Research Description:

Posture and Behavior of 3-4 Year Old Children in US Preschools and Romanian Orphanages

Brain Gym® is a system of movement activities that is increasingly being used in preschools, schools and other settings to enhance children's development and to affect general behavior. Brain Gym® is based on an Educational Kinesiology approach, which addresses postural responses in three dimensional planes of movement. The purpose of this project is to explore a possible relationship between postural control and behavioral concerns and resilency in preschoolers. Preschool children will be observed using the Postrual Control Observational Checklist (PCOC) designed especially for this project and based on the Educational Kinesiology/Brain Gym® approach. Additionally, caregivers will complete the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA), a 37-item questionnaire designed to obtain scores for Resiliency and Behavioral Concerns, currently in use by Alachua County Head Start Programs. Participants will include randomly selected children in local preschools (Baby Gator Childcare, Early Head Start and Head Start Programs) and four orphanages in Braila, Romania. A second purpose of this project is to determine if significant differences exist in the scores of children observed in different facilities. Finally, the project will allow for the exploration of the usefulness of the Postural Control Observational Checklist based on the Educational Kinesiology/ Brain Gym® dimensions of movement that was developed for this study.