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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. 

Little Giant Steps continues to bring you the article of Kay Ness’ regarding the problems and intervention available for those children affected by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/ Fetal Alcohol Effect (FAS/FAE).  At birth there are symptoms, but as Kay discribes there are ways to eliminate those symptoms.  Without symptoms, the brain and body can function within normal limits. Development is the name of the game and we can help reduce learning problems through the Neuro-Developmental Appraoch.

Cognitive Function and Dysfunction

 The labels of learning disabilities, ADD, ADHD, and mentally retarded are simply symptomatic labels. These labels do not predict the potential of an individual. They simply tell you how the person in functioning right now. Given the plasticity of the brain, these areas can be greatly improved.

 The main sources of cognitive problems are low auditory and visual processing, incomplete cortical hemispheric dominance (which affects long-term memory), and teaching methods that are inappropriate for the individual’s learning strengths.

Auditory and Visual Processing

An individual who is labeled mentally retarded often has significant weakness in auditory and visual processing. Symptoms of low auditory processing include difficulty following direction, social immaturity, inability to lean to read with phonics, etc. (See the paper titled “Hearing, Learning and Listening” for more discussion of this issue.) By directly practicing visual and auditory processing skills, while working on underlying sensory issues, it has been shown that processing ability can be significantly increased, thereby positively impacting function.

 Cortical Hemispheric Dominance

Research has found that as the brain develops, lateralization occurs. Beginning at the midbrain, the functions of the brain cross over to the opposite side of the body, so that the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, and visa versa. As the brain matures, lateralization should become smooth and coordinated, allowing the hemispheres of the brain to communicate smoothly and in an organized fashion. Symptoms of disorganization in this area may include difficulty with left/right discrimination; coordination; reversals n reading, writing, and hearing; and many other areas often labeled as “learning disabilities”. A person with complete lateralization should creep, crawl, and walk in a smooth cross-pattern.

 As the brain is lateralizing, the genetic predisposition towards left or right dominance begins to emerge. This does not just affect the handedness; it affects the eye, ear, and foot as well. To be well organized, have good logic, control of emotions, and efficient long-term memory, an individual should be either right-sided or left-sided. If the individual is right-handed, he should also be right-eared, right-eyes (at near-point and far-point), and right-footed. If left-handed, the opposite should be true. This allows for the most organized control of long-term memory, control of emotionality, and many, many other areas of cognitive function. The classic “dyslexic” is usually found to be mixed in some way(s). For example, they may be right-handed and lefteyed, or mixed-handed with no eye dominance, or some combination of these. Establishing dominance on one side eliminates these symptoms. This must be carefully evaluated by someone experienced in this area to make sure that the underlying issues are resolved.

 I just had to share a few more things from parents about the Early Learning  Foundations program and thought you might like more information about it. There is level 1 an level 2.   You can start your 2 to 5 year-old child on the road to success with this multi-sensory curriculum for early learners, and this program is a real bonus to those with learning difficulties. Best of all it’s fun and the children love it!  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.  Now, let’s listen to the parents:

“My 3 year old grandson absolutely loves to do his 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.  

“My three year old really enjoys working on the activities. One day I got some other activity books out that I had bought at the department store, my little guy said, “no mommy, I want my big school book (meaning the Early Learning Foundations notebook)” K. C.

Come visit the Little Giant Steps Store and see all the wonderful curriculum we’ve developed.

We wanted to remind you tonight is the last of the series:
“Playing Catch-up, Successful Strategies for Learning Difficulties”
Thursday, April 21, 2011
7:30 PM CDT – http://www@anymeeting.com/LGSED1

Please join us for the third session on the neuro-educational approach. Learning difficulties are not a life sentence. It is neuro-efficiency that is the game-changer.

Many bright children struggle needlessly in school, while others have significant challenges. What is a parent to do?

Jan Bedell, “The Brain Coach” offers powerful strategies to unlock learning potential including tips on supplemental programs for struggling learners.

Little Giant Steps (Neuro-Education Consultants)  

We’ve scheduled a new webinar!

Here it is – another article on how bad stress is for us! It actually should be shouted from the housetops! Stress is bad, so stop it or it will stop you! The anxieties of life are a huge factor in our modern day lives. There’s been many an article written about stress, listing symptoms and solutions. It seems as if we’re all looking for ways to relieve stress and live in peace. We’re all looking for answers. Keep reading you are going to find some answers within these pages.When we are anxious, no matter how justifiable, our bodies do not receive sufficient oxygen. As our oxygen levels are lowered it becomes very detrimental to our brains. When we are stressed out by school, our children, our responsibilities, our neighbors, the bills, the lack of time to sit and enjoy anything, we have moved onto that merry-go-round going where? We have to ask, “Where am I headed – for healing and health or sickness?” Where are we leading our children – down a path of freedom or bondage? 

There are certian things that we do that actually decrease our oxygen levels and lower the immune system. One of them is very surprising! It is strenuous exercising. If we exercise vigorously it seems like our oxygen level would go up; it does not. In fact, it acts as a big stressor to our bodies. Exercising in moderation, on the other hand, like walking at a moderate pace for about 15 minutes a day or being on a stationery bicycle, peddling at a moderate pace can increase oxygen levels. A person starting out running a marathon with a blood oxygen level of 92, has a severe drop of over 20 points in their oxygen levels within the first three hours of starting the race and it stays down until the race is completed. It can take days for a marathon runner’s oxygen levels to go back up because their body is so stressed. Most athletes engaging in extreme physically stressful sports like marathon runners, boxers, or weight lifters do not, overall, live a long life. There was a report on the news just a few weeks ago stating that most professional athletes do not have a long life expectancy. The low levels of blood oxygen lead to a weakened immune system. This brought to mind what the Bible has to say about doing all things in moderation. When our activities, no matter what they may be, are done in moderation, our body can greatly benefit. It is great gain for us to be at peace.   More Next Time…..

Some times you are around a good thing so much you take it for granted.  I have been guilty of that with the Rapid Recall System, which is a multi-sensory math facts program.  What makes this program a real standout in the market place?  Well, it does what it purports to do and then some.  In fact, we’ve seen things that have even been a surprise to us!

For example, this math facts program was designed many years ago by Jan Bedell, The Brain Coach.  She was an educator who finally gave up hoping the public and private schools could or would teach her mentally challenged daughter to read, write and do math.  Taking matters into her own hands, she began home schooling her daughter at 15 years of age.  She knew in her heart of hearts that there was ability just waiting to be reached and she began a quest to make life better for her daughter.  At that time, she also discovered the ND (Neuro-Developmental) Approach.  It is a methodology of utilizing normal developmental activities that are typically done during the early years of development  to impact the neuroplasticity of the brain.  Neuroplasticity is a life-long feature of the brain that allows the brain to change, new connections to be created, damaged areas to be re-routed around, or repaired.  The goal of doing these brain-based stimulating techniques and activities are to get the brain to become neurologically efficient.  When our brain and body communications are efficient, there is fast interchange between the thought and the action.  Which impacts the cognitive, processing, auditory (short-term memory), visual and tactile areas, as well.

Everyone on this earth, regardless of age, I.Q. or status can always do better with greater neuro-efficiency!  That’s what the Rapid Recall System (a very specially designed math facts program) does; it provides an emphasis on in-put in such a way that the dendrites (ends of the the nerves) are stimulated enough that neuro-pathways are generated and greater connections, speed, and function are increased.

Now, let me tell you more about the surprises we’ve seen with this program.  I’d mentioned earlier about Jan’s daughter, and her being 15 with knowing how to read or do math.  Jan designed this math facts program and had a perfect candidate to work with right under her roof.  She found that her daughter could, in fact, learn!  In fact, what was so amazing was she had been diagnosed with a 40 I.Q., but with the help of a neuro-developmental program she began to read at a 4th-5th grade level, she did math on a 4th grade level, and can write!  Now… here’s the real SURPRISE~ Jan’s daughter today is a 30 year old young woman. She lives in a residence of Christian young women.  Jan went in to test a new resident who had some challenges and as we was starting to test this new resident she thought, “I wonder how much my daughter has retained after all these years?”  She then gave the speed drill to her daughter as well as the new resident.  Her daughter did (right on the spot, no advance warning) 39 addition problems correctly in 1 minute!  The last time she’d been tested had been 18 years ago!  

 We knew this program was exceptional prior to this very up-close and personal experience with Jan’s daughter, but this confirmed what we’d been seeing with our clients who utilized the program.  In fact, if you wish to see the research results done in a couple of schools over the past three years see it here.

I hope you’ll consider this program and many others we have developed as curriculum or companion curriculum.  All are available on our website store.  One thing before I close is:  This program works for gifted, typical and challenged individuals, regardless of age or I.Q. 

In fact, I had a mother from California call about our Rapid Recall System. She told me her son was gifted in math, but had never really mastered his math facts, and she’d already purchased 5- 6 programs that didn’t work.  Someone had recommended our program to her, but she was leary of paying out money with no results. She wanted a guarantee, so I gave her one.  I told her if she followed the program for 30 days, and she saw no improvement, we’d take it back, and refund her money.  Instead of a request for a refund I got the most excited mother emailing me telling me, “It’s working!  After all we tried, I am so happy and relieved to have found this wonderful program!”

Yes, we mustn’t take things that are really good for granted.  We see these kinds of miracles happen to people of all ages when the follow the Neuro-Educational Programs developed here at Little Giant Steps.  For these, we praise God!

Intellectual/Cognitive Delays – continued..      

Once the sensory systems and processing abilities are evaluated, neurodevelopmentalists evaluate how the individual thinks, either visually or linearly. An individual needs both abilities but often, due to developmental issues, lopsided development takes place and we often see individuals with great visual abilities and no logic, or the contrary, great linear thinking but no ability to think globally. Balancing these thinking abilities is important in helping the individual function normally and eliminates some “strange” behavior. 

This informational article was done by an associate, Kay Ness, a master level neurodevelopmental specialist: