about the side effects of anti-psychotic drugs used to treat symptoms of autism and other disorders can find help at a local achievement center.

The Suwanee Brain Balance™ Center (3525 Lawrenceville Suwanee Road, Suite 101) incorporates a unique multi-faceted approach to assess and develop individualized intervention plans for children affected by Neurobehavioral/Developmental Disorders. These disorders include autism, ADD/ADHD, Asperger’s, Tourette’s syndrome, PDD, processing disorders, dyslexia, and other learning disabilities.

Parents interested in the program can attend free educational seminars on Tuesday evenings beginning at 6:30 p.m. Reservations are required. Call 770-614-4790 to RSVP.

The Brain Balance Program™ is an achievement program rather than a medical treatment center. Based in Long Island, New York, the program became available for Atlanta families last spring when the first metro area center opened in Peachtree City, followed by one in Suwanee last fall.

Over the last ten years, the Brain Balance™ program has helped hundreds of children become more focused, improve their academic performance, and enhance their communication and social interaction skills, according to Atlanta’s Brain Balance™ executive director Dr. Peter Scire.

The program does not rely on drugs, medical procedures, or psychotherapy, Dr. Scire said. Instead, Brain Balance™ is an integrated approach that uses sensory and motor activities, along with education and behavioral methods and supportive nutritional initiatives.

“Our goal is to correct a fundamental imbalance between the two hemispheres of the brain — a ‘communication breakdown’ that results in a range of negative symptoms and behaviors,” Dr. Scire said.

A study released this week in the May edition of the journal Pediatrics and reported by the Associated Press revealed that American children take anti-psychotic medicines at about six times the rate of children in the United Kingdom, and that use is rising on both sides of the Atlantic. The drugs are prescribed mostly to treat autism and hyperactivity.

Brain Balance™ offers free educational seminars for parents on Tuesdays at both of its Atlanta locations. For information call 770-614-4790 in Suwanee or 770-631-3033 in Peachtree City.