Little Giant Steps is aware that traumatic events during early development can change to course of some areas of the brain.  We see this phenomena occur with our clients who have been exposed to verbal abuse, trauma and deprivation.  There are areas of the brain that respond to “Fight or Flight”.  When a child is threatened daily by an exposive parent who yells and hollers at them, their developing brains are impacted.  Typically, the result shows up as learning issues later on.  The trauma to the central nervous system is repairable, but a parent needs to be aware of the dynamics their behavior when it comes to younger children.

One way I can relate is, I still go ballistic over an event that is prevalent with children under age five.  What is the trigger?  Spilling drinks at the table!  Why does this send me into (as my son would say,) “The Red Zone?  I really don’t know for a fact, but I suspect it was something that sent my dad (who was no longer in our household after I was four years old) into a rage when I was little.  I have no recollection of any specific time it happened, I only remember the horrible feelings of “Fight or Flight”  he could produce in a heart beat. He had a very powerful demeanor and thank goodness I was the youngest and the only girl in the family, as I witnessed very harsh punishment occurring with my brothers. I do recall having a hard time learning anything during the tumulchuous time before he left.

I am not unique in this experience.  Whether parents stay together or divorce, a child suffers long lasting repercussions not only on an emotional level, but the development of all those connections stop when the “Fight of Flight” response is in play.  We all must be aware it is during the early years when the brain is  paring down all unused connections.  In fact, over 50% of the connections a baby is born with will be pruned from the system if left unused and what mother nature thinks is un-needed!

We All Have A History

The details of our history is not as important as the resolve to stop that vicious cycle that not only make us behave in ways we do not desire, because it has a critical impact on those little ones with whom we are to be an example.  If an adult is out of control, then the child will emotionally close down, but also learn to pattern his or her behavior after what they experience.

Several Ways To Go

First, just stop!  Counting to ten can be very helpful to get past that initial flash of rage, which most likely is way out of proportion to the incident and for the child.

Next, breath at least five deep slow breaths.  Get some blood to that brain of yours so you can think, rather than just react.

Finally, use your head.  Did the child accidentally spill the glass of milk? (Or, whatever was done that has you so disturbed.) In all the times I recall my grandsons spilling things, it was never malicious, therefore the corrective action needs to reflect a solution to the accident and a discussion about how you and the child might avoid it happening again.  In fact, it’s amazing if you will view this situation as it really is:  The child has a problem that needs some help in solving.  If you take on the ownership of the problem, nothing good can come out of that…. you’ve already learned how to avoid spilling things!  Understand?

Children Are Capable Of Solving Problems, If You  Help

Recount the (after you’ve gotten yourself over your rage) what’s happened.  Even express to the child how distressed you are, if you need to.  They can handle it, because they tend not to take on other peoples problems!  Then ask them to help you. Ask how they think we can stop the spilling?  Coach them to brain storm with you over this situation.  It can move you out of the place of just being in “The Red Zone” and releave the child’s fear of you and stop with the impulse of Fight or Flight response.  In fact, this kind of constructive problem solving can turn out to be a way to allow them to express their solutions very creatively.  Once, my grandson and I drew a picture together showing the spilt milk and what we were going to do.  It didn’t look like anything when we finished this “action” drawing, but he and I were both on the same side of the situation and solving something that made “Nana hit the fan”!  Try to be creative. Move yourself and the child into a constructive bonding experience, rather than an explosion which can last a life time!

At this time of year many of us are looking for the right costume for Halloween.  Children get very excited about “what they’re going to be this year”.  At our house, it looks like the “Caveman” costume will prevail.

As I think about children dawning masks and disguises, I immediately think about those daily challenges children with learning issues hide or cover up.  #Little Giant Steps#, a neuro-educational consulting group, is all about eliminating the need for children, teens or adults to wear a disguise about what they are able to learn or understand. In fact, there is a name for this behavior of “covering up”.  It’s called “Coping and Compensating”. 

Relying On Coping and Compensating Is Always Second Best.

There are programs out there, many grace the halls of our educational systems, that only teach coping and compensating.  Unfortunately, that is not the best solution for us today, in light of the research and developments concerning the function of the brain and body and how most learning issues can be eliminated if we address the root cause of the problem.  When I say root cause, I am talking about the symptoms that the individual displays.  How do you think our society decides on the diagnosis of learning issues? By looking at the symptoms.  Now the big brave question is; “Can these symptoms be treated at the source”?  Where’s the source? In the brain. Yes, they can and have been addressed through the Little Giant Steps Neuro-Educational Program quite easily, because we are talking about the root cause of our functional abilities, which is reflected by what happened to us as infants with our early steps of development.

What Intervention Is The Best? 

What #Little Giant Steps# has seen over the years is by utilizing the feature of the brain called “plasticity,” specific stimulating activities that mimic early developmental steps and stages can, in fact, cause the brain to become organized at the most primitive levels of the brain (the pons) and can also positively effect the mid-brain.  It allows the brain to create many new connections not only within the brain itself (that have been delayed in developing for a variety of reasons), but also establishes effective and efficient communication neuro-pathways (connections) between the brain and body. Our programs have been likened by our clients in this way, “It’s like going from a dial-up connection to high speed connections on the Internet.”  

#Little Giant Steps’# intervention methods are totally natural, no drug therapy needed, allows the areas of dysfunction and deficiency to heal or change and develop into what God had originally intended.  When a child, teen or adult reaches their appropriate level of function or grade level, the individual graduates from the program. The assist (completed development) that was needed to get the “connections” functioning properly has set the course for even more complete and total developmentally functioning brain and body are in order, as was designed by the Master of Creation.

Please see part of the thousands of children we’ve helped to become whole and reach their full God-given potential by viewing the results of our testing them on Math, Word Recognition and Comprehension.  All programs are done at ones convenience at home with parents, siblings, or (if a family prefers) with a tutor trained by Little Giant Steps.  We’ve made the whole process easy, convenient, and while you may be busy for a time, there comes a time when you’ll see your child (or maybe yourself) making progress in academics, coordination, behavior, conceptual abilities, and most important ~ you’ll see an individual who has mastered his or her abilities and now approaches the world with a healthy curiosity, and confidence to seek and enjoy the many mysteries of life and learning.  The need to disguise, mis-direct, act out, or create distractions are no longer needed. The coping and compensating that drains energy disappears. Life does not need a mask any longer.  And, as one little boy who was on program for the #symptoms of dyslexia# told his father, “Dad, I don’t have dyslexia anymore.  I’m over it!”  Now, the whole family has a new outlook on life, as what he said was true.  He no longer is required to struggle. In fact, he’s functioning above grade level! He is functioning with neuro-efficiency!  His mind and body were now working in unison, the way God intended.  It’s all a matter of  fixing developmental function for those at Little Giant Steps, and it’s the best life-long answer!

P.S. Please check out our Professional Programs and our At-Home Programs : “#Developmental Foundations# or pre-school: “#Early Learning Foundations#” . If math is the problem, see “#Rapid Recall System#” ~ you may what to check out the research done in public & private schools on this one! It’s amazing!  OH!  I almost forgot those of us over 18:  #Memory & Motion #.  God bless!

It’s amazing that parents, teachers, grandparents and others associated with our children can and do spot unique features in our children’s behavior, lack of the ability to carry through directions, inability to stay on task, lack of comprehension, yet many just “let it go” and don’t stop to really note and admit, “this child is struggling”.  In my opening statement…. chances are, if you are seeing these features or symptoms when you are with a child, then acknowledge it! When the brain and body are not functioning efficiently,  all the features I’ve mentioned above, plus more are in play.  Yes, usually there is something relatively easy in the area of developmental intervention that can resolve these issues.  But, first there has to be a straight forward acknowledgement that there is something amiss.

Learning struggles or difficulties are not a life sentence, unless you stick your head in the sand and pretend you don’t recognize what you are seeing!  Learning issues can be remedied fairly easily, IF there is attention paid to the child, questions asked, and a bit of time and resources given to assess the scope of the problem, and then investigate how to intervene!  I would suggest reading the information on our website “Little Giant Steps” for increasing your knowledge on how you could be instrumental at changing a problem into a solution!  The free Articles will help to increase your awareness, the tab labeled Evaluations can give you options, as well as learning about some of Little Giant Steps’ programs like Developmental Foundations.

All of this is to say, “There is an epidemic of children, teens and adults out there who struggle with learning issues who can (with help) discover their God-given potential, if given a chance.”  You may be that chance.  So…. Just Do It!  The life-changing advantages to be gained are truly amazing.  Listen to those who know:  Faith, Michele, Jeannie, and Kathy.  There are many more people we’ve helped.  If you wish to take some time and learn more about Little Giant Steps and the work in schools we’re doing, please visit this site.   Thanks!  Talk with you later!

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. 

It’s All In The Wiring

When we provide education to parents, teachers, and para-professionals they often feel a bit of confusion, because we don’t focus on the “subjects” being taught, or the techniques of teaching those subjects.  Little Giant Steps’ (LGS) contribution to those who are doing the educating of the children require them to begin to think about a more basic requirement that all too often is overlooked or even taken for granted, but is really the KEY to a child’s learning potential.

So, what is it that is the key?  We are talking about the basics of making sure the brain’s lower levels are organized, the processing abilities are at grade level, and the connections between the brain and body are functioning at maximum efficiency.  It’s an inside job! We address the vital developmental steps that are being missed in today’s society which result naturally in efficient function of the brain, all the senses, for both input and output.  As we say, it’s all in the wiring!  We are foundation builders for thinking, comprehending, memory, motor, manual, language, auditory and visual processing, and basic organizing of those processes required to become educated.

How Does One Prepare The Brain?

It’s natural stimulation that is focused on improving function.  If there are learning issues, gaps, difficulties, then those specific areas of the brain are addressed through brain-based activities that will result in the “wiring” or “neuro-connections” to be created, corrected, and strengthened.  You see, when a child misses a step in the devlopmental processes,(and unfortunately our children are being effected with learning disabilities and difficulties in epidemic proportions due to many of our societal practices in our child rearing ~ that’s another article in itself.)  then they show areas of lagging function, or in some cases serious dysfunction.  All of the Little Giant Steps’ Neuro-Educational Programs focuses on providning educational subject matter, but the modality of the activities are the bonus features that create what is called neuro-efficiency.  For instance, LGS has created a preschool program [Early Learning Foundations] that is great fun to interact with your child twice a day for two minutes that will accomplish getting them functioning at their highest potential, and readying them for school with reading, writing and math skills.  Check out the information on this program, as there are many issues it addresses.  In fact, a school put this program into their kindergarten, which also incorporates Rapid Recall, a neuro-educational math facts porgram and at the end-of-year tests the kindergarten class was having the same speed and accuracy as the third graders!  Now, that’s what we call neuro-efficiency.

Some of us need to have those professionals who are in the thick of the solutions in school let us know the truth about possibilities and potentials of programs for our children.  Little Giant Steps has been creating multi-sensory Neuro-Educational Programs for 20 years. Why? Because we are in and have been in a slow decline in our children’s learning abilities.  In fact, we actually are experiencing an epidemic within the U.S.  The ranking of our national academic scores is in 9th place worldwide!  What happened?  Our society has changed from an auditory society (listening to people talking, high verbal interactions several times a day with family, gaining instructions verbally) to a visual society.  The rub comes in the fact humans are set up neurologically to retain short term memory via our auditory system. Each person’s auditory processing ability has a global affect on their lives and functional capabilities.  Auditory processing is vital for picking up on social cues, following conversation, reading comprehension skills, following directions, attending, ability to read with a phonetic approach and many other skills needed to be successful in school and life.  For instance, behavior is greatly influenced by one’s auditory functioning.  If you have a 12 year old who is functioning (processing) on a 4 or 5 year old level, he is developmentally more like a 4-5 year old. He will be socially more immature, getting along better with younger children and interrupting conversations so that he won’t forget what he wants to say, because he has trouble retaining information in his short term memory. (We have free auditory test kits so you can check your child.)

Look, Listen and Learn

I would invite you to view videos from a school as to what an impact our programs have made in their students lives.  First let me introduce Liz Sweet, Dean of Curriculum.  She has insights you will enjoy hearing that reflect their school’s results and responses to the Little Giant Steps Neuro-Educational Programs.   Next, listen to the principal’s remarks.  Now let’s drop into a classroom taking their 2 min. speed test.  Why are the children excited?  Because it’s always a confidence builder when you get the answers right!  Once these children have mastered (integrated these math facts into their brains) they will have rapid recall for a lifetime.  Now that’s exciting whether you are a student or a student’s parent!

“From the beginning, EVERYTHING about Little Giant Steps has been exactly what we needed. Jan Bedell, The Brain Coach, has been a tool in God’s hands to literally begin to transform my son’s life in a few short months. Luke has struggled from day one with an array of challenges from physical to learning (dysgraphia, dyslexia, processing issues and at age 9, he still was unable to read). Once evaluated, we began our Individualized Neurodevelopmental Program (INP) and within 6 weeks Luke was reading. His retention seemed to double, his tactile issues lessened and over all our son’s confidence began to change.”

Little Giant Steps has been seeing these kinds of results for the past twenty years with thousands of children.  Typically we see every four months a full year gain via academic testing. 

One thing that has been so much fun working with Jan Bedell’s neuro-educational programs, is seeing the children improve and succeed each day as we see the lower levels of their brains get organized (they begin to think and comprehend in organized ways ~ a big advantage especially in gaining math skills). While her programs provide curriculum supplementation, like Rapid Recall for math facts, they really ready the child for better processing of what they hear, see, say and touch.  Their short-term memory improves with the practiced design of ”The Brain Coach’s” educational programs.  These programs deliver life-long imprinting on the brain, because they actually create new neuro-pathways.  They close developmental gaps that may exist.  It is exciting to see more and more learning disabilities being remedied via the use of neurodevelopmentally focused supplemental curriculum and educational tools. 

Seeing Is Believeing 

This past year we had the pleasure of working the the Summit Christian Academy.  It is an elementary school (NAUMS) and therefore we had a great deal of participation not only with the teachers, but parents.  We kept hearing reports about how the kindergarten loved doing their Rapid Recall (Math Facts) each day.  So, here it is for you to see for yourself.  Kindergarten 2011 Math Speed Test!

If interested in more information on our work at schools, go to Little Giant Steps’ YouTube Channel.

What Were We To Do With A Daydreamer?

When I was asked to use one word to describe our experience with Little Giant Steps, I said, “freeing!” I knew Joseph was smart, but how he daydreamed! He had a hard time focusing and when he did math, he jumped all over the page. It took him hours to get school work done. Also, he would have little bursts of frustration with his brothers and was hard to reason with. I was tired of always having to keep my eye on him and everything.

After the improvement in his brother’s life (who had been on an ND Program), we decided to have Joseph join the program. Joseph really took the initiative and woke up early and did 2 hours of therapy before his other school work. It has been very freeing to see him change.

The Result Is Revealed

At completion of his program, he is reading at 10th grade level. He is actually enjoying Algebra and he can focus and complete his work twice as fast. He doesn’t skip around anymore. I do not have to check on him constantly and he is trustworthy to get his schoolwork done. He gets along so much better with his brothers and will actually reason out situations. He is much calmer, yet fun and still our comedian.  R.T., TX

 There are those who are always skeptical and really don’t believe in much outside themselves.  What they don’t know about is outside their realm of tolerance in many cases.  Then there is the other individual who is a believer, and their biggest cross to bear is being discerning enough to keep their life on track with their faith and beliefs.

I must say we see both kinds of individuals.  Some time it is the wife who is the believer, and often will notice and recognize things are NOT  going quite right for her child. Then, we often see the husband a true skeptic.  What I have noticed is that when a child is struggling with school, often times it is seen by the skeptic that his or her child is just misbehaving or hasn’t developed a good ethic and is seen as lazy or disobedient.  Being a mother, having worked as a nurse therapist with children and family services, I’m still astonished that at the root of many of these father’s perception of the situation lies in denial, “There is nothing wrong with my child.”   Regardless of which which your propensity seems to be, your child will change in relation to the parent stepping back, and looking objectively at their children when they’re struggling in school.  Expect lots of questions to be asked and answered as you seek out what’s happening.

How Do We Find A Way To Help Everyone In The Family?

A few things are important at the outset: 

First, we must agree if your child is struggling in school, failing to remember from one day to the next things he knew, seems disorganized in thinking, doing chores, is super emotional and melt-downs are a part of his/her M.O., and is having  bad days associated with learning new things; it makes sense to me to look at the root causes. Our brains come into this world in a pretty under-developed state.  God made us that way so we can get our brains and bodies efficiently wired neurologically during those early years as random movements signal the brain where the arms and legs are, then with each month that refinement of functional movement improves, and helps to develop sight, focusing abilities, and on down the line our language skills become a useful tool for us. Each year of a toddler, is an act of refining the neuro-pathways, mind/body interaction, organizing the brain, and preparing children for learning from experiences.  We are very complex creatures! 

Secondly, we want each parent to fully investigate resourcesavailable for children with learning issues. It doesn’t matter whether your child is gifted, typical, or challenged.  Anyone (child, teen, adult) can all have a gap in their developmentthat renders them helpless in some learning environments.  See these test results of many of the children we’ve worked with over the past twenty years.  Then look at the test results of the work we’ve done in schools these past few years.

Third, when you find a methodology, or resource that makes sense to you pursue it with all your heart, mind and soul. You hold the keys to your child’s academic future.  Gain as much knowledge as possible.  That is why Little Giant Steps has provided free articles that contain enough information if you studied what has been set before you, there is enough information to help your child in the next 4 months! 

Fourthly, parents must commit to solving this problem with their child.  Our intervention is natural, no drugs, it will cost you some time, and if you were to check our costs verses some of these other “learning programs” on the market today, you will see we have a mission first to God. We make our services available and priced so home-school families can participate.   No one knows your child better than you.  Only a parent has enough compassion to look beyond the bad behavior to seek something new and effective. Only a parent will hear from his/her child’s heart what the daily toll  of being unable to learn (even some simple things) costs your child day after day and basically feeling like are a failure.  Often these children will drift along until a real crisis come up and then we’ll see parents begin to mobilize.  If your child is better, your life will become amazing and wonderful, as well.

How do we give parents the ability to look at a “root cause”? 

Like so many of our “Neurodevelopmental and Neuro-Educational Programs,” it’s simple. If you can follow directions, work with your child daily for a short time in their lives, you can literally begin to see their full academic, reasoning, and curiosity potential emerge.  Where do we recommend you start?

• 1. Order An Auditory and Visual Test Kit. Read all the benefits and when you give your child these two tests you’ll see and know their processing abilities and whether  they are functioning up to grade level.  It takes two minutes each.

 2. Read All The Articles.  Not only will you gain knowledge, but you will soon understand our Neurodevelopmental Approach, Philosophy and Methodology.If you are looking for an answer, we have the solution.  Oh, and don’t forget to read about our services in “Evaluation Overview“     If an “At-Home Program” appeals more to you than a professional evaluation, the check out our curriculum.  There are two complete programs Jan Bedell, The Brain Coach, has created for different age groups. These kits have access to our online resources available we use with our client Early Learning Foundations (ages 2 – 5, and good for those challenged). For students (from first grade through college) The Brain Coach create Learning Foundations.  These are rich in instruction, optional ways to complete the activities (some on the computer, some done with the parent).  If you decide you recognize your child needs more professional help…. there is even a discount coupon enclosed!

3. Stick With The Program Until They Achieve Freedom From Their Learning Disability.  We work with our students on one program for four months, then re-evaluate and adjust the activities based on what the child need.  One thing that always makes me smile when parents who’ve worked diligently with their kids and they discover that for ever four months on the program, the child has come up one full school year.  One mother just used recommendations from one of our seminars she’d attended. When she began to talk to me about the success she’d experienced with her 7 year old son, her eyes welled up with tears.  She said, “He was such a disruptor everywhere he went. He couldn’t sit still, learn what was being taught at school, or anything.  I listened and took notes while Jan (The Brain Coach) gave a seminar about the Neurodevelopment Approach.  I went home and started doing what Jan had told me to do twice a day 5 days a week  for two minutes.  It’s been four months and he’s like a different child. He’s compliant, gone is all the disruptive behavior, and most important was he had seemed like a little kid that hated himself…..no confidence, difficult to communicate with….  Now, he’s excited about learning. His curiosity about things outside himself haveexpanded immensely!  Finally, we have the son we always knew was there.  Little Giant Steps just had to help us discover him and discard the learning issues.”   

 Smile!  I am so glad I write this blog as a part of my daily act!  There are so many stories from parents who found “this right answer”.  I thank God it’s something I witness each and every day!  Now, go get’em tiger.