justb, helping teachers teach and neurodivergent students learn

justb optimizes children’s energy level, improving classroom management and student engagement in learning spaces. justb is an evidence-informed, holistic, and inclusive platform that equips educators and children with meaningful movement and mindfulness tools.

Physical movement has shaped who we are. After being a UCLA student athlete, I became a certified yoga instructor and a head teacher at a treatment center for children with developmental disabilities.

Autism is mostly understood as a social and behavioral disorder; and the commonly thought of as a movement disorder, however, my experience working privately in the home setting gave me a unique perspective on the challenges children with ASD face engaging in physical activity. This became clear to me through interacting with Faisal. Initially, I was expected to reinforce academic skills at the table, however, when I arrived for our lessons, Faisal would scream and throw his body to the ground. When we moved our sessions out into the world Faisal behaved differently. When we swam at the beach, biked at the park, and went ice skating, Faisal was more engaged and communicated more spontaneously. In hindsight, I know that these specific activities appealed to him because they helped calm and organize his sensory and motor responses.

Less than 25% of youth in the US meet the recommended guidelines of 60-minutes of daily moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). As sedentary behaviors increase, so has anxiety and depression. All of these challenges are exacerbated for children with developmental disabilities who are four and a half times less likely to engage in physical activity. Recent CDC reports 1 in 36 children have ASD and 1 in 6 children have a developmental disability.

The fact, that not all children, engage in regular, meaningful physical activity has fueled our teams desire to make movement joyful and accessible for every brain.

Through intentional physical movement, justb is creating an understanding and connection between our minds and our bodies. This connection develops confidence and expands our field of awareness, opening new pathways for connection and consciousness. Every person should be empowered with the opportunity to feel physically capable and safe in their body.

If you are curious, learn more here: https://movewithjustb.com/

Belden Long is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OT) at Duke University. She has over 8 years of experience teaching yoga to people of all levels and abilities (including children with ASD and their families, Division 1 and Olympic athletes, and people experiencing mental health challenges). Belden is a Research Assistant on Virtual FACES, a multidisciplinary team leveraging the best technology and research to design and develop equitable online physical educational resources. Belden was the 2022 AOTA’s Inventor’s Showcase Judges’ Winner and a Division 1 Women’s National Championship UCLA Soccer Team Member. 

Through Belden's journey, from gritty athlete to intuitive guide, she knows how to create a safe space where people can grow, feel connected to their bodies, and do the work in. Her extensive clinical work and in-home experiences with families of children with autism have uniquely positioned her to understand and address the physical and emotional challenges neurodivergent children experience during physical activity. Moreover, her Duke OT Doctorate Program has prepared her to utilize tools from within OT practice like: sensorimotor strategies, interoceptive awareness training, and body sensing, to make movement meaningful and accessible for all. 

The People: justb 'coaches and founders are elite athletes, Olympians, Occupational Therapists, and National Champions. Content and techniques are derived from the training experiences of professional athletes. Rosie is a 2x and current Olympic athlete and Belden is a National Champion soccer player, marathon runner and certified yoga teacher. Rosie and Belden are uniquely positioned to understand the physical and emotional challenges kids experience during physical activity, because they have experienced them as athletes, coaches and mentors. Fortunately, they are advised by world renowned autism researchers and neurodivergent families. 

During the LEAP sprint, Belden was already planning on working towards phase 2 of her research project exploring the effectiveness of justb with autistic students. Through her capstone doctoral mentor, Barry Prizant she has access to several private schools in the US and Canada specifically designed to support students with complex learning challenges, as well as some leaders in the autism space who write about and consult for schools.

Our justb team is curious, scrappy, and eager to work, learn and grow with the best. We recognize the importance of demonstrating the effectiveness of justb and hope our work together serves as a catalyst for justb to become an evidence-based intervention model that addresses the diverse educational needs of school-aged students with ASD. 

justb is an evidence-informed and inclusive movement and mindfulness platform for school-aged youth with Autism and ADHD. 

Research which understands the effectiveness of teacher-facilitated physical activity (PA) classes could change the way teachers teach and the way neurodivergent students learn. Less than 25% of youth in the US meet the recommended guidelines of 60-minutes of daily moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), however, “exercise prepares the brain to expand, learn, and change better than any other human activity.” The fact that most states require only minimal or unspecified amounts of physical education (PE) and PA time, suggests that stakeholders do not understand the potential impact of movement and sensory strategies on classroom performance and facilitated learning. The increased prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and ADHD exacerbates the need for PA resources that are user friendly and adaptable for diverse learning styles. Students with developmental disorders are 4.5x less likely to engage in PA, yet researchers overwhelmingly agree that engaging in movement provides a significant gateway to academic productivity and promotes lifelong health and well-being. Moreover, research suggests that PA may offer an effective way for addressing emotional dysregulation, a problem not targeted by current effective treatment options (i.e., stimulants and behavior modification therapy). Thus, an inclusive, practical movement tool that optimizes children's arousal level would enable teachers to effectively meet the sensory and learning needs of their students, supporting classroom management and student engagement. Through my capstone project, exploring the effectiveness of justb, we want to contribute to the resources of evidence-based interventions that address the educational needs of school-age students with ASD.

justb’s unique solution 

 justb has been collaboratively designed by a multidisciplinary team of therapists, Olympic athletes, neurodivergent learners, and adapted physical education teachers. justb utilizes tools from within Occupational Therapy practice like sensorimotor strategies, interoceptive awareness training, and body sensing to address students’ physical and mental health with inclusive, engaging, and creative content. justb helps students build independent awareness of their physiological and psychological needs by: 

• Employing a multi-disciplinary team of teachers, specialists, and top-tier athletes to address the physical, mental, and emotional health crisis in children. 

• Merging social-emotional learning and physical education to facilitate students building self-awareness and self-management skills through intentional movement and mindfulness.

• Curating sensory-friendly movement meaning the pacing, instruction, and visual design enable children with Autism, ADHD, and other neurouniquenesses to participate meaningfully.

• Supporting the whole school, the classroom, and individual students using a multi-tiered system of implementation (i.e., justb can be used school wide, in a special ed classroom/ adapted PE classroom or can be used individually) 

• My literature review focused on understanding the Importance of Inclusive Movement Resources at Schools. Ultimately, integrating intentional movement across children's school day would be transformative. Researchers overwhelmingly agree that engaging in movement provides a significant gateway to academic productivity and promotes lifelong health and well-being, therefore, movement and PE must become a priority. Mandatory structured movement breaks in the curriculum, school day, teaching methods and during play time would change the way students learn, feel and act. 
• We have conducted over 150 semi-structured customer discovery interviews with elementary school educators, neurodivergent families, autistic individuals, autism researchers and therapists. 
• We are currently wrapping up our beta pilot with our new web application in schools with 45+ preK-6th grade teachers from across the US and the teachers and students are LOVING justb. Some feedback about our videos, which range in length from 3-15 minutes:

1. “I honestly can’t imagine not having justb in the classroom. My students have made so much growth in three weeks that they have been doing justb. They have never resisted doing justb. It has something to offer for each of my students, especially when I consider their unique and individual needs.”

2. “My students and I are definitely enjoying justb! I am so impressed with how appropriate and helpful it is for neurodivergent children. In many ways I find it more useful in the classroom than GoNoodle, (which I have been using for years).”

3. "I feel like I would like to do it multiple times a day in my schedule. To start our day & when we get back from our resource period. My kids are loving it and requesting it!"

4. “One of our most challenging students is using justb on his breaks. justb has significantly improved his participation in the classroom. He is now able to work for 40 minutes, which far surpasses his other work periods!”

Daily dairy: Participating classroom teachers completed a brief survey after completing each movement class that focuses on the effectiveness and implementation process. The daily dairy aimed to capture information like did the intervention go as planned; what actually happened; and was the intervention effective in preparing the students for meaningful learning. It  provided insight on how the intervention was delivered, what barriers and opportunities it created for teachers, and how the intervention impacted students' regulation as perceived by the lead teacher.

Here is a link to our results from the April school pilots if you want to take a look; its based on over 175 daily diary entries: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/14R1dHBUEEU0acMaf054YBNvDZsKJU_-u0wH_w5aIUfQ/edit?usp=sharing

Our research assesses the effectiveness of justb using quantitative (e.g., surveys and accelerometers) and qualitative (e.g., focus groups and observation notes) data collection tools. Phase 1 of our research explores the effectiveness of justb, in an integrated general education classroom, to increase physical activity (PA) participation, self-esteem and learning among school-aged youth. The main study outcome, youth moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) minutes, will be assessed using accelerometers. Secondary outcomes of interest include children's physical self-esteem and quality of life and teacher's perception of overall effectiveness and implementation. During phase 2, we want to collaborate with neurodivergent students to understand their perspective of justb as an emotional or energy regulation support. All data from this research will be used to refine justb for future use in elementary schools.

Less than 25% of youth in the United States meet the recommended guidelines of 60-minutes of daily MVPA (Katzmarzyk et al., 2018). Budget cuts and increased pressure for schools to increase standardized test scores have prevented schools from promoting physical activity (PA), yet school physical education represents the largest youth PA intervention worldwide (Hardman, 2008). Studies provide evidence that participating in PA not only benefits present and future health (Erwin, et al, 2012; Mazzoli et al, 2021), but also results in significant and positive effects on children’s cognitive functioning (Fedewa & Ahn, 2011; Trudeau & Shephard, 2010). Additionally, research shows positive academic outcomes with the implementation of PA with no detrimental effects to learning when time is taken away from academic instruction (Sibley & Etnier, 2003).

Although the school system is designed to meet the needs of neurotypical children (individuals with typical neurological development or functioning), those with learning differences are challenged to participate without the necessary support. Teachers are expected to accommodate students’ physical developmental needs (Erwin, et al, 2012). However, a national survey of parents from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that 9.8 % of children aged 3-17 have been diagnosed with ADHD (Bitsko et al., 2022). As a result of the increased prevalence of ADHD and other learning disabilities, the majority of teachers struggle to adapt PA so that all children can participate in meaningful ways. These challenges exacerbate the need for advancements in PA resources that are user-friendly, equity-minded, and adaptable for diverse learning styles.

justb delivers inclusive online movement resources designed through the perspective of neurodivergent students to meet the needs of different learning styles. Promoting PA and preparing for meaningful participation in the learning process, inclusive online movement resources apply broadly to students, ages 5-14, whether neurotypical or neurodivergent. Our mission leverages the best technology and research, resulting in four priorities: (a) increase in MVPA for school-aged youth; (b) increase focus, participation, and academic performance in learning; (c) develop students' ability to self-monitor their bodies and build independent awareness of physiological needs; and (d) equip teachers with flexible tools that accommodate a variety of learning styles.

(1) What is the effectiveness of justb on student moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in school-aged youth with autism? (2) What is the effectiveness of justb on autistic students' general well-being and physical self-esteem? (3) What is the effectiveness of justb on classroom management and student engagement in learning?

I am proud of our commitment to collaborate with neurodivergent athletes and our recent research efforts to determine if justb is not only feasible and enjoyable but also effective in improving outcomes. At the end of the 12-week LEAP project sprint I hope to understand justb's impact on autistic students' motor competency, sense of belonging, and self regulation.

All data from this pilot will be used to refine justb for future use in elementary schools. These outputs will enable us to advocate and create Social Emotional Learning (SEL) resources that are equity-minded and adaptive for diverse learning styles. Although it is clear that all stakeholders recognize the importance of helping students develop the skills to maintain a well-regulated emotional state, few, if any, SEL programs affirm how neurodivergent children may intuitively regulate, potentially doing more harm than good. (Laurent & Fede 2020). Historically, society has labeled these non-typical behaviors---flapping, vocalizing, rocking, pacing, echolalia, lack of eye contact---as “autistic behaviors” but actually these are effective self-regulation strategies. Forcing students with sensory processing impairments to conform to neurotypical ways of being, fails to acknowledge the pyramid of learning, where physiological regulation is the foundation for daily living activities, behavior, and higher cognition. 

A top down approach to SEL focuses on teaching students thought based strategies, requiring students to engage in introspection and cognitively intensive skills. This prevents students with interoceptive impairments (a type of sensory impairment) from engaging meaningfully. Research overwhelmingly shows that accuracy in identifying interoceptive signals is associated with skill in emotional processing, decision making, self-regulation, and empathy (Nicholson et al., 2013; Cipriano et al, 2021), yet few SEL programs focus on strengthening the foundation of self-regulation by building students' own internal bodily signals. Given that children with ASD have significant impairments in interoceptive accuracy, effective and inclusive SEL programs should focus on helping students develop their ability to self-monitor their bodies and build independent awareness of physiological needs. 

Utilizing tools from within Occupational Therapy practice like sensorimotor strategies, interoceptive awareness training, and body sensing could change the way teachers teach and the way neurodivergent students learn SEL. To be truly effective, the need to educate teachers on the theoretical underpinnings of atypical sensory processing and emotional regulation related to children with ASD is crucial. This would help teachers prioritize strengthening the foundation of self-regulation through activities like movement and mindfulness that build interoceptive awareness. It would also empower parents and teachers to focus on equipping children with practical and relevant strategies to prevent and deal with dysregulation. Research exploring sensory friends, teacher facilitated movement and mindfulness tools could help us develop neuroaffirming, feasible and more effective strategies in the classroom.

Short-term outcomes: 

1. Explore the potential of justb to increase physical activity participation, self-esteem and learning among school-aged youth

2.   Understand how to develop and create a milestone driven research plan/ make the plan. 

3. Demonstrate improved competence differentiating between assumption and fact; meaning we want to become competent in developing evidence to confirm (or disconfirm) the key assumptions of justb.

4.   Grow professionally and personally as a researcher and leader by surrounding myself with people who challenge me to think differently. 

Longer Term Vision for justb: Currently, teachers and families pay out of pocket for a justb subscription. Our longer term vision is for justb to be covered by insurance plans and employers so that no one needs to pay out of pocket. In order to work towards that vision, justb will need to begin work in two areas:

• Clinical Validation Studies: justb will run a short, randomized controlled Phase 1 study in the school setting this setter to begin to understand clinical efficacy. Additional larger studies are being planned for the 2023-24 school year. This is what where we would like to focus our efforts during the LEAP sprint. 
• Insurance Plan Research: justb will conduct research online and by connecting with Flare Capital’s LPs’ Industry Scholars (regional and national insurance providers) to understand justb’s potential use cases to be covered by insurance plans and what metrics insurance plans need to see in clinical validation studies in order to pilot.