Archive for the ‘Cerebral Palsy’ Category

Since the weekend is coming, we are going to share with you some cold hard facts about the results of our Neuro-Educational Programs and the results we see in just four (4) months of doing the program right at home with the supervision of their parents.  It’s really remarkable!  We hope you’ll take the time to really study these results.

The following test results are raw data from client files. All received a battery of preliminary tests upon admission. The tests establish baselines on educational grade level functional abilities. All received a neurodevelopmental evaluation and an individualized plan was written by the neurodevelopmentalist. All programs were executed by the parents after being trained in specific activities on their child’s individualized program, with the exception of adults participating on the program. This report also shows the educational grade level scores after four months on the recommended program via a repeat of the same battery of tests. Parents following initial training, were supervised via follow up calls. Support was available at all times. LGS cannot guarantee programs were followed as recommended, but tracking sheets were used to help parents stay on schedule. Many clients continued the program, and completion scores for those are listed, as well. Both males and females participated.

7.11 to 8.8 years of age

8.10 to 9.4 years of age

9.8 to 10.4 years of age

10.6 to 11.11 years of age

11.11 to 12.2 years of age

12.2 to 13.2 years of age

13.3 to 14.11 years of age

15.0 to 20.5 years of age

54 and 55 years of age

                                               TWICE HIT, ONCE BITTEN 

When a child has a learning issue (ADD,  ADHD,  Dyslexia, Developmental Delay, Downs syndrome, mental challenges), they are hit by a one-two punch.

First, there is the difficulty in engaging with the subject matter that is being presented to them.  School is not the first place this has been noticed, by the way.  Parents typically have been dealing with a child that can’t follow directions, remember or retain information they’ve been given, show signs of disorganization in their thinking and play habits, don’t comprehend many concepts, and habitually looses stuff!  Unfortunately, many parents think, “Oh that’s just (name). They’ve been like that since they were little. They’re always in trouble, because they just don’t listen, or are never careful about anything!”  So, this child’s frustrating patterns have been logged into the parents awareness, but most will just dismiss it as the “child” not conforming, and most parents just deal and accommodate the situation.  Few, unfortunately, have a clue that there is a rather simple, natural solution to what the entire family is struggling with by now.

The second punch is the debilitating slow erosion of the child’s self confidence in him or herself, the loss of curiosity and interest in the world around them, the anxious frustration that often times get turned inward to self-loathing which leads to very self-distructive behavior as they approach their teens and beyond.  Is it any wonder 80-85 percent of the inmates in prison have learning disabilities?

THE SOLUTION

Little Giant Steps has been treating thousands of children, teens and adults.  Please for the sake of your child, yourself, and both of your future, read about the Neurodevelopmental Approach.  Read the Learning Disabilites article, as well.  Investigate, Learn, and set your child free!  There is affordable help now.  See all about the professional evaluations and the in-home programs!

Learning Difficulties Can Be Resolved

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!

Solving Learning Issues Begins With Natural Stimulation To The Brain 

Listen to a mom’s comments with regard to #Little Giant Steps# Neuro-Educational Programs.  LGS relies on boosting the natural features of the brain (neuroplasticity) that allows for change, repair, creating of new connections so the child, teen, or adult can think more clearly, accurately and with speed. An increase in the ability to receive, comprehend, process, store and recall information is all a by-product of the LGS Neuro-Educational Programs.(age or I.Q. are not a factor, everyone can benefit from Neuro-Efficiency ~ an organized brain).  The brain is actually 97% connections and 3 % cell bodies.  We teach you, the parent,  to do fun activities that can make a difference like you’ll hear from this mother :

A Mother Reports On The Difference She’s Witnessed

A year ago, our 12 year old son was using 1 or 2 word sentences and motions to communicate.    He also had behavior issues and lack of attentiveness that kept him from being part of a regular classroom.  After using our Little Giant Steps Neuro-Educational Program since June, we are seeing amazing progress with our  son.  He is talking in details and wants to read the ingredient lists of his favorite foods and record them in my recipe file.  We can hardly keep up with his flood of words now.

 He is a lot more interested in people and has eye contact now.  We are more likely to get an answer when we ask him about his day at school.  He wants to play with his 9 year old  brother and neighborhood kids now.   We see a look of understanding in his eyes that we’ve never seen before.   This sounds just too good to be true, but it’s not.
 
When we finish the dominance trial in a few weeks, we are planning on taking him out of school to home school him using Little Giant Steps program as a base for learning.  Hopefully after a period of time he will have progressed so much that he can return to school and attend regular classes. 

We have found Jan Bedell’s Neuro-Educational Program helpful where others were not.  For that we are so grateful.   Thanks, C.C.  Lubbock, TX

P.S. ~ If a Professional Evaluation is not possible, then Jan has provided a way for you to see amazing results with LGS in-home-programs called Developmental Foundations (5yr. -adult), or Early Learning Foundations (2-5 yr.).  Check them out!  They won’t disappoint!

A New Way To Prepare For Learning

At Little Giant Steps learning is be made easy! How?  By utilizing the most up-to-date technology where learning is concerned.  Where does learning really happen?  In the brain.  If a child has a disorganized brain, which unfortunately, so many of our children today have due to the lack of getting the proper (required) neuro-stimulation in their early months of life.  Why is this the case? Because, instead of babies being on their tummies during their waking hours, parents put them upright in seats where they have no way of feeling resistance to their environment and the fact is, all of the developing neuro-pathways that come about from the stimulation from being on their tummies are left in a state of incompleteness.  Therefore, the brain and the body’s lightening fast highways never get constructed in the degree that allows for efficient processing of information.  Babies must go through steps of development.  It’s a requirement.  They must have the opportunity to feel the sensations (rough, smooth, cold, warm), resistance, responses to their reflex actions, [which is how the brain is mapped] that can only come from having their whole body on the floor where they have to raise their head (neuro-muscular, sight, and sound), rock their bodies (proprioception ~ knowing where you are in space ~ too close, too far, etc.), digging their toes and hands into the hard surface of the floor where they push, pull, rock and roll (balance, coordination, beginning of locomotion coordination).  For more information on Teaching Babies, please read this article.

Symptoms of Dysfunction Tell Us Where the Root Cause of the Problem Lies.

For each learning problem there is a root cause that can be identified and remedied. When the brain and body are communicating efficiently then sensory input is improved and the learning process can become a joy. Learning Disabilities has become an epidemic in the United States.

Labels like Dyslexia, ADD/ ADHD, PDD (Developmental Delays), and Autism are hampering more and more schools from teaching effectively, and children receiving the academic success they deserve. These labels have invaded the lives of children and their families and have forever changed the landscape of education. Has the joy of learning been diminished? Yes, it has without a doubt. The professionals at Little Giant Steps are trained to utilize the Neurodevelopmental Approach and have had many years of success in making learning fun again! Little Giant Steps addresses these “symptoms” by using a two-fold assessment. First, using a battery of educational tests, a baseline for math, reading and comprehension is established. Next, a developmental evaluation where nine levels of development in six areas of function are assessed. This information gives the Neuro-Educational Specialist the basis for writing an individualized program. The program will address the root causes. The one common element in all learning issues, from our point of view, has to do with sensory dysfunction. Built into the brain is the element of neuroplasticity which is the natural ability of the brain to repair those areas that are deficient, incomplete, or damaged.We firmly believe that we can make a difference in the lives of our clients because we’ve seen it over and over again. Learning can truly be made a joyful experience that will last a lifetime.

Educate yourself about how you can make a significant difference in your child’s life, and see him flourish in school. Help him to become the whole person God intended, a person who can reach their fullest God-given potential!

 Evident Disparity Between Intellect and Motor Function

At# Little Giant Steps#  special children with #Special Needs# bring so many wonderful things to us. Often when we least expect it, they can tell us things that only when we’ve had time to gain perspective, does the “light” go on.

One of those teaching moments happened when my preschooler, who we would learn later, had severe Dyslexia helped the light to go on about the disparity I had seen since he was 3 years old between his intellect and his motor function. When I asked him about his struggle with his gross and fine motor skills, he replied, “I have trouble doing things because I have “fluffy hands”! It took me several years to figure out what he was really telling me. When I became aware of The Neurodevelopmental Approach his “fluffy hands” mystery was solved. The only way he could describe the lack of sensation he noticed that were different in his hands and fingers from other parts of his body was to tell me what he experienced, and his best description was “fluffy”. I came to learn that crawling (which he didn’t do much of) is a crucial step in developing lower level brain organization. Without developing strong neuro-pathways which carry signals from his limbs to his brain, the registering of clear tactile messages wasn’t happening.  The brain is made up of 93% connections and 3% cell bodies. So the early developmental experiences is what creates the neuro-connections or pathways in the brain and between the body! The goal of our early development is always to bring us to a state of neuro-efficiency.  This efficiency refers to the lightening speed of the brain receiving messages from the sensory systems in the body and then acting in concert with those messages, so we can function seamlessly with rapid responses and appropriate mental tasking. He was not sending and receiving these messages quickly and accurately, because the network of connections weren’t fully developed. Therefore his gross and find motor skills were seriously lagging.  His vocabulary was that of a gifted person, his ability to grasp concepts at an early age was mind-boggling, but he couldn’t read successfully, and doing any kind of writing, coloring, or other eye-hand required activities (gross or fine motor skills), well he was unable to respond with any organization, clarity, correctness in any shape or form.

Developmental Delays

I later learned he was suffering from Developmental Delays. I am glad to report it was not a life sentence! I learned how (with the help of a #Neuro-Educational Evaluation# and an individualized program like Little Giant Steps offers) to help my child through brain stimulating activities that would create the much needed pathways and improve the communication between the brain and body. I am so grateful for The Neurodevelopmental Approach! My child is totally functional because of it! In fact, today as an adult he daily serves people with his professional skills at his dental office!  Yes, he’s a dentist who performs advanced procedures such as dental implants, root canals, etc.  Receiving brain-based stimulation at age 10, saved him!  He now daily carries out his God-given potential by serving God, his family, and his community.

If  you have a child with #Dyslexia# here are two resources:  John’s Mom & The Dyslexia Workshop

If you have a child with #Developmental Delays# here is an excellent in-home program: Developmental Foundations

If you have a school you’d like to share our success with please share our Little Giant Steps Educational Services Site

Let us know how we can help at http://www.littlegiantsteps.com/ 

When It Has A Bill, Web Feet, and Quacks…. Chances Are It’s A Duck

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!

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.