I often find my self sitting with a parent who gives me the long story of their child's therapeutic history. They may have first had interventions through Early Childhood Intervention as a baby, they may be receiving speech therapy or occupational therapy through the public schools and also be getting services through private companies. Many of them still receive ABA therapy, and may have gone through The Listening Program, or other supplemental approaches. Parents may be investing thousands of dollars a month and hours of their time with these therapies and sometimes are still concerned about their child's outcomes. At this point I often ask if they have had done any bio-medical interventions, usually in the form of an evaluation and treatment plan from a certified nutritionist. Sometimes parents say something like "we tried the Gluten Free think for awhile, but it was a nightmare to maintain", or "well, he will only eat just a few things anyway, so I doubt that a nutritionist will be able to help". I find in these cases, the need for a nutritionist is even greater, as these are red flags that food sensitivities and nutritional deficiencies may be a problem. If your child has difficulty with memory, attention, learning or mood, seems to get sick easily, or has stomach discomfort, I highly recommend that you look into a nutritionist. Not everyone who doles out nutritional advice has the training or qualifications to give such advice. Look for a certified nutritionist who continually seeks to change and grow their practice as new research comes to light. Find out how often they work with kids and families, and learn about their consultation and evaluation process. A good nutritionist maintains a continued relationship with families, following up, therapeutically, as a child grows and changes. Listen to your instincts. If you connect well to the nutritionist then you will be more likely to understand and follow his or her recommendations. Two area nutritionists with excellent programs for kids with learning and developmental challenges are listed below, along with a description of their practice and specialties. Laura Kopec- Laura focuses on serving women and families. She uses a holistic approach to addressing the nutritional needs for kids with special needs. She uses non-invasive assessment techniques, develops an individualized nutrition plan that involves diet change and supplements, and provides ongoing support. She has also integrated genetic testing into her bio-medical model. Laura works to meet every family where they are at, and works toward incremental growth rather than a complete change overnight. Faye Elahi- Faye works to make nutritional change fun! She uses individualized assessment techniques to evaluate nutritional deficiencies and sensitivities and works maintain a balanced approach to nutrition. Faye works with families to determine what the best route for a family is in regards to diet and also what supplements would most benefit a child. This is followed by continued consultation and support.
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I have used this 3 book series in my practice for years. They look like a traditional textbook, and the reading selections are fantastic. Each story is full of questions to help a student actively think about what they read, while more difficult vocabulary is provided for reference along side the text. The reading level in book 1 starts at around 3rd grade and the most difficult story in book three is 8th grade level. This is a wonderful tool to help kids to become more independent readers. Yesterday a client's mother shared this article with me. I think that it is very insightful and addresses some specific challenges that kids on the spectrum experiences when trying to gain deeper understanding of what they read. Many times they have trouble understanding the perspective of the characters and need more direction in regards to conversations and interaction. My favorite Speech Bubble Book is There is a Bird on Your Head! In the DFW area, Hawaiian Falls is almost synonymous with summer fun! Champion day at Hawaiian Falls is highly anticipated by many kids and families around the Metroplex. On those scheduled days, kids with special needs, AKA Champions are admitted for free between 8:30 and 10:30 AM. During this window accompanying adults get in for $5.00 and families get access for $19.00. Families are then welcome to stay all day. This year's Champions Days are June 20th and August 4th at all local Hawaiian Falls locations. What a fun way to enjoy time together and keep cool. After doing a cognitive analysis with their child, I often get the question from parents, "Do you think I should look into a brain training program?". Usually a specific program is mentioned when they ask the question. My answer is always the same. Brain training programs almost all work to a certain degree. Basically any time you challenge your brain to learn a new skill or tackle a new problem, it will be forced to change and grow. This change, this growth, is called neuroplacticity. That said, these programs are only as effective as the time and effort put into them and not all of them are right for every child or every situation. Here are some things to look out for. If a program claims to be a "fix all" beware. Unless your child has only one or two areas of cognitive weakness (and we all have a variety of strengths and weaknesses), one therapy or one program cannot address everything. If the person you are in communication with is unable to tell you the principles of how their program works in a way that you can understand, avoid the program. This is a sign that either the person is not well trained and doesn't understand it themselves, or that the science behind the intervention has not fully been researched. Avoid a "short" intervention. True brain plasticity takes time. What we are talking about here is rewiring the brain and growing new neurons. This does not happen in two weeks or even a month. This is a long-term investment and often times not cheap. Below are some popular brain-training programs. Remember, one size does not fit all, you get out of it the time you are willing to invest and some of these are not inexpensive options so do your research first! Audiblox- Audiblox is a program out of South Africa that is implemented at home. Kits are mailed out that contain most of the tools needed to implement the program, plus a training CD and book. There are different tracks for training, but the core involves memory tasks using small multicolored blocks. They also have a computer based program called Compublox. Brain Balance Achievement Center- The hallmark of Brain Balance Achievement Center involves use of sensory motor activities as part of a more comprehensive approach. They also do one-on-one exercises designed to address cognitive and academic challenges. They even integrate a nutritional approach to address learning and cognitive challenges. Cogmed- Cogmed is a computer based intervention that can be done in a therapist’s office, at school, or in home by subscription. This program is specifically designed to address challenges in short-term memory. ICAN- The International Christian Association of Neurodevelopmentalists based their interventions off of those from the National Association of Child Development. They, however, over the years, have also adopted some of their own methods and techniques, but still use the prescriptive model in which a neurodevelopmentalist evaluates the child and then prescribes exercises and activities to be implemented by parents in-home. ICAN is an accrediting body for local practitioners that manage their own businesses. Interactive Metronome- Interactive metronome involves use of a computer-based rhythmic metronome that helps students improve internal rhythm and timing in an effort to improve attention, processing speed, coordination, as well as other skills. Interactive metronome is usually administered in a therapist’s office, but you can now get products based on the program for in-home use. Learning Rx- This franchise of centers implements exercises that address foundational cognitive skills such as short and long term memory, processing speed, and attention. They use direct recall exercises to address challenges with short-term memory, and have students practice processing speed by doing a variety of academic exercises using a metronome. Learning Rx has an initial in-house assessment that they use to determine baseline achievement and to measure progress. Lumosity- Lumosity is a subscription based online, self-implemented, online brain training program. Using games that stimulate memory, visual processing, processing speed, attention, as well as other core skills, Lumosity is an enjoyable way to exercise your brain. NACD- The National Association of Child Development and its cousin organization The Institute for the Advancement of Human Potential (IAHP) are two of the original brain-training programs. They use a prescriptive technique in which a family visits their center, or, in the case of NACD, a local professional that does an assessment and then individualizes a global cognitive development program implemented by parents. . http://www.nacd.org/ The Listening Program- The Listening Program is designed to address challenges with auditory processing. It requires regular listening to music specifically calibrated to boost sensitivity to some sounds, while reducing sensitivity to others. These days, cursive writing has almost gone "the way of the dodo" in public schools. Handwriting, which used to be considered an almost trained art form in schools, is given a glancing blow in the first three grades, followed by more focused teaching in keyboarding. "Is this such a bad thing?" People ask, "After all, don't we all type more than we write these days?" What people don't take into account, however, is that handwriting, and especially cursive writing, programs the brain for attention and focus. It requires more conscious thought to write information down on paper than it does to press buttons on a keyboard. Cursive is even a more potent method of writing. A student has to write complete words, avoiding picking up their pen between letters, requiring more focus, fluidity of thinking, and memory for the whole word over individual letters when copying. If your child does not have a solid handwriting program in school I highly recommend that you look into the resources below. Handwriting Without Tears, especially the cursive program, teaches a simple scrip style using multisensory teaching methods. The print materials are fun and designed for easy use for both left and right handed students. The Handwriting Clinic is a local DFW resource. This dedicated occupational therapy clinic uses multisensory and sensory-integration methods. They teach handwriting first through gross-motor movements, narrowing down to fine motor movements. They have print and cursive individualized programs as well as camps and classes. Looking for free teaching materials, information and resources for your child? Do 2 Learn has been around since 1996 and has an extensive collection free, printable academic, social skills, and behavior management materials. They also have some materials for purchase, but the website is worth browsing simply for the free materials.
I hear this question repeatedly from parent's whose children are struggling with core academics like reading and mathematics. "Is Science and Social Studies Really Important?". This is usually followed by "We have so many other things we need to work on." A parent, whose child may have difficulty comprehending a basic picture book or may just not be grasping the nuances of word problems, may not see the need to stop and talk about the colonization of America, or the function of the human heart. Whether in public school, where the priority of these classes are often shuffled aside for focus on the "3 R's", or in a home-school situation, struggling kids, often find themselves at a deficit in the areas of comprehension and knowledge. What are you really teaching when you teach the cycle of a butterfly, or how a bill becomes a law? You are giving a child vital knowledge of how our world functions. You are giving that student information that they can apply to new situations, and can give them a foundation of learning that they can apply new learning to. Many core reading comprehension issues start out as a knowledge deficit issue. You want your child to have a leg-up when it comes to living and independence? Science and Social-Studies teaching are vital ingredients. Does your 3rd or 4th grader struggle to recall their multiplication facts? Are they really great with stories? Are they imaginative? Do they like silly things? Check out Memorize in Minutes. This program uses symbol association and silly stories to teach multiplication facts. This is great for upper elementary students through grade 5, but middle schoolers that still struggle may need something more "serious". Either way, this is a fun way to teach and learn multiplication facts! If you are looking for an Amazing science program that can be adapted to multiple age-levels and abilities, check out Real Science 4 Kids! This curriculum has a real hands-on experiment with every lesson, teaches high level science concepts even to the youngest participant, and uses the scientific method as its foundation!
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