Ep 102: Brain Maps, Neurodevelopment, and Functional Neurology – A Masterclass with Dr. Melillo

If you work with clients who have pain, movement issues, or developmental challenges, this episode will shift how you think about the brain’s role in all of it. Robert Melillo, Ph.D., is the founder of the Brain Balance Centers and Melillo Method and has decades of experience helping kids and adults with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and anxiety overcome challenges thought to be permanent. He joins us to talk about functional neurology, primitive reflexes, and the deep patterns that shape human performance, behavior, and healing. We discuss:

• What retained primitive reflexes tell us about brain development

• Why many chronic issues are rooted in brain asymmetries, not injuries

• How interoception and proprioception affect movement, speech, and emotion

• Tests Dr. Melillo uses to assess brain function and nervous system maturity 

• The surprising overlaps between autism, athletic potential, and chronic pain

Functional imbalances in the brain aren’t permanent—and they’re more common than most realize. Whether you’re working with kids, athletes, or adults in pain, this episode will equip you to see root causes more clearly and give you new tools and hope.