Posts Tagged ‘The ND Approach’

 If Your Child Struggles With Learning, Get Auditory Processing Up, First

 I thought I’d share a good resource for you and your child from Little Giant Steps. As you know, we talk about auditory processing a great deal, because it is such a key to learning. (Get a free Auditory Test Kit and see if your child is functioning at grade level.)  If they’re not up to speed, then there are so many games you can play by “practicing” while playing games with your child.  Here’s an excellent “auditory game”: To start, call out at least 4 numbers (monotone voice, with 1 second between each number) then having them give the numbers back to you after you’ve completed the sequence.  It doesn’t have to be numbers, it can be colors, favorite things they like, food, games, etc. Remember the more syllables when using words will make it more difficult, so start out with just one syllable words if they struggle.  If they two out of three correct, then give then additional number (item) and see if they can process 5 successfully, if they can’t just keep practicing on 5 until they get it! There are two things we consider cheating while playing this game. 1. If they are “chaining” ~ that’s trying to group the numbers so they can remember (generally you’ll see them darting eyes, moving head in a rythmn). 2. If they are trying to use visualization (like they are putting the information they hear on a bulletin board in their head) ~ you’ll see they eyes go up and to the side. Both, chaining and visualization, are coping and compensating behaviors that they’ve learned to try to help themselves. To become proficient in auditory processing, they must do it right until they get it.  Then, you go to the next level. We do have a computer program called Sequencing in A Flash, which works with both auditory and visual processing (for all ages), but it’s not nearly as fun as playing a game with mom or dad!

I like to have it be interactive.  First I give a series, they repeat it back, then they give a series and I repeat it back. What’s the goal?  A child should be able to hold in short term memory the same as their age. For instance, a 1 yr. old, should be able to repeat “one word or number” back. A 2 yr. old 2, 3 yr.old ~ 3, etc.  When they get to age 7, or above.. a minimum of digits they should be able to repeat back is 7.  If you wish to carry on a good conversation, and interact with people and teacher meaningfully, you need to be able to process 8 digits.  If you wish to retain college level material, then you must be able to process at least 9.  If a child or an adult has the ability to get to where they’re processing at 12, they would be doing exceptional! The main thing, is to keep this journey to better processing fun while you’re doing it.  Make it a game… it can be a game you and your family will play for the rest of your lives, as you get together to re-live wonderful growing-up memories.  The best part is that playing these kinds of “auditory processing games” will keep your brain sharp and clear, your comprehension will be very good, and your memory will be kept in fine order regardless of age, or I.Q,!

If #auditory processing# is low for your child (which is more the case than not these days) you are affected globally – areas of reading, writing, comprehending, and motor skills. To increase auditory processing abilities, the activities must be “listening.” Here’s a great publication and CD for those important “listening” times. Remember, you or your child can listen while in the car, while playing on the floor – building castles, playing with legos, racing cars or dressing up the dolls!

Meet Axel. from The Little Giant Steps website:

 Remember, your child loves it when you will sit down and focus on them and any activity you can do together. Too many children do not have parents who understand the vital part they play in the neuro-development of their children. It’s crucial that you be interested, interactive and especially to have FUN with your child.  Don’t let another day go by without making a fun and beneficial time-out for just the two of you.  Your life will improve dramatically, along with your child’s!  If you are aware your child is struggling in learning. Try #Developmental Foundations#.  It’s program that can also be very fun. And it will address the functional areas of the brain that are interfering with your child’s ability to: Receive, Comprehend, Store and Recall Information!  Everyone wins with this program.  Just do it a couple of times a day for no more than 5 minutes~ and you’ll see changes you won’t believe when your child’s brain gets organized and begins to have the needed connections (neuro-pathways) that gives them neuro-efficiency.   If you have a pre-schooler (3-5), then #Early Learning Foundations# is what you will want to order. 

 Now, go have a fun weekend with your children!  Take an “Intentional Break” with your child: Play, Laugh, and Make FUN Memories that will last a lifetime!

  My Child’s Smart, But He Struggles. Why?

WHY is he so disorganized and messy? Uncoordinated? Forgetful?
WHY does he lack logical thinking? He know something one day but not the next?
WHY is everything seem so difficult for him?

Little Giant Steps has been righting these issues for the past twenty years, and we know it has  to do the the early stages of development.  We’ve become a society that takes so many things for granted. Our liberty, freedoms, lack of daily fear, physical comforts, conveniences.  The same is true with our small children.  We think once they get here, they will grow up.  The fact is infants have a great deal of requirements to have their growth cycle become successful.  They must have stimulation, interaction, opportunities to develop each of their systems. Visual, Auditory, Tactile, Motor Skills – Gross and Fine, Manuel, Language and Cognitive development are very dependent upon what opportunities they have had to experience the world, their parents nurturing, language, pressure, temperature, reflexes, responses and many more sensations that go into developing a “wholeness” in a child.

As a expert in the field of providing developmental intervention to students, Sally Goddard Blythe states it well,   “ Only last weekend, when I was running a training day for teachers in The Netherlands in how to recognize signs of  neuro-motor immaturity in the classroom and how to administer a developmental intervention program, one of the attendees remarked that these problems are now reaching “epidemic” proportions, not only in the United Kingdom, but in other parts of Europe, the U.S.  and the rest of the developed world.  As technology proceeds apace, and children are increasingly exposed to visual stimulation without motor integration we are in danger of creating a state of evolutionary  regression rather then progression in the motor and language skills needed to support reading, writing, spelling, maths and social integration. The foundations for these skills are laid down in the early years as a child’s brain and body learn to work together through activity. Until successive governments focus attention on developing the whole child instead of trying to treat the symptom, we will continue to see similar depressing statistics.”

Stay tuned, we’ll have more to say on this next time. ~ cj

FALSE: LGS only serves people with learning disabilities.

It’s amazing that Little Giant Steps (LGS) is often times “pigeon holed” as a neuro-educational consulting group that only works with children, teens or adults with learning disabilities or brain trauma.  The fact is, the Neuro-Educational Programs they provide work for everyone!  Why? Because all of us have been raised in a society that began practices (40 some years ago) that were convenient, but not the best interest for our infants neuro-development. The truth is, each individual must go through vital steps and stages of development in order for the brains and bodies to be wired and functioning efficiently. What has happened is that we’ve hampered our off-spring from developing solid strong neuro-connections because we’ve taken them off their tummies during their waking hours, and placed them up-right, in seats that rob them of the neuro-stimuli they require.  They’ve been affected with less than ideal function neurologically, neuro-muscular development, vision (central vision development and tracking), auditory development, tactile and motor function.  Not to mention other factors  (food additives, genetic engineering of our foods, vaccinations, medications, etc.) that may play a part in the development of our neuro-connections.

Each individual  requires a sound auditory processing ability, which is part of the early learning experiences. Yet, today most of our children are functioning below grade level with a skill set that effects them globally. Auditory Processing can make the difference in a person’s ability to receive information, hold it in short-term memory, and then recall and utilize it. Here are a few other benefits of having an efficient auditory processing ability, because when I say globally, here’s  the areas affected:
* Phonetic Utilization
* Behavior
* Following Directions
* Comprehension
* Conceptual Thinking
* Conversational Language
* Staying On Task

Who needs an increase in critical thinking, memory, academic or work-related function?

The answer is everyone!

Can Little Giant Steps address the needs of businesses function?  YES!   When brain organization improves, so does organization of ones work and production.

Can Little Giant Steps address the needs of those who are gifted? YES!  Gifted people many times have such talent they can cope an compensate with unique quirkey learning, organizing, and behavior issues, but what we’ve seen over the years, is when they get the “coping and compensating monkey off their backs“  and they no longer deal with neuro-inefficiency ~ their true potential can be realized.

Can Little Giant Steps provide schools with improved reading, writing, and math scores and function? YES!                                                                                                                         According to a school principal, just last week,  reported that her middle school had been suffering from poor functioning in the area of math, math facts specifically.  They began utilizing Rapid Recall System (an LGS supplemental math facts program that works alongside the state approved curriculum),  and she said. “ their scores came up more than 100points.”   YES!!!  YES!!  All students can benefit from Little Giant Steps’ Neuro-Educational Programs!

Can Little Giant Steps address the needs of our seniors with their Memory and Motion program that helps with memory, comprehension, balance, and well being?  YES!

Can Little Giant Steps addres the needs for intervention with those who are incarcerated, born with mental challenges and learning disabilities?  YES!  YES! YES!

Share this information with your friends, it’s important.  Once you gain solid neuro-efficiency… it lasts a lifetime!

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.

Winning Over Learning Disabilities

Jan Bedell, The Brain Coach, Strives For Excellence

Over the years Jan Bedell, founder of Little Giant Steps and leader of the LGS Dream Team, has been inspired by God to create Neuro-Educational Programs.  Each year we change up and improve our educational curriculum that is richly embedded with neurodevelopmental activities, as a means not only to prepare the students to function academically, but to prepare the brain to receive, comprehend, process, store, and recall information in the most accurate and efficient way possible.

• This year is no exception.  The biggest change for 2011 has been the improvement in Early Learning Foundations (ELF).  Now, there are three levels (and expect a level 4 next year). 

* Early Learning Foundations Level 1 – Serves preschoolers and helps them with becoming more school-ready with gaining neuro-efficiency in addition to getting them ready for reading, writing, and math. 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. Here’s what one mom had to say about this program:
“I ordered Early Learning Foundations for my “just turned” 4 year old. This is the most incredible curriculum I’ve ever had!! It almost makes me have “momma guilt” for not having it for my two older children. I also ordered ABC’s in a Flash and look forward to using it.”  K. S. in Spring, TX

* Early Learning Foundations Level 2- Serves Kindergarten. ELF is a multi-sensory approach to teaching basic math skills to early learners as well as individuals with challenges. Level 2 begins where Level 1 leaves off.  Rapid Recall System is included in the Kindergarten Level 2 ELF.  This program is not only excellent with what it accomplishes educationally and neurologically, but it is fun! Watch this video and listen to this principal with what she witnesses in her classrooms.

* Early Learning Foundations Level 3- Serves 1st grade.  Again this program is innovative, educationally sound, and the children love it. Watch this classroom’s response to taking a one minute speed and accuracy test with the Rapid Recall math facts program.    More information on the research done in schools on Rapid Recall System is available on LGS Educational Services website.  Have a blessed day.

 Everything Begins With Gaining Knowledge

Little Giant Steps has many free articles that can give you insight into sound brain-based methodology to  assure improved learning abilities. The premise of this is that God’s natural order is perfect. However, in an infant’s early experiences, there can be vital steps missed, or distorted due to environmental conditions, health issues, trauma, or just plain lack of stimulation that was needed.  In the case of most of our children today, they are placed in seats, jumpers, walkers instead of having enough “tummy” time, which is how God intended for the brain and body to become neurologically wired for efficient communication between the brain and body.  If a baby does not receive enough stimulation to all the parts of his body (trunk, limbs, eyes, ears, mouth, muscles, hands, and feet) then they continue to develop, but they carry with them unfinished connections between their brain and body. Sometimes parents are aware of these “glitches” as early as two or three years of age. Some just think, “Oh, this is just the personality of this particular child,” and ignore it. But, typically these “unique” features are usually revisited after they get into school and it surfaces that they are struggling for some mystifying reason! These children also learn to cope and compensate in order to perform in a way the world is telling them they need to do, either by example or language. Some of these coping skills are very sophisticated and almost genius by design, but they all take additional energy (emotional and physical) to run. Typically we see the gaps showing up when they are in their first or second year of school. Some children reach the “wall” or limits of their coping and compensating skills at age 9 as the complexity of their curriculum will no longer work, therefore we see them “falling” off academically.

What Can Be Done?

First, gain knowledge of the problem.  I would suggest you read Learning Disabilities in our article library.  Next, read about the Neurodevelopmental Approach.  I would encourage you to spend some time with our videos.  Our Heroes is an excellent place to start.  Next is to understand what we have to offer.  Check out Evaluations Tab on our website.  Scroll down and you’ll find more videos there.

What If I Can’t Afford A Professional Evaluation?

Jan Be-dell, M.Ed., Certified Neuro-Educational Specialist, understands many families have limited resources.  With a heart for those who home school and have only one income, or for those who have different circumstances, she has developed two programs that can provide remedies from Tiny Tots to Seniors.  Remember, improving function by training our brain is always possible regardless of I.Q. or age.  The three programs to serve needs at-home are as follows:

• Early Learning Foundations (used in Pre-schools-Level 1, Kindergarten-Level 2, and First Grades- Level 3) typically for 2-5 years of age. It is also very effective for challenged individuals whether brain trauma, physiological limitations, or mentally challenged. This program provides brain stimulation, plus addresses readying the individual for reading, writing and math.
• Developmental Foundations- (used for school age through college) It is based on The Neurodevelopmental Approach and is beneficial for people of all ages but especially for families with children who are struggling academically, behaviorally, or with low self-esteem. The activities included in the Developmental Foundations program are a very fundamental level of neurodevelopment, chosen from thousands of neurodevelopmental activities proven to address brain inefficiencies. Working on root causes of inefficiencies, these brain stimulating activities advance many areas, from fundamental brain organization which controls what we are able to do, to increasing abilities in short term memory, as well as reading and math.  For an overview of Developmental Foundations benefits — click here.  Unfortunately, there is no “magic pill.” It takes consistent effort to reap the rewards that The Neurodevelopmental Approach has to offer. Developmental Foundations may be only the first step toward academic success for some individuals. Please see Frequently Asked Questions for more details.

• Memory & Motion - by Ruth Young,ND,  An Adult/ Senior ND Program. Keep It Simple ~ Keep It Fun. We are healthier when our lives are balanced and the confidence in our abilities is strong. Little Giant Steps (LGS) is an organization that has worked, for close to two decades, in helping individuals discover improved brain function, better long term retention of information, accelerated short term memory skills and most importantly a reduction in stress and anxiety that often robs our dignity and confidence.

 Thank you, Faith for this four-part series that was both informative and spiritaully inspired ~ LGS

      Artice written by:  Faith Haley, Neuro-Educational Specialist       

It would be a good idea to take a look at your children and see if stress, anxiety and fear are a part of their daily lives. If you’re not sure whether they are being affected, you can just look for the fruit of stress, allergies, asthma, thyroid problems, retaining heavy metals, a disorganized central nervous system, Candida, parasites, diarrhea, insomnia, eating disorders, etc. (This list is not exhaustive.) Are these things present in their lives? Then some changes are in order.

What causes us to have less stress (fear and anxiety)? Short of living with an oxygen tank and trying to live a more peaceful life, what can we do? Well, thankfully, there is a more excellent way! (I Corinthians 12:31)

The Bible tells us over 365 times, “Do not fear; do not be anxious about anything; do not worry; do not be dismayed.” There’s a reason for that, don’t you think? Our bodies just weren’t built to take it! It causes us to age before our time and opens us up to all manner of disease. We can already see by the verse in II Timothy 1:7, (For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind) that having no fear or stress in our lives is related to having a sound mind.

There are two things that can be of great help to us:

       1. Do all things in moderation.

       2. There should be an absence of stress, fear, and anxiety in our lives.

We will find the peace we are looking for in our obedience to the Word of God. We need to cast all our cares on Him because he cares for us! “Do not fear”; that’s what we need for the ability to take in sufficient oxygen and to have a strong immune system. Our brain and body systems will function as they were intended, pulling in all the oxygen they need. Be quick to repent and ask your Heavenly Father to forgive you for not obeying His Word. You tell your children not to play in the street so they won’t get hit by a car. Your Heavenly Father has told you not to fear, not to be anxious for anything because He doesn’t want your body to get hit with a disease.

Hopefully, by now you have a greater understanding of what is happening with your brain when you are anxious. Perhaps you have a clearer picture as to why your immune system may be in need of help.

The Bible does not say, “You are what you eat”; but it does say in Proverbs 23:7, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” It is important to examine your own life, taking your thoughts captive, making sure that you’re not anxious and worried, being obedient and following “Your Maker’s Instruction Book” thus increasing your ability to live a long, healthy life as God intended. If we are obedient and at peace, if our children are obedient and at peace, our immune systems will be strong; our bodies will automatically take in all the oxygen they need and will be healthier. Our brains, the brains of our children will have the ability to function optimally; we can live in peace and in health. How wonderful is that!

                           Article written by:  Faith Haley, Neuro-Educational Specialist

By the way, Dr. Hannaford (Carla Hannaford, Ph.D., Smart Moves) also agrees with the experts about how fear and stress can open us up to disease.

She says that when you have …unresolved emotions where they build up over time into fear, the stress response is stimulated, leaving the system vulnerable to disease and inhibiting the learning process. 

She goes on to say that …research has found a connection with people and personality types who are unable to express their emotions and the increased chance of cancer and heart disease. p187

In the book, A More Excellent Way by Henry Wright, which has personally changed my life, it tells us about all the ways our disobedience, like stressing out every day, has adversely affected our bodies. We’ve allowed disease to enter through an open door, robbing us of the life we so desire. Here is an excerpt from page 236:

 …In the case of allergies we have a combination of less oxygen or too much carbon dioxide coming out of anxiety …when we have stress, our heart starts to race; we have repetitive breathing and the respiratory rate increases. We also have potassium levels that have been depleted, and the third stage of an anxiety disorder called the exhaustion stage sets in…

It’s in that exhaustion stage that we have the onset of many allergies and begin having problems with either hyper or hypothyroidism. Since a compromised immune system gives you a much greater chance of getting dreaded diseases like cancer, the following information is important.

This is the cancer profile from Pastor Henry Wright that he has found to be true in almost 25 years of research and ministry:

Cancer Profile: Denies certain strong needs and represses a lot of feelings – shuts down; poor ability to develop and maintain meaningful, long-term relationships without fear; hopelessness and despair; holding resentment; tendency towards self-pity and introspection; unresolved grief from the loss of a love object; getting fired or being rejected in a vocational pursuit.

You’ve just heard about a few ways that stress and fear can affect the body like developing disease, premature aging, digestive issues, breathing (i.e. asthma), or thyroid and heart disorders, just to name a few. It’s a good idea to check your thoughts and see if any of this rings true in your own life.

Now is a good time to check and see if any of the above sounds familiar. Are you holding onto bitterness, self-pity, the “why me?” syndrome; do we have unresolved grief, perhaps a death of a person or the death of a dream?

As a personal testimony I will tell you that I home schooled for a total of 23 years. I recognized, after some of Pastor Henry Wright’s good teaching, that I had been entertaining some bitterness and self-pity, “It all falls on me to do – the housework, the bills, the teaching and the directing of the children, the cleaning, the shopping, the everything!” I quickly repented of that self-pity and bitterness that had built up over the years because it just wasn’t going to get done unless I did it! Wow, what peace arrived at my door when I finally just let it all go! I used to proudly tell people that the big “S” on my chest did not stand for “Super Mom” but it stood for “Stressed Out”! That was not much of a testimony, was it!

Angela, a sweetheart of a girl, decided to write about her academic journey and her experience with our Neuro-Educational Program.  Read her story and get an idea about what could be for your child.

“My parents blessed me with the best education I could imagine, even though I might not have considered it that way when I was younger. I have experienced the settings of a Montessori preschool, public school kindergarten, home school for elementary, private school for sixth grade, and distance learning for junior high and high school. However, what made my education the very best it could be was that we worked on improving my brain function.

Do you want to know the secret that unlocked my full potential? Well, I had a neurodevelopmental evaluation with the Brain Coach, Jan Bedell of Little Giant Steps. She wrote a program (INP-individual neurodevelopmental program) especially for me to help my brain work better; it included academics and PE. At age twelve I became the branch director of San Antonio and earned enough money to be a tax paying citizen. My ability to travel for a job was made possible by my flexible school schedule with New College Preparatory Academy. The secret to unlocking my early maturity to handle the adult responsibilities of a job and independent learning was attributed to brain building.

It all began with a personal evaluation of my academic levels and developmental abilities. I started this whole process because my sister was doing it and my mother wanted us to go through it together. On the day of my evaluation, to my disappointment, I wasn’t aloud to eat anything with sugar and instead I had to eat a protein-filled breakfast. After my assessment was finished Mom and Dad talked with Mrs. Bedell who then wrote a program for me. Every four months I returned for a checkup and an updated program.

The INP created just for me stands for an Individualized Neurodevelopmental Program. It was like a to-do-list of activities that we put on a chart that I colored in once I was finished with each task. This Monday through Friday school week had three sections: (1) on my own, (2) with a tutor, and (3) with the neighbors. The activities I accomplished on my own included chores, specific listening, and computer memory games. Math using fifty percent input, echo reading using a New Practice Reader, and Sequential Spelling using auditory methods were all done with my tutor. We invited the neighbors over for a PE program that incorporated cross patterning so the two parts of my brain could communicate with each other. All of these activities worked together to organize my brain, which enabled me to hold a job.

For two years I have worked as an apprentice for Jan Bedell learning many aspects of Little Giant Steps. Some of my responsibilities included interacting with adults, babysitting children, selling product, handling money, and teaching program activities. Traveling to Austin, Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio one week out of every month was a lot of fun. My flexible schedule was made possible by distance learning.

New College Preparatory Academy (NCPA) is the name of my school, founded by Dr. Kuni Beasley, who helps kids ace the SAT, and who is in partnership with Howard Burg, the world’s fastest reader. There’s an affiliate school, called National Homeschool Academy, for homeschool students. At the beginning of every year I spend about a week boosting my speed-reading, studying, testing, and writing skills. What is amazing is that I was able to skip from sixth grade to ninth grade because NCPA lets me work at my own pace! There are two people who help me in school: my tutor, Liz Sweet, and my mentor, Cathy Bankhead, who grades my work when I e-mail it to her once a week. Distance learning is a great way to do education.

What made my education the very best, was good schools and a fabulous opportunity to enhance my brain’s ability to learn. When my maturity increased then I was able to handle adult responsibilities at a young age and excel in academics. My recommendation for you is to explore neurodevelopment because they say, “It helps anybody with a brain.”

Where does one begin to share about one of the greatest gifts God has given our family? Little Giant Steps has been part of our lives for almost 2 years and has truly changed our son’s life. Luke was 9 when he began the program. To understand the miracle LGS has been, you need to know a bit about Luke’s story.

From birth, Luke was not making the normal “mile stones.” Since he was our third child we knew what to expect. It was at his 9-month appointment we started a battery of tests to search for answers. His diagnosis ended up being mild to moderate Cerebral Palsy. The doctors shared that they did not know if he would ever walk or talk. Eventually, our son mastered both. From 9 months on, Luke has always had some form of therapy and he has slowly progressed. Then at age 4, Luke began to have complex partial seizures. These were controlled by medication. Luke went to our local elementary school and we were pleased with the care he received. But, he always seemed to take one step forward in mastering something, to take three steps back. We tried many various options, from repeating Kindergarten to trying more time in “therapy.” Nothing ever seemed to help…

In fourth grade, we moved and our new school was not able to accommodate his special needs. We were distraught to say the least. As we looked into other options, each one had roadblocks. Weeks before the new school year were to begin; a friend asked if I had heard of LGS. Unfortunately, we had not up to this point. Quickly, we watched a video, hopped around on the website and made an appointment to be evaluated. (To be honest, we had to be very creative in our finances and even at this point, God provided).

From the beginning, EVERYTHING about LGS has been exactly what we needed. Jan Bedell has been a tool in God’s hands to literally begin to transform Luke’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 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.

Recently, our journey has been marred with more challenges in regards to Luke’s health. Last year, he was diagnosed with a low grade, brain tumor. Sadly, Luke’s hippocampus was removed, along with part of his temporal lobe. We had to take a break from LGS and months ago begun the program again. While Luke is healing, there is clear evidence that his memory is hindered. Our hope is God will use LGS once again to do what no other program or therapist has ever accomplished.  So far, we see good progress.  I am not sure what would have become of Luke had God not placed LGS in our lives. It has done miracles in our boy…and we are forever grateful for Jan’s evaluations, Michelle’s constant contact, guidance, encouragement and Alyssa’s administrative gifts.