Back on Track is a non-fiction that’s a must read for any parent who is concerned their child is not meeting milestones or have developmental delays or neurodivergence. I took time to go through this book because there was so much information to soak up. And while I listened to the advanced audiobook copy through NetGalley, I also purchased the audiobook and physical book for my husband and I to keep coming back to in reference.

I knew almost immediately that this book would make an impact on our lives, and was exactly what we’d been searching for. We are a family full of neurodiversity, and while my husband and I struggle through some things in life, so do each of our three children in their own ways. We have felt so alone, and like we are on an uphill climb with weight piling higher each day. This book gave us a foundation for the what why and how of trying to help our kids gay back on track with their cognition and development. It also taught us about the Brain Balance Program, and we have started our 9 year old in the program already and are eager to see how things improve for him. We are also working on different tasks the book guided us in for our other two children.

A nonfiction parenting must read! But take your time. There’s so much information.

I listened to the audiobook at varying speeds, starting at 1.25x speed (my normal being 1.75x speed). The audiobook is enjoyable and engaging.

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape media for this advanced audio copy. So sorry for my delay as I absorbed all the information!

I have read/listened this on a roadtrip with my psychology student friend and we both had an amazing time. It is very simply put forth and has amazing points that are pointed out. Highly recommend!

Good things about this book include:
• A large variety of concepts
• A long list of examples of activities to try
• Making it feel like it’s attainable

This audiobook was interesting to me since I have a neurodivergent 8-year-old. I liked the idea of exploring how the pandemic impacted kids. What I found difficult in this audiobook format is being able to skip areas of the book that aren't of interest to me - such as the baby milestones. I know the author said that any of these milestones/activities are helpful to review, but at some point, hearing about tummy time or rolling over feels SO LONG ago I wish I could easily skip those parts. I found myself trying to skip forward through infant and toddler times, but couldn't do this elegantly, There were also LOTS of these ideas of activities for much younger kiddos.

There were a only few examples given in the first part of the book, but found myself thinking I wasn't going to remember many of these concepts without more examples. Short memorable stories is the best way for me to process when I read parent books. I did like the lists of things to try at the end of each chapter - making me wish I had a print copy to reference.

This was a great book and the author does a fantastic job of delving into child brain development from all angles, with examples and case studies shown as reference throughout. It was easy to follow along, although I do think it would have been easier for me to follow along with a physical copy. I got lots of useful information out of this book that I'm going to give a try with my own daughter. My daughter was actually the reason why I was interested in this book and wanted to review it, because I am almost positive that she has ADHD and have struggled with how to best support her.

I think a physical copy would be better than an audiobook but I still learned from it. There isn’t any major life changing information in the book. It is stuff you have heard before. The thing that makes this book great is the format. There are consist easy to implement summaries. It is laid out with the information on an easy to remember format. .

This is a fantastic parenting book with solid science conveyed in a sensible, gentle tone that anyone can understand and learn from. Back on Track explains brain development from all angles (attention, mood, emotions, behaviors, organization, communication, social interactions, learning, and confidence) and shares case studies. While it would have been nice to have this book when my kids were babies, I was still able to deepen my understanding of my kids and how to best support their brains. This is another solid Mayo Clinic book and I highly recommend it!

Thank you to Dreamscape Media (Mayo Clinic Press) for gifting me with an ALC to review! I really enjoyed it.

Being a parent of a neurodiverse child, I’ve been curious about how Brain Balance works for years, just didn’t have a location close enough to go to. That’s why I wanted to check out this book, and I’m glad that I did! There are so many helpful parenting tips in here for all kids! I wish that I would have had it when my kids were younger, but so glad to have it now. I’’ve started putting some of the ideas into practice at our home and am pleased with it so far.

I've read a LOT of parenting books. I don't mean dozens, but hundreds. I was pregnant during covid and my family was fortunate to be in a position to have me stay home for the entirety of my pregnancy. I filled my days with research, because that's what I do.

'Back on Track' isn't revolutionary for someone who has read as much as I have (both in direct studies and parenting books). A lot of the information reads as truisms - healthy eating, exercise, and sleep are essential, and you'll get a lot farther by meeting your child where they are than by where you expect them to be.

That said, if you don't have the time or interest to devour hundreds of parenting books, this is a great one for a one-stop-shop kind of summary. It does an excellent job of reminding parents that the brain-body connection is huge, and you can't address behavioral and developmental issues without considering it.

My daughter is only 2.5 years old so we haven't introduced screen time yet, but it reminds parents to minimize screentime once they do introduce it. It reminds parents of the important of unscheduled time and the creative opportunity of boredom.

What I like best about this book is that Dr. Jackson combines sharing the 'why' of her recommendations with the 'how' to implement the strategies. It's so helpful for busy parents, especially in households with a primary parent who carries most of the mental load, to have those examples of how to put her advice into practice.

She also includes case studies (though some are so extreme, like a 14 year old kid who couldn't tie his shoes, that they were distancing). I'd love to see more of the hard research behind her recommendations, but it makes sense to keep the book on a summary-level for digestibility and broad appeal.

'Back on Track' is a helpful reminder of some important truths about healthy development. I'll probably keep this on hand to read as a refresher every few years.