Posts Tagged ‘Reading dysfunction’

 Parents Often Underestimate The Difference They Can Make!

Little Giant Steps has been working with families for over 20 years showing them how they can be the “game-changer” when it comes to helping their child through math or reading difficulties.  In fact, over these many years, Jan Bedell, The Brain Coach, has been developing programs that not only help a child grasp the concepts of math, but work at helping the child process information much better.  A Neuro-Education Program, whether it’s addressing functional issues found in ADD, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Sensory Disorders, PDD, Down syndrome, or Special Needs, works on the foundation of learning at the root causes in the brain!  If the brain is not organized, and neuro-pathways are not complete, then the child may show signs of some or all of the learning disabilities mentioned above.

 Learning Disabilities or Difficulties Are Not A Life Sentence!

 Here are some parents  telling of their experiences who have taken advantage of our in-home programs (Developmental Foundations (5-Adult), Early Learning Foundations (2-5 yr.),or who’ve  had an Evaluation with Individualized Programs:

“When I was asked to use one word to describe my experience with Little Giant Steps, I said, life-changing. When our daughter started the program, she was highly frustrated, emotional, and her attention span was terrible. The only way she could focus on school work was in a totally quiet environment. She wanted to help and follow instructions but could not remember. She was also hyper-sensitive, we had to cut out all tags from her clothing. Megan improved two grade levels in math, word recognition and comprehension in one year.“  T.E., Plano, TX

“My son was 10 years old, in the 4th grade and having problems at school (and other places), becoming too emotional in class and causing problems with off-task behavior. When he did get really upset, it took him a very long time to calm down. He was brilliant at some times and totally absent-minded at others; having trouble recalling what he had mastered the day before. Focusing on tasks for 15 minutes was a real challenge and his work required constant supervision for him to complete assignments. He longed to play with other children but would withdraw when playmates were around. He was hypersensitive to touch and had trouble controlling his hands. There were other issues as well.

We took our son to an Educational Diagnostician and a Pediatric Neurologist. Both professionals agreed he was a bright child with mild ADHD. One advised medication and the other did not. Then, I heard a talk given on neurodevelopment and what kinds of problems it can correct. It was as if they were talking about our son. We had our son evaluated and began a Program of Neurodevelopment. By the end of 6 weeks, he began to be able to skip; he had never been able to do this. By the end of four months, he was going to the principal’s office less than once a week, before it had been 2 — 3 times a week. By the end of the school semester, at about 5 months, his interaction with his peers had dramatically changed and he was not so solitary as before.

During the summer, he surprised us by swimming in a straight line across the pool (without any coaching). In summers past, he always swam in a curve, since one side of his body would not do what the other side would (3 years of swimming lessons had been unable to correct this). This year, in the 5th grade, we have seen steady progress. Our son can now stay on task for hours a time and can remember much better what he has learned. He has not been to the principal’s office once!  This Neuro-Educational Program really works! Everyone is a lot happier at our house these days. Neurodevelopment is an answer to prayer.  Grateful in TX.

 One Word To Describe Experience with Little Giant Steps

“When I was asked to use one word to describe our experience with Little Giant Steps (LGS), I said, “Freeing!” I knew Joseph was smart.   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 (from the LGS Neuro-Educational Program), we decided to have Joseph join the program. Joseph really took the initiative and work up early and did his hour of therapy before his other school work. It has been very freeing to see him change.  At completion 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 much better with his brothers and will actually reason out situations.  He is much calmer, yet fun and still our comedian . R. Bradley, TX

  Infants Sitting Upright Most of Their Waking Hours = Developmental Gaps

 I learned the hard way about this.  I was a germ-a-phob (frightened of having too many germs around my children). Therefore, my son spent very little time on the floor where he should have had the opportunity to strengthen his muscles, establish strong efficient neuro-pathways between his brain and body and help map the brain as to the location, locomotion, and responses of his limbs and mobility of his body.  Thanks to the Neuro-Developmental Approach, (a methodology Little Giant Steps has implemented for thousands of children with learning issues) my son’s brain and body were brought into alignment as God intended and his future became very bright and still is today!

Without the pressure, tactility, experience of temperatures, textures, and all those experiencial factors being practiced each day, he was left with gaps in his development.  He was bright, but unable to do things like tracking sentences with his eyes. Color within the lines. Coordinate movements.  His brain was very disorganized as was evident when he talked and of course his constantly loosing his stuff and creating messes where ever he landed for ten minutes.  Even developing either his right or left handedness was still up in the air by the time he was ten!  Yes, his developmental status was leaving him in a dysfunctional position with his school work, trying to read, write, and achieve what he was capable of intellectually.

Sitting upright in swings, car seats, high chairs, etc. does not allow those little toes to push against the hard surface.  Nor, do the arms, elbows, hands, and fingers experience the weight of the body and the pushing up, which is crucial in developing the muscles that will allow the child to bring their heads up so the development of sight gets off to a good start.  It’s a cascading effect on physical and cognitive development and each year the child gets further behind if no intervention is implemented.

What Is The Solution?

The solution if you see them struggling with organizing their thoughts, struggling to remember, muscles being weak, reading and tracking objects with their eyes, comprehending, failing at phonics, is to get your child evaluated, put on a neurodevelopmental program and pick up all the stages of development they lost due to ignorance as to the cost of leaving them in all these “gadgets” that look great, but are really best for dolls, not living, breathing, developing infants!

Here is the article that will more fully address this issue:  Teaching Babies .  But simply what is the best you can do for your new born?  Have them on a hard surface (floor so they won’t fall) and allow them to “root” and “scoot” around for as long as they will. I know it’s not as convenient for you, as you can’t see their face quite as easily as when you’ve got them in a car seat sitting on the counter, but the dividends in creating a neurologically efficient child who’s body and brain are truly in sync allows them to reach their full potential!  Don’t just think about this….Do It! Your child’s future is the most important thing you can affect positively and establishing an efficiently functioning brain that will last him/her a lifetime is worth more than gold!

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!

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!

A White Paper You Need to Read

#Little Giant Steps’ #founder, Jan Bedell, M.Ed, M.ND (Master Neuro-Educational Specialist) boldly declares a statement of truth that can ignite a revolution against old school ideas and can set a young generation free from dyslexia. Jan produced a “White Paper: #Dyslexia#, The Neurodevelopmental Approach” when completing her masters degree. In 2009 she created  “Dyslexia ~ A Workshop For Parents” to help parents understand what can be done to eliminate the symptoms of dyslexia. It can be downloaded immediately.

Parents Can Be Equipped To Help #Dyslexia Be Eliminated#

Hear from a mother who knows how the truth has set her son free. The Neuro-Educational Programs available through Little Giant Steps has many success stories from real families who know the truth. Knowing the truth about the root causes of dyslexia can empower parents and teachers to blaze a trail through traditional mindsets and perhaps stop an epidemic of learning disabilities that currently claims the lives of one in five children. Does anyone care about these disheartened children? Will anyone help their struggling families? Is anyone brave enough to champion a life-saving effort?  Jan Bedell, mother of a mentally challenged young adult, has sacrificially labored for two decades to work with dyslexic children utilizing The Neurodevelopmental Approach  and has successfully addressed root causes of dyslexia. She has set them free from debilitating symptoms by using brain-based, scientifically proven methods that she makes available to parents, teachers, and tutors. Dyslexia is no longer a life sentence. There is hope! It’s up to you to change the course of your child’s life encounter with his full God-given potential and release him/her from the symptoms of this disabling learning issue: Dyslexia.

Jan Bedell is helping families. Jan Bedell has produced a scholarly piece as a way to introduce new information and evidence about dyslexia.  She’s prepared an article entitled, “Dyslexia: The Neurodevelopmental Approach” ~ a shortened version of the research paper.  If you wish to see the entire paper, please email cj@littlegiantsteps.com with Dylexia Paper in the subject line and I’ll send it all to you.  Thousands of families have been helped and are deeply grateful for your neurodevelopmental solutions.

It has been a long time since I’ve head such a report from a mother. Her son went from hating to read to ~ well…. I’ll repeat what she told me:

“There have been days when my son and I have come into conflict over his #Little Giant Steps# Neuro-Educational 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!”

Neuro-Educational Programs Work

From time to time we like to share with you a real life story.  Here’s Steve’s changed life in his own words: 

I can’t believe how much this program from #Little Giant Steps# 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 Congratulations Steven! It always thrills us when we see what is possible when people such as yourself have done the #Little Giant Steps# Neuro-Educational Pogram and then experienced all of the wonderful side benefits! Not only is learning made easy, but life becomes more fun and satisfying, because our potential is enhanced in all areas! God bless you and your parents efforts in truly changing your life for the better! ~ the LGS Staff

 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!