Meet Dr. Jim Costello: The Visionary Behind Functional Neuromotor Activation Technique (FNAT)
My journey has been a deeply personal and professional exploration into the intricate relationship between the brain and body. As a father of five and the developer of the Functional Neuromotor Activation Technique (FNAT), I’ve dedicated much of my life to understanding and addressing the challenges that traditional methods often fail to resolve. I’d like to share with you how FNAT came to be, and how it has transformed not only the lives of my patients but also my own and those of my family.
The Start of My Journey
My career began in 1987 in chiropractic care, driven by a passion for helping people overcome physical pain and improve their overall well-being. For years, I focused on treating my patients’ physical ailments, believing that with the right adjustments, I could help them feel better. However, over time, I noticed a troubling pattern: despite successful physical treatments, many of my patients continued to struggle with conditions like anxiety, ADHD, and sensory overload. These weren’t just physical issues; they pointed to something deeper—something that chiropractic care alone wasn’t addressing.
This realization sparked my curiosity and led me to explore the science of the brain and its connections with the body. It was during this time that I discovered neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to reorganize itself in response to new experiences and stimuli. Although this concept wasn’t widely discussed at the time, I recognized its potential as a powerful tool for addressing the root causes of the conditions I was seeing in my practice.
As I delved deeper, I learned that early developmental movements—like rolling, crawling, and standing—are crucial in forming the brain-body connections that allow us to process sensory information and respond to our environment. These movements, often overlooked, are the foundation of how our brains develop and interact with our bodies. I realized that by mimicking these foundational movements, it might be possible to reset and strengthen these connections, offering a new way to treat conditions that were resistant to traditional methods.
The Birth of FNAT: A New Approach to Healing
With this new understanding, I retired from chiropractic and set out to create a method that could harness the brain’s neuroplastic potential to reset and strengthen these critical connections. And so, the Functional Neuromotor Activation Technique, or FNAT, was born.
Developing FNAT was no easy task. I knew that to make a real impact, FNAT had to be more than just a series of exercises—it needed to emulate the natural stages of brain-body development that occur in early childhood. I envisioned FNAT as an approach similar to an athletic performance model, where each movement would progressively build and refine the brain-body connection, much like how athletes train to optimize their physical performance.
However, turning this vision into a practical and effective program required extensive research, testing, and refinement. I meticulously studied the developmental movements that are key to neurological development and applied them in a therapeutic context. My goal was to create a method that could be adapted to address a wide range of conditions—including ADHD, anxiety, sensory processing disorders, and autism—in both children and adults.
Overcoming Skepticism: The Real-World Validation of FNAT
As FNAT began to take shape, I faced skepticism from the medical community. Some doubted that a chiropractor could develop a method that effectively addressed neurological conditions. One particular challenge came from a local developmental pediatrician who, determined to discredit FNAT, referred six patients to me—three children with autism and three with ADHD—hoping to prove that FNAT was ineffective.
I applied the FNAT principles with confidence, unaware of the depth of skepticism behind these referrals. Over a twelve-week course, the results were undeniable. The children with ADHD showed marked improvements in focus and behavior, while those with autism displayed better sensory regulation and engagement with their environment. The doctor, who had been intent on disproving FNAT’s effectiveness, was forced to acknowledge its success. This led to more referrals—not just from the medical community, but from parents who witnessed the transformation in their children firsthand.
The success of these initial cases validated what I had always believed: FNAT was not just another treatment; it was a revolutionary approach that addressed the root causes of neurological dysfunction, offering lasting and meaningful improvements.
A Personal Journey: How FNAT Helped My Family and Me
FNAT is not just a professional achievement for me; it’s deeply personal. As the father of five children, I’ve experienced the challenges of parenting firsthand. Like many parents, I’ve faced periods of anxiety, depression, poor focus, and fatigue—common struggles when balancing the demands of a large family and a demanding career. FNAT became a vital tool in my own life, helping me manage stress, regain focus, and maintain my energy during some of the most challenging times.
One of the most powerful examples of FNAT’s impact is the story of my daughter. Diagnosed with ADHD, she struggled with focus and depression, and doctors recommended medication and an educational therapist to help her navigate high school. Instead of following the traditional route, we chose to apply FNAT, working closely with her to address her challenges. The results were transformative. Not only did she overcome her struggles with focus and depression, but she also excelled academically. Today, she is an honor student at UC Davis, thriving in ways that many had doubted were possible.
FNAT has also been instrumental in the well-being of my other children, helping them overcome anxiety, improve focus, and maintain a healthy balance between their academic, social, and personal lives. The technique has become a cornerstone of our family’s approach to health and well-being, providing us with the resilience to navigate life’s inevitable ups and downs.
The Right Tool for the Right Job: Why FNAT Matters
I’ve always believed that every treatment or intervention is a tool, and success comes from using the right tool for the right job. Traditional treatments often focus on managing symptoms or improving specific functions, but they can miss the underlying connections that are essential for true healing. FNAT is different—it goes beyond symptom management, addressing the foundational brain-body connections that influence how we process information, regulate emotions, and interact with the world.
FNAT is particularly necessary because it fills a gap that traditional methods often overlook. It’s not just about achieving temporary relief; it’s about building a robust foundation for long-term mental and physical health. For me, FNAT is the right tool for the job—a tool that has transformed the lives of my patients and my family, and one that continues to offer hope and healing to those who need it most.
The transformative power of FNAT has been the driving force behind my dedication to this work. I’ve seen firsthand how FNAT can change lives—not just for my patients, but for my own family. It’s this commitment to making a real, lasting difference that continues to inspire me to share FNAT with the world.