Archive for September, 2010

Why are so many students struggling?

Many years ago, when our educational system was developed, we were primarily an auditory society. The current education system is based on oral instruction as one of the primary means of teaching. (Young) This type of academic presentation was developed for an auditory society. Today, however, with the advent of TV and huge advancements in technology, our society has become primarily visual. Our children spend many hours a day with what is termed “screen time” activities, from TV to video and computer games, with more seeming to appear daily. The lack of auditory processing ability, due to prevalence of mostly visual opportunities, causes individuals to use compensating skills such as being alert to visual cues, picking up body language, and anticipating what will be said in order to function in day to day life. (Young p.7)  These compensating skills work well through the early part of elementary school because of the repetitive nature of the teaching techniques. When approaching middle school years however, listening demands accelerate significantly and picture cues are dropped from textbooks (Young) leaving the student with auditory processing challenges at a loss. Auditory processing ability is not some mystical or magical skill which a child either has or they don’t; it must be developed by experience and practice in listening. Without experiences, there are no concepts; without concepts, there’s no attention span because the child doesn’t know what people are talking about. (Healey, 1991, p.41) The huge number of attention problems in children and adults contributes greatly to the number of individuals labeled and plagued with attention deficits.

What is Processing and Why is it Important?

For our purpose, processing will be synonymous with short term memory. Processing, both visual and auditory, is very significant to intellectual functions. (Ness, Kay (2) 1999). Since auditory processing has more of a global effect on an individual. Auditory processing is multi-faceted.  There are many components that show the complexity of the term, “auditory processing.” In mild to moderate auditory processing instances, the individual might have the label of ADD or ADHD as many of the symptoms on these checklists are also symptoms of low auditory processing. In severe instances, an individual might have all or some of the symptoms listed below and could have the label of CAPD (Central Auditory Processing Disorder). This refers to an “input” disorder that affects, specifically, the way auditory information is processed at a variety of levels in the central nervous system. (Bellis, 2002, p.30) 

So, this is just a primer on Auditory Processing and I’d highly recommend you get a very special booklet that not only will cover more on this topic, but also offers things you can do to improve your or your child’s processing abilities. As they say, auditory processing is the best kept secret in education.  Investigate, educate and then make a difference to stop the struggle associated with learning issues.  Auditory Processing is a key component to eliminating many problems.

Little Giant Steps, a neuro-educational consulting group, has worked with clients for the past seventeen years and has thousands of people, some young, some old,  have found access to all they are capable of doing via our programs that literally re-educate or ”train” the brain!  Some would say, “That’s not the correct terminology… what actually happens is the LGS Neuro-Educational Programs rewires the brain through the use of brain-based techniques that specifically stimulate the ends of the nerves (dendrites) to grow.  With growth, new neuro-pathways and connections are made, and the brain becomes more efficient in it’s communication in conjunction with all of the input and output senses (visual, auditory, tactile, language, cognitive comprehension).”  

You see, developmentally, most our society has missed some of the early stages vitally required to get the brain and body connected.  Why are we, as a society, missing these stages?  Because we keep our infants in seats of one kind or another for most of their waking hours.  They come home from the hospital in a seat, and they pretty much get placed in upright seats or lying on their backs during those early months.  Why?  Because we like to look at our children’s faces and conveniently communicate with them.  When  in fact, what an infant needs most is to be on their tummies, so their developmentally designed processes can work in completing the neuro-connections between the brain and the body.  When these vital steps and stages of development go missing, then there will be  gaps and these gaps show up as learning disabilities! 

Parents tell us, “My child is smart, but there are these things he just can’t seem to do that he should be able to do!”  “My child knows one thing one day and the next day, it’s like they never heard of it!”  “I’ve tried every known way to help my child read and they just can’t do it!”

The good news is that the learning disability does not have to be a life sentence, if an intervention at the “root causal” level gets underway.  The symptoms of Dyslexia can be eliminated, ADD, ADHD, Autism, PPD and many other symptomatic labels can be made a part of the individuals past history.  Not only does Little Giant Steps have a professional program of evaluating, but they will write an individual program to address the specific deficits revealed in the evaluation.  They even will provide a curriculum for the child that will include those grade appropriate subjects, but will incorporate the neurodevelopmental approach in the application, which really gives you more bang for your buck!

For those families who are aware of their child having symptoms of learning disabilities, LGS has created two programs to get children off to a good start academically.  The first program is “Early Learning Foundations” for 2-6 year old, which has been very successfully applied to mentally challenged children, as well.  Then for school, teens and others there is the “Developmental Foundations” which provides full coverage for getting the lower levels of the brain organized, improved processing abilities, testing instruments, math programs, and much more.  These can be done at home right along with their curriculum.  Little Giant Steps has a vision.  The vision is to help all those who struggle with learning. We assist them resolve learning issues, because research has proved there is proven intervention and a child does not need to grow up with neuro-inefficiency!  If you need help, get it!  See our helpful articles.   See the research data!  Then get busy and just solve this issue once and for all.  You can make a significant difference in your child’s and even your learning and academic life.

Here are a few items that parents have brought to us mostly in the form of questions.  They ask:

“I know my child is intelligent, so… Why is he so disorganized?    

Why is his room such a mess?

Why does he lose everything? Why is his school work in such chaos?

Why does he know something one day and can’t remember it the next?

Why does it take him twice as long to do everything?

Why does everything seem so difficult for him?”

There are many more symptoms that accompany all the different diagnosis accompanying the different labels that cover the spectrum of learning disabilities.  What Little Giant Steps wants you to be certain of is that whether Dyslexia, ADD/ADHD or many other learning issues do not have to be a life sentence for you, or a member of your family.  The Neuro-Educational Programs we provide changes those dynamics of these symptoms at the root cause levels of the brain and symptoms can be reduced and totally eliminated in most cases.  Please read about our clients, the academic improvements, and now even the schools are reaping benefits from our Neuro-Educational Programs, like Rapid Recall System.  It’s a win for everyone!

As with any Neuro-Educational Program, all input systems are assessed when an ND evaluation is done by a Neuro-Educational Specialist.  Here are some tips from Jan Bedell, M.Ed, M.ND of Little Giant Steps for you to consider. They can make a difference in learning.

Stress Reduction

There is an intimate relationship between posture, working distance, working surface and lenses.  Pioneering experiments by Dr. Darrel Boyd Harmon and subse­quent research by Drs. John Pierce and Steven Greenspan clearly prove a reduction of stress and improved performance when conditions are arranged properly for near point visual activities.  The following changes were observed: reduced heart rate, more regular and deeper breathing, reduced neck muscle and overall body tension.

 To achieve these benefits the following must be arranged:

Working Surface:  A sloping working surface must be used that is tilted between 20 and 23 degrees from the horizontal.

Sufficient Light:  Make sure the lightening of the students desk is sufficient and without  directionality  that would create shadows on the writing or reading  surface. 

Posture:  Seated comfortably, relatively erect, feet flat on the floor or on a box to form a 90 degree angle.

Working Distance:  The “Harmon Distance”, (the distance from the elbow to the first  knuckle) is the optimal distance from the eyes to the working surface.  This can only be assured with a proper height to desk  relationship. 

Near point Lenses:   A specific, low power prescription not used to correct a defect in the eyes but to put the eyes into better balance for near tasks.  This enhances and integrates the posture, working distance and surface relationship.

 Eye Fatigue:   It is always recommended that when working at a desk, computer, or even watching TV, that the viewer look up every 5 to 10 minutes and refocus on different  items at near and far point.   Resting your eyes will prove to be more productive regarding the                         information studied, the health of the eyes and nervous system in general.

Take care of your eyes and your eyes will take care of you.  There are enough “stresses” in our lives, these recommendations need to become habits in your and your children’s lives.  Follow these recommendations for 30 days and you can alleviate at least one point of stress.  As we say, each small step equals giant strides in learning.

As I was browsing through a Sunday paper insert that I usually read, I found an article by Dr. Ranit Mishori about some new thoughts on ADD/ADHD conditions. These symptoms show up as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Dr Mishori stated,” that there is some new research that points to some children being effected by organophosphate – a man-made toxin originally developed for chemical warfare and now is used extensively in agriculture. ” WHAT?? ” Scientists in the journal “Environmental Health Perspectives” write that children exposed to this compound while still in the womb have higher chance of developing attention problems by age 5.  The children in this study were all residents of the heavily farmed Salinas Valley in California, but a recent report in “Pediatric” showed a link to ADHD even in areas where pesticide levels in the environment are not especially high.” 

The next information supplied had to do with  “Todd Elder, author of an article in the “Journal of Health Environment” (he’s an economist  at  Michigan State University) suggests, “It’s not how their brains work – it’s their birthdays. If a child is behaving poorly, if he’s inattentive, if he can’t sit still, it may simply be because he’s 5 and the other kids are 6!”  Being young and immature is what it’s all about, from his point of view.

Then, as I continued cruising through the paper, I see a side bar ad from top to bottom, followed not by one, but two full pages composed by a drug company who has the solution for ADD/ADHD through the use of a pill!  In fact, you could get a free 30-capsule trial!  It did mention this was a federally controlled substance because it can be abused or lead to dependence.

Please, if your child is having trouble with symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, know there is a better, all natural solution that can be easily accomplished through a LGS Neuro-Educational Program.  This program works with brain-based techniques that will eliminate the symptoms of  ADD, ADHD, and many more learning issues.  It’s natural because we utilize the techniques to literally “rewire” those areas being effected and not operating at their greatest functional capacity.  All this is done by closing neuro-developmental gaps through the use of activities that stimulate the brain and build new networks and connections so efficient functioning happens, as the good Lord intended.  There is no need to give these drugs to your kiddos!  If something happened beyond your control while your baby was in the womb, then it can be addressed and the functional ability can be improved to where the child can reach their full potential.  And as far as the economist’s theories, those issues are also addressed.  When functional abilities are below grade level, we typically see a lack of maturity.  If the child is not able to keep up with his peers in receiving, storing, and recalling information, then yes, they tend to seek children who are younger, because if you can’t keep up, you tend to move out of those areas that are frustrating and painful.  So, please do the “best” thing for your child with the symptoms of ADD/ADHD.  Get help that can move them out of the symptoms.  Investigate and educate yourselves at Little Giant Steps.

 For all of us, learning is not only essential to succeed in life, but it also should be an experience of adventure, wonder and occasionally inspire the “awe” in us.  I wonder how many of you are going through your daily life pressured, stressed and short of time?  Do you want to find a way to de-stress your life?  Would you like to know that there is a part of a day you can count on that can be reserved for you?  Would you like to feel more confident in your abilities?  Then, we are talking about something some of us know a great deal about and others just don’t have clue.  We are talking about organization! From our vantage point it’s brain organization!

Did you know that organization actually starts in the brain?  In fact, as a part of our normal stages of growth and development, the way the infant was created lends itself to stimulating the brain by the natural movements of the infant when placed on their tummy.  At first, there is lots of phaling around with little coordination of anything!  But, if you’d take a movie of a child’s progression of movement, you’d see a change occurring as the child’s brain discovers the sensations of not only the internal stimuli that is registered from the action of the limbs, but there is developing “cause and effect” in which the brain learns to organize those very primitive movements into coordinated movements that ultimately ends in a child’s locomotion abilities, but also the brain is becoming organized.  Each hemisphere is learning how to respond appropriately to each other and in harmony. There is an architecture there that must be fulfilled in order for learning to become easy and full of adventure.  As an infant these vital movements are repeated time and time again until there are resulting neuro-pathways that send signals of intention that work with the brain, and all the various input mechanisms (visual, auditory and tactile) and outout mechanisms.  No wonder we need this basic organization to figure out how our little bodies work in this world! Not to mention the act of  receiving information, comprehending, storing, recalling and all that’s required in learning.

Ok, so let’s get back to you and your frazzeled life.  How does what an infant does in the normal course of development and your life have in common?  All humans need to maintain our brain organization.  Or, at best to tune it up from time to time and especially when things seem very much out fo control.  So what am I proposing?  The same thing we propose to those who come to us who are struggling, not achieving as they desire, and seemingly facing more bad days than good.

Here’s the challenge I’ll make to you.  If you want to feel and really “get on top of things’, then I would ask you to do these brain-organizing activities twice a day for 2 minutes for a period of 4 months.  Remember, it’s only 2 minutes!  We’re not asking a laborious task from you. What you will do are a series of cross patterning activities. The only rule is that the opposite hand and leg must move forward and strike the floor at the same time in a coordinated fashion.  Doing an army crawl to start out with, then the creep (that’s up on both hands and knees) for 2 minutes, twice a day.  Now, there are variations of cross patterning, if for some reason you’ve got a bad knee.  You could do what we call a “Wall Crawl” – you stand against a wall raising your left arm toward the ceiling, while at the same time you right knee moves up as high as you can manage, then they return to the lowered position, shift your weight and lift the other opposing limbs.  Again, 2 minutes, twice a day.  Last but, not least, is the cross pattern march. The knee of the left leg comes up in front as high as you can get to waist high, and you right hand will come across the mid-line of your body and touch the left knee. Then the right knee comes up and the left hand touches the opposite knee.  If you’ve got music on, just start marching around the room or outside. This will have the activity over before you ever break a sweat!

If you do this diligently every day, twice a day for 4 months, you will discover things start to be easier, you suddenly have options available to you that wasn’t available before.  You will begin to find youself more centered, organized, productive thoughts suddenly occur to you. Success is so sweet!

Now, if you can’t commit to making you life better with what I’ve suggested, then go to our website and order this audio CD of “Info To Know”. Again, you listen twice a day for 2 minutes.  This will help your auditory processing ability and you will learn some new things this year!  If you really want to do yourself a gigantic favor, get the CD to improve your auditory processing ability and do the cross patterning activies.  You have everything to gain and nothing to loose, except the stresses, struggling and disorganized cloud hanging over your head!

Our development is not complete when we are born.

Were you aware you could give your children a head start academically?  I’m not just talking about teaching them they numbers, colors, etc. before they start to school.  I’m talking about addressing something that is unseen, yet is affecting all of our infants, toddlers and pre-school children and results in them not functioning up to their potential!  I am talking about making sure the vital developmental steps each child needs is being covered before they reach age five.

What Little Giant Steps has witnessed over the past 17 years is a decline in young children’s much needed developmental opportunities.  For instance, a baby in today’s society is placed in a seat of some kind (it could be a swing or walker) from the moment they come home from the hospital until they’re walking.  In fact, parents today are so inclined to see their children walking early, it really “stunts” the growth of central nervous system’s communication development between the brain and the body.

Why is this so?  It has to do with the way babies were created.  Just because an infant looks totally developed when they arrive at birth, they are far from it!  All of the “connections” between the body and brain have yet to complete their much needed activity that accomplishes the mapping of the brain, so it can learn how to control all the various systems and appendages of the body.  For instance, in order for the arms, legs and body as a whole to respond to neuro-stimuli it must first make the brain truly aware of each portion of that limb or torso.  How is that accomplished?  The brain develops initially through our tactile system.  It must “feel” something.  Only when an infant is placed on it’s tummy does the brain really begin to light up and feel the stimuli.  It is through the sensations of a hand or finger “feeling” a hard surface does the brain even know the finger and hand are there.  If the surface is cool, rough, smooth all these sensations begin to build the connective tissues that let the brain begin to figure out on only it’s internal function, but also learns the details of the world outside.

Here’s the problem in a nutshell.  Today parents are not putting their babies on the floor on their tummies during their waking hours.  We’ve gotten accustom to the convienience of placing an infant in a seat where we can see their face and interact with them easier.  Unfortunately, the biggest sensory requirements of the infant is to feel pressure, temperature, textures and all sensations from the front side of their bodies.  In a seat their hands flale around in the air, their feet kick, but have nothing to report to the developing brain, because there is no sensation. Also, an infant needs to be on it’s tummy so it can develop the muscles in it’s neck, shoulders, and back.  It is on the tummy that the vision is developed along with the muscles.  The eye-hand coordination becomes a two sided bit of stimuli that teaches the brain about it’s visual and tactile system. Then there’s a whole auditory system that can effect the person globally!  See this article for more about that.

Back in the sixties there was much discussion about “Babies On Their Tummies”.  SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) began to happen.  The medical advise at the time was, “Do not let your baby sleep on their tummies”.  Today they still don’t know what causes SIDS, but we know that babies, during their waking hours, on their tummies is not cause for alarm.  In fact, NOT to have your baby on it’s tummy during waking hours costs your child a silent price in their normal development, which usually shows up most notably after they start school. 

We see children who seem very bright.  They go to school and begin to struggle.  For some reason, it appears that they can’t organize their thoughts and actions.  So…. what’s the reason for a disorganized brain?  In order to organize the lower levels of the brain the infant must be on it’s tummy so it can gain the critical cross patterning movements that result in crawling.  Crawling is one of the best activities that help the brain get organized.  Then there can be eye issues.  There can be sensory issues.  You name it, they are very subtle deficits that can be avoided.

So what’s the answer, besides what I’ve mentioned above?  Little Giant Steps has developed a wonderful program for children from 2 to 5.  It not only addresses school readiness in writing, math and reading, but teaches you the neuro-developmental activities to play with your child to get them really ready to embrace the world with all systems functioning!  This program is called Early Learning Foundations (ELF). 

Please do yourself and your child a favor.  Investigate how you can really assure your child an easy transition into the structure of school.  We teach young children to help them to organize, process and retain information all by doing the activities that gets them neurologically efficient through the use of specific activities that impact the brain under the guise of being fun things to do with mom or dad.  Check it out!

Help Them Become Whole!

One of the best things I know after having a son with Dyslexia is that it is not a life sentence!  It used to be, and unfortunately still prevails in most schools that Dyslexia is a learning disability that can only be dealt with through accommodation, coping and compensating, and sadly most schools are still under this directive.  Now, I realize that the human spirit can overcome many things by using these strategies, so I’m not here to disparage what has been a standard remedy.   It’s just that in light of the newest brain research, that methodology is only second best!  It doesn’t make learning easier and function normal as the Neuro-Educational Program does.

What is known to be true is that Dyslexia is a set of symptoms that are present in all cases of diagnosis. It is also now known that through the use of brain-based technology, the functional abilities of those symptomatic areas can be re-wired via the use of stimulating the neural feature of the plasticity of the brain.  Our focus is on creating, repairing or enhancing those areas that affect ones ability to read, write, organize information and also to improve the processing abilities.  This is why we see people like “John” who was struggling in school, yet was very bright.  Please view John’s Story as his mom relates how such interventions as the Little Giant Steps Neuro-Educational Program can and does eliminate the symptoms of Dyslexia.   If the child has no symptoms and can function at grade level, the Dyslexia is gone.

If you have a child with Dyslexia I’d highly recommend you order the “Dyslexia Workshop” that will give you the skills to not only better understand your child’s situation (you’ll be able to do some rudimentary tests to show you how your child is functioning),  but the workshop is an hour long “how-to” training session that can equip you to really change the course of your child’s encounter with Dyslexia.  The best news: It’s only $14.99!

Jan Bedell, The Brain Coach

Jan Bedell, M.Ed, M.ND, ”The Brain Coach” is your instructor.  She’s so concerned with the epidemic of  learning disabilities, that she’s taken what she’s been doing over the past 17 years to remedy such things as Dyslexia, ADD, ADHD, PDD, Autism and laid the ground work, because there’s no way she can impact the massive need by herself.  She hopes you will investigate, educate yourself, and then become an active participant in this Neuro-Educational Program she’s created, so many children can leave behind the struggle, self-defeating, and frustrating symptoms of Dyslexia.   Order Now!

This mother shared with the staff at Little Giant Steps what she’s learned in the process of having her son evaluated and the hope and promise for him in the future in academics:

“We wanted to take a moment to thank you for evaluating Isaiah on Friday. It has given us hope that Isaiah can be the best reader in the Burr family one day! He certainly is the most compassionate, sensitive and cuddly kid we have! Although it has been very hard to see him struggle with academics as he sees his siblings seemingly breeze through, these sufferings have really created an amazing heart of empathy in Isaiah for those in life who have to try a little harder than others. As always, suffering is an invitation to go deeper with Christ and know him in a way we would never have known him before. Isaiah has accepted the invitation with a noble grace.

We look forward to incorporating the Little Giant Steps Neuro-Educational Program into our daily life. As a mother there is always the measure of guilt associated with hindsight, but also the awareness that God has gone before us in many ways already. It’s been our family’s educational culture to read a lot! To ourselves and aloud. We use Sonlight as our curriculum and so it’s been hard to not see Isaiah sprawl across the couch engrossed in a book like his brother and sister. Not knowing that reading aloud was something Isaiah needed, it’s always been captivating to me how much he remembers and narrates and almost word for word. It has been as if a glass door has kept Isaiah enshrined from exploring the world through books on his own; however, now we feel that we have the keys to help set this little man of God free!”

This mother describes her son’s reading problem with great clarity.  It is true, if they have missed the developmental steps that allows the brain and body to process information efficiently, then it is as if they hampered by a glass door.  The good news is that he is improving now that he’s on the LGS Neuro-Educational Program and is finding a destiny he thought was only reserved for his siblings.

Sensory issues can alter the behavior of the entire family if left untreated.  Little Giant Steps works with those with this malady and because we are working with the root cause of such issues; we love it when we have parents who are willing to share their struggles and victories after taking advantage of the LGS Neuro-Educational Program.  Please read this mother’s news:

“Just a PTL moment to share: Yesterday was one of those days where Amelia just really performed well all around, all day. Several times I wanted to let my jaw drop to the ground; I mean she was almost scary easy! Then at bed time – while it still took her three hours to fall asleep from the start of bedtime routine – she was sitting in bed waiting for me using her finger to point along and read – turned to me and said, “mommy, is this saying the Lady of Guadeloupe in the gondola?” (A Magic Tree House book.) And she was dead on right! I wanted to do back flips and pop some confetti but “held back” just smiled and said, “you so totally rock! That is absolutely what that line says. Do you still want mom to read to you or would you like some more time to yourself?” Of course she wanted me at that point. Then the big cherry on top…she slept from 11:30pm to 9:30am without waking up at all! (of course mom and dad’s alarm had to wake us at 6:30am!) When my husband and I woke up this morning we just looked at each other; kind of a whoopee moment! Although I confess I did get up searching to see if she was on the floor at the foot of the bed, on the sofa in the living room…nope, in her own little bed all curled up! This was so big! It has been since early December that both girls made it through the night! We’ll see what happens tonight! ”

This mother went on to say how much she appreciated our program and the support that follows our parents and their children during the journey to wholeness.  When a parent decides to intervene in a wholesome, natural program that works from a neurodevelopmental approach; life can become a true joy.  We are so grateful this mother decided to share her joy and success.