Archive for August, 2011

First Step: 

 Get your child neurologically organized.

Little Giant Steps has been providing education for parents and teachers for many years, so they can assist their children to reach their full academic potential.  All learning begins with the brain. So, first let’s get the brain ready to learn. Everyone, regardless of age or I.Q. will improve in their abilities if their brain is better organized and neurologically efficient.

A child arrives in this world with many areas of the brain still developing.  One of the crucial stages of early development includes establishing the central nervous system so the brain and body get connected (we call this “becoming neurologically organized”).  When a child is neurologically organized, information can travel effortlessly between the senses (sight, sound, touch, taste and smell).  When a child is neurologically organized, his movements are coordinated and he has age-appropriate fine and gross motor skills.

Most children become neurologically organized without any outside assistance.  God designed the human brain in such a way that when an infant begins moving, the brain receives the stimulation required to develop higher function.  Infants start out with very random and primitive movements, and then, as the brain develops, their movements become more complex.  It is the cross pattern movement of crawling and creeping that is so vital to a child’s continued progress and development.

If your child didn’t spend much time crawling and creeping, or if they skipped this important developmental stage, there is good news!  It is not too late!  Young children, teenagers, and even adults, can benefit by spending time every day crawling and creeping on the floor in a good cross pattern.  It just takes 2 minutes, twice a day each for cross crawling (like an army crawl) and cross creeping (up on hands and knees).  That’s just 8 minutes a day, five days a week!  Make sure the opposite hand and knee hit the floor at the same time (this cross pattern movement provides the proper stimulation to the brain).  The benefits will amaze you!  Improvement can be seen within 2 to 4 months in academics, behavior, social interaction, coordination of movement and other functional abilities.  It would be best to do these cross pattern activities for at least 6 months to ensure that the brain has received enough stimulation to make these positive effects permanent! 

See you next time with Step 2.  God bless.

The best way for you to know how effective Little Giant Steps’ programs are, is to show you. 

For our school test results of Little Giant Steps’ Neuro-Educational Programs, please click here

Here is what you’ll see that is tested:

LEGEND: (Testing methodology):

 *Math=WRAT Math Test

 *Rec.= WRAT Word Recognition Test 

*Comp.= Peabody Comprehension Test

 See our Little Giant Steps website.

Setting Up An Academic Foundation Is Essential

Can you imagine building a structure such as this one, pictured on the right, if you didn’t pay attention to the foundation?  Like anything functional, there must be a logical approach to the beginning of  building a skill set.  God, in his infinite wisdom, created us to have a period of building that lasts our entire lifetime. He also provided a way to set that building process up, and it is called development.  There are natural rules that must be followed in order to have optimum development. Little Giant Steps builds solid foundations upon which the academic lives, successful thinking and living will be built. We are game-changers for those who missed some of those developmental steps, regardless of the reason for it. We are neuro-foundation specialists!

The Foundation Has Massive Wiring

The brain and body must function efficiently together through solid and massive connections in order for us to establish the foundation upon which our five senses are developed and vast functions are built. Our thinking, remembering, and expression of the world and all the experiences we encounter rests on the learning foundations that began on the day we are born and continues throughout our lives.  What science has confirmed with the availability of brain scanning technology, is that function can be restored through the use of brain-based stimulation that does, in fact, create new neuro-pathways and can eliminate the symptoms of learning disabilities by “developing” a stronger and bigger foundation with strong and vital connections. The brain is 97% connections and 3% cell bodies. When there is trauma, deprivation of stimulation, absence of activities that produce the required developmental cues for normal growth and development; we result in having gaps – unseen gaps in our abilities to function successfully in the academic setting or in learning.

What Does Little Giant Steps Do?

Essentially, we are foundation builders.  When a child is struggling with learning, or is noticed to be slightly off the normal developmental track, parents notice.  In school, teachers notice, but no one typically is quite sure what to do about it.  If more people would know that these deficits can typically be easily remedied; they’d do something about it.  It is my hope and prayer that more people will hear our message and will be encouraged to investigate the Neuro-Educational Approach.  It’s a natural way to intervene in problems areas.  No drugs are needed, because we work with what God created ~ the neuro-plasticity of the brain. Our articles are an excellent resource to start in learning, gaining skills, and most importantly, to do something to help your child.  Read them, please.  We also have DVDs if you prefer to learn from videos on our store..

If A Child Shows These Signs, Then Let’s Get Their Problem Solved

• Is your child seems smart, but can’t seem to be successful in school?
• Are you seeing inconsistent recall from a “bright” child?
• Does your child seem to know something one day, but not the next?
• Is he or she able to carry out directions without getting all confused?
• Is your child messy and seems not to have any sense of organization?
• Does your child consistently do things but rarely completes them or even knows they are incomplete?
• Does your child lack logical thinking ability?
• Is your child unable to stay on task?

There are many signs and symptoms that goes along with a disorganized brain, low processing ability (auditory & visual), and mixed dominance.  These are the things we can fix by addressing the foundational dysfunction.  To see how we go about doing that please check out our evaluation services and read the articles: “Learning Disabilities” and The Neurodevelopmental Approach.  Then look at the positive results of our programs in the lives of many children and their families.

Stop the struggling.  Investigate our approach to solving their dilemma. Set them free so they and you can discover their true potential.  It’s there, but the wiring is not quite working efficiently. Little Giant Steps can fix that.

Great Gains In Learning with LGS Neuro-Educational Programs

Little Giant Steps (LGS) has seen thousands of students from ages 5 to 54 gain functional abilities that allows them to learn with ease and discover their full potential.  “How?” You may ask.  It has to do with a paradigm shift in ones thinking, because we look at the brain first, then the educational materials to be learned.  They go hand in hand, but if you have brain that is disorganized, with low processing abilities, and mixed dominance is a problem, then learning is very difficult and for some it seems impossible despite how hard they try. Our system addresses the foundational issues of learning, which reside in the brain.  We assess where the low or dysfunction is (in relation to educational models ~ we work from an educational model, not a medical model) and it can be a person showing symptoms of dyslexia, autism, ADD, ADHD, PDD, or many other such labels.

Then we look at where the individual is regarding their neuro-development. From that  evaluation, a plan is written and directed by a neuro-educational specialist.  The plan will include neuro-activities to address the issues that are hindering their ability to learn.  As some of our clients have explained, “It’s like going from an Internet dial-up line to high speed.”  They begin to experience what it is like to have their mind and body communicate and function at lightening speed.  Their eye-hand coordination becomes unified, the hyer/hypo sensitivities are normalized, in fact, all systems get a tune up when the brain is functioning efficiently and the neuro-connections are increased.  Read our success stories.

How Much Time Does This Take?

Each individual is different, but we re-evaluate our students every four months.  It’s not surprising when we see a student go up a full grade level in four months, in fact most do better than that if they follow the recommended individualized program that’s been designed for them.  Here is a graph that will show you how a group of nine year old students did in a period of four months. Note the first bar in a series of color is the level where they tested when they started, the second bar are the results shown in four months.  They are tested in math (blue), reading recognition (red), and comprehension (yellow).  Each horizontal line
respresents a full year of school.  To see more testing results click here.

 Why Do Neurodevelopmental Programs Succeed?

It was discovered about 40 years ago that the brain was not hard wired as initially thought. It was also discovered by stimulating the brain through the use of specific activities, one could create new neuro-pathways or connections.  The brain is made up of 97%  connections and 3 % cell bodies.  It is the connections that allows the brain and body to communicate at lightening speed.  Normal growth and development requires certain vital steps to be completed in order for the person to reach their full potential academically.

One of the programs developed by Little Giant Steps is called Rapid Recall.  In the last year it’s been incorporated into our Early Learning Foundations program.  In fact, the kindergarten class at Summit Christian Academy utilized it beginning in November of 2010.  Rapid Recall System is a math facts program that works along side the regular math curriculum utilized by the school.  All Little Giant Steps’ neurodevelopmental programs help all students regardless of I.Q. or age to get their brains organized, improve their auditory and visual processing abilities , raise their academic performance and many other neuro-efficiency advantages.  See what a difference this program made to this kindergarten class:

See other research data from LGS Educational Services website.

Winning Over Learning Disabilities

Jan Bedell, The Brain Coach, Strives For Excellence

Over the years Jan Bedell, founder of Little Giant Steps and leader of the LGS Dream Team, has been inspired by God to create Neuro-Educational Programs.  Each year we change up and improve our educational curriculum that is richly embedded with neurodevelopmental activities, as a means not only to prepare the students to function academically, but to prepare the brain to receive, comprehend, process, store, and recall information in the most accurate and efficient way possible.

• This year is no exception.  The biggest change for 2011 has been the improvement in Early Learning Foundations (ELF).  Now, there are three levels (and expect a level 4 next year).

* Early Learning Foundations Level 1 – Serves preschoolers and helps them with becoming more school-ready with gaining neuro-efficiency in addition to getting them ready for reading, writing, and math. We’ve added a new DVD to teach you how to use this program more effectively! All facets of the activities within this program will stimulate the brain to improve and enhance your child’s Auditory, Visual, Tactile and Gross Motor abilities. You’ll be amazed at your child’s new found skills when they become neurologically organized. They will be able to stay on task, follow directions and they will enjoy learning. Here’s what one mom had to say about this program:
“I ordered Early Learning Foundations for my “just turned” 4 year old. This is the most incredible curriculum I’ve ever had!! It almost makes me have “momma guilt” for not having it for my two older children. I also ordered ABC’s in a Flash and look forward to using it.”  K. S. in Spring, TX

* Early Learning Foundations Level 2- Serves Kindergarten. ELF is a multi-sensory approach to teaching basic math skills to early learners as well as individuals with challenges. Level 2 begins where Level 1 leaves off.  Rapid Recall System is included in the Kindergarten Level 2 ELF.  This program is not only excellent with what it accomplishes educationally and neurologically, but it is fun! Watch this video and listen to this principal with what she witnesses in her classrooms.

* Early Learning Foundations Level 3- Serves 1st grade.  Again this program is innovative, educationally sound, and the children love it. Watch this classroom’s response to taking a one minute speed and accuracy test with the Rapid Recall math facts program.    More information on the research done in schools on Rapid Recall System is available on LGS Educational Services website.  Have a blessed day.

HEALING AND HOPE FOR STRUGGLING LEARNERS

By Terri Hall

We knew something was wrong with our 9 year old daughter, Jenna, when her younger sister could read better than she could, but my husband and I had no idea why or how to help her. It wasn’t until she was 11 years old, and in a homeschool co-op with other peers, that we realized how much her delays affected her view of herself and her ability to interact with others.

As homeschool moms, we have the ability to shelter our children from negative peer influences, bullying and the like, but I hadn’t realized how even positive peer influences wound the heart of struggling learners. Jenna knew she was behind and couldn’t read like her friends. She would retreat to Mom whenever she grew uncomfortable with her limitations. It was one of only a few coping mechanisms she had for the internal struggles that ensued.

I knew I had to do something, anything, to help her overcome her learning challenges. We suspected Dyslexia when the usual switching of her B’s and D’s lingered. Jenna would skip words, start reading a word she couldn’t decode and fill in the wrong word with one that started with similar letters. She complained of headaches when she did her academics. Keeping her on task and getting her schoolwork done everyday began to strain our relationship. And usually the day ended in tears.

I had no idea it would be such a challenge for a homeschooler to get help. Even tried and true homeschool sources couldn’t offer any resources that we could afford. As with many homeschoolers, we have both a large family (8 children) and a single income. So we searched and searched, bet couldn’t seem to find any way for her to be tested or evaluated to see if she truly had Dyslexia or something else. I was also concerned that even with a Dyslexia diagnosis, that would not help us to address or fix the problem for her.

My Mom suggested reading and trying some of the things in the book Gift of Dyslexia, which we did. We found that when we tried one of the remedies it made her seriously sick to her stomach and so dizzy that she couldn’t even walk. So we were told to try an alternative method in a companion book Gift of Learning, but we saw no marked progress. We continued to search…

After trying a developmental pediatrician through our insurance we were told she had ADD and should be put on Ritalin. We knew this was a wrong diagnosis. Jenna’s issues had nothing to do with an inability to stay on task, and everything to do with her inability to read at grade level.

We felt like we were back at square one with no real options to help Jenna overcome her challenges. We were at our wits end, yet we owed it to Jenna to find something to help her reach her potential.

My frustration came up one day when speaking to a friend and fellow homeschool mom who shared with us that another mutual friend had similar issues with her daughter and that she not only overcame her issues, but advanced to college level work by the age of 16 using the program.

Hope returned. We learned about this program- called Little Giant Steps (LGS), which uses a neurodevelopmental approach to addressing a gamut of learning disabilities.

The approach has found that certain children have incomplete neuropathways that cause the brain to become disorganized and information to stored and recalled improperly. By doing certain exercises, these pathways are completed and the brain becomes properly organized so that information can be stored and retrieved efficiently and without obstacles.

When Jenna was first evaluated by an LGS neurodevelopmental specialist, we were shocked to discover that she couldn’t skip across a room, crawl or track and object with her eyes. Though she seemed to go through all the stages of development as expected as an infant and toddler, it was clear that there were pathways that were not complete and likely the source of her reading challenges and other physical manifestations we hadn’t realized before.

We began the journey of healing. And we are so relieved and grateful. In the first four months alone, Jenna improved one and a half grade levels. Along the way, an extra blessing surfaced. Jenna had also been diagnosed with scoliosis. Jenna’s curvature of her spine had advanced so drastically and so quickly that the doctor believed she would require a brace. But to our surprise, Jenna scoliosis not only arrested- it receded (which is medically unheard of) due to a hanging exercises required by her LGS therapy.

Jenna is not even halfway through our eighteen month commitment with LGS, but has made significant strides and for the first time in a long time we, with God’s help, feel she is FINALLY on the path toward healing… healing for both body and soul.

 Little Giant Steps Makes Life Changing Programs

I read a story today about a mom who had a daughter that couldn’t read, she was reversing her letters, she couldn’t organize her thoughts, let alone organize anything in her environment.  She looked high and low with no results.  They have a large family, so finding a solution they could afford was another hurdle to mount.  Then, as God will always provide, she was ranting to a friend about her dilemma of finding the right kind of help for her child who was fast slipping away from being a confident, curious little girl. She was anxious, frightened, and depressed because she recognized she couldn’t do what she should be able to due. She saw how lacking her performance was in comparison to her classmates. The friend then mentioned Little Giant Steps and she’d heard they really had done wonders for children with the same kinds of symptoms and learning difficulties.  The mother saught information on the Christian Neuro-Educational Consulting and Training Group out of Plano, TX.  She read about the neurodevelopmental programs designed to bring about function in academics for children who were struggling.  She scheduled an appointment for an evaluation. She was given an individual neurodevelopmental program for her daughter.  She witnessed her daughter coming up one and a half years grade level in four months!  She can’t wait to see the rest of the story.  And I’ll give you the rest of the story soon!  God bless.

 Ready To See LGS Up Close and Personal?

As Little Giant Steps has grown in our manner of serving those with learning disabilities, we have also grown into new technology and I realized I’ve not encouraged you to take advantage of all the things you can watch, so you can see first-hand from those who have experienced our Neuro-Educational Programs utilizing the Neurodevelopmental Approach. It’s a natural way to improve the ability to think, remember, increase processing abilities, improve lower level brain organization and much more than will be discussed here today!  Today, get some popcorn and watch our movies.

If you are new to Little Giant Steps (LGS) we have articles we usually recommend.  However, on YouTube Little Giant Steps Channel I’d recommend you watching “Our Heroes” a 6 part overview of who we are, what we do, and what others have gained by working our Neuro-educational Programs.

Some of the most recent information regarding Rapid Recall being used in Kindergarten. See the reaction to them taking a speed and accuracy test on math facts, it’s really neat.  The Principal of Summit Christian Academy has a few recommendations to other teaching professional, as well.

Another school who has been with us, going on three years because they’ve seen such dramatic improvement in their students academic scores and learning improvement is Jones Elementary School. I’d invite you to review what the teachers and administration has to say.

A mother with a son who was suffering from dyslexia describes her and her son’s journey from him feeling he wasn’t smart enough to his moment of truth.  Also, there are other mothers who share about autism, sensory disorders, reading dysfunction, and many others.  Each is worth a listen.  Please let us know if you liked what we have to offer in our video library.  God bless.

P.S. The good news is that is doesn’t matter what your age or I.Q. is when it come to the Neurodevelopmental Approach!  All brains can be trained to do better!  We just fix some of the functional problems, as well.

 It all started when a mom of an autistic daughter decided this:

“It is my heart’s desire to encourage others as a family to directly affect their children and their children’s future.  After all, we all start out as children and all end up as adults.  Other recent events in our family have taught us that the best thing we can do is to “pay it forward” in all we do.  As you get older you see all the times God has used someone to move you forward and I just want to do the same for others.”  Kimberly, Amy’s mom.

What The Neuro-Educational Approach Has Brought About

“I am still singing Little Giant Steps praises to family and friends and loving what we see happening in Amy’s life and consequently as a whole family.  Two things happened just on Monday and Tuesday of this week.  One was a “twilight zone” type of experience  with a neighbor’s dog.  While walking by on just a daily walk I realized, “ Oh, the neighbor’s dog is here wanting to play with our dog.”  Their garage door was open, no one was answering the door, then I made the connection that it was the time of day for her to be at the bus stop, etc.  So we just waited ‘til they came home (it was a wee bit crazier than this brief descript…) but through it all Amy stayed calm, followed directions, met the other kids without any fears, and when I told her okay lets go on with our walk she came right to me without lashing out!  This was the first time I felt a “normal” feeling (I think ever) with her!  And I’m not exaggerating.  It hit me when we got home how what could have been disastrous and totally exhausting for me was “a piece of cake!”

Then yesterday we realized our doggy had a cut on one of her pads.  Two part (Praise The Lord):  I had the energy to want to take both girls and go alone to the vet and both girls where wonderful.  I didn’t have Amy sliding on the floor, twirling away, fighting against me to go “look” at something and they were quiet little “audience” members while in the exam room.

We Don’t Need To Be Perfect To Get Results

Now, we missed program yesterday; mom didn’t have it all together or the energy to do both yet!  But what this said to me is if just getting through the neurodevelopment part of our Individual Neurodevelopmental Program (INP) once was turning out these results then  how I long to get to everything twice!  So the prayer request becomes Lord grant me the strength and give both girls the desire to get to the frequency and duration of our program.”

Raising an autistic child can be an exhausting, frustrating, demanding, and “testing to your limits” experience.  Please read the the experience of other parents who are learning how to make a difference in their autistic child’s life through natural brain-based techniques. They have worked and triumphed by utilizing the Neurodevelopmental Approach, an approach that is loving, kind, fun and effective.  God bless!