FREEDOM

 And now…. I have some great news from my “neuro-program” boy… he learned to ride his bike without training wheels this week! Last year he just did not have the skills at all, but this spring he had picked up on his own and started riding his scooter, and his balance was so good on it that I thought it might be time to try the bike again. It took only one good head start from Daddy, and he was off down the road – he even turned a curve and came back!!!  He was so excited!!  He drove into the driveway, dropped his bike over, and came running up to high-five his daddy and me, saying, “I KNEW I COULD DO IT!!!” This is from the little boy who suffers with feelings of failure at so many things. And his sisters and brother were running along behind him cheering him on, and one of the neighbor boys shouted “YOU ROCK ISAIAH!” He was so proud and needless to say we were, too.

I wanted to share this with you guys, since I seem to share only when I get discouraged. I can see where his program has really helped his body awareness this past year, among other things. I am praying for more to come! “ ~ Selena

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“My 3 year old grandson absolutely loves to do his Math N’ More Early Learning Foundations each day. In fact, he would like it if I’d let him continue past the two pages you recommend. Each day he wants to do more. He had terrible ear problems between ages 1 & 2. He missed a lot due to not hearing and his speech was distorted. It’s amazing how he’s picking up in his speech now that we’re doing some of the neurodevelopmental activities. Thank you for helping our children!”      C.R. 3/06

 “Our developmentally delayed 10-year-old son’s social skills have blossomed! He’s doing things that would not have happened 3 months ago. For example…he’s singing in the children’s Christmas musical at church and he’s enjoying the practices. He has volunteered to be a sound technician for the children’s ministry at our church. He’ll run the sound board for children’s church. He’s very excited about that also. He “meets” people better. We used to struggle to get him to go to church and Sunday school because it overwhelmed him. Now, he walks to children’s church on his own. These are wonderful things for us to see. We are seeing academic changes come slowly, in addition to these social changes. We are so very thankful for Little Giant Steps!”   C. W. in Oklahoma,

Why are so many children struggling with low auditory processing?
            Many years ago, when our educational system was developed, we were primarily an auditory society; we ate together as families 2-3 times a day and TALKED.  We read as a family in the evenings or listened to radio broadcasts for hours.  We developed our auditory processing ability by practicing. 
            Today, our society is primarily visual with T. V., computers, movies, electronic games, etc.  These all consuming visual activities permeate our lives and leave little time for the truly important practice of listening and developing our auditory processing abilities.  Even though our society is primarily visual, we are still using the educational delivery system that was developed for a primarily auditory society. 
 
What can be done?
            Since the brain is dynamic and ever changing, much can be done to remediate the processing ability of any person, at any age.  By providing specific stimulation to the brain to increase ones auditory processing ability, global benefits will result for the child or anyone who applies these activities for a four month period. 
            You can request a FREE auditory test kit  or by emailing: orderdept@littlegiantsteps.com  Put “Free Auditory Test Kit” in the subject line. This kit will allow you to test any individual ages four to adult.  Also, reading the Auditory Processing Booklet will add to you knowledge and skill.  This information will give you a baseline to work from and a better understanding of your child’s struggles or inefficiencies.  To increase auditory processing, digit span exercises can be done with a four minute time investment and the reward of increased abilities globally.  Instructions for digit spans are also included in the free kit.
              In addition to digit spans daily, I encourage you to read to your children at least one hour a day as an additional way of developing processing skills.  When they are not listening to you read, they could be listening to books or stories on tape/CD (without the book).  This is a great way to add value to the time spent playing with legos, coloring or other fine motor activities.  Listening to audio stories and books (not music) increases vocabulary, helps reinforce sentence structure, provides opportunity for narration, models good writing structure in addition to developing auditory sequential processing. 
            Audio stories are also a wonderful way to productively occupy pre-school children while you are schooling older siblings.  You can see amazing results when you get your child up to grade level in his/her auditory processing abilities.

Life Can Be More Than Just Improved Academics

“I can’t believe how much this program has helped me.  It changed my life!  Immediately in the sports I can see the ball traveling at 65-70 mph coming straight at me and I can hit it.  My stats were 21 at bat and 15 hits and that is incredible for me.  I think I was one of the best on the team.  I went from the bottom of the batting order to close to the top!”                                     Steven Schuetz, age 14.

“There have been days when my son and I have come into conflict over his ND program. He gets tired of doing the activities. Quite frankly, I get tired too, somedays! However, I must admit we are noticing some very positive results. Lately, he’s gotten interested in airplanes. I have noticed once in a while I’d catch him reading about airplanes – on his own! I thought I’d get him a really neat book on airplanes for his upcoming birthday.

We celebrated his birthday with guests over for dinner. Suddenly he was missing from the celebration. I started looking for him. I found him in his room with the door closed. I discovered him browsing his new airplane book! Reminding him of our guests, he was told to join his friends and family, as it was his party and he needed to be in attendance. There would be some time later to check out his new book.

We had a great time and it was very late when company left. We all headed for bed. As I was making my final rounds checking to see all doors were locked, I noticed a stream of light underneath his door. I opened it and here he was reading! I told him it was late, to turn out the light and go to sleep. Then I went to my room exhausted. I had just laid down when I realized I’d not turned off the coffee pot. Quietly I returned to the kitchen to take care of this final chore and as I passed his room – there was a noise. I looked and saw a diffused glow from under his door! Silently I opened his door and there was a tent fashioned out of his sheet. The glow was from a flash light. I tip toed over to his bed and slowly lifted the corner of the sheet to see what he was doing. Here he sat with his legs crossed, hiding so he could read! Amazed at this sight, I never said a word. I replaced the sheet, retraced my steps out of his room and pulled the door to the jam. As I made my way down the hall, tears welled up, because it was then I realized, “He’s reading and loving it…. he’s like a normal kid… curious and seeking information from a book!” I am so grateful we stuck with the neurodevelopmental program. It’s given him access to a world I didn’t know he’d ever experience! Thanks to Jan Bedell and all at Little Giant Steps, we are blessed more than you can imagine!”

The kids corner is devoted to kids who are clients or have been clients and know what being on program is all about. We hope to give you inspiration, new ideas, and a place where you can chat with your friends (especially about your program and just life in general)!

IT IS NOT ABOUT RELIGION, IT IS ABOUT RELATIONSHIP! We thought our teens would really enjoy visiting this site. It was made with them in mind. There are devotions, bible studies and discussions about things teens have under consideration.

We have things to offer younger children, as well. Here’s a fun coloring opportunity, not to mention much, much more!

Here is a site that all young people who enjoy coloring, will like. There are loads of pages to download for coloring and links to other parts of the site with stories, mazes, video and many other interesting things. Enjoy!