Kathy Johnson Blogs Again!
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May
9
2012
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Memory Q&A |
Your student gets what Mel Levine calls Mental Fatigue. It comes from a small digit span or working memory. This is not long term or short term memory, this is how much he can hold in his brain at one time. Average is 7 – an average person can keep 7 separate pieces of information in his brain at one time. A chess player can keep much more! A person who obtained a concussion usually loses this type of memory, so the following things are difficult:
This type of child can hold it together for a short period of time, but not for long. So, you do that exercise you were describing until he stops, then immediately go to something else that is easy and fun for him. It’s not fun to have to work on that – I know, because I had this issue myself! Do the same exercise or a similar one the next day, and every day – each time followed by something fun and easy. When his working memory opens up, he will be able to do amazing things!
Two months later:
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May
1
2012
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Writing Part 3 |
Writing, Part 3Getting it out of the head and onto the paper Have you ever worked with someone who can tell you a wonderful story, but the moment he picks up his pencil is unable to transfer hardly any of that information onto the paper? What is going on? The story seems to get stuck somewhere in the brain. Brain hemispheres Here’s what is happening: The brain has two hemispheres, the left and the right. A very good working brain uses both hemispheres at the same time easily. An underdeveloped brain, perhaps with Dysgraphia or Learning Disabilities, has trouble using the whole brain. The left hemisphere of the brain is primarily where language is processed, while the right brain is used for creativity. If there is poor communication between the two hemispheres, you may not have access to both language and creativity. The only time writing is not creative is dictation, such as spelling tests. This means a simple sentence, such as “I ate cereal for breakfast” did not exist before in the student’s mind, so therefore requires both language processing and creativity. Also, the left hemisphere controls the right side of the body and the right hemisphere controls the left. Therefore, if a student picks up the pen with her right hand, she activates the left hemisphere and shuts off her right hemisphere. So she has access to language but not creativity; if she picks up the pen with her left, she has creativity and ideas, but no language to express it. Why did this happen in the first place? The brain matures by leaps and bounds in the first year of life. One stage that an infant goes through involves holding his head up while on his tummy (the Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex) and rolling onto his back (using the Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex). In order to “integrate” these reflexes and move on through infancy normally, a child does the combat crawl – pushing himself along the floor on his stomach. A child who did not combat crawl is at risk for retaining the reflex and not creating the connections in the brain that it should have. A very important part of this stage of development is the creation of the connections between the two hemispheres of the brain, causing such symptoms as left-right confusion, reversals (b, d, p, q, saw/was), dominance issues, difficulty skipping and marching, and of course, writing ideas down. Improve brain communication! In order to improve communication between the two hemispheres, we have to create new connections in the brain that improve this. This is done through activities that force the use of both hemispheres at the same time. It may be difficult at first, but when completed day after day, the brain improves. So, any activity that uses both sides of the body at the same time will improve the connections. An example is to touch the left shoulder with the right hand and visa versa. Marching in place with the opposite hand and foot is good, too. Doing sit-ups, touching the knee with the opposite elbow works on core strength while making new connections in the brain. The student may find that he can write better after just 3 minutes of any of these activities.
You can find many good activities for connecting parts of the brain in the book, Brain Gym: Teacher’s Edition by Dennison. Make permanent gains! The very best thing to do to make these gains permanent is to integrate the Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex and the Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex. All it takes is a few minutes a day of simple physical exercises done every day for about 30 days. The exercises work to “break” the reflex by moving the body against the reflex, doing something opposite. Why 30 days? It takes about 4 weeks to create a new habit, which is actually a form of long-term learning. In order to break an old habit, we create a new habit – a solid new connection in the brain. Once the reflex is integrated – and you will know by the amazing changes seen – the reflex exercises can be ceased. Part 4 will describe why some students can't write words while at the same time spell correctly, punctuate, capitalize, etc. You will also learn what you can do about it! Let the writing begin! Please see the Pyramid of Potential DVD/Workbook for Astronaut (integrates Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex and more) and Fly to the Moon (integrates Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex and more) at www.pyramidofpotential.com/store. Each DVD/Workbook includes:
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Apr
16
2012
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Writing Part 2 |
If you missed part 1, scroll down. Another problem that can happen with handwriting is poor posture and arm positioning. How often do you see children in the following position? They lean back in the chair, sit sideways, their dominant hand is straight, and that leg is straight while the other side is bent. This position is the Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR) position. Some children did not “integrate” this reflex as a baby, and it carries into later life. Below is a picture of a baby in ATNR. This image was found on markchurchcentre.co.uk. Note how the baby has the head turned, and that side of the body has a straight arm and straight leg, while the others are bent. Normally this reflex is present in an infant until the baby is about 6 months old. Because it is a reflex, the infant has no control over it. When a child is older but the reflex is present, the child can, with difficulty, overcome the reflex, but the cost is poor handwriting. Some other symptoms besides poor handwriting that may be seen as a result of a retained ATNR are:
So, if you see a child who is slumped in their chair like the first picture, has reversals, uses a finger to read, and has trouble skipping, you are probably looking at a child who did not fully get through all of the stages of infancy. To learn the exercises to integrate the Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (plus other great brain exercises) purchase the Pyramid of Potential DVD/Workbook Series at http://www.pyramidofpotential.com/store/products/380. Then you will see more good writing posture, like below!
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Apr
6
2012
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Huge April Sale! |
Huge Sale (over 37% off!) To help autism, learning disabilities, ADD/ADHD, dyslexia and more! There is just 5 months before the start of the new school year. What can you do in 5 months? You can complete the Pyramid of Potential DVD/Workbook Series! And save loads of money if you purchase it now! Read some stories from moms, teachers, and therapists below. Order the Pyramid of Potential DVD/Workbook Series from www.PyramidOfPotential.com/shop. April special: Normally, $129.95 – This month only - $99.95 AND it includes a sample kit of colored overlays, normally $29.95. Save $59.95!!! Start immediately and finish by the first day of school! Appropriate for all ages! The Pyramid of Potential DVD/Workbook Series Includes:
Here are just some of the comments received from parents whose children are doing the exercises:
More at pyramidofpotential.com/files/49725.pdf Read comments from:
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Apr
2
2012
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Writing! Part 1 |
Writing! Why is that some of us beautiful handwriting yet others can’t make letters look good without slowing way down and concentrating? Why do some people have no problems with automatically using a tripod grasp for their pencil, yet others hold it in a claw and press really hard on the paper? Why is it that some people can tell a good long story, yet the minute they pick up a writing utensil, they struggle to get any words on the paper? And most importantly, what can be done to correct this? The issue of writing will be handled in three parts, over the next 3 newsletters.
Part 1: Handwriting What is the Problem? First of all let’s look at the problem with handwriting. The typical way (but not always) to handle poor handwriting is through occupational therapy giving the child time to practice, practice, practice handwriting using the tripod grip on the pencil.
Other factors come into play as well, as you can read from the article at: http://schools.fsusd.k12.ca.us/schools/mundy/OT.htm All of these wonderful suggestions work to teach how to correctly sit and hold the pencil to overcome poor handwriting, but what if it is not that simple? What do you do if the child still does not hold the pencil correctly when writing fast, or still moves the paper over to one side, or slumps in the chair? Why does the grip problem persist? Let’s start by looking at WHY the grip is bad, why the posture is bad, and why these children don’t put their paper in front of them. Once we understand where these issues came from, we can also work to correct them from the source. We want to help these children as much as we can! We want to be successful in our teaching or therapy, and we want them successful in their writing. We will start with grasp. Below is a picture of a very young child just starting out with holding a crayon: Notice that the way the child holds the crayon is the same as how an infant grasps her parent’s finger: This is a reflex that a baby is born with, the Palmar reflex. It is initiated by the presence of pressure on the palm, and the infant automatically grabs on. At about 4 months old, the baby stops automatically doing this, and over the next few years the thumb and fingers separate and are used in a more mature way. If the reflex is retained (this is on a continuum, not retained or integrated), you will see an immature grasp of the pencil, such as wrapping the thumb, holding it like a claw, holing the pencil too hard, etc. Besides handwriting, there are other places in school that are affected by a retained Palmar: keyboarding (which we start as young as first grade) and learning to play an instrument like the recorder in 3rd or 4th grade. The child who does not yet have control over each separate finger will not be successful in these very important skills. What to do about grip: There are exercises to integrate this reflex if it still persists past Kindergarten. Feel free to download the Fingers 1-2-3 file (below) which describes this exercise. All it takes is about 1 to 2 minutes a day for a month. However, we are working to make changes in the brain. In order to do so, exercises must be completed most days of the week in order to create long term learning or integrating of a reflex. If Fingers 1-2-3 is not done at least 4 days a week for 6 weeks, you may not see great gains. You are working to create a “habit”; or to break a habit. If you have ever tried to break a habit, you know it takes many repetitions! If you work with the children only once or twice a week, get help from the teacher, and see if they will have the entire class do the exercise everyday just before their writing class. Click here to download the exercise. Fingers 1-2-3 Part 2: Handwriting: Paper Positioning and Posture (in 2 weeks) Part 3: Writing: Getting Thoughts Down on Paper (in 4 weeks) |
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Mar
28
2012
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Spinal Galant Primitive Reflex |
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Mar
26
2012
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Brain Training Workshop in Albany, NY |
Learn how to improve reading/dyslexia, increase IQ, processing speed, memory, and overcome ADD/ADHD! Effective Brain Development Using the Pyramid of Potential Some things you will learn:
Appropriate attendees would be:
Comments from past attendees: Kathy, your workshop is the best I have gone to in my educational career. The pyramid makes so much sense of things we have done with our own children. Thank you. I would love to stay in touch, especially as I look at developing something for elders. I am testing and beginning the exercises for the reflexes with myself and my girls this weekend. I am truly grateful for your thinking outside the box and then giving that creative thinking a form. Dr. Renee Rinderknecht Dear Mrs. Johnson,
Kathy Johnson Author, The Roadmap From Learning Disabilities to Success Kathy Johnson earned her BS at Clarkson University in Management and Marketing, and received her MS Ed from State University of New York at Albany in Curriculum Development and Instructional Technology. She created a video training series on a software program, Enable, in the 1980s; has taught in business environments as well as public and private schools. Ms. Johnson has been working with people from the age 6 to 70 since the year 2000 to overcome learning disabilities. She started and directed a small private school in which the children completed their trainings and therapies during the school day while also completing their required school work. Currently, MS. Johnson, as an educational consultant, works with her clients one-on-one through individualized plans, until success is achieved. Trained In
Ms. Johnson also wrote the Pyramid of Potential series, a DVD and workbook designed to walk people through a progressive series of neuro-developmental exercises to create pathways in the brain necessary for overcoming learning disabilities. Her book, The Roadmap From Learning Disabilities to Success was published in 2010 and includes chapters on each step necessary to consider including nutrition, stress, neurodevelopment, sensory motor development and cognitive development. She give professional development seminars nationwide on the topic “Dyslexia, Dyscalculia and Dysgraphia” through Premier Education Solutions/CMI/MEDS-PDN.
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Mar
19
2012
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Reading! |
We want our children to be able to read well so that when they go out into that big bad world, they can get a good job. Today I examine the causes of reading problems, using the framework of the Pyramid of Potential as a guide.
At the top of the Pyramid is academic success. If you are not seeing success in reading, perhaps more reading instruction is required. If your child did not have a great teacher for a year and fell behind, or the reading method was incompatible with her reading style, or he was hurt, missed a fair amount of school and fell behind, then this is an appropriate step.
However, if your child has been in remedial reading for over a year, more reading instruction is not enough! It is time to figure out just what is required. We will go down the Pyramid of Potential to figure out what to do next. Cognitive development refers to the development of skills that include memory, attention, logic, pre-reading skills, etc. A child needs good memory skills in order to read – memory for letter sounds and sight words, therefore good visual memory and auditory memory. A child needs to be able to pay attention for a significant period of time in order to remember and comprehend what he read. Logic is necessary for understanding what is read, especially after 3rd grade when similes, metaphors, and symbolism are introduced. The pre-reading skills are blending, segmenting, and phoneme analysis, necessary for decoding. If any of these are weak, then a cognitive training program is a great way to catch up. You can purchase BrainSpark! off the www.pyramidofpotential.com/shop website, or consider other programs like Learning Rx, PACE, Audi-Blox, BrainSkills, or BrainWare Safari. Before you can develop good cognitive skills, however, you need to have good sensory development. What are the two most important senses needed for good learning? Auditory and visual, of course! You need good auditory processing (being able to hear words and sounds well) in order to be able to have good auditory memory, blending, segmenting and auditory analysis skills. If your child has very sensitive hearing, it may be very difficult for her to be able to pay attention in class due to all the sound distractions. And the same goes for the vision system. If your child can’t pay attention well because of the visual distractions, this can cause problems. Many children get eye strain and headaches due to vision issues. Many see the words move or see double vision, yet don’t complain of this because they think everyone sees the way they do. These are just the tip of the iceberg. You can see how important it is to have good sensory development in order to have good cognitive development. What to do? For auditory development, you may want to seek out a listening program, like Therapeutic Listening, Interactive Listening Systems, The Listening Program, or Samonas. There are clinics in some cities that offer Tomatis or AIT. Once a child can distinguish the difference between similar sounds, like vowels or m and n, reading will become much easier. Being able to tolerate a noisy classroom will make it easier to learn. For vision, you may have to consider vision therapy. To learn more, go to www.covd.org. There are some web sites available to help as well: www.do2learn.com, www.eyecanlearn.com and www.eyeqadvantage.com. Many people find that color can help them see better as well. Go to www.irlen.com to learn more. I’ve found that many children and adults suddenly can see well just by using a colored overlay on top of a book! In order to get good sensory development, you must prepare the brain. Many times, people have spent time and money going through listening therapy or vision therapy only to find that 6 months later, the brain settles back to where it was before. There are reflexes that occur in infancy that relate to neurodevelopment. A good example is the stage that includes the Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR). At this stage, from in utero to about 4 months, when placed on his tummy, a child will pick his head up, even though his head is about the same length and weight as the rest of his body. Where does he get the strength? He doesn’t have it – it is a reflex that he cannot control. Meanwhile, while he continues to pick his head up, he gains control, builds muscle, and develops neurodevelopmentally. Some of the symptoms of a retained TLR are poor posture, slow copying from the board, poor sequencing and poor sense of time. So children need to have tummy time, and lots of it, to develop the visual sense. There are several reflexes related to vision, and several related to hearing. A child can revisit these reflexes at any time in life and get better neuro, auditory, and visual development. It is never too late, and it is here that the brain will be set up so that the senses do not regress. You can purchase a DVD/Workbook program that includes 6 primitive reflexes plus some cognitive training exercises at www.pyramidofpotential.com/shop. The DVD is appropriate for all ages. But occasionally regression happens or the reflexes stay retained. Why? Basically trauma. The trauma could be a problem with the cells of the body, due to a severe disease (Lyme’s, Mitochondria, Celiac, etc.) or it could be emotional, such as abuse. That is why at the base of the Pyramid we see body and mind health. It is the foundation of everything. So, there is no silver bullet. If you have a child who needs years of reading help, look at each step of the Pyramid of Potential and develop a plan so that the resulting outcome is a child who can read, be successful, and find independence! More information at www.pyramidofpotential.com, or http://www2.ed.gov/parents/read/resources/edpicks.jhtml for reading resources from the US Department of Education.
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Mar
17
2012
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I learn from you too! |
03/15/2012 Beware the Ides of Marc h! Well, if you are Julius Ceasar that is. Otherwise, enjoy this wonderful day! Spring is just around the corner. I’m sitting in the Colorado Springs airport waiting for my flight home. It’s going to be 70 degrees again today and sunny. Wow what beautiful weather it has been. I was told that this could be very blizzard this time of year, but instead I was able to enjoy typically May weather.
While here, I had time to do a little sightseeing including driving around Cheyenne, Wyoming and eating buffalo steak at a bison ranch. I drove through Loveland Colorado and watched the sun set at the Devil’s Backbone. I took an hour’s walk around Garden of the Gods outside Colorado Springs, and just before coming to the airport, I walked up 224 steps to the top of Seven Falls. Pike’s Peak will have to stay on my wish list. Ah, well, next time. I just finished 3 more workshops on Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia, and as usual I learned from the participants while they learned from me. Some books they recommended, that I will read in the coming months were “The Brain That Changes Itself” and “Proust and the Squid”. Both are about brain development, and I’m really looking forward to enjoying them. Meanwhile, if you read them, please let me know what you think! During the workshop we play with Irlen overlays to see how differently we all see. Some had significant changes, good or bad, with one or more color. I mentioned how I copy all written testing onto colored paper for the kids I screen, and how I recommend colored paper for the kids who need it in school. One participant said she buys the Astrobright colors of lined paper. I had not seen this before, and had only seen yellow lined paper, so of course my interest was piqued. She said that she has bought it in several places and mentioned Walgreens Drugstore. After the workshop, I found a Walgreen’s about a block away, so you know what I did! Yup, I bought a package. So look for the lined color paper – seems like the paper industry is listening to the needs of the common person. It’s almost time to board, so off I go, back home to Ballston Spa New York. Over and out. |
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Feb
29
2012
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Dear Dr. Seuss: Oh, no? say it isn't so? not Dyslexia! Read the poem on Facebook.com/pyramidofpotential |
Look, look. Not another book! I don’t want to read a book. Not a red book? Not a green book? No, not red or green. I don’t want a book.
A book about beads? A book about greed? No! No! I don’t want to read!!
Why not? What’s up? What’s going on? Words shake, they swirl, they float in the air. I can’t make it stop – I despair!
Everyone else can read, but not me. I wish I could; I want to be free!
I don’t get the sounds; the vowels sound the same. Sad and said; hot and hit; time and tame.
Other sounds are similar too! S, sh, f, and ch – is there a difference? To you? So reading fish, hearing chiss; what to do?
I get confused by the letter b. It looks like d and q and p. So bad, dad, and pad All look like dap or bab or qap.
Saw or was? God or dog? Big or gib? Gol or log?
And sounds get mixed Like aminal or norming. Sounds get stuck like Strorming not storming.
What can I do? I try so much! Will I always need a tutor crutch?
The Pyramid of Potential is no ruse, It’s just a method to help you break loose From the symptoms that hold you from reading “goose”. With time and effort, you can read Dr. Suess!
The Pyramid of Potential Method begins with looking at the health of the brain and body. Good nutrition, exercise, and calming yourself everyday helps. Above that is the development of the brain in the first year of life, replicated in any year after. The most important two steps for dyslexia are Spinal Galant (Snow Angel DVD on www.pyramidofpotential.com/shop) for auditory processing and Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (Lizard DVD at the same site) for reversals of letters and words. (Going through all DVDs in order helps the most for complete auditory and visual development) After neuro development, comes work with auditory processing to be able to further process sounds – but be sure to set the brain up first with the neurodevelopment, so that the auditory development will stick for good! You would use a listening therapy for the auditory development. Next is vision therapy for good vision development, but once again, if you do the neurodevelopment first, the vision therapy will be quicker and less costly. Finally, cognitive skills are needed, like good memory to remember sounds and sight words, processing speed for fluency, and logic for comprehension.
By the end of this process, reading Dr. Seuss will feel like child’s play!!
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Feb
20
2012
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Remember What You Hear! |
Auditory memory Some people are good at remembering what they see but not what they heard. They may be very interested in a lecture or musical program, but later can’t recall much about it. Auditory memory is a very important skill required in the classroom in order to remember directions or take notes from a lecture. To determine if a person is good at this kind of memory, tell her a sentence full of nonsense words and see if she can remember the details. For example, if you say “brits is the name of my cloft which is trand”, can she repeat it? Can she answer questions about the sentence – like what is the name of my cloft or what is brits? Be sure to be very simple for young kids but make it harder for the older ones. A person with very poor auditory memory will not remember which book to take out of her desk and will watch the other kids to see which one they retrieved. Fixing an auditory memory problem As with visual memory, work on this every day for 30 days straight. Each day, make the task a little more difficult so that you maintain challenge. Do not make any of this too hard or he will shut down from frustration. However, if it is too easy, he is not increasing his auditory memory. On the first day, give a command, like draw a circle. Then give two commands, like draw a triangle inside a square, or stick out your tongue then touch the floor. If he can do 2 commands, try 3. If he can remember 3, try 4 and so on. Once you found his limit, stop. The next day start at his limit. Give that number of commands for him to do and be successful, but then string in one more. Make sure that the commands each time are completely different. Sometimes just ask him to repeat a series of objects, letters and/or numbers. Practice for about 5 to 10 minutes a day. An excellent program that includes many auditory memory activities is BrainSpark! It is a kit that includes 52 different games and activities all designed to improve brain skills. More information can be found at http://www.pyramidofpotential.com/store/products/382 Read the following research about how auditory memory is far inferior to visual memory. So, if you really need to get your point across, don’t talk – show pictures! http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2667065/ |
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Feb
20
2012
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Amazing Math Improvements!! |
I love to pass on to you some of the comments that people send me after working with some of the exercises from the workshops I give or from the Pyramid of Potential series. Here is a recent email conversation with a woman who listened to the Dyslexia, Dyscalculia & Dysgraphia CDs from PESI:
Anne, What a great testimonial! Is Lia still doing better than she was before doing the exercises?
I tell my clients if they miss a day add 2 to the end. If you miss a week, start over. Try not to miss! It is not the end of the world, but I don’t want people to think that it will still work if they are not diligent. You can try doing two sets the next day, one in the morning and one in the evening. It may work as well as adding days to the end. What you are looking for is change, not the number of days that you did the exercises.
Watch out if she is doing the exercise too fast. Starfish and Snow Angel, for example, must be done slowly to break the reflex. In Fly to the Moon, the exercise is meant to build muscle in the back, neck and shoulders. If she is too tired to do the full 30 seconds, she will have to work up to it. We cannot ask a person to do what a person cannot do. Always start where she is at and work toward improvement.
More information about the Moro Reflex and the Starfish at http://www.pyramidofpotential.com/store/products/375 Research on Math improvements from integrating the Moro Reflex: "Primitive Reflexes and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Developmental Origins of Classroom Dysfunction" describes an overlap of ADHD behaviors and retained infant reflexes. The boys in the study that were diagnosed with ADHD had significantly higher levels of retained infant reflexes than the boys who were not diagnosed with ADHD. The main reflexes that were retained are called Moro, Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR), Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR), and Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR). The retention of these reflexes also corresponded to lower math achievement than the boys who were not diagnosed with ADHD and had lower levels of retained infant reflexes. It was also discovered that an active Moro reflex inhibits the integration of the other three reflexes. International Journal of Special Education 2004, Vol 19, No.1 More from an extensive article on Primitive Reflexes at http://faculty.ksu.edu.sa/71757/Important%20Subjects/Primitive_Reflexes.pdf |
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Feb
14
2012
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Fox News Article about Sensitive Hearing |
Take a look at this article from Fox News - it is about listening therapy and how it helps those with Central Auditory Processing Disorder. I have used the listening program mentioned, but not the app they describe. The results that the kids had were absolutely wonderful for those with sensitive hearing. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/02/05/solution-for-sensory-disorders/ More information about Therapeutic Listening at http://www.vitallinks.net/ More information about the Ease app at www.vision-audio.com Research on listening therapies:
ü Kraus N, Chandrasekaran B., Music training for the development of auditory skills, Nat Rev Neurosci. 2010 Aug;11(8):599-605. The effects of music training in relation to brain plasticity have caused excitement, evident from the popularity of books on this topic among scientists and the general public. Neuroscience research has shown that music training leads to changes throughout the auditory system that prime musicians for listening challenges beyond music processing. This effect of music training suggests that, akin to physical exercise and its impact on body fitness, music is a resource that tones the brain for auditory fitness. Therefore, the role of music in shaping individual development deserves consideration.
ü EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE LISTENING PROGRAM ® TRAINING FOR CHILDREN WHO ARE UNDERACHIEVING IN A STATE SCHOOL By Gwyneth Jeyes, M.Ed., Educational Psychology/Special Needs Chuter Ede County Primary School, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom Editor’s Note: This paper by TLP Provider Gwyneth Jeyes was presented at the end of March at the Sixth International Conference of the British Dyslexia Association at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom . It incorporates the first phase of a program which she used as the dissertation for her Master’s Degree in Education. This inclusive study tracks the progress of thirty-eight children who completed one cycle of TLP in a school setting. Abstract The importance of the auditory skills in literacy development being established, all the various methods available to address such problems were discussed. The Listening Program® (TLP) was chosen for implementation as it was suitable for use with a group of children and so could be a financially viable intervention for general use in school. Thirty-eight children aged between 7 years 0 months and 11 years 5 months were involved in the program, which ran over a period of two years. Thirty-three of the children were tracked throughout the period. The defining criteria for participation in the program was underachievement in the academic sphere as illustrated by the child's failure to achieve expected scores in the annual school NFER progress tests and group reading tests. The children involved had hearing tests prior to the program to ensure that their problem was not the result of hearing impairment. The intervention program involved a group of up to six children each term, listening to acoustically modified music through headphones, at low volume, for a half hour period each day, for one cycle of 8 weeks. Before and after intervention the auditory discrimination and memory of the children were tested using the Quest test of pre-reading skills and a standardized reading test was administered. The annual NFER test scores for English, mathematics, and group reading were recorded and compared with scores for tests after the intervention, with the appropriate progress scores for each area recorded. All the children, without exception, improved their performance in the auditory discrimination and memory tests after intervention. Seventy-nine percent of the children showed progress well above average in at least one area of mathematics, language, and reading.
ü (19) Clinical Outcome Evaluation: Auditory Integration Training Jane H. Rudy, Sharon S. Morgan, and Marianne Shepard Upper Valley Medical Centers, Troy, Ohio Paper presented at the Ohio Speech-Language-Hearing Conference, 1994. In an open-clinical study, 13 subjects diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or central auditory processing dysfunction (CAPD) were given a variety of assessments prior to, immediately following, and three months post-AIT. These tests examined hearing acuity, central auditory processing (SSW, SCAN), auditory evoked potentials (i.e., brain waveforms--P200 and P300), language function (CELF-R), and intelligence (TONI). Immediately following AIT, there were significant improvements in the SSW, SCAN, and CELF-R, and no change in the TONI. Three-months post-AIT, there was additional improvements in the SSW and CELF-R, but no further change in the SCAN. There was also a significant improvement in the TONI. An analysis of the P200 waveform indicated a significant change in amplitude but no change in the P300 waveform latency. No significant changes in hearing
ü Case-Smith, J., Hall, L., The effect of sound-based intervention on children with sensory processing disorders and visual-motor delays. American Journal of Occupational Therapy. March/April 2007, 61 (2), 209-215. 10 children ages 5 - 11 were treated for 4 weeks with a sensory diet, then 8 weeks with a sensory diet plus Therapeutic Listening. Overall there was a significant improvement in the Total sensory Profile Score with the greatest improvements in the areas of auditory processing and behavioral outcomes. The two children with handwriting issues had significant improvements in their handwriting scores as well.
ü More research at http://www.rmlearning.com/TLPresearch.htm and www.aithelps.com/efficacy-AIT.pdf
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Feb
7
2012
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Remember What You See! |
It was time to write an article for you, but I couldn’t remember what I wanted to write it on. Then I remembered! I have been thinking about memory a lot lately. There are so many different kinds of memory: short term, long term, auditory, visual, working memory. And for a lucky few, photographic! In this article we look at visual memory, how to determine if we are good at it, and how to improve it. Determining if we are good at visual memory Are you the type who, when reading a novel, has a movie going on in your head? Some do – it is their way of visualizing the story. Some people even visualize in color with a soundtrack! Others, when they read, remember the story, the words, the feelings; but no movie. A person who visualizes well is good at comprehension, because they are making pictures in their head to remember what happened. If a person does not do this, and doesn’t remember using the other ways, the person has poor comprehension. To see if someone visualizes you can ask him to picture his kitchen at home. Notice if his eyes look up and to the side. If so, he is searching his brain for the memory. If he can tell you all sorts of details about the kitchen, he is good at not only visualizing but also giving that information back to you. If he is not very verbal to begin with, you can ask him specific questions about their kitchen – the color of the floor, what type of refrigerator they have, is there a clock in the kitchen, what does his family usually keep in the refrigerator. What to do if visual memory is poor If he tries very hard and still can’t make a mental picture of the kitchen, you know you have to teach him how. It is not too difficult. Start with a simple toy or picture. The toy should not be wild, but just have one color and a simple shape, a rubber duck would work well. Or have a simple picture of one thing. Have the person describe it to you in as much detail as he can. Then hide the picture or toy and have him describe it again. Be sure he includes lots of detail, and ask him questions if he doesn’t offer many details. Do this type of inquiry daily (my standard is every day for 30 days) with increasing difficulty. Also each day ask if he can describe the previous day’s picture or toy so that you work on long term memory as well. An excellent program that is well-scripted is Visualization and Verbalization by Lindamood-Bell. You can find more information at: http://www.ganderpublishing.com/Visualizing-and-Verbalizing-Teachers-Manual-2nd-Edition.html
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Jan
30
2012
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Could it be Faux ADHD? |
Forgetfulness, struggling to pay attention in school, aggression - it may sound like textbook attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Turns out those are also the signs of certain sleep problems, according to research from the New England Center for Pediatric Psychology (more at http://sleepbetter.org/home/dr-lisa-shives-calls-for-sleep-testing-during-adhd-diagnosis/). In a recent study, children who had no set bedtime or sometimes slept in their parents' bed were eight times more likely to exhibit symptoms that mimic those of ADHD. When these behaviors were corrected, the problems went away in two to three weeks in kids who didn't actually have the disorder. If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD and bedtime is a nightly struggle, consider talking to your pediatrician about retesting. - From Family Circle Magazine, January 2012. Sleep can be considered a part of Mind and Body Health, at the bottom of the Pyramid of Potential. Other components of Mind and Body Health are nutrition, exercise, stress relief and dealing with trauma. Dealing with aDHD is like peeling an onion - once you have found a likely cause, it may be a part of what is causing the behaviors. There may be other triggers beyond sleep: diet, hypersensitivity to sound (caused by a retained Moro Reflex), hypersensitivity to visual stimulation (visual ADD, overcome by training), racing thoughts (from a retained Spinal Galant), and more. Best thing to do to overcome ADD/ADHD? Look for all of the possible causes, Look deeper into each, determining if that may be a cause and work to overcome each. An excellent resource book is The Roadmap From Learning Disabilities to Success, found in the shop on this website, or at www.Amazon.com or www.BarnesandNoble.com. |
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Jan
23
2012
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Henry Winkler, Dyslexia, and Irlen Syndrome |
January 15, 2012 Watch this video, and you can see what Henry Winkler and many other people with Dyslexia see when they try to read: http://www.thedoctorstv.com/videolib/init/5734 During my screening, I always screen for visual issues, including Irlen Syndrome – when people see various visual distortions that are helped by colored gels or lenses, such as those seen in the video. Not everyone is helped by the color, because there is no silver bullet, but when they are, it is dramatic. Just this week, an 8 year old girl noticed that the double vision she was seeing stopped when she used certain colors. I recommended that her parents copy her writing work onto colored paper, use colored overlays for reading, and go to the nearest diagnostician for lenses. Because of the cost, I don’t recommend the lenses unless the parents can invest the money, and the child sees double most of the time. In the video, one of the disturbances was a swirl effect. One of my best friends sees this, but it goes away when she uses the overlay. She also noticed that when using an eReader, like the Nook or Kindle, the effect is lessened, and when putting the overlay on top of the eReader, it is the best. Now she can read so much faster and retain what she reads easier. But note that if the grey color makes one’s eyes hurt or the distortions are worse, an eReader will not help. Long ago, I had screened a little girl who described that the text moved down the page without an overlay. The color that worked best for her was the Goldenrod, an orange color. Later in the assessment, I was testing her reading level with the Woodcock-Johnson Reading Battery. We were getting toward the end of the test because she was missing words when I noticed she was rubbing her eyes, blinking, and moving very close to the words. I realized then that she could probably sue the overlay, so I put it on top of the test, and she proceeded to get to at least another year higher in her reading! At that point I knew that if I was not using a person’s color in the screening, that I was testing how well they could see black text on white paper, rather than the reading level. Now, I always use colored paper for written tests and overlays for reading tests. To purchase Irlen Overlays or find the nearest diagnostician, go to www.irlen.com.Research on Irlen Syndrome is found on http://irlen.com/index.php?s=research For more on Dyslexia, go to the International Dyslexia Association website at http://www.interdys.org Finally, to overcome this type of Dyslexia for good, vision therapy is highly recommended. Although the overlays and lenses help many people, it is an accommodation, not a therapy. Once the glasses are off, or the overlay is removed, the problem remains. Vision therapy, which is about 80% effective, works well to correct the problem. It takes months, however, so during that time, Irlen overlays and lenses are great! More on vision therapy at www.COVD.org. |
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Jan
23
2012
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Our Amazing Brains! |
January 15, 2012 7H15 M3554G3 53RV35 7O PR0V3 H0W 0UR M1ND5 C4N D0 4M4Z1NG 7H1NG5! 1MPR3551V3 7H1NG5! 1N 7H3 B3G1NN1NG 17 WA5 H4RD BU7 N0W, 0N 7H15 LIN3 Y0UR M1ND 1S R34D1NG 17 4U70M471C4LLY W17H 0U7 3V3N 7H1NK1NG 4B0U7 17, B3 PROUD! 0NLY C3R741N P30PL3 C4N R3AD 7H15. U C4N R34D 7H15. |
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Jan
23
2012
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How to Screen for the Cause of ADD/ADHD, Dyslexia and Learning Disabilities |
January 12, 2012 You know something is up – your child does poorly on his school work even though he seems smart. You suspect ADD or Dyslexia and wonder what challenges you face ahead. Or your child has been labeled ADD, Dyslexic, Dysgraphic, or learning disabled but you want her to be successful in life and wonder if she will be able to get off the medication and work without the help of an aide. You want to get down to the actual cause of the problem, but are not sure of where to find the resources. There are so many articles to read but few get you to the trainings and therapies that will actually help. Plus, you don’t know who to trust – some of the therapies are very expensive, but do they actually work? You need to know before spending the money if it will help your child specifically. Over the last 12 years I have been working with children and adults to help them overcome their struggles, and in doing so have found a couple truisms:
In order to get a full screening of your child, be sure that all of these areas are included:
There are not many professionals in the country who deliver this service. I am available for screenings in the Capital District of New York State. If you know of other professionals who do similar screenings, please contact me at kjohnson@pyramidofpotential.com so I can add them to my resources page. I have created a DVD and workbook – the Pyramid of Potential Testing Module – to help people test for most of the above so they have access to help no matter where they are in the world. Users are then responsible for finding the closest professionals. How a struggling child gets tested is less important than finding what is causing the struggles and what to do about it. There are many roads to the final destination – success and independence! For even more information, go to www.devdelay.org |
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Jan
23
2012
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Dependency or Success? What do you want for students? |
January 6, 2012 Of course you want success! Yet the way that today’s educational system is made up, students who struggle in school become dependent – on drugs like Ritalin and antidepressants, on accommodations like more time or less work, or on other people like tutors and teacher’s aides. Fortunately, there is another way for students to become successful that would save time and money, not to mention children’s self-esteem. The Pyramid of Potential was based on my two year journey with my child through many trainings and therapies. Before we started, she had severe learning disabilities. She would not have graduated from high school with a diploma that would have let her attend college. She had other labels, too – Sensory Integration Dysfunction, Central Auditory Processing Dysfunction (CAPD), borderline ADD/ADHD, and visual development issues. By the end of the two years of therapy, her IQ was raised by 20 points, she was out of all her remedial classes, and her math teacher said it was “miraculous!” She currently is in college, on the Dean’s List with no accommodations, drugs or tutors. In the past 8 years, I have been helping students and families with their own journeys to success. Time and again I have seen two truisms: no two students are alike, and there is no silver bullet. However, the journey has similar elements, and those elements have been put together into the Pyramid of Potential. In order for the brain to develop, and new connections to be made for permanent learning, you must start with proper nutrition, and low stress. Proper nutrition includes low sugar, omega 3 fatty acids, and sufficient protein at every meal. Low stress is important because trauma or highly stressful situations can damage the connections in the brain. Neuro-development for kids who struggle in school happens by re-creating the early stages of development to open the pathways to the higher cognitive portions of the brain. This is done through simple physical exercises that take less than 15 minutes a day. These exercises integrate the primitive reflexes that babies are born with. For example, if the Moro reflex is not integrated, a person may have hypersensitive hearing and would do brain excercises to integrate this reflex. More information can be found at www.pyramidofpotential.com/ pyramid-of-potential/neuro-development. Once the pathways have been opened, the sensory motor system can be more easily remediated. If there are auditory issues, sensory integration issues, or dyspraxia (poor motor control), working with an occupational therapist who deals with this and who gives listening therapy can really help. Speech and language pathologists know how to help with the auditory issues as well. Vision therapy is given by behavioral or developmental optometrists. If vision therapy is still necessary after occupational therapy, the length and cost of therapy is reduced by completing the OT first. Once the neural pathways are opened, and the body is better put together, cognitive training is the next best thing to do. This trains the brain to do the skills necessary for academic work that may be lagging, such as memory, processing speed, attention, and logic. The training must be intensive and daily for several months in order to make permanent increases in IQ. However, the intense training is absolutely worth it when you see a two year increase in a deficient skill within three months of training. As a parent who saw her child become successful and independent, and as an educator who wants nothing less for each individual, I hope to see a future where all people can work toward their potential. Kathy Johnson, MS Ed is an Educational Therapist from Ballston Spa, NY who gives a workshop titled ”Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, & Dysgraphia: Brain Development Causes and Remediation” More information about the workshop locations and times can be found at www.PESI.com. |
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Jan
23
2012
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Do This to Think Faster! |
December 3, 2011 In this month, we (you and me) are working to improve our processing speed. In the last few days you circled a chosen letter in a few paragraphs as fast as you could. Today, and for the next several days you need deck of cards and a timer. First, shuffle the deck thoroughly. Then start the timer and as quickly as you can, sort the cards into different suits. Do this 3 times each day for the next 3 days, keeping track of your times. Then, for the 3 days after that, time yourself to see how quickly you can sort the cards into red or black piles. Do this also 3 times a day for 3 straight days. Remember, you need to practice improving brain speed every day for about 30 days in order to see improvement that will stick! This is boot camp for the brain!! It can work for anyone of any age. Don’t settle for average or slow processing speed! It is easy! And you can do it!!! I will give more activities in the next few days, so stay tuned. I’d love to hear how you are doing – comment to this page with your scores, and we can compare! |
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Jan
23
2012
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The Number 1 Accommodation Reduces Employability! |
November 30, 2011 What is the number 1 accommodation? In asking educators from around the country, it is always giving extra time. How does it reduce employability? What employer is willing to hire a bright young graduate who will take 50% longer to do the job than some other applicant? I understand that educators want to get their students through high school and graduated so that they can go out and make their mark on their world, but giving extra time due to a student’s slow processing speed reduces their chances in the real world. What these educators may not realize is Processing Speed is very easy to increase!!!We know that IQ is not static. We know that we can make changes in the brain. Take a look at Congresswoman Gabby Gifford’s story to realize just how much a brain can be rewired. Then you realize that increasing processing speed should be easy. It is!! In order to make new connections in the brain that stick, follow these directions:
So, you want to increase processing speed in the next month so you can start of 2012 a new faster model of you. You do not have to do the exact same activity every day, since that would be downright boring! So, I will give you a new activity every few days. To keep on top of this, “like” my Facebook page and you will get updates (www.facebook.com/pyramidofpotential). Or, come back every couple days for new activities and updates from me. Please comment in either place. Our comments will help inspire us to complete this speedy month! Yes, me too! I am going through this with you! Our first activity is also our pre-test. At the end of 30 days we will have our post-test: January 1, 2011. Copy the following paragraph into a blank Word file. Make sure the text is 14 point size, save and print it out. Kjs doiwe s;ifj ewoewo lfe nsvj v;lkej ;ew jv m;ei jwe jsd v;ij wev lsad v;oiew ;lks;oif sevk ;vj oeij oe ;lksdv;osi o e; ; vowi evoi eo jev mncoiv weo ve nvowoev ewav ; waie o oe ;dbow eri jeao ;vsdpisza ve;e koioewi wj;lkds vivowi vpi wivj wvijawiue vaewijv;vjp;oiea waieoweij ;kvd iewa oi eoei;oiv oei;sie jvoieoei iewv;oewiv eoiev;ewn;oiew;ew lknv;aiw kfeoie f;kjeieane oi ne;ojh ;erkm;oijen ;vdoi gwwejewoi ,new;oi j; wn4jv e jnrej;woeijf; lkew flewkjniew jwqej;ewijiewj;ewlkjpwei jew ;oiew ;qw;vwoije;o ijlva;jiqjglwk jpoi4qwek jdvpiwqn oiewj;fewjfoiuj ewqi jfewlnjfoiwe foi jwqe;fijewqifjqw ie fowqi ewqkfjwpie f iewqfpoiwe fwijnweoiuwe [oiew jeoiw oiwque fq[oi ewfp qwuefpoieYou will need a timer and a pen or pencil. Start the timer and circle all the e’s on the page as fast as you can and write down the time on it. This is your first test. Never again, until the post test, will you circle e’s. For the next two days, choose a different letter and circle all occurrences of that letter; track your times. Do this 3 times each day. I got 1 minute and 38 seconds. I’m not the fastest, so you may have beat me! Comment with your score – especially if your score was faster! Include your age, too. I’m…. um…. almost 55. If your eyes started hurting or you were distracted by noises, then your slower processing speed is due to something else. I’ll address that in a later post! Have fun!! |
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Jan
23
2012
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From a Parent: Academics Easier from Integrating the Reflexes |
November 29, 2011 Just wanted to let you know that my daughter’s reading/writing teacher just shared that Taylor was the only student to get a “4″ on an open response which means she gave a complete and accurate answer. I do believe integrating those reflexes are working. Thanks for letting me email you my question. I see a light at the end of the tunnel. Christie Sharp Guidance Counselor |
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Jan
23
2012
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Remember people's names by 2012! |
November 23, 2011 Want to have better auditory memory? Want to remember people’s names at the New Year’s bash? Here is a list of things to do. But first, remember that in order to make a new connection in your brain – in order to create a “habit” – you must practice every day for 3 or 4 weeks. Don’t slack off! Makes notes in your calendar! Work together with a friend!OK, you get the idea. Here is the list: 1. Turn on the TV or radio. Listen for the length of 1 sentence. Turn down the volume and repeat the sentence. Too hard? Start with a few words. Too easy? Count to 5 after turning down the volume before you repeat the words. Start wherever you are, then stretch yourself! 2. When listening to your ipod, use only the right ear bud. Your language center is generally in your left hemisphere of your brain, which also controls the right side of your body. So to get a fast connection to your language center, you will take a month to change your dominant ear to your right ear. All of the listening therapies are weighted to the right – you are working that brain connection by listing only with your right ear. 3. To keep this strong and to map your brain for good auditory processing, you need to integrate the spinal galant reflex. WHAT?!? OK, you need to go back to brain development 101 – you know, in the first year of life when your brain was getting set up. You were also setting up your sensory system, including your auditory system. To give it a big boost, you will do very slow snow angels on the floor. Yup, like when you were a kid, only MUCH slower. One slow angel per minute. Honestly. And you will do 3 of them. Yup that’s what I said. It takes just 3 minutes a day, every day – to work. So, this takes about 5 minutes a day. And you will impress people with your new-found memory. AND you will impress yourself. Who says we lose our memory when we get older? Hey, myself? I’m just getting better! As a matter of fact, I only just started remembering people’s names in the last 9 months. I do slow angels almost every day. Just ask my husband, what’s his name. Want to know more? go to our Store |
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Jan
23
2012
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Increase reading ability for less than $3!! |
November 15, 2011 Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and I have so much to be thankful for, beginning with you! Each of you reading this, whether you are a parent, teacher, occupational therapist, speech and language pathologist, psychologist or other interested party, helps develop brains. This is no small task, although it can be easy. It is important to the people you are working with. So I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you do to help people around the globe. So, you must be wondering how I can help someone read for so little money. By using a small device that is cheap or you can make yourself, to help the students hear themselves as they speak and read. 
Phonics Phone The device is made of plastic and looks like an old fashioned telephone. As the students speak into it they can hear themselves very clearly and helps them acquire phonemic awareness. While speaking, the students must speak in a whisper or very quietly because otherwise, it’s too loud in their ears! Because the students are listening to their own voice, their attention may improve; plus, if they are not very good readers, it helps provide some privacy. Go to http://www.righttrackreading.com/phonicsphones.html to read an excellent article about these “phones” including
Have fun! |
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Jan
23
2012
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Research Study Finds Correlation Between Celiac Disease and ADHD |
November 2, 2011 This study was published earlier this year in the Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders. If 10% of us are sensitive to gluten, found in wheat based products like pasta and pastries (some of my favorite foods!) is it really good to be eating it? I know of a family who tried to get their 12 year old to stop eating gluten, but it was hard on the family. Their nutritionist kept insisting that it may help his anger issues, so they finally stuck to it. Within the first 3 days there was such remarkable changes in his behavior that the family now knows how important it was for his progress in school and in his life. I eat no gluten and have been gluten-free for 3 years because of the fatigue I experienced from eating it. I can eat gluten-free cakes and brownies, but have found I no longer crave them. I eat rice pasta which tastes pretty good! Just don’t ask my picky 17 year old – he thinks gluten free means taste free! LOL! http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3184556/?tool=pubmed The details are below:
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Jan
23
2012
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Autumn Leaves: The 16th annual Glens Falls Chronicle Book Fair |
October 31, 2011 Autumn Leaves: The 16th annual Glens Falls Chronicle Book Fair Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell, known to fans of their reality cable television show as The Fabulous Beekman Boys, make a special appearance at the Glens Falls Chronicle’s 16th annual Book Fair at 1 p.m. in the Warren Room at the Queensbury Hotel. They will also be selling and signing copies of their new, first cookbook, The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook. The duo own an impressive 1802 Georgian/Federal home and farm near Sharon Springs, N.Y., about 80 miles southwest of Glens Falls in Schoharie County. The tale of how they stumbled upon the property and decided to buy it during a weekend apple picking excursion away from their Manhattan apartment is told in The Bucolic Plague — How Two Manhattanites Became Gentlemen Farmers, Josh’s best-selling 2010 memoir. Their reality TV show ran for two seasons on Planet Green, a digital cable network owned by the Discovery Channel. They are in discussions to continue the show on another network. Headliner: Tom Rivers, with ‘Farm Hands’ Tom Rivers, a reporter for the daily paper in Batavia, N.Y., worked alongside and told the story of the migrant workers who are are a huge but largely invisible presence that is increasingly crucial to our Upstate economy — not just picking fruits and vegetables, but working in quarries, garden centers, dairy farms and other businesses. His straightforward, unbiased reporting has earned the praise of farmers, farm workers, and even government officials. He’ll be here all day, and speaking about his book at noon in the Warren Room. 120 presenters, each with a tale to tell That’s far from all. Again this year, guests may mingle with more than 120 authors, booksellers, publishers, non-profits and other groups at the Chronicle Book Fair — all passionate about the stories they have to tell, and the work they do. We are very pleased about this year’s lineup. We’ll fill the downstairs of the Queensbury Hotel all day with author displays, book signings, readings and panel discussions, children’s activities, demonstrations, food samples, slide-illustrated talks and much more. You’ll find children’s books, regional history, travel books, Adirondack titles, hiking guides, photography, poetry, mystery and detective novels, science fiction, cook books, antique and used books and much more. This year at the Book Fair: Find us on Facebook at Glens Falls Chronicle Book Fair. Info: 792-1126 or arts@loneoak.com. Questions? Call Chronicle Managing Editor Cathy DeDe – 792-1126 or arts@loneoak.com We’ll see you there! Happy reading! |
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Jan
23
2012
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Occupational Therapist Finds Help, Hope and Answers |
October 26, 2011 Kathy, Hi, I met you at your conference in Nashville on October 4th. You may remember me because I was the one who asked you questions about my daughter. You opened my eyes to so many things. You may also remember me as the one who stuck around after class. I never do that, I remember thinking you have the missing link I’ve been looking for and I wanted to think of every question possible while I had your attention. Since that time Caly went to the behavioral opthamologist . It was obvious during the exam that the activities were very difficult for her. I watched as she struggled to perform the task given. As a result, she will be getting glasses next week and was recommended to have vision therapy. We have just started the exercises for the Moro reflex and I am already getting feedback from her teacher and tutor that they have noticed that she is more focused and organized within the last few weeks. That is proof to me that it is working because they were unaware that we were doing anything different and both made a point to tell me. I can’t tell you how excited I am to have met you. Your program is an answer to my prayers. As an OT, my frustration has been that I can evaluate what the problem is and perform activities to address the problem, but never understood the underlying issues to be able to address them. The Nuerodevelopmental aspect you have given answers so many of my questions. I am looking forward to seeing the progress Caly makes as we complete the pyramid of potential. I am also looking forward to learning more so I can help other parents and children. Thank you, Beth |
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Jan
23
2012
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Can you read this? |
October 25, 2011 Good example of a Brain Study: If you can read this you have a creative mind that can search for meaning: 7H15 M3554G3 53RV35 7O PR0V3 H0W 0UR M1ND5 C4N D0 4M4Z1NG 7H1NG5! 1MPR3551V3 7H1NG5! 1N 7H3 B3G1NN1NG 17 WA5 H4RD BU7 N0W, 0N 7H15 LIN3 Y0UR M1ND 1S R34D1NG 17 4U70M471C4LLY W17H 0U7 3V3N 7H1NK1NG 4B0U7 17, B3 PROUD! 0NLY C3R741N P30PL3 C4N R3AD 7H15. Once you have read this, respond as to whether yes, you could read it or no, it was all gobblety-gook! A very scientific study. I’ll post the results next week. |
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Jan
23
2012
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Response to Skeptic |
October 1, 2011 Recently, on a Linked In discussion, a gentleman was quite skeptical about a method for helping people read. It does not matter what the method was, or exactly what he said. I hear from skeptics often, who say that methodology backed by double-blind placebo controlled research is the only way to see whether or not a method truly is valid. Although it is a generally held notion that one can make research prove any point, I chose to respond with this:
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Jan
23
2012
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ADHD and food: is there a link? |
September 30, 2011 Can the Right Diet Help With ADHD Management?Learn what the research says about food for ADHD, and items that may improve –- or aggravate -– symptoms of ADHD.Go here: Here is some of the research: Study: Diet May Help ADHD Kids More Than Drugshttp://www.npr.org/2011/03/12/134456594/study-diet-may-help-adhd-kids-more-than-drugs What about gluten?Is there a link? According to http://www.e-celiacs.org/2-Celiac_Disease_in_Children.htm:
The article includes plenty of important information, such as, where did the celiac disease come from, how to go gluten-free, the celiac at school, etc. Going on a diet to control behavior is a BEAR! But it is so worth it when the real bear leaves – the behaviors that tear families apart. My number 1 suggestion? Get the entire family on board for an extended period of time. Some children have improved behavior in 48 hours; others need the time to heal their digestive system, so it takes months. Personally, today I am gluten-free, casein-free, and egg-free because of lab-tested allergies and intolerances, and I feel so much better. I have so much more energy, clarity, and even moods. It took 3 tries (yup, it was hard, and I wasn’t sure at first it was the gluten) to become gluten-free. People ask – “What do you eat?!?” Well, protein, fruit, vegetables, and rice – a VERY healthy diet! I know you can do it too! |
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Jan
23
2012
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Anxiety - 4 necessary steps to eliminate it forever! |
September 14, 2011 Anxiety. Wow. It seems almost everyone has some form of it, whether we are nervous in crowds, have math anxiety, or an anxiety disorder like OCD or ODD. Yet simple things that everyone tells us to do don’t work. We meditate and do yoga. We see the psychologist. We take drugs – prescription or street – to make us feel better. Yet the next day we still feel anxious. This is because, as I see it, there is no silver bullet. Anxiety is so complex that it takes a village. I’ve identified 4 major components that are required to say good-bye to anxiety forever!!
The chemistry in the brain is out of balance. This is why, for some people, the drugs help. But did they make the anxiety stop? No. As soon as they get off the drugs, the anxiety is back. Why is there an imbalance? Because the anxiety causes a person to go into “fight or flight” – where hormones are coursing through the body, palms sweat, vision narrows, and most importantly, digestion shuts down. This happens repeatedly throughout the day, so that the food that the anxious person eats does not get well digested. Who cares? You do, because it is the nutrients in our food that create the neurotransmitters in our brains, like serotonin and dopamine, required to make us feel good and not anxious. You may be interested in changing your brain chemistry naturally, so you would need to find out exactly what you are lacking by seeing a functional medicine doctor, who heals through diet and supplementation. If this is too expensive for you and you just want to see if this will help, do the following three things for two weeks: eliminate gluten (wheat and barley) from your diet completely, add in a stress-B vitamin that includes at least 1000% of B12 and B6, and finally take a source of amino acid supplement that you can find in your local health food store. Compare how you feel before and after the diet. Then go back to your old diet for 2 weeks and try it again. Keeping a diary of what you eat and how you feel each day helps, not only to remember how it went, but also for motivation. Knowing that you would have to write down that brownie you are about to eat may help you not eat it! This helps but is not a cure. If you stop taking these supplements and go back to eating bread, your anxiety may still be there. So why is the digestive system off in the first place?
The “fight or flight” response comes from the Moro reflex. It is needed for emergencies so that we can react to danger, but should not be displayed every time we have a little stress in our lives. Unfortunately, many of us have stress every day, the Moro reflex is displayed every day, and every day we show the fight or flight response – all causing our digestive system to slow down. The Moro reflex is a primitive reflex from infancy, but anyone anytime in their life can integrate it by doing some simple exercises every day for about a month.
“Every human absorbs unconscious programming from childhood. Even the best of environments can cause unconscious programming that can be the forerunner for anxiety. Most of us don’t know how to clear up this programming. Traditional talk therapy has limited value in curing anxiety. In fact, time does not heal all wounds. We must be proactive in healing anxiety. There are new tools available for this work and in order to be as highly functioning as possible, we must take full advantage by learning and applying these new healing tools.” There is no silver bullet. By following this approach, I have seen kids sleep in their own bed for the first time (10 years old), go to the bathroom alone in school for the first time(7 years old), and play in their own front yard for the first time (6 years old). In my late 40s when I did all four steps above, I saw myself change so that I no longer get my stomach tied up in knots anticipating stressful situations. What a relief! So, if you want to punch out the next person who tells you, “All you need to do is just relax”, take a deep breath and try this four-angled approach! Kathy Johnson, MS Ed www.pyramidofpotential.com |
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Albany, NY Public Library Book Signing and Discussion |
September 9, 2011 I am very pleased to be presenting my book, The Roadmap From Learning Disabilities to Success at the Albany NY Public Library on Tuesday, September 13, 11:30 to 1pm. The address is 161 Washington Ave. Albany, NY, and I will be discussing how to remediate various learning issues such as ADD/ADHD, dyslexia (reading), dyscalculia (math), dysgraphia (writing), and much more. There is no silver bullet, but there is a method! I hope to see you there! |
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Boy overcomes phobias with primitive reflex work |
September 9, 2011 You just have to read this – the story is written by Patricia Blackburn, and occupational therapist in Saratoga Springs, NY who uses primitive reflex integration and craniosacral therapy to help her clients, mostly children, create new connections in the brain. She describes Jimmy and how his life is changed! |
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Exercise to Improve Dysgraphia |
September 7, 2011 Fingers 1-2-3Exercise to improve Dysgraphia and integrate the Palmar Reflex Best if integrated in conjunction with integrating the Moro Reflex If poor handwriting persists, follow with integrating the Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex Symptoms of the Palmar reflex:
On the first day, ask for a handwriting example and a sample drawing. For the exercise, sequentially touch the thumb of one hand to the pointer, then the middle finger, the ring finger, and the pinky. Then go backwards from pinky to pointer. Do this 3 times with each hand. Work up to being able to do Fingers 1-2-3 with both hands at the same time. Do every day for one month and ask for a new handwriting example and sample drawing. Watch grip to see if has matured. To test all of the reflexes, look at the Testing Module of the Pyramid of Potential series. To integrate all reflexes, look at the Pyramid of Potential DVD/Workbook Series. |
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Real Life Stories from Learning Disabled to Success |
September 2, 2011
Stories from this week:
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ADD/ADHD case study and results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
September 1, 2011 Report on Progress, T August 30, 2011 Dear P (T’s mom), It was so great to meet with you and T just 3 months after we started, and to see such wonderful progress. I know that T is pleased with himself, too! Below I have outlined his program, his progress, and suggestions for the next semester. It is with gladness that I can see that T will be successful and independent in the future! Program T completed 3 programs: 1. Pyramid of Potential DVD/Workbook Modules 1, 2, 3 to integrate three primitive reflexes required to create the neuro development for the following. This required about 30 to 60 minutes a day to complete. Starfish Module for the Moro Reflex:
Astronaut Module for the Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex:
Snow Angels Module for the Spinal Galant Reflex:
T may not have shown all symptoms in each reflex, but having some in each warranted his completing of each of these. 2. Interactive Metronome and Integrated Listening Systems T had appointments with Gladys Konye, Speech and Language Pathologist of Capital Region Speech and Swallowing several times a week for up to 2 hours for about 5 weeks using these two systems which work to improve auditory processing, attention, vision, balance and coordination. 3. BrainSpark! T worked with a local tutor, Lisa Morahan, to improve his cognitive abilities, specifically in memory, logic and reasoning, and auditory processing (affecting his reading ability) for one to two hours per day for a period of two months. Progress I have attached a post-test cognitive screening for T. This shows age equivalent scores for each of the areas that were tested. Dramatic improvements were seen in these areas: Memory- to store, retain, and retrieve information Visual processing – to picture, manipulate, organize, comprehend, and think with visual information Auditory Analysis – to blend, segment, discriminate, and analyze speech sound within a spoken pattern Logic and Reasoning – to reason and solve spatially defined problems which require high level conceptual abilities These are only his scores. He also reports that he is no longer distracted by noise and therefore able to complete his work faster and to pay attention is a noisy environment. Suggestions It is important that T learn self-reliance for his future as an independent adult. His scores and his new found abilities indicate that he may no longer need accommodations such as additional time, alternative location for tests, or aid in completing his schoolwork. However, since his accommodations are in place, I suggest that these not be taken away all at once. Instead, have T try taking a test in the classroom with his peers to see how he does, and give him the opportunity to evaluate his own progress in this area. He may need support in the resource room for a while to instruct him in how to take appropriate notes or to manage his time. He is now able to learn how to do these tasks normally, whereas before he was lacking enough in these areas to understand exactly what was demanded of him. I am excited for T as he progresses through high school and beyond. Results:
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Overcome Learning Struggles; Start with Primitive Reflexes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
August 25, 2011 What are Primitive Reflexes? They are reflexes, just like the reflex that makes your leg jump when the doctor hits below your knee with a rubber mallet. Except that the leg jumping thing is supposed to last life-long, while primitive reflexes occur only while a baby needs them. They become inhibited or integrated once they have outlived their usefulness. To learn how to integrate the reflexes, purchase the Pyramid of Potential Series. The Testing Module has a DVD to show how to test for primitive reflexes, while the Series has a DVD to integrate the reflexes. An example of a primitive reflex is the Moro Reflex, normally present in utero until the baby is about 4 months old. You see this when a baby startles from being jiggled, or you blow in her face, or play peek-a-boo with him. The baby takes a quick intake of breath while shaking hands and feet. The purpose is to protect the baby’s head in case it falls, and it displays the “fight or flight” response to danger. At this age, the baby does not distinguish between real and perceived danger. Sometimes the four-month-old does not inhibit this, and he continues to display the fight or flight response, looking hyper vigilant, being very sensitive to light and sound, having poor digestion, restricting peripheral vision, and showing signs of anxiety – all as if he were about to run from that sabor-toothed tiger. A more complete list of symptoms are: During this phase of development, the brain gets mapped for later development. During this phase, a baby maps for the ability to understand math and a 1 to 1 correspondence. If a child does not integrate the moro reflex fully, it does not mean that all symptoms are present, however, if you see a cluster of symptoms, then the reflex is probably present. Science has proven that our brains are amazingly resilient organs that can be remapped at any time in our lives. So, an older child or even adult with an unintegrated moro reflex can still integrate it! It takes about a month to create long-term learning, so the integration exercises must be done daily for about a month. For a child, once integrated, the exercises do not have to be revisited, barring any trauma that causes regression. For an adult over 40, it appears that these reflexes “disintegrate”! For myself, a person in her 50s, I find that I need to continue to do my brain exercises several times a week to keep my improvements in memory, concentration, vision, and auditory abilities. The reflexes are: To learn how to integrate the reflexes, purchase the Pyramid of Potential Series. The Testing Module has a DVD to show how to test for primitive reflexes, while the Series has a DVD to integrate the reflexes. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Moro Reflex Video | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
August 21, 2011 Here I describe the Moro Reflex, it’s correlation with anxiety and learning problems, and how to integrate it.
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Latest Pyramid of Potential Newsletter | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
August 17, 2011 Hi everyone! I hope you have enjoyed this summer as much as I have. I’m spending the summer on beautiful Galway Lake near Albany, NY where we have been lucky enough to have sun, warmth, and the right amount of rain. Just 2 weeks ago I was in Texas where the temperatures were over 100 degrees every day, and it hasn’t rained significantly in years. I wish I could send you some of ours!! This summer I worked on the first 30 days of a 150 day curriculum for primary aged kids. The goal is that at the end of 150 days (5 or 7 days a week), 10 minutes a day (not necessarily contiguous), that the children develop their brains, vision, auditory systems, attention, and cognitive abilities so that they are able to learn at an appropriate rate. In order to make this easy to implement in a classroom of any size or ability, I also included reading, writing, and math exercises while doing the brain exercises. Although this can be for a classroom, I would also like parents and other educational professionals who have almost daily contact with at least one child to evaluate as well. The curriculum is based on the research I’ve seen over the last several years, including this research article on the brain improvements found from clapping. The analysis found that clapping and singing children were less likely to be at risk for having dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100428090954.htm Ready to get started with Growing Brains? Print out the Section Overview and agreement below, and follow the directions. Feel free to forward this to anyone who you know would like to try it. I hope to give 100 evaluation copies. Thank you for your help, not just for me, but for the children you will be helping!! Sincerely, Kathy Johnson Growing Brains: Kindergarten to Second Grade; 150 days from the Challenging Classroom to SuccessSection 1: Days 1 – 30 The goals for this section are to:
Section 2: Days 31 – 60 The goals for this section are to:
Section 3: Days 61 – 90 The goals for this section are to:
Section 4: Day 91 – 120 The goals for this section are to:
Section 5: Day 121 – 150 The goals for this section are to:
Free Evaluation Copy of Section 1 of Growing Brains: 150 Days from the Challenging Classroom to Success I agree to the following:
In exchange, Kathy Johnson of Pyramid of Potential agrees to:Name: _____________________________________________ Date: _________________________ Title and Location: __________________________________________________________________ Email: _________________________________________________________________ Phone number: ___________________________ Send a copy of this page, filled out, to sbuchanan@pyramidofpotential.com. Do not make any changes to the content of the page. Thank you for your evaluation! And for helping children! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Cumin can make you smarter! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
August 17, 2011 A new study released this July out of Korea studied the effects of eating cumin on rats. It found that the rats were less stressed, and had improved memory – not a good thing to feed them if you live on a farm! Read more about the research at http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/cumin-has-antistress-antioxidant-and-memory-enhancing-activities If it works the same for people, get smart while eating this recipe for Lentil Soup with Lemon, found at http://allrecipes.com/recipe/lentil-soup-with-lemon/detail.aspx Enjoy!! Ingredients
Directions
Nutritional InformationAmount Per Serving Calories: 351 | Total Fat: 16.2g | Cholesterol: 6mgPowered by ESHA Nutrient Database |
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Recent Dyslexia Workshop Evaluations |
August 16, 2011 OK, so I’m tooting my own horn. But you may as well know what other people think of the Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia workshops. These are verbatim; I only left out the two comments having to do with administration issues. Comments: I would highly recommend this course for Speech-Languge Pathologists. Although my graduate program included coursework and practicum regarding graphic language disorders, I did not learn much about their underlying causes and remediation from the “bottom up”. This class was eye-opening, it has broadened my understanding on the subject and given me tools I can use for faster results with my clients. |
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Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia Workshop |
August 16, 2011 The next set of workshops is in Ann Arbor, MI on Thursday, August 18 Sterling Heights, MI on Friday, August 19 Learn about how nutrition, retained primitive reflexes, vision, auditory abilities and cognitive skills affect a person’t ability to learn. We know that the brain is plastic and can change and grow. We know that much of the mapping of the brain happens in the first year of life. We know that a healthy brain is better than an unhealthy one. Come to the workshop to put it all together. Leave with hands-on training and a plan of attack for your children or students with learning disabilities, or ADD/ADHD. Go to www.pesi.com for more information. |
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A Review of Howie Mandel's Book |
August 15, 2011 Take a look: |
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Announcing the new Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia workshop schedule |
July 25, 2011 “Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia, Brain Development and Remediation” Seminar
Interested in setting up an in-service for your school or clinic? Download the In Service Flyer for more information. “Your workshop is the best I have gone to in my educational career. The pyramid makes so much sense of things we have done with our own children. Thank you. I would love to stay in touch, especially as I look at developing something for elders. I am testing and beginning the exercises for the reflexes with myself and my girls this weekend. I am truly grateful for your thinking outside the box and then giving that creative thinking a form.” Dr. Renee Rinderknecht Educational Specialist Mead School District, Mead, WA and Administrative Director of All Families Adult Day Center ** Dear Mrs. Johnson, I personally would like to thank you for your hard work. I have been to many different seminars, workshops, as well as ASHA convention; however, I strongly feel that your seminar was the best one yet!!! Thank you, Svetlana Belopolsky, M.S., CCC-SLP |
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New Brain Development Clinic |
June 22, 2011 Several professionals in the Capital District have teamed up to form the Brain Development Clinic whose mission is to help those with learning disabilities and neurological impairments. Along with myself is Dr. Rob Fox, a behavioral optometrist, Dr. Richard Herbold, a clinical nutritionist and board eligible chiropractic neurologist, Gladys Konye, a speech and language pathologist, Patricia Blackburn, an occupational therpaist, and Lisa Morahan, cognitive trainer and tutor. Take a look at our new website, www.braindevelopmentclinic.com. How can we help you? |
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Q and A after the Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia Workshop |
June 14, 2011 Hello Kathy. Thank you again for your amazing workshop! I learned so much in one day! I had seen this course advertised for awhile and was holding out until a time that I could go. I am really happy that I waited to go to your class. It was incredibly informative and practical. Thank you! So I came home and tried the primitive reflexes tests on my son (that we spoke about). Not suprisingly he had trouble with all of them. Actually it seemed like the STNR was negative but maybe I missed something. Can that happen? Anyhow, it almost brought me to tears because I feel so bad that many things have been so hard for him for this reason. He really is very uncoordinated, maybe even dyspraxic. Do you think these exercises are enough or should we be doing something else with him? As we spoke, he has a math tutor, is going for therapy, and has a basketball coach. All of these things are helping, but is there more that we can do to address the motor planning issues? When I tested ear dominance, he put his left ear up to the wall instead of his right. How do I address that? Is working on bilateral integration exercises enough or should I do something else? Finally, I have a student who was born with a neuromotor dysfunction or mild cerebral palsy. Will the reflex exercises help someone like that? Wishing you all the best! Many thanks, Dear R, Please don’t feel badly. I struggled with this as a mom, too, and finally found peace after realizing that I did all I could with the information I had at the time. The uncoordination absolutely has to do with the retaining of the reflexes – remember, these are reflexive movements that he cannot easily break out of. His vestibular system is therefore immature as well. While he has these other tutors, therapies, and coaches, simply have him do his reflex integration exercises daily, but they must be his number one priority. It is the integration of the reflexes that will allow his brain and body to move forward, and will make his tutorings and therapies work. The reflexes go back to the brain development of the first year of life. If this is too much for him, perhaps stop the math tutoring for the summer, or one of the other activities. Since his left ear is dominant, you could address it directly by finding a local person who does a form of listening therapy. I have found that listening therapy helps the reflexes integrate easier as well. Otherwise, do some Brain Gym activities starting immediately, rather than waiting for ATNR to integrate, so that he has access to language when listening. As for your student with mild CP, from what I read from Sally Goddard (Reflexes, Learning and Behavior), reflex exercises should help. I have no direct experience as my population is LD. If you use reflex exercises and get some good responses, please let me know so I can pass it along to others. |
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Mom Describes Amazing Vision Improvement with Irlen |
June 14, 2011 Hi Kathy, |
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Solving Reading/Auditory Processing Problems |
June 12, 2011 Prefer videos? First watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tovD1qr9gC8 Then watch: |
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Overcoming reading problems this summer - Auditory Processing |
June 7, 2011 You have a problem – someone you know cannot read well, and you want to help. Well, help is on the way! I have learned to look much deeper than an appropriate reading program for the faltering student. If a good reading teacher in a good public school cannot teach a particular child to read, it is not the teacher or the method. There is something wrong that must be considered first. There are two main causes of reading difficulties: problems with vision and auditory processing. Today I address auditory processing. Some people have difficulty learning to read because they have had difficulty processing sounds that they hear. Their hearing is good; in fact many of these people have extremely sensitive hearing. Perhaps their hearing is so good that they can hear far away noises before others, or can clearly hear what is being said in the next room. So, even though they can hear well, what they hear does not get properly processed in the brain. They may not be able to easily distinguish the difference between similar vowel sounds like a, e, I, o, or u. Also, they may not be able to hear the difference between m and n, or f, sh, and ch. How difficult it must be to learn how to read words like fish, church, men, much, fun, and other similar words! The sounds are too much alike! People with this problem don’t understand the “game” of reading, because it makes no sense. They can hear and understand words in context, but pulling words apart into sounds is too difficult for them. Memorizing every word is not an appropriate strategy, since there are 50,000 words in the English language. Many kids with reading problems also have memory issues. So what to do? Give up? No! If someone has an auditory processing disorder, he or she can hear well, but cannot process sounds well. This is because the brain was not set up for this in infancy. Most of the brain groundwork is laid during the first year of life. It happens while the baby is going through physical development – neural development is happening at the same time. The specific stage of development for auditory processing is completed during the Spinal Galant primitive reflex integration, from about birth to 6 months. He or she needs to replicate the stage in infancy by doing simple exercises 10 minutes a day for about a month. Once the reader has created these pathways, he or she can now more easily process sounds, and is ready to learn the correspondence of letters to the sounds they make, for example that the letter e makes the “ehhh” sound. I have been able to teach 12 year olds their vowel sounds in a week once this was complete, whereas their teachers were not able to do this for the past 6 years. I was only able to complete this feat because she did the reflex work first. Another option is to do some listening therapy. There are clinics with professional oversight, or some occupational therapists and speech and language pathologists offer home programs. These are wonderful for quickly overcoming hypersensitivity and increasing auditory processing difficulties, but know that it is not a cure. There is a possibility of regression. It appears that a combination of Spinal Galant integration with the listening therapy is the most powerful and lasting. A third option is to use a program to teach the missing auditory processing. Many schools have used a school-wide computer program, and many families have had good results with inexpensive computer programs. Do your homework, as I know there are more programs being developed all the time. Use these programs after the other therapies have been completed for lasting results. Teaching blending (putting sounds together into words), segmenting (taking words apart into sounds), and phoneme manipulation (changing the sounds in a word) are very easy once the child can process sounds well. Then learning to read is a matter of teaching the letters that go along with the sounds. Any very good program will do well! As a matter of fact, I was able to get a fifth grader to read above grade level in just about 4 weeks. I’m not the greatest teacher in the world, I just set the groundwork and use excellent programs. And you can too! |
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Even if You Eat "Perfectly", Not Knowing This Could Leave You Depressed |
May 15, 2011 KJ – I write and speak often about the connection between brain functioning and nutrition. Dr. Mercola wrote this excellent article, with many scientific studies cited, about how our digestive system affects not only our mood, but also other brain functioning, including autism. Read on! Posted By Dr. Mercola Every human being serves as a home to thousands of different species of microbes. But scientists are now reporting that there are just three distinct microbial ecosystems in the guts of people they have studied. The three “enterotypes” showed no particular link to ethnic background, sex, weight, health or age. One possibility is that the intestines of infants are simply randomly colonized by different pioneering species of microbes, which alter the gut so that only certain species can follow them. The New York Times reports: “Whatever the cause of the different enterotypes, they may end up having discrete effects on people’s health. Gut microbes aid in food digestion and synthesize vitamins … Enterotype 1 produces more enzymes for making vitamin B7 (also known as biotin), for example, and Enterotype 2 more enzymes for vitamin B1 (thiamine).” Sources: Medical News Today April 21, 2011 Medical News Today April 21, 2011 Nature April 20, 2011 [Epub ahead of print] Dr. Mercola’s Comments: This is an interesting finding to say the least, particularly in light of how nutritional typing is increasingly used by physicians who practice “individualized medicine.” For example, a customized meal plan based on the patient’s nutritional type is the cornerstone of Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez’ highly successful non-traditional cancer treatment. Tailoring your diet to your own biochemical needs is also the hallmark of my Total Health program. I believe eating according to your nutritional type is so essential for optimizing your health that I now offer the entire online nutritional typing test for free. We’ve charged thousands of people $29 for this test in the past, but decided this was too important and therefore made a mission decision to offer this to everyone for free. So if you have not yet taken it I would encourage you to do so. Please remember that it is not a test that will tell you the perfect foods to eat but more of a process to help you learn and discover the foods that will make your thrive and move toward optimal health based on your specific biochemistry and genetics. It will teach you, over the course of several months, how to determine the best foods for you. In this study, which supports nutritional typing, lead researcher Peer Bork suggests that one of the “obvious” potential benefits of his finding is that doctors may someday be able to tailor diets or drug prescriptions based on their gastrointestinal enterotype. Considering that the process for determining your nutritional type is currently heavily dependent on listening to your body and tracking how different foods make you feel, both physically and psychologically, it’s exciting to see the potential for using gut flora analysis as an aid. Another exciting avenue is using gene typing. Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski and his son, Dr. Gregory Burzynski, already employ gene-target therapies in the treatment of cancer, and their approach also includes customized diets, tailored to the patient’s genetic makeup. Three Types of Human Gut Ecosystems Discovered As of yet, we don’t know which enterotype might correspond to which nutritional type, but I believe we will in time. Remember, your body responds uniquely to food — your fuel — based on your genetics, biochemical makeup, family history, and your own interaction with your environment. Nutritional typing also divides people up into three groups: Carb/Veggie types normally feel best when the majority, about 60 percent, of their food is vegetable carbohydrate, along with about 25 percent protein and 15 percent fat, but this type may need as little as 10 percent fat and as high as 80 percent carb in exceptional times. The Powerful Connection between Your Gut and Brain Mind For example, a recent animal study published in the journal Neurogastroenterology & Motility, found that mice lacking gut bacteria behave differently from normal mice, engaging in what would be referred to as “high-risk behavior.” This altered behavior was accompanied by neurochemical changes in the mouse brain. According to the authors, microbiota (your gut flora) plays a role in the communication between your gut and your brain, and: “Acquisition of intestinal microbiota in the immediate postnatal period has a defining impact on the development and function of the gastrointestinal, immune, neuroendocrine and metabolic systems. For example, the presence of gut microbiota regulates the set point for hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity.” So, not only does this finding dovetail nicely with the theory that your gut flora may be a factor of your nutritional type, but it also helps explain how your diet and gut flora can impact your mental health, for better or worse. Remember, your diet is largely responsible for your gut health, and when you feed your body the fuel it’s designed for, your gut flora will be able to maintain optimal balance, which then supports optimal physical and mental health. The intrinsic connection between your gut and your brain becomes easier to understand once you know that your brain and gut are actually created out of the same type of tissue. During fetal development, one part turns into your central nervous system while the other develops into your enteric nervous system. These two systems are connected via the vagus nerve; the tenth cranial nerve that runs from your brain stem down to your abdomen. This is what connects your two brains together. Your gut and brain actually work in tandem, each influencing the other. This is why your intestinal health can have such a profound influence on your mental health, and vice versa. For an interesting and well-written layman’s explanation of the gut/brain connection, read through Sandra Blakeslee’s 1996 New York Times article Complex and Hidden Brain in Gut Makes Stomachaches and Butterflies. Now, even more interesting is the fact that certain neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, can also be found in your gut—in fact, the greatest concentration of serotonin, which is involved in mood control, depression and aggression, is found in your intestines, not your brain! Your bowels also contain some 100 million neurons—more than in either your spinal cord or your peripheral nervous system. An excellent article by Adam Hadhazy, published in Scientific American last year, explains the intrinsic connection between your gut and your psychological well-being. Hadhazy writes: “The system is way too complicated to have evolved only to make sure things move out of your colon,” says Emeran Mayer, professor of physiology, psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (U.C.L.A.). For example, scientists were shocked to learn that about 90 percent of the fibers in the primary visceral nerve, the vagus, carry information from the gut to the brain and not the other way around… The second brain informs our state of mind in other more obscure ways, as well. “A big part of our emotions are probably influenced by the nerves in our gut,” Mayer says… Given the two brains’ commonalities, depression treatments that target the mind can unintentionally impact the gut. The enteric nervous system uses more than 30 neurotransmitters, just like the brain, and in fact 95 percent of the body’s serotonin is found in the bowels. Because antidepressant medications called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) increase serotonin levels, it’s little wonder that meds meant to cause chemical changes in the mind often provoke GI issues as a side effect.” All of that said, it makes perfect sense to nourish your gut flora to achieve optimal serotonin function, as it can clearly have a profound impact on your mood, psychological health, and behavior. Gut Problems Also Linked to Brain Disorders Dr. Andrew Wakefield is just one of many who have investigated the connection between developmental disorders and bowel disease. He has published about 130-140 peer-reviewed papers looking at the mechanism and cause of inflammatory bowel disease, and has extensively investigated the brain-bowel connection in the context of children with developmental disorders such as autism. For example, gluten intolerance is a frequent feature of autism, and many autistic children will improve when following a strict gluten-free diet. Many autistic children also tend to improve when given probiotics, either in the form of fermented foods or probiotic supplements. A large number of replication studies have also been performed around the world, confirming the curious link between brain disorders such as autism and gastrointestinal dysfunction. For a list of more than 25 of those studies, please see this previous article. According to Michael Gershon, chairman of the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at New York–Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center; a neurogastroenterology expert and author of The Second Brain, the same genes that make synapses form in your brain are also involved in the formation of synapses in your gut. Hence, if these genes are affected in autism, it could help explain both the GI abnormalities suffered by so many kids with autism, as well as the elevated levels of gut-produced serotonin in their blood. How to Optimize the Bacteria in Your Gut First, the MOST important step is to avoid consuming sugar and processed foods. The sugars actually serve as fuel for the growth of pathogenic anaerobic bacteria, fungi and yeast, and competitively inhibit your good bacteria, tending to crowd them out of their appropriate niche. These pathogenic bacteria, fungi and yeast then produce metabolic waste products that will cause your health to deteriorate. When you eat a healthy diet, based on your nutritional type that is low in sugars and processed foods, it automatically causes the beneficial bacteria in your gut to flourish. This is one of the many reasons why I highly recommend reducing, with the plan of eliminating, sugars and most grains from your diet. Yet, even with an extremely low-sugar diet, there are other factors that influence your microflora, so you’ll also want to avoid some of the factors that destroy healthy bacteria, such as: Antibiotics Lassi (an Indian yoghurt drink, traditionally enjoyed before dinner) However, if you simply do not like any of these types of fermented foods, your next best option is to use a high quality probiotic supplement. I’ve used many different brands over the past 20 years and there are many good ones out there. I also spent a long time researching and developing my own, called Complete Probiotics, in which I incorporated everything I have learned about this important tool over the years. KJ – The original article can be found at: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/05/15/turns-out-bacteria-in-your-gut-divides-people-into-three-groups.aspx |
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Accommodations are not the whole answer |
May 11, 2011 “…these kids need to have extra time on tests. A learning disability is a neurological problem…I’m more concern with their self esteem and self worth. Accommodations are necessary. These children need to get through school, be treated fairly and equally… What would you do if it was your own child? There is no love greater than a parents love for their child and for those who have children with learning disabilities you understand… imagine your children going through it?… How can you give them a fair education? fair shot a life?” I recently read this from a mom and an LD advocate. It’s an issue – how do we best help those who are intelligent, yet not successful? Accommodations are wonderful for helping the LD child as an interim measure until their learning disability is addressed. Unfortunately, today, schools do not address and remediate the disability. If the child has accommodations throughout their schooling, they become dependent on more time and less work, and for others to help them. They acquire “learned helplessness”. What parent would want that for their child? To be helpless and dependent on others in order to find success? And what employer would hire a young adult for a job, knowing that, no matter how smart that young adult is, he/she will take 50% longer to finish a job? The answer to this problem is correct the disability. We KNOW from brain science that the brain is plastic. We KNOW from the example of Bob Woodruff, ABC correspondent, that even though he lost part of his brain, through therapy and training, he reacquired speech and full capacity to do his job again, and well. Do not accept the status quo for our LD kids, because there are many choices out there to improve the functioning of the brain until there is no learning disability. I am not unique or even the best teacher, but I have seen miracles.I have worked with kids who raised their IQ as much as 20 points.I have helped kids improve their processing speed by 3 years age equivalent in just 3 months. I have helped kids improve short term, long term and working memory until they were above average in a matter of weeks. I have the highest hopes and expectations for our LD kids. These trainings and therapies are readily available for those who can pay for them. The next step is to make them available in the public schools – saving kids, saving the schools money, saving the taxpayers money, saving time for teachers, saving our children from resorting to drugs and crime, reducing the numbers in our penal system, saving society. It takes a little knowledge and an hour a day for a few months. Are we all worth it? |
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Jan
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10 Year Old Overcomes Bedwetting |
May 1, 2011 I recently received the following email from J in Saratoga springs. Please share this with anyone you know who has this unfortunate problem. “My 11 year old son chronically wet the bed. He potty trained with difficulty at 3 1/2, but since he was dry during the day, the pediatrician wasn’t concerned. Early on, he accepted that his body just hadn’t caught up. But as he got older, he became increasingly embarrassed by this delay in development and what had once been acceptance turned to shame. We watched as his self esteem slowly eroded. I talked to Kathy Johnson, who, without having met him, described several personality traits based on her research for “Pyramid of Potential.” Imagine my surprise by how accurate she was! Bright and articulate, he manifested several of the traits described in the “Slow Angel” tier of the pyramid. We bought the workbook (Pyramid of Potential Series)and got to work. “We actually relished the 10 minutes we spent on this every day. It was one-on-one time set aside and prioritized in an otherwise busy household. Even though he continued to wet the bed, we did see occasional dry nights and that was a big improvement. After 30 days, we started back at the beginning of the program. More successive dry nights, but still not perfect. We celebrated nonetheless. And we watched as some of his impulsivity and mood swings ebbed. But he was ready to take a break. I encouraged him to at least continue the exercises—-especially the slow angels—on his own, before bed time. “And here we are—-dry every night. Pullups completely abandoned. And as a bonus, some of his negative personality traits — things we thought were just part of who he is — have disappeared. He seems better able to focus at school, he has gained control of most of his impulsive behavior and he makes better decisions based on what he sees as the likely outcome. His demeanor toward people is less defensive and he is comfortable and confident within his own skin. I dare to say the boy has managed to find some peace within himself. “What I observed as he went through the program was that his mind seemed to have little control over moderating his body’s actions. His movements were very jerky and quick. Always too much or too little. The slow angels (which should take 30 seconds) were either 10 seconds or 50. He literally exercised and trained his brain to make his body move in a more controlled fashion. He seems to have nurtured a mind/body connection that should’ve, but didn’t, develop on its own. While I am happy for his success at night, I am certain the program has paid off in other aspects of his life, development and maturity.” The Snow Angel Module of the Pyramid of Potential Series works to integrate the primitive reflex, Spinal Galant. This reflex is also important for other neurodevelopment, including figeting, concentration, short term memory, and sensory integration, auditory processing, and vision development. For more on primitive reflexes, visit http://www.pyramidofpotential.com/pyramid-of-potential/neuro-development/. Get the entire series at http://www.pyramidofpotential.com/shop/pyramid-of-potential-series/ Or just the Snow Angel Module at http://www.pyramidofpotential.com/shop/snow-angel-module/ |
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Dyslexia Research on Brain Structure |
April 29th, 2011 The following excerpt came from an article titled “Visualizing How We Read” found on http://dana.org/news/features/detail.aspx?id=31068 Martha Denckla thinks that neuroscience may serve education best simply as the voice of reason. Recent dyslexia studies suggest that “biology is destiny… you can’t neglect underlying brain circuity as a factor, and rosy optimism about wonderful interventions should be limited by neurobiology,” she says. Realism about brain development could counter the social pressures that have driven school systems to teach reading earlier and earlier. “They are doing enormous harm by blithely disregarding neurological readiness to learn these skills,” Denckla says. Correcting their misguided enthusiasm “is a very important thing neuroscience has to do.” The question logically becomes one of what can we as parents and educators actually do to overcome this problem in our children and students. The article explains that in non-dyslexic children, reading activates the left hemisphere more than the right; the opposite is true of the dyslexic student. So we know that we can affect change in the brain and create better connections across both hemispheres through simple brain exercises. Brain Gym exercises specifically work to integrate the entire brain, and results can be seen quickly. The Pyramid of Potential Series actually creates the wiring that may not have happened in the first year of life by integrating the primitive reflexes. Although all 5 Modules work on vision development, the Lizard Module specifically targets neurodevelopment for left-right brain hemisphere integration, and reduces the following struggles for dyslexics:
The Snow Angel Module works on integrating the primitive reflex that is responsible for auditory processing, so important for being able to process the differences between like sounds – short vowel sounds, ‘m’ and ‘n’, or ‘f’ and ‘sh’ and ‘ch’. Attaching sounds to letters makes no sense to someone who does not hear the difference! The first year of life is so important for developing the connections in the brain, but it is so hopeful to know that the connections can be created later in life as well. We can work in the schools by adding these important exercises into the school day, taking only minutes, but adding better processing for many students. Imagine a time where every school does neurodevelopmental exercises daily with all students, so that all students can read, write, and learn? Isn’t this what we want for all of our children and students? |
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Jan
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Smart Education: Autism Help Now |
April 19th, 2011 I just uploaded my newest video related to autism, since this is Autism Month. Take a look and pass it on to families you know who could use the information. Thanks for helping me help others! http://www.youtube.com/user/pyramidofpotential?feature=mhum#p/a/u/0/wLUCscFTW0M |
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Jan
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News article - School uses Exercises balls in every classroom for attention |
Posted on April 16th, 2011 by KathyJohnson Take a look – it includes a video. http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2011/04/13/news/nh3879946.txt
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This Study Reveals Association Between Primitive Reflexes and Dyslexia |
April 12th, 2011 Sally Goddard Blythe has studied and written extensively on the primitive reflexes. She presented the following paper: “Summary of Paper presented at THE 5TH BDA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE. DYLSEXIA: AT THE DAWN OF THE CENTURY. University of York 18th-21st April 2001 A study of 54 children who had received an independent diagnosis of Dyslexia revealed that they all showed evidence of immature motor skills and related difficulties on a range of standardised neurological tests. These findings suggest that physical factors do play a significant role in some children diagnosed with Dyslexia.” http://www.lcch.co.uk/hypnosisarticles/dyslexia.htm If you know a child with dyslexia, look further into the root causes – one of which is the primitive reflexes. Some resources for investigation include The Roadmap From Learning Disabilities to Success, by Kathy Johnson available on www.pyramidofpotential.com, Amazon in print or Kindle, and Barnes and Noble, print or Nook. Another resource is the DVD/Workbook Series, Pyramid of Potential, which contains the instructions for overcoming these primitive reflex blocks. |
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Reduced shipping rates |
April 8th, 2011 I just reduced the shipping rates by $3.50 when ordering a single module. This month, for National Autism Month, I have put the Lizard Module on sale as well, since it integrates the ATNR, which a study has found is linked to Autism. See the study through a previous blog entry. To get the 20% reduction in price, put APRLIZ in the promotion code, and you will receive the Lizard Module which works on the following symptoms:
It takes about 10 minutes of simple exercises EVERY day for about a month to see results. When you do see the results, it’s amazing – like a light bulb went off. One mom told me of how she had to sit next to her son and drag each word out of him when he was writing. Then, after about 3 weeks of doing these exercises, he one day without prompting wrote 3 paragraphs! Questions about this? Email me at kjohnson@pyramidofpotential.com.
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"It's Nice Not Being Dumb Anymore" |
April 5th, 2011 I just got this quote from an Irlen International email: “Thanks for the colored lenses. It is so nice not being dumb anymore.” “My son said to me a few weeks ago, ‘Mom, thanks for the colored lenses. It is so nice not being dumb anymore.’ In the few months that my son has had his Irlen lenses, he is reading better, his handwriting is legible and straight, his numbers are correctly written, and he loves school. He is reading on his own, although he has a lot of catching up to do, and he is so happy! He no longer cries or gets frustrated, rubs his eyes, complains of headaches, and isn’t so scatter-brained. He doesn’t fall up or down steps, run into walls or furniture, and has spent the past few weeks catching a ball (something he could never do before.) He has started to learn to ride a bike, hit a baseball, and kick a soccer ball. My son has done nothing but blossom since the day he got his lenses.” C. Mowry |
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Jan
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2012
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Smart Ed, not Special Ed video |
April 5th, 2011 Take a look at the video, the first of many. If you know of parents and educators who are concerned about the fates of children with learning disabilites, please share this with them. Thank you from me and many children who are affected.
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My Breakfast - A Brain Healthy Smoothie |
March 29th, 2011 Look at the recipe from Laura Griffin – this is what I have for breakfast. It is just enough, and give me tremendous energy for hours! Plus, the spices are all good for your brain, and Laura’s spices are 100% organic – couldn’t be better! https://yourspiceoflifeblog.wordpress.com/2011/03/03/brain-food-smoothie/#comments |
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Autism and Primitive Reflexes |
March 26th, 2011
I looked on the internet for studies and papers to find the relationship between autism and retained primitive reflexes. So far I found one good one at http://www.movementnotation.com/publications/docs/ReflexesGoneAstray.pdf. This paper described the research the authors did using videos of babies who later were found to be on the Autism Spectrum, and compared them with babies who were “normal”. As you might suspect, there was a correlation, with a very strong correlation between a retained ATNR and Autism. Perhaps one day, there will be tests for infants to determine the likelyhood of being autistic, so that services can be given at a very early age. |
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Monthly donation |
March 24th, 2011 Each month I donate 10% of my profits to charity. I love to help those I cannot help directly, especially children. This month I have chosen two wonderful places that need help, one local and one international. The international is of course, Japan. I chose to donate through Salvation Army, as all of the donation is used for the needy. If you are looking for a good trustworthy place to donate, go to The other place that will receive money this month is STEP – Saratoga Therapeutic Equine Program, located in Glenville, NY. They provide physical therapy using horses, and the results are amazing. If you know of someone with a physical disabilitiy, traumatic brain injury, autism, or other developmental disability who could benefit, lessons start on April 5, so call 518-374-5116. If you would like to donate to help a child who is on a waiting list looking for funds to join the program, call 518-221-7731. The Bowl-A-Thon, a fundraiser for the Rider Scholarship Fund, is May 1. |
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Nutrition, Energy, and Vision |
March 10th, 2011 The following article is by Dr. Sam Berne, the Behavioral Optometrist that taught me about the primitive reflexes:
The eyes and brain make up 2% of the body weight and use 25% of the food intake. Since the liver is the major organ that affects how we see, it is not surprising that our nutrition and biochemistry strongly affect our vision. There are many nutritional components that support how we see. Below is a brief list of certain vitamins and minerals that affect different tissues of the eye. Zinc, Vitamin A, Cysteine, Lutein and Taurine are important for a healthy retina. The retina is comprised of photoreceptors which help us receive light. Vitamin C, E, and Vitamin B2 are important for a healthy lens. The lens is important in our ability to transmit the light through the eyes. The lens also helps us focus at different distances. In early stages of cataracts, specific homeopathic eye drops can dissolve cataracts. Omega 3, 6, 9 fish oil is important for a healthy cornea and proper tear production. The cornea is the outer window of the eye and our first visual contact with the world. Poor tear production can be caused by not having enough oils in our body or by suffering from adrenal burnout. Chromium is important for a healthy vitreous (the gel-like part of the eye). Chromium regulates our simple carbohydrate metabolism. Low chromium can contribute to an increase in nearsightedness. Magnesium is important for healthy eye muscles which helps the aqueous humor regulate the fluid flow from the inner part of the eye. Essential oils are also very effective in supporting our vision. Each essence has many attributes for healing the body. If you would like more information on essential oils, please contact me. Dr. Samuel A. Berne, OD, FCOVD, FCSO |
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THE Top Way to Increase Brain Functioning - Act Like a Baby!?! |
March 4th, 2011 The most important thing that a person can do to increase brain functioning is to open up the pathways in the brain to allow for growth. This usually happens in infancy, but when it has not, it can be done at any point in your life – including NOW! Have you ever wondered why certain people have no ability to remember math facts, no matter how often they practice? Or they have terrible handwriting even thought they learned right along with the person with beautiful handwriting? Certainly we are all different, but what contributes to the differences? In many cases it is brain development that happens during the first year of life. The ability to have good memory comes while a baby is on the floor on her back playing with Mom and Dad or reaching to grab toys. The ability to write well develops while doing the combat crawl in that phase before learning to crawl up on hands and knees. To read a research study about attention, math, and these stages called primitive reflexes, view my blog entry from Dec 30, 2010. In order to improve your brain functioning, then, you have to go back to being a kid! It can be fun, getting down on the floor and moving around like a young child. All it takes is a few minutes a day, every day for about a month for each stage or reflex. And the benefits? Well, after doing one month of the exercises on the Pyramid of Potential Snow Angel DVD/Workbook, I was able to remember people’s names for the first time in my life – and it was effortless! Some resources for more information: |
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Number 2 - Ways to Improve Brain Functioning - Training |
March 3rd, 2011 Use it or lose it. And do daily workouts. I’m not talking about your biceps, I’m talking about the muscle between your ears – your brain! We have known for years that the brain is plastic and can change and improve. We have learned that you can increase your IQ, learn new languages and improve your memory, even at older ages. The question is, what does it take? Just like building your bicep, it takes time and intensity. Time: If you try to improve your processing speed, for example, by doing a simple task as fast as you can for one or two days, you obviously would not see a significant lasting change. However, if you practice this task for at least 3 weeks, you create new pathways in the brain that become myelinated and solidified. Practice makes perfect. Intensity: The task cannot be too easy. Let’s say you are trying to improve memory. If the task you choose to practice repeatedly is simple, like remembering 2 or 3 items, you are not pushing the brain to do something new. No new pathways are formed. But if the task is too hard, like trying to remember 10 items when your previous record was 5, you end up frustrated, angry and ready to quit. The task must meet your brain at its current capacity, and push ever so slightly farther. Some games to try to train your brain: Processing Speed: As fast as you can sort a deck of cards by suit. Time yourself, complete this 3 times a day for 4 straight weeks. Track your times and I know that at the end of the month you will be faster, not only at sorting cards, but also at many other tasks! Auditory Memory: write out a list of 10 colors. Have another person say these colors to you in random order, 1 second apart. Start with 3, then try 4, etc. At some point you reach your capacity. Each day start with 1 less than your capacity and practice that many, then 1 more and 1 more until you can’t do it. Take a break and start over so that you do 3 repetitions of this game each day. Track how many you achieve for a month, and you should be able to remember several more by the end of the month. Visual Attention: This is perfect for the person who gets frustrated when looking in the junk drawer or who finds very visually crowded places too stimulating. Do word searches, mazes, hidden pictures, I Spy, and Where’s Waldo daily for a month. As the month goes on, do more challenging puzzles. It gets easier! These are just a few examples, but you can improve in any area that you aren’t strong by practicing at a challenging level for at least 4 weeks. Have fun with it! Don’t forget to check back tomorrow for my easiest and most significant way to improve brain functioning! See our Store for BrainSpark! a cognitive training kit for overcoming learning disabilities. |
The Science of Ayurveda says that the diet influences the mind. Since ninety percent of how we see originates in the mind, when our mind chatters, we cannot see clearly.|
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Number 3 - Ways to Improve Brain Function - Avoid These! |
March 2nd, 2011 Everyone knows (don’t they?) that illegal drug use is bad for your brain – remember the ad “This is your brain on drugs”! But there are some other factors to consider avoiding when trying to optimize your brain: Avoid smoking, overconsumption of alcohol, and sugar. What? Sugar? Yes, I put that with the other two. Our brain runs on glucose – that’s the fuel, but too much refined sugar can cause spikes in blood sugar. I wrote a bit on that on Monday. Avoid like the plague trans-fats! These are the ingredients from cookies, pies and microwavable popcorn – Partially hydrogenated (fill in the blank) oils. These particular fats are man-made and elongated molecules that slow down processing in the brain. Our brains need fat – good fat, like omega 3s – to solidify learning through myelination of synapses in neurons. If you have had a diet that includes shortening, stop immediately and start taking fish oil supplements for your brain’s sake! If you hate the taste of fish, at least use flax seed oil whenever you can. So avoid those things, add in the foods mentioned yesterday and you will be processing better already! |
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Number 4 on Top 5 ways to improve brain functioning - diet |
March 1st, 2011 There are many foods that help our brain functioning, and certain combination of foods that help keep our brain clear and out of the fog. Brain foods include: When eating any meal or snack, avoid spikes in blood sugar that cause our brains to spike in activity. Our brains run on glucose; the best sugars are natural sugars found in fruits and vegetables. After a spike, we see a dramatic fall in blood sugar, causing us to feel brain fog. Avoid this by adding a source of protein to every meal or snack. Come back tomorrow to read number 3! The best is yet to come! |
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Top 5 ways to improve brain functioning |
March 1st, 2011 Hi everyone! It has been snowing yet again here in New York. We just had over a foot of snow Friday, and another few inches Saturday night. Phew! I hope the groundhog was right and that winter is over soon. It is beautiful but enough is enough! Last week was February break for our schools and I relaxed. No travel plans, just enjoying the time off. If you had a break I hope you did too. Today I am kicking off another Top 5 List – this one is on improving brain functioning. I’ve included Number 5 here, but you will have to go onto my website to read the other 4 one day at a time with Number 1 on Friday. March 3 is the last day for Buy 1 Get 1 Free of my new book, The Roadmap From Learning Disabilities to Success – see the coupon on the bottom of the newsletter for more information. Buy one for yourself and give the other one away to a friend, teacher, educational professional or library. Enjoy! Simplified lecture on how the brain works.
We humans have trillions of neurons in our brains. Off of each neuron are dendrites, like electrical wires coming off each. Learning happens when two dendrites come close together and create a synapse – an electrical current going from one neuron to another. If this synapse never fires again, the two dendrites break apart. In other words, use it or lose it. If the synapse fires again and again over several weeks, a strong connection is made – basically like a habit – and it becomes permanent. Think of two electrical wires coming together and being twisted together then wrapped with electrical tape; this is called myelination, and a coating of fat covers the connection. At this point, the person has added new long term learning to their brain. Keep this all in mind over the next few days as I review my top 5 list for improving brain functioning. Top 5 List – Improve Brain Functioning
Number 5 – Aerobic exercise increases the volume of the brain, specifically the hippocampus, and increases memory in older adults, according to a study released earlier this year. In this study, older adults from their late 50s up to 70 were randomly broken into two groups: one walked for 40 minutes three times a week and the other did yoga and stretching for the same period. After one year it was found that the walkers’ brains increase by 2% and their memory improved. The stretchers showed no growth. Ordinarily, older adult brains decrease in volume by over 1% a year. My take on this – if older adults lose hippocampus volume along with memory, perhaps the synapses are getting broken, the brain sheds the unused myelin sheath, and volume decreases? Next question – if aerobic exercise increases volume, do we also need oxygen to create these connections? Hmmmm So no matter what your age, get out and exercise – if you can remember to! More information can be found at http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=aerobic-exercise-bulks-up-hippocamp-2011-01-31 Don’t forget to read Numbers 4 through 1 each day this week on my Top 5 List. You can find them here at www.pyramidofpotential.com. I’d love to read your comments! Coupon – Buy 1 Get 1 Free – go to our Store and purchase one copy of The Roadmap From Learning Disabilities to Success, and put B1G1 in the promotion code. Hurry! Offer expires March 3, 2011. |
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Books, Books, Books! eReaders for LD, Dyslexia, Reviews |
February 8th, 2011 Book Review:The Other Side of Dyslexia, by Ann FarrisAnn was a director of a theater program at the National Endowment for the Arts who had Dyslexia. She writes in this book about her journey of self-discovery to being able to read. When I first opened the book, I was delighted by what I saw inside – unlike any other book, each page has colorful simple pictures with the words below. It conveys what she has in her mind: pictures and emotions; less words. My immediate thought was how authentic it is. To get into the mind of a person with learning disabilities, you must go beyond just words, as words have different meanings and understandings. Although in the main part of the book, Ann does not specifically describe the trainings and therapies that she has used to help her, she references them in the end. Anyone who would like to follow a similar path can. The journey included many therapies that I have used as well, including Brain Gym, Energy Medicine, eye exercises and watching diet. Yet for her, the emotional and spiritual journey helped unlock the physical stress that held her back. Today she is able to use words much better for both her reading and writing. This book was written primarily for dyslexics so that they can read about someone like them. She gives hints as to how to read it, and the print is big so that people can have an easier time with the words. It is also for the non-dyslexic to understand what can happen in the mind and body of another human. We are after all, unique. One thing I have learned is that we don’t know how other people see, hear or feel unless they tell us. Ann does an excellent job of that! I highly recommend this book to people who have learning disabilities as well as those who teach, care for, and love people with LD. Enjoy! eReaders can actually help LD! At a recent workshop, one participant came up to me after the segment on colored overlays and the Irlen Syndrome. She first explained that she has extreme visual disturbances, that she gets headaches and the words and letters move while looking at a page of text. She found out that she had Irlen Syndrome (see Irlen.com for more information), that the color which helped her the most was Goldenrod, and she was prescribed colored lenses from an Irlen Diagnostician to help correct the problem. She then told me that she reads using a Nook – the eReader from Barnes and Noble – and that helps so much that the words and letters don’t move. Intrigued, I took my good friend Chris to Barnes and Noble to see if it helps her. She describes the vision issue as a swirling around where she reads or a halo effect around the letters. It changes under different lighting and when she is tired or stressed. Previously, I had screened her for Irlen Overlays, and her best color was yellow. First she tried the Nook Color, and the best background available was white letters on a black background, but she also liked the grey background. It solved the swirling. The regular Nook was also good with black letters on a light grey background (you cannot change the background on a Nook). When she placed the yellow overlay on it, it was even better. She declared that she could read for a long time with this! I bought a Kindle over the weekend to bring to my next workshops. It has e-ink like the Nook, and Chris said that reading from it was preferable to reading from a book with the same size text. The yellow overlay made it even better. Like the Nook, you cannot change the background. Both of these, and probably the other eReaders, have the capability to increase the size of the text, the line spacing, the font, and the margins, making it easier for the reader to see the words, with or without Irlen Syndrome. The Kindle has text-to-speech capabilities as well, and can very easily display word documents. I simply emailed my account an attached word document and it appeared on the Kindle one minute later. It displayed perfectly. Since one of the major issues of a person with learning disabilities is vision problems, a very good accommodation is to use an eReader. Imagine being able to have your student read the assignments easily when it was difficult to do so previously because of vision problems. Giving homework is easier as well by simply emailing the document to the student. My special ed teacher friend of mine who has a Traumatic Brain Injury student with severe headaches found some relief from the purple overlays. I will be lending them my Kindle to see if he can work easier using that as well. I will let you know how that goes! If you find some success with these, please email me your story. Finally, remember that these eReaders are only accommodations, and that the best treatment is vision therapy combined with integration of the primitive reflexes for the best results in improving visual processing. A Review of The Roadmap From Learning Disabilities to Success
Thank you to Ann Farris who wrote the review that can be read at: http://dyslexiadiscovery.com/category/blog/ Do you have success stories to share?I am looking to share success stories from with the readers. You hear about my successes but the proof is in the pudding when you hear from others that certain methods are helping those with learning struggles. I especially would like to hear about your successes with integrating the primitive reflexes with or without additional therapies. Please do not include much personal information about the child beyond sex and age, but please do include your information. I received this recently from an Occupational Therapist who attended a workshop: 1/18/2011 Well, I started treating my 13 year old son’s residual Moro (to begin with). He has a long history of anxiety, excessive blinking and lack of eye contact, and failing math. Since starting these exercises on Dec 20, he has gotten 3 90% on math quizzes, his blinking is reduced by about 60%, and he has this new urge to be organized! His self confidence is on a high (since understanding math), and his stress level is significantly lowered. That’s just my personal story…I’ll share more of caseload kids in the future! Thanks, Stacy |
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Learn all about how to treat Learning Disabilities! |
February 3rd, 2011 Come to “Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia: A Brain Development Approach” given through PESI, a national professional development company. Topics include therapies and trainings that help individuals overcome the symptoms that cause dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, ADD/ADHD, CAPD, sensory integration dysorder, and more. February 8 – Baltimore; February 9 – Philadelphia, February 10 – Dover DE. For more information and to register, go to www.PESI.com. I will see you there!! |
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Parent-Teacher 101: Shared Lessons |
January 22nd, 2011 Please go to http://livingabovedisorder.org/ to read the article I wrote about the lessons I have learned over the past 10+ years. For example, 2. Believe in yourself and your child. 4. Reading 101: All children do not learn to read using the same method. 7. Important brain development happens during the first year of a baby’s life. 10. We don’t know what other people see. 12. Many children who stay in special education for years have learned helplessness. Read more about why and how I learned each lesson. Also, Living Above Disorder is a good resource for parents of special needs children. Take a look around, and maybe you too can contribute to the site! |
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Top 5 List Help for ADD/ADHD #1: Integrate the primitive reflexes |
January 21st, 2011 The most important therapy that can be done to improve attention naturally is to integrate the primitive reflexes. There are many stages we go through from the time before we are born to about age 3, which have significant impact on the development of our brain. Each of the 5 stages have a primitive or survival reflex associated with it, as well as symptoms relating to brain development. An example of a reflex is the TLR, or Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex. This is a primitive survival reflex built into us, just like the reflex that makes your leg jump when the doctor uses a rubber hammer on your bent knee, except that primitive reflexes are supposed to be integrated during infancy, and therefore no longer present in older people. It is something that cannot be easily faked. The TLR happens when a young baby is placed on the floor and he holds his head up even though his head weighs as much as his body. He has not yet developed the muscles in his neck and back to hold up his head, so they are built while doing this natural activity. However, if he does not completely and thoroughly go through this stage, certain pathways to higher brain development may not have been completed. This reflex is responsible for building the frontal lobe which is where the executive manager resides. Often, a child with a retained TLR also cannot be organized because of poor sequencing, or plan because of poor concept of time. Another reflex that relates to ADD/ADHD is the Spinal Galant. If a person has retained the Spinal Galant reflex, he or she might have trouble concentrating, have a poor memory, have sensory integration issues, and have poor auditory issues including auditory attention. The reason I feel that this is the number one therapy for ADD/ADHD is that the integration of primitive reflexes creates the neural pathways to the brain that allow for the further development of attention. By going through this therapy first, then listening therapy, vision therapy, and cognitive training will be much more effective. Also, this therapy only takes minutes a day, can be done at home, is not difficult, and can be very inexpensive. Parents should look for a professional, such as a teacher or occupational therapist, who knows these exercises. If there is no one available, they can learn them through the Pyramid of Potential DVD/Workbook Series available at our Store. Number 2: DietNumber 3: Visual AttentionNumber 4: Auditory AttentionNumber 5: Cognitive Training |
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Kathy Johnson's Top 5 List for ADD/ADHD: #2 Diet |
January 21st, 2011 The food and drink that you put in your mouth nourishes every cell in your body, including your brain. At the same time, we all are different, so a food that is good for one may be poison for another. Keep these two points in mind as we explore food that will help or hurt our ability to concentrate. When working with a student who is struggling to learn something and who yawns, I have them take a gulp of water. Not only does the yawning stop, but their concentration increases immediately, and they may be able to do work that they were unable to does just moments before. Now I’m yawning – are you? Water seems to cool down the brain and refresh the body. Sipping water throughout the day maintains hydration for the best results. If you are a teacher, or a parent of a school-aged child, consider having water bottles in the classrooms as a great way to optimize concentration. The kinds with the pop-tops do not make a mess if they fall over. When a person’s blood sugar is too high or too low, concentration is affected. The brain runs on glucose – that’s the fuel for the brain – and glucose comes from sugar. If the blood sugar is too high, like after eating a cupcake at a birthday party, some people may react by getting hyperactive. The brain loves that fuel! Some people will have a loss of concentration if their blood sugar gets too low. There was a time when I would finish lunch by 12:30 and not eat again until dinnertime, 6 hours later. I would be getting ready to make dinner, look in the refrigerator and see nothing to make. Then I would go to the pantry and find nothing to make. Back to the fridge, nothing; back to the pantry… You get the idea. My blood sugar was low and I could not think. I then would eat – it seems silly to think that in order to make dinner I would have to eat first! But I suppose it is similar to flying in an airplane when the stewardess would tell you to put on your oxygen mask first before helping those around you. Once I had something to eat, I could concentrate and suddenly there would be plenty to eat in the refrigerator and the pantry, and soon the family would be sitting down to a healthy meal. So, eating frequently, especially every 3 – 4 hours, can help with concentration. Also, to keep the blood sugar from spiking and plummeting, be sure that a source of protein is eaten at every meal or snack, as it keeps the blood sugar more constant. Some people have sensitivities to chemicals found in processed foods, resulting in hyperactivity or poor attention. Some people have found that they react to certain natural foods as well, and become hyperactive after eating foods with salicylates, found in pineapple and apples. Some people get significant improvements from changing their diets through the Feingold diet. Google it to find more information. Some people see great improvement by dropping all trans fats from their diets and supplementing with the healthy omega 3 fatty acids, found in fish oil and flax seed oil. The brain consists of mostly fat, and trans fats are man-made, have elongated molecules and seem to slow the brain down. Some people have a milk intolerance that looks like ADD/ADHD. Replacing milk with an alternative may help. Check with your doctor before adding supplements or significantly changing the diet. A nutritionist can help in diet changes and suggestions. Diet is at the base of the Pyramid of Potential, a model I use for finding the cause of symptoms of learning disabilities and the therapies that can relieve them. More information can be found on this website and by reading the book, The Roadmap From Learning Disabilities to Success. Come back here tomorrow for the #1 on my top 5 list of Help for ADD/ADHD! |
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Kathy Johnson's Top 5 Lists Help for ADD/ADHD; #3 - Visual Attention |
January 19th, 2011 Kathy Johnson’s Top 5 Lists Help for ADD/ADHD Work on visual attention problems through vision therapy and games. What does it feels like to have visual attention problems? You walk into the mall where there is such a large amount of visual input and information, that you feel overwhelmed. You go to the junk drawer to get a paper clip, open it up to see all the junk in it, and don’t bother to look because it is too frustrating. You open up a magazine to read an article, but all the words, pictures, and charts make it hard to concentrate on only the words. Now imagine what it is like to be a first grader with this problem. You have the word on wall on one side, colorful bulletin boards on the other, the dress-up corner, the Lego corner, and all the other kids running around with lots of different color shirts on. For a person who has a visual attention problem, the problem is not that he can’t pay attention to anything, it’s more that his body is trying to pay attention to everything! This problem can be addressed in a couple of ways. The best option, although the most expensive, is to get a full evaluation from a behavioral optometrist. This doctor has additional schooling beyond regular optometry, and is able to test for acuity (clear vision) as well as many other possible visual deficits, including visual attention. If vision therapy is warranted, depending on the doctor and the person receiving therapy, it may last 8 weeks to a year, require one to three visits into the office per week, and require 15 minutes of home therapy per day. What do you get for all this trouble? A professional overseeing the case and good chances that the ADD/ADHD problem due to visual attention issues will get solved. If you cannot possibly pay for vision therapy and your insurance does not pay for it, there are some games that you can play to help. However, you do not have that professional oversight, and results may not be as quick or as thorough. But they sure can be fun! For all of the following games, do at least one a day for at least a month. Also, start with larger print and easier games and work up to smaller print. Finally, keep it fun. As long as these are approached as games and rewards, and as long as they are challenging but not frustrating, repeating the games day after day will build the brain connections so that visual distractions will decrease over time. Have fun! Good luck! This is # 3 of my Top 5 List of how to help ADD/ADHD. Be sure to revisit here tomorrow for #2. |
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Top 5 List: ADD/ADHD - Auditory Attention |
January 18th, 2011 Tuesday, Number 4: Help for auditory attention Here is my #4 tip for helping someone with ADD/ADHD: consider Listening Therapy for someone who cannot pay attention due to all the noises in the room. The average person can tune out distracting noises in a classroom – chairs squeaking, pencils tapping, lights buzzing, kids whispering, people walking by in the hallway, and even the birds chirping outside. But for someone with attention issues because of a sensitivity to sound, the teacher’s voice just becomes more sound blended in with all the other distracting sounds making it so hard to pull it out of the sea of noise. Central Auditory Processing Disorder, is described by Mary Mounstephen in her book How to Detect Developmental Delay. “Many children who seem to have normal hearing and who have been passed as having normal hearing after routine testing, may still have difficulty with listening and attending in a variety of situations. These children are sometimes described as ‘able to hear when they want to’. In quiet situation, they don’t appear to have a problem, but in a busy classroom or when there are numerous distractions, they can have considerable difficulty understanding what has been said.” What to do?
First, decide if this is really the problem. Next, get a diagnosis. The only way to obtain one is through an audiologist. Although the audiologist may not suggest a solution to any uncovered auditory problems, he may give some suggestions and accommodations that will help until the solution that is right is implemented. What solution can help?
Listening Therapy can help. In general it retrains the ear to be able to distinguish between the sounds, to allow the listener to pay attention to the sounds he desires. According to a research study, * Hall L. & Case-Smith, J. (2007). The effect of sound-based intervention on children with sensory processing disorders and visualmotor delays. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 61 (2), 209-215., “One child’s ADHD medication was reduced after 1 month of Therapeutic Listening because his behavior and attention had improved dramatically” (p. 213). Where to get help?The following resource list was taken from The Roadmap From Learning Disabilities to Success, “Do It Yourself" Online Professionals |
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Dyscalculia and anxiety success story that I just had to share! |
January 18th, 2011 I received this email today, January 18. Kathy, Well, I started treating my 13 year old son’s residual Moro (to begin with). He has a long history of anxiety, excessive blinking and lack of eye contact, and failing math. Since starting these exercises on Dec 20, he has gotten 3 90% on math quizzes, his blinking is reduced by about 60%, and he has this new urge to be organized! His self confidence is on a high (since understanding math), and his stress level is significantly lowered. That’s just my personal story…I’ll share more of caseload kids in the future! Thanks, Stacy If you know someone with the same issues, share this with them, and have them start with the Pyramid of Potential Series which includes the Starfish/Moro Reflex Module. See what results can be had with just 10 minutes of simple exercises a day for a month! |
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Kathy Johnson?s Top 5 List - ADD/ADHD |
January 17th, 2011 Monday, Number 5: Cognitive Training People can be trained to improve attention. All of us have the ability to improve brain functioning by training daily, intensely, and for a significant period of time. When habits are formed, by repeating an action every day for 4 weeks, new neural pathways are created in the brain. Training for attention is no different. It takes work, just as training to run a race does, but the results can be significant and very rewarding. Make up attention games yourself, or use a program that was designed to help. I have used two of the programs that are mentioned below, but the structure for all of them is the same: complete a half hour to an hour of the program a day, specifically on attention, for at least a month. The programs I have used are: Other programs that I have looked at which may be just as good are: When I have worked with students, I work for an hour a day, 3 days a week. The parents do 3 other days a week, and we follow this schedule for 12 weeks. We are working on attention as well as memory, processing speed, auditory skills, reading skills, and logic. The results have been amazing, and we always get over 2 years growth in any deficient skill, but I always combine this training with other therapies that may be required depending on the individual. For more information, read the book, The Roadmap From Reading Disabilities to Success. The rest of my top 5 list will be available one day at a time on this website. Be sure to visit daily to read each entry! |
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Research Study - ADD/ADHD and Primitive Reflexes |
December 30th, 2010 Read or print out the following article to see the research study that was plublished in the International Journal of Special Education in 2003: Results indicated that, in general, boys diagnosed with AD/HD had significantly higher levels of reflex retention than non-diagnosed boys. Results also indicated both direct and indirect relationships between retention of the Moro, ATNR, STNR and TLR reflexes with AD/HD symptomatology and mathematics achievement. |
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Happy New Year!! |
December 30th, 2010 Dear All, As this year comes to a close, I think back on meeting so many of you, helping with your children, or teaching you about how to help those with academic struggles. Maybe you haven’t even met me yet. But I am satisfied with the accomplishments we have made so far: We all know that people who have learning struggles can change. We know that there is no silver bullet, but that if we look at each person individually we can help them achieve more by finding the symptoms that are holding them back and applying the appropriate trainings or therapies. We know that we do not have to settle for less work and more time when what we really want is to increase processing speed. We have hope and a positive attitude that we can make a difference in the world, even if it is just by knowing that change is possible. Thank you. All of you. I couldn’t help change the world without you! To get free shipping on anything off my website use the promotion code THANKS – note it is valid THROUGH 12/31 ONLY. Enjoy your New Year with your families and friends! |
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How Publishing My Book Was Like Giving a Gift |
December 21st, 2010
It took a loooong time to write my book, “The Roadmap From Learning Disabilities to Success”, just like finding the perfect present for the one you love. You know what it’s like to look for that gift: you search and search. First you search your brain for what you know about that person (I was searching my brain for my knowledge about learning disabilities). You think about what they might want (I thought about what YOU might want to read about). Once you have some basic ideas, it is time to research the quality of your various options: do you buy the least expensive one and forego quality, or do you go hog wild and include all the options, all the gizmos? I had to research programs beyond those that I had personally used and add them in the book in order to give a comprehensive and unbiased list of resources. The resources, programs, and therapies range in price from free to thousands of dollars. But we must always remember, while we get what we pay for, it is nice to have options while deciding. So the gift is bought (the book is written, rewritten, edited, etc.), next it has to be packaged/wrapped. I was so lucky to know a gifted graphic artist who created the cover, a true work of art. After all, isn’t the perfect wrapping of a wonderful gift make you even more excited to give it? But then comes the anticipation of the actual presentation of the gift. Will my loved one like it? Will he use it? Was all this time and energy just a pure waste of time? When I held my first books in my hands, I was afraid to open one and see. But then I showed a friend the table of contents, and I remembered! I remembered why I wrote it, and how I structured it so that you would have an easy time finding exactly the information you were looking for. And I realized that it is the perfect gift to give you this holiday season. Each chapter includes part of the Pyramid of Potential, from nutrition to cognitive training. Within the chapters you will read success stories, a quiz to see if this chapter relates to your situation, general information, and best of all, lists of resources broken out by Do-It-Yourself, On-line, and Professionals. My goal in writing this book is for any parent or educational professional to use it as a guide to help them find the underlying causes of the learning struggles an individual may have, and then find the appropriate programs to overcome it. When you open the book, I hope that the delight you get from reading the pages will be comparable to the delight expressed by the receiver of the perfect gift. Interested in a signed copy of the book, for $1 off? It can be found at our Store. “The Roadmap From Learning Disabilities to Success” is also available on Amazon both in paper and Kindle; and Barnes and Noble in paper and NookBook. |
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My Remarkable Progress! |
December 2nd, 2010 I did not want to tell you that I was following my own advice and doing the primitive reflex exercises until I had some concrete improvements to tell you about. Well, I have been doing the exercises from the Snow Angel DVD, to help me intgrate the Spinal Galant. I actually started it this past spring, and one morning woke up with all of the names of the people I used to work with 25 years ago in my head! This was amazing to me because the day before if you had asked me, I could have told you one. I stopped the exercise shortly after, but resumed several weeks ago. While at the workshops I noticed that for the first time in my life (quite a long one at that), I could remember people’s names without writing them down, seeing the name, associating it with someone else, repeating it several times, etc. Because I did not learn using my auditory sense, learning a name eluded me!! But not since then. And for me that is nothing less than remarkable. Interested in the DVD? It can be found at our Store |
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How do I express my Thanks? |
November 30th, 2010 Every day at the end of the day, I look back on the previous hours that are comprised of many strings of events. I examine as many of them as I can remember, and find something to be thankful for in each scenario. Maybe I was rushed to get out the door, but I arrived on time. Maybe I had planned to complete all my brain exercises, but at least I got in Starfish and Slow Angel. I am thankful for each moment that I get to spend with my husband and children. And I am thankful for you. Because I can only bring hope to a small number of individual families on my own. Because I can only bring my message of success and independence for learning disabled children to a limited number of people. But You! The collective You can affect the lives of those around you, and they can pass it forward as well. I cannot fathom how many lives we, together, can change. It is my hope for someday there be knowledge of the process to develop our brains at any age, so that all people have the opportunity to fulfill their potential, whatever that may be. So how do I express my thanks to you? First, by saying how much you mean to me. And second, by offering you a gift if you are so inclined to use it. If you will be purchasing off my web site before the end of the year, use THANKS in the promotion code for free shipping. Store I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, if you celebrated it. We are approaching a holiday and New Year; one in which I expect to see more Love and Joy than in the previous one. May it be so with you, too! |
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Brain Gym and Primitive Reflexes |
November 17th, 2010 Today, while giving a workshop on Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia: A Brain Development Approach in Tyler, Tx, one of the teachers told me how she had her students doing Brain Gym exercises several times a day, and because of that, all of her students passed their Science Final. I had a client almost 10 years ago who made a huge cognitive leap after 2 weeks of practicing a “lazy 8″. For the 2 weeks prior, he went from not being able to pass any levels of some challenging cognitive training, to suddenly passing 10 levels all in one day! Brain Gym is a powerful exercise/brain development program that integrates the various parts of the brain. Some people do not have good cross-over connections between their right and left hemispheres of the brain. Since the left brain controls the right side of the body and the right brain controls the left side of the body, for these people it is very difficult to make their bodies march using opposite hand and leg together. Also difficult is writing, as the left hemisphere is for language and the right is for creativity – both of which are required for writing. So I was asked a question today that has been bothering me. How is Brain Gym related to primitive reflexes? Which is better? And I don’t truly know the answer. The cross-over happens when the ATNR (Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex) is integrated. I have seen a child not be able to write without his parent or teacher sitting right next to him, then once the reflex was integrated, he spontaneously wrote 2 paragraphs on his own! Both this story and the one above have similarities. I know that Brain Gym develops the brain. I know that the reflexes develop the brain. I don’t think that the Brain Gym exercises integrate any of the 5 primitive reflexes that I work with, but that it supports the ATNR. It could be similar to working on convergence (ability to cross eyes easily for copying off the board) without fully integrating the Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR). Convergence problems are just one of the symptoms related to a retained TLR. So, using Brain Gym exercises to force crossing the midline and eventually improving the communication between the two hemisheres of the brain is only part of the ATNR, and doesn’t actually integrate it. Without intgrating the ATNR, you might not see full resolution of the Dyslexia and Dysgraphia symptoms, but you would at least be closer! I always give some Brain Gym exercises for my clients to do early on in therapy because of how powerful it is, and because I don’t want to wait until we get to integrating the ATNR to get some of those early results. This was good for me to write and think about this. Not my usual post! Thanks for listening/reading…. |
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Ahh, compliments. They make the world so bright! |
November 1st, 2010 Just received this after last week’s “Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia: Brain Development and Remediation” workshop in Spokane, WA: Kathy, Dr. Renee Rinderknecht |
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Auditory Processing Deficits - 3 Solutions |
September 27th, 2010 “I could hear the teacher this year” was spoken by a girl who had a diagnosis of Central Auditory Processing Disorder, but had worked on it over a summer. Her mom said that she had never known that it was a problem; and neither did the little girl until it was solved. When one client of mine was originally tested, she could not “hear” the vowel sounds. Yes, she could hear fine. But she could not process the unique differences between the vowels. Also, she said that her teacher mumbled. When asked to blend “b” “u” “s” she replied “bis”. For “s” “t” “o” “p” she replied “stump”. After 6 months of various educational therapy, she blended all 10 examples perfectly.
How did these girls do it?When working with children with auditory processing problems, I take a 3 pronged approach. No one is the same as anyone else, and there is no silver bullet. So I cover my bases, and get fantastic results. 1. Primitive Reflex Inhibition There are many stages we go through from the time before we are born to about age 3 in which we integrate the primitive reflexes. I deal with five of them here, which have significant impact on the development of our brain. An example of a stage is the TLR, or Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex. This is a survival reflex built into us, just like the reflex that makes your leg jump when the doctor uses a rubber hammer on your bent knee. It is something that cannot be easily faked. The TLR happens when a young baby is placed on the floor and he holds his head up even though his head weighs as much as his body. He has not yet developed the muscles in his neck and back to hold up his head, so they are built while doing this natural activity. However, if he does not completely and thoroughly go through this stage, certain pathways to higher brain development may not have been completed. So, a child who has poor posture and weak muscle tone, may also have trouble copying off the board or telling time. Each of the 5 stages have a primitive or survival reflex associated with it, as well as symptoms relating to brain development. The Moro reflex is associated with hypersensitivity to soundand the Spinal Galant reflex is associated with auditory processing deficits. I make sure that my client works through these usually in corrdination with Listening Therapy. 2. Listening Therapy I have used one or two listening therapy programs for many years, and generally the students find that life starts changing for them within the first 2 weeks. Generally, they are listening for 20 minutes, twice a day, using specific headphones and CDs that are created to teach the child how to process sounds in their environment. The students like it as it is nice classical music or nature sounds, and works passively. I have gone through the listening therapy myself, as this is a place I struggled with all my life as well. I find that after completing a few weeks I can clearly hear people talking around me, even in a crowded restaurant. More than that, I become more organized, less stressed, and my handwriting improves. My students improve in many ways as well, but primarily, they can process what they hear better. 3. Direct Teaching Finally, once they can deal with the sounds that they hear, I can successfully teach them the pre-reading skills that alluded them for years. To teach the vowel sounds, I give them short specific words that they use for the first week until they have memorized the sounds: They keep this list next to the letter or word lists that we drill on to a metronome. For example, I might have a list of 30 letters including 8 consonants and 2 vowels mixed up that the child has to say the sound to a metronome set at 100 beats per minute, every other beat. This keeps them focused, increases processing speed, and makes it more engaging. Usually, because they have had problems with sounds for years they dislike the metronome at first, but are fine with it by the 3rd lesson. I teach specific blending, segmenting, and phoneme replacement or deletion drills found in the BrainSpark! and PACE kits. Within a matter of 4 to 6 weeks, a child who could not decode is now able to deal with the sounds. All that is left is teaching them the digraphs or “code” (“oa” is the sound “oe” in boat and float). “Allie” had auditory processing issues that caused her to be unable to understand complex language, to hear instructions in school, and to read. She finishes up learning the code, using the Phonographix program tomorrow, Tuesday. Because I had done the legwork first, it took just 15 hour long sessions, 2 a week to finish. To read more about “Allie” please look at older posts on my blog. |
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Saratoga Springs Library - Brain development panel discussion | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
September 22nd, 2010 Integrated Brain Development Programs, a Panel Discussion | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Jan
20
2012
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The DVD/Workbook Series has been updated and improved | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
September 22nd, 2010 The Pyramid of Potential DVD/Workbook Series for brain development and primitive reflex integration has been improved. The DVD menus now loop back to the main menu at each section, and the audio portion has been improved. The workbook has better instructions, is more organized, and the worksheets are larger. To celebrate the changes and the beginning of school, all orders to the USA have free shipping until September 30. Simply write septfreeship in the promotion code of the shopping cart. Don’t delay! Now is a perfect time to make real changes so that school, work and life is easier! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Jan
20
2012
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The next work with "Allie" - reading and language processing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
September 15th, 2010 Allie did very well on her cognitive training, so now it is time to teach her the “code” of the English Language – you know, that “oa” make the long O sound. Allie learned how to blend very well using the BrainSpark! program, as well as segmenting, phoneme deletion and phoneme replacement. Her memory is improved, her processing speed is higher. Now I need to teach her how to read real words easier. Because of the previously mentioned work, this task is pretty quick. I’m using Phono-Graphix by Read America, which is also in the book Reading Reflex by McGuinness. This method teaches sound to letter, as opposed to phonics which is letter to sound. There are 1500 letter combinations but only 44 sounds, so this method is much quicker. Today I taught Allie how to spell the sounds “ae” and “e”. We reviewed the sounds we had already worked on: “ow”, “oe”, “er”, and “ee”. We are doing 2 sounds a day, and since she already knows many that she learned in school (like “d”, “b”, and “u” which have only 1 spelling) we will finish this part next week. Right now we are working 1 hour twice a week so that she is not overloaded with the beginning of Middle School. Once she has learned the code, I’ll test her ability to decode words, which should be up quite a bit. She already is pretty fluent and does well with multisyllabic words. Then comes the real question: for the first time in her life, will Allie be able to understand what she reads? She has had a language processing problem that I am working on like peeling an onion. First she did a primitive reflex inhibition program to help with sensory integration among other neurodevelopment. This was combined with Listening Therapy to help her overcome an auditory processing problem which kept her from hearing clearly and understanding what she heard. After this came the cognitive training during which I worked on her logic skills, as she was a very concrete thinker. One example of this occurred when I asked her to read a card that had the following instruction: “List the bars in order from largest to smallest.” Below the instructions were several bar graphs in which each bar was a different height and color. Allie was very quiet after reading the instruction. I gave her a minute and asked what was up. She did not know what to do. After some questioning, she was able to tell me that the word in the instruction giving her the problem was “list”. I asked her if “tell” was a better word, and then she knew what to do. When there is time we play a game called word detective from the book Verbal Intelligence from McGuinness. I say a sentance in which I replace one word with a nonsense “alien” word, and Allie has to guess the word. I have to make the word obvious so that she wins. I might say: “Today we went on a slol, and took along a slol basket filled with our favorite food.” Allie was able to guess picnic. Then it’s her turn, and it’s more challenging for her to come up with enough information in her statement for me to narrow down the choices! But we have lots of fun with that. She’s been progressing steadily, and I will keep you informed about how it all goes! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Jan
19
2012
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24 years growth in cognitive skills in 6 months? Wow!! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
September 10th, 2010 Yes, Allie did very well. She worked on her primitive reflexes (to help her develop neurologically as well as physically). She completed her Moro, TLR (Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex) and Spinal Galant reflexes and received cranial sacral therapy from Patricia Blackburn (www.gentle-wellness.com). Her mom said the difference in her socially was “profound”! She also did Therapeutic Listening at the same time. Let’s take a look at her scores. I use the Gibson Cognitive Screening (from PACE) to give me a starting point, and then to see how far she has grown. The only subtest on the screening that looks similar to any work that we did was the Auditory Analysis. In this subtest, I had her blend (“sss” “t” “ ah” “p” blended together makes the word “stop”) and segment (what sounds are in the word mosh? “mmm” “ah” “sh”) words and delete phonemes from words(what is “hot” without the “huh” – “ot”. We had practiced this quite a bit with 2 to 5 sound words, mostly nonsense words. The results in the charts below are measured in relation to her age in years.
The memory test results did not show that she actually did remarkably better with her visual memory. She did a little worse on her auditory memory. Did her auditory memory really go down? No. She may have been a little nervous or tired, or may have guessed well on the first test. Why did her visual processing go down so much? I asked her mom if Allie is less impulsive, and she said that yes, she used to say or write anything just to get the task over with. Perhaps she took her time during this subtest, as it is a timed test. I consider a change of over a year significant; less than that could be only the difference of one or two answers. So, to see that her memory, word attack (we did not yet work on reading words; only the skills I mentioned), auditory analysis , logic and reasoning, and selective attention all went up so far, I know that the work we did was what she needed. I used the BrainSpark! kit (you can order it online from www.PyramidofPotential.com) once she had completed the Therapeutic Listening, cranial sacral, and the first 2 primitive reflexes. I supplemented it with two activities from MindWare (www.mindware.com), Perplexors using the basic level for 3rd to 4th grade, and Logic Links in a box for ages 6 and up. These were to help her with her logic and reasoning skills, as well as language processing. Her ability to easily read and remember what she read is still low. I am now working with her using the Phono-Graphix reading program to quickly teach her the “code” of reading. By this I mean that there are several ways to write the sound “oe” including o, oe, ow, oa, ou, and ough. Phono-Graphix teaches sound to letter (as opposed to Phonics which is letter to sound). Since there are only 44 sounds in the English language, and Allie know most of them (the short vowels we worked on over the summer, she knew her consonant sounds and digraphs) so we only have several vowel sounds to go – like “ie”, “ee”, “ou”, “oo” etc. At the same time she continues with Perplexors and Logic Links, and a few activities from “How to Increase your Child’s Verbal Intelligence” by Carmen McGuinness to continue to help with her language processing. Because of the school year and her busy soccer schedule, we are meeting only two times a week for an hour for the next few weeks. Allie had asked me recently if I was going to tutor her during the school year and help her with her homework. I said that my goal is that she will no longer need a tutor and that she can complete her homework independently. She liked that! I am looking forward to hearing how her first days of school went, and I will update the blog when I know more! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Jan
19
2012
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Primitive Reflexes Research | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
September 2nd, 2010 Take a look at the file attached to see many studies that have been conducted on Primitive Reflexes and how much they have helped children who stuggle with reading, writing, and math. |
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Jan
19
2012
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I admit it - we parents have secrets |
August 22nd, 2010 It is a rainy Sunday morning, and before I get started on my day, I wanted to share with you some reflections I have had on parenting. This applies not only to those of us who have been blessed with an LD child, but also to all parents. Those of you who are not parents, but who may be professionals, it is good to understand the parents of your clients and students. We have some secrets. Our first secret is that we have children who are not perfect. You would never know this by talking to us. From our mouths come such accolades that you would think that our child will be the youngest president ever elected! Our child will very soon be recruited for the Olympics! Our child is the very next Picasso! Yes, we hold our cards to our chest. Why? I think because parenting is so important – after all, we are molding the next generation. Our every step is carefully measured and combined, then we step back, watch, and hope that the child we are raising has come out to meet our, and the entire world’s, expectations. But they don’t. So we have guilt – secret number 2. We can’t discuss this with anyone, because then people would know that our child is not perfect (secret number 1). This guilt is pretty darn pervasive, and can bring us to our knees in depression. We wanted this child soooo much, but here he or she is, not perfect. The secret: it is our fault for having them in the first place, giving them our faulty genes, drinking coffee or alcohol during pregnancy, using drugs during delivery, not spending every minute with them in infancy, wishing they would stop crying, feeling tired, dropping them, giving immunizations, not breast-feeding long enough, paying attention to other siblings, leaving them with a babysitter/daycare giver/grandparent/friend so we can have fun, leaving the TV on too much, not sending them to preschool, sending them to preschool, not going on playdates, going on the wrong playdates, and the list goes on. And we feel guilty no matter what we do. Secret #3: we don’t know what we are doing. It’s true (but shhhh, don’t tell anyone). There still is no universal course on parenting. We must figure this all out on-the-job. If we are lucky, our mothers gently instruct us and help us. If we are unlucky, our mother-in-laws and friends butt in with conflicting unsolicited advice on the newest/oldest remedies and tricks they have found to correct all our mistakes. No wonder we keep secret number 1!! Finally, there are a multitude of secrets that we keep relating to the many little things we have done that we are ashamed of: not sterilizing the binky after every use, hiding a diaper rash, starting solids too early, giving our child foods with sugar, dye, or pesticides, finding our child too close to the stairs, outlet, or kitty litter. The list goes on. For those of you who are not parents, please please forgive us. We are not perfect. We truly are trying. For those of you who are children of parents – aren’t we all – let’s forgive our parents. They are not perfect. They are trying. And for those of us who are in throws of parenthood, As I send my oldest 2 kids off to college this week, I will cry (it’s a secret – don’t tell). And I promise to at least try to remember my own advice! |
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Jan
19
2012
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Cognitive Testing with "Annie" |
August 5th, 2010 I just finished writing up the days activities for “Annie” when I meet with her in an hour. This gives me time to write a little about her cognitive testing that I completed back in March, when she was just over 11 years old. PACE (Processing and Cognitive Enhancement), a program by Learning Rx, includes a cognitive screening to be administered by licensed providers both pre- and post-training. The subtests, which look nothing like the training, include: PACE providers must guarantee at least a 2 year increase in any deficient area after 3 months of training. I usually get much better than that; typically 3 to 5 years in several areas, probably because of using the Pyramid of Potential model, as opposed to solely PACE. How did Annie do? She did so well on the visual portion of the test, that she maxed out with the score of an average 18 year old, and 6.9 years above age level. In other words, gifted. Her Processing speed score was right at age level. However, her memory was low, with both auditory memory and visual memory being low. Her word attack score was about a nine-year-old level, while her ability to analyze sounds was extremely poor. She could not process the vowel sounds, so for example when I asked her to give me the sounds in the word pig, she said “puh” “ahh” “guh”. Her logic and reasoning was 3.6 years below age level, and her selective visual attention score was that of a 7.9 year old. I knew we had lots to do! In my next blog, I will outline the program that I set up for Annie. |
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Jan
19
2012
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The Delight of Working One-on-one |
August 3rd, 2010 It truly is a delight to work with a student, to help him or her achieve in areas that were not accessible before. Over time, I get to see the subtle changes, and at the end, we can compare how much he or she improved. Currently I am working with an 11 year old girl; let’s call her Annie. Her mom brought her to me originally because she was concerned about Annie’s reading comprehension, and that there was too much intervention given at school, resulting in her being pulled out of class too often. She has had a private tutor and AIS (Academic Intervention at school), but still reads at a 4th grade level, despite graduating from 5th grade. During the evaluation, I ask about her strengths – sports, Legos, and spelling. I looked at motor planning, and I see her balance is off by quite a bit but finger sequencing was good. I checked her primitive reflexes, and found a slight moro, a slight TLR, a stronger Spinal Galant, and a very strong ATNR. I did not test for the STNR since it may emerge later during our work. When looking at her senses, I found that her vision was OK, but she was hypersensitive to sound and smell. Vestibular was off, and she was hyposensitive to tactile sense. She displayed some anxiety traits – test anxiety, difficulty changing tasks, nervous to change schools for middle school. Other symptoms that were found included poor posture, poor sequencing skills, fidgeting, poor concentration, poor memory, mixed dominance, poor handwriting, poor expression of ideas on paper, “w” leg position while sitting on floor, and slow with copying tasks. That’s it for today; tomorrow I will describe the results of her cognitive testing. |
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Jan
19
2012
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I begin again... |
August 3rd, 2010 July 6, 2010 I begin again. Sometimes I get so far away from my reality I get lost somewhere – this time it was in the past. A past that no one can change to make it any better, and I forget that I can only live today. I forget how wonderful my family and friends are. I forget how much I enjoy my work. I start a new student in cognitive training today. This thrills me to no end! I love working with a student, learning about them while they learn how to learn. I love watching for the incremental signs of improvement, no matter how small, so that I can say “look at that! You couldn’t do that yesterday, but now you can! How good for you!” And I get to see that child smile with confidence. Yup I love working with students. Other things are coming together today and this week also. I am seeing my new website design today; I am seeing the new menus for the Pyramid of Potential DVDs this week. I have the time and energy to start the research project on primitive reflexes soon. I have some volunteer work to do – finalize food vendors for the Peace Fair in September, and search for potential board members for Family and Child Service of Schenectady. Yup, it is a good day, a new beginning. |
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Jan
19
2012
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Teaching: A Reflection |
July 6, 2010 The school year is coming to a close, and I am sitting in my office reflecting on what a teacher is. I am not an English teacher, so I guess I will leave in the dangling participle (If that is indeed what it is). Years ago I began homeschooling my daughter in the middle of [...] |
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Jan
19
2012
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5 Lessons Learned From a Defiant 16 Year Old |
May 19th, 2010 5 Lessons Learned From a Defiant 16 Year Old This question came into my in-box: After an argument last week, my daughter skipped school, returned home while everyone was at work, packed a bag, left a note and went to her friend's house. The friend in question has made us uneasy for a while. She has no boundaries at home at all, she comes and goes as she pleases. She is just 17 and has a 3 month old baby, her 16 year old boyfriend also lives with her. After my daughter left our house, I attempted to talk to her friend's mother but unfortunately she is a dead loss. She says she doesn't want to get involved and takes no responsibility for anything. I have been married for 22 years to her Dad and our children have grown up in a stable, secure home. I am absolutely devasted and don't know how to cope. She has not attended school regularly since she left, she has got to get a job now as her friend's mother wants rent. I find myself swinging from anger to the depths of despair that she can treat us this way and throw away all her hard work at school so far. We have told her that we want her to come home and we will work it all out, even suggesting family therapy, but it is all falling on deaf ears. I am trying to maintain regular contact with her but it always seems to end up in an argument because I just can't accept what she is doing. I don't want to continue with this pattern but don't know what to do. My answer: I feel for you! I have a 16 year old son who today is failing 3 out of 4 academic classes despite being extremely smart – no learning disabilities or ADD. My husband of 29 years and I were good students who obeyed our parents, so we did not know what to do. This type of behavior has been part of him – “my way or the highway” – since kindergarten. We started family counseling, which turned into couples counseling last year. It is very interesting the results. As I said, today, he is still failing. But I am not, my husband is not, and our marriage is not. But it was! My son brought out the very worst in us, and tried our marriage to the limit. We couldn’t agree on the best way to parent; he was too lenient in my opinion, and I was too strict in his. So, although we were consistent with the older two children who did not give us trouble, we gave in lots on this very tough kid. The results were, as he told my brother-in-law, it doesn’t matter what we say because we never follow through. Lesson #1 was: inconsistency doesn’t work. One of the things the therapist had us do was for me to stop controlling, and for my husband to make 100% of the rules for a while. At first I was a little disappointed, but then felt free! I backed him on every decision, and consistency reigned. Unfortunately, since there were basically no consequences, my son ran amuck! At that point he got to failing every class. So lesson number 2 was: leniency doesn’t work. Next was ruling with the iron hand. He was grounded from electronics and friends until he was passing every class. He worked hard, stayed after; we even snuck in some friend time when we saw him giving an extra effort. Finally, the 2nd semester was over, so he basically got to start over, and was therefore ungrounded. Within a week or two of the new semester, he was failing several subjects. Lesson #3: Very strict parenting doesn’t work. What is left? We had been toying with letting my son do his own thing for many months, but my husband was not having it. He could not let his son fail and would do everything in his power to help him. But nothing worked, so finally he agreed. When we were asked by the counselor what will happen, we realized that our son WILL fail. And what will happen if we set rules? He will fail. No matter what we do, he will fail, but at least this way he is in control of his own destiny, and he will no longer blame us for his grades. Lesson #4: For some children (not all) there comes a time when we parents have to let go, love them, give advice, and sit (painfully) by as they fall, and hopefully pick themselves up. I was the first to crack, by the way. Within 2 weeks of the 4th semester, he was failing every class. I freaked out, and grounded him. It took me a couple days to remember that he is in charge of himself, so I eased up, and my husband and I agreed that there need to be family rules: be home for dinner every school night, no electronics until after 7; in bed at 10. That’s it. No grounding. My husband and I still go to counseling occasionally to work on our communication skills. Our marriage is stronger, and I love my son. He still resents us and acts like a 16 year old boy. I don’t take him driving unless he asks nicely. He used to get into the dark blaming moods while driving when I told him what to do; he’s to the point where he takes driving advice now. At least there are less shouting matches in the car, because I simply shut up and refuse to take him driving for a couple days until his attitude improves. In other words, my husband and I have learned our final lesson: he is now old enough to learn about life for himself, to make his own mistakes, and to take pride in his successes. He is old enough for us to step away and save our marriage, our sanity, and our happiness. We are old enough to live our own lives as well. Best of luck with your daughter. I think it is wonderful that she may have to learn how good she used to have it, and if it means that she has to get a job rather than continue with school, remember that she can always get her GED later. She is only 16, and has lots of life to live. My suggestion? Love her no matter what she does now. In time, she may then be able to love you back. |
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Jan
19
2012
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Day 5 of Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR) Primitive Reflex Therapy |
May 17th, 2010 Day 5 of Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR) Primitive Reflex Therapy From now until my next workshop in early June, I am committing to working through the Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR) primitive reflex. I am using the exercises in the Astronaut Module, Module 2 of the Pyramid of Potential Series. The neurodevelopmental symptoms that are associated with the TLR are: Of these, I have had a life-long problem with posture. As a child, Mom always would say to me, “Stand up straight! Put your shoulders back!” But no matter how often I did this, my posture would not get better. My upper body strength has always been weak, and I HATE to do things like rake and vacuum, which require all that neck, shoulder, and back strength. My brain must have accommodated for my problems with crossing my eyes. Our mothers were wrong when they said: “Don’t cross your eyes or they will stay that way!” We need to be able to cross our eyes, in order to easily focus on close objects, like the printed page of a book. When we look into the distance, for example at a blackboard, our eyes are straight, but as we focus closer and closer, our eyes “converge” or cross. For people who have convergence issues, they may feel eye strain, or their eyes may not cross at all, or their brain might do what mine did: suppress vision in one eye. Although I could see out of both eyes, when I looked at something close, my brain processed out of only one eye. How did I find this out? At a developmental optometrists office (Dr. Rob Fox in Niskayuna, NY). He had me look through what appeared to be binoculars at an elephant. He asked me to pick up a pencil and trace the elephant on the other side of the binoculars, which I did easily with my right hand. However, when I tried to do this with my left hand, I could not see the pencil because my left eye was not processing the pencil image while my right eye was still processing the elephant image. I went through vision therapy so that this is no longer an issue. Do I have spatial problems? Well, let me just say that all my life I have had bruises on my legs about table height. For some reason (this reason!), I just didn’t notice where my body was in space. I am looking forward to being better able to judge space. As far as sequencing goes, I can tell you that my typing ability has actually become worse lately. I am reversing letters all the time! I am a quick typist, but recently I have to back up and correct mistakes; in this blog alone, I have done this probably 10 or more times so far. I didn’t always do this. So, you ask, since I am working on the TLR primitive reflex which is supposed to correct this, why is it worse instead of better? Frequently during therapy of any kind, you will see a regression before you see a leap forward. I must be in that regression phase, so I will continue to work through it and expect a huge progression soon. I’ll keep you informed. The final symptom is ability to tell time, or have a good sense of time. I believe that I am fine in this area, but I will see if I notice any changes here. I have started and stopped this primitive reflex several times now, but have completed it 5 days in a row. Keep tuned and I’ll let you know of my successes (and hopefully no failures!) as I go. |
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Jan
19
2012
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Restarting My Primitive Reflex Therapy |
May 14th, 2010 Yup, I’m starting again. I want to be able to be more organized, have a better grasp of space and time, nad be more sequential in my thoughts, and in my TYPING! So I have a goal to do the exercises in the Astronaut module of the Pyramid of Potential series, which include Fly to the Moon. Every time I start to do this, I find that I get disorganized and discombobulated and then quit. But this is normal, when going through a therapy, to have a period of time when you do worse before you do better. When you finish, though, you should finish much better than when you started. So I have to stop stopping, which I am ashamed to say, I have done several times. I am hoping that by blogging, you my audience will be my accountability partner. My goal is to see significant changes by June 3 when I give my next professional development conference in Edison, NJ. I sure don’t want to be discombobulated while teaching about Dyslexia and how to help people overcome it!! So if you don’t understand what I am talking about here with the primitive reflexes, and Fly to the Moon, read through my website, www.pyramidofpotential.com, sign up for the newsletter on that website, research it, and you will find that the best way to help people with learning disabilities is to go and correct the underlying cause. In most cases, the cause is retained primitive reflexes (that should have been integrated in infancy), or a regression of the primitive reflexes due to trauma. I’ll explain more in the coming days as I blog. |
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Jan
19
2012
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The Origin of Anxiety and How to Eliminate It Forever! |
May 5th, 2010 So, you ask, why is my child anxious? There is nothing to be afraid of. I have not hurt her, or put her in danger of any kind. My family has not taught him to be afraid, or left him too long for him to develop this, yet here he is, just 7 years of, and nervous, afraid, and just plain timid. Where did this come from? It came from the primitive reflex, Moro. This reflex started before birth, and should have been “integrated” into her system by the time she was 9 months old. However, in an increasing rate, we are seeing people of all ages with anxiety related diagnoses. This comes from either retaining the Moro reflex past infancy, or from a regression that reinstates this reflex due to trauma. The reflex is similar to the reflex in your knee joint that the doctor stimulates with a rubber hammer, except that the knee-jerk reflex should last life-long, while the Moro should be integrated early on. It may not get integrated due to several possible conditions, like a forceps delivery, a concussion, low oxygen at birth, or even genetics. Also, it gets integrated by repeating the reflexive movement during this early time in life. When the baby has a light blanket draped over him, he would hold up his hands in front and out to protect his head. The same happens when air is blown in his face. Then he relaxes and his hands and legs curl and cross. You would also see the baby do this if you toss her in the air or pretend to drop her. Peek-a-boo may elicit the Moro response as well. And this is a good thing! At least while she is young and working to integrate the reflex. Unfortunately, when a person is older and the reflex is present, it causes the fight or flight response in the person, young or old. He may find his heart races, his blood pressure rises, and he feels butterflies in the stomach, sweaty palms, constricted peripheral vision, as well as fearful feelings. This might be a result of a very scary incident, like being robbed, or if it is from the Moro being present in an older person, it could be from test anxiety, being in a crowd, or driving on a highway. The anxiety does not help us in these normal circumstances. Integrating the Moro requires revisiting the stage of development from infancy, and doing some simple exercises for about 10 minutes a day, every day, for a month or 6 weeks. Personally, since the Moro was integrated in my life about two years ago, I find that I don’t get a knot in my stomach before going into stressful situations, I no longer have hypersensitive hearing, and I am much calmer in my dealings with 3 teenagers! So basically, I am calmer and nicer to be around at home, as well as in business. In the students I have worked with, there have been several different reactions once the Moro was integrated: To learn more about primitive reflexes in general, go to www.pyramidofpotential.com. To integrate the Moro, you can go to a professional, like an Occupational Therapist, or do it yourself by purchasing the Starfish DVD from the Pyramid of Potential Series. From now until May 15 it is on sale for 40% off, only $17.97! So hurry!! Save now on the Starfish Module of the Pyramid of Potential Series. Normally $29.95, but now 40% off for just $17.97 plus $7.50 shipping and handling!! Hurry before the coupon expires, so you can Reduce Anxiety now!! Clip this coupon and send along with a check or money order to: Pyramid of Potential PO Box 103 Burnt Hills, NY 12027 Name: _________________________________________________ Address: _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ City, State, Zip: _________________________________________ email address: _________________________________________ Phone number: _________________________________________ Starfish: $17.97 S & H: 7.50 Sales Tax: ______________ NY and NJ: 7%; CT: 6% Total Enclosed: ______________ Please allow 2 weeks for delivery. |
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Jan
19
2012
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RMT Rhythmic Movement Training (including Primitive Reflexes) coming to NJ |
April 29th, 2010 Below is a downloadable link to the brochure about RMT. I'm going, so I hope to see you there at the beach June 27-30! Course Description RMT movements integrate vestibular, proprioceptive and tactile senses. This methodology produces dramatic results for the client that has been unreachable. This profound approach is utilized worldwide to bring integration and balance to clients in their daily living. Join the other professionals who have transformed their practice! Course Objectives Participants will: |
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Jan
19
2012
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Question re: Auditory Processing and Interactive Metronome |
April 6th, 2010 Kathy, Thank you! I am trained in Therapeutic Listening and Samonas. I think the home-based programs are better than the clinical based because I see the need to revisit listening again after 6 months to a year, due to the poor sound environment we live in. We have music and motor sounds that assault our auditory processing and that eventually erodes the good we did with listening. An at-home program will allow you to keep the CDs and headphones to reuse when needed. IM is a wonderful program that helps with sequencing and timing. When using it for auditory processing, you would find that it would help the child with autism to speak more naturally. I never got trained in it because the training for me would have been quite expensive. However, I have found less expensive means to the same ends. The TLR primitive reflex, if it is present, is the underlying cause of poor sequencing and timing. The Astronaut Module, only costs $29.95, takes about 10 minutes a day at home for a month vs. IM 3 times a week for 5 weeks; I don't know the cost. One of my students, after doing the Astronaut module for a month, spontaneously understood the difference between 5 minutes and a half hour, knew when she was late, and was able to tell the full sequential details of how to do her swimming strokes. It was as if a light bulb went off, and this is typical of how a primitive reflex is inhibited, and the neurodevelopment is created. I had a student once with autism, who was no longer mute by the time he came to me. We did BrainSpark! for 5 weeks, using the metronome frequently. By the end, he no longer parroted my speech, and no longer spoke with a monotone. This would also happen with IM. Different means to the same ends. You need to look at what is the best for your situation – cost, time, convenience, availability. There are many wonderful programs out there, and the best are all good! |
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Jan
19
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Parental Fights and Attention - research review |
April 5th, 2010 I stumbled across this today, and thought you might like it: http://www.thoughtfulparent.com/2010/01/yet-another-reason-not-to-fight-in.html Amy Webb writes this blog to disseminate research-based child development information in an fun, easy to read format. The jist? Don't fight in front of the kids because it makes them worried and as a result, have reduced attention, causing poor academic achievement. This may seem logical, but there is research behind it! |
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Plan for Presenting Dyslexia Workshop to School District |
March 26th, 2010 From a recent email: We are wanting to know what would be the next step and your suggestions
for programs to purchase to assist us in sharing information
with our faculty. Answer: |
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Boosting Brain Power for Middleschoolers |
March 25th, 2010 I was at Voorheesville Middle School today participating in their Wellness Day. In other classrooms, the kids learned about nutrition, exercise, and dangers of drugs and alcohol. In my classroom, they learned about brain health, connecting both hemispheres of the brain, improving vision, and increasing processing speed and memory. I had a blast, and the kids learned alot, asked many questions, and left with handouts. Want a copy? Enjoy and share! |
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Nutrition, anxiety, and neuro-development - a triangle |
March 20th, 2010 Knock knock – Who's there? – Dyslexic – Dyslexic how? To get serious now, I have been thinking about the relationship of nutrition to brain function and stress. There seems to be a triangle here. On one corner is nutrition, one has anxiety/stress and brain function (mood, ability to learn, and focus) and the last is neuro-development. This refers to the stages of development that happen from pre-natal to age 3, during which physical stages of development happens, like sitting and crawling, but also during which pathways open in the brain stem to allow for cognitive and sensory development. Let’s start with nutrition. In relationship with stress/anxiety and brain function: mood neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine are created from a complex chemical reaction that comes from proper nutrition and digestion of B vitamins, certain amino acids, and other foods/supplements. Similar reactions help the ability to think clearly and concentrate. If there is poor nutrition OR poor digestion, the reactions cannot happen and the neurotransmitters cannot be created. Nutrition and neuro-development: if the brain and body are healthy, neuro-developmental stages should progress normally, barring other problems. The opposite should also be true, that neuro-development could be hindered by poor health of the brain and body cells. Finally, what does anxiety and stress have to do with neuro-development? Plenty! The moro primitive reflex, an important stage of early development, if it continues past age 3 will present itself in individuals who have varying amounts of anxiety – including test anxiety, separation anxiety, and phobia. So, in order to overcome that anxiety, an important part of the solution would be to recreate that stage of development, and move through it again. Now, how about anxiety/stress and nutrition? When a person has stress, their body goes into “fight or flight” mode. One of the mechanisms that the body uses during this is to shut down digestion so that more of the body’s resources can be used to remove that perceived danger. Children may get stomach aches before school if they do not feel safe there due to various school struggles. If the digestion is shut down, the body does not get the nutrition it requires; and therefore does not create the neuro-transmitters. |
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March 17 Newsletter |
March 16th, 2010 March – we are halfway through. Did it come in like a lion? Will it go out like a lamb? Question 1: I have begun using the [Pyramid of Potential Series] program with my son and we are now in week 2 of the 1st module. I bought a metronome, stop watch and small office chair and everything is going well. I was wondering about astronaut. I know we are to move in a complete circle in 60 seconds. Is the slow speed important for something in particular? Is this a sensory integration exercise/activity? He would love to spin faster in addition to the slow part, might that be an O.K. idea or counter-productive. I also have to slow him down for the log rolling to match the speed of Julia in the video. Again is the slow speed important? I am assuming this is for vestibular stimulation. The clapping activity we are also doing to the beat of the metronome. I know it is 30 claps in the video, would a couple of min. with the metronome be beneficial or not necessary? I'm really excited to be getting going and on our way to easier learning. (especially with the math facts!) Answer: So glad that you are following up with his allergies. You may find a big difference with that! The astronaut is best done slowly to help with the vestibular system; the sense of balance. Slow is better. Many times I spin a child very fast at the end for fun. It would not be counter-productive. Same with log rolls. More claps to the metronome would be great! It will not hurt your son at all. ** To purchase the Pyramid Of Potential series, go to www.PyramidOfPotential.com. Question 2 with answers: I am so happy to hear from you, and that you are using the primitive reflexes in your practice. I am not surprised that you are finding with your first student the signs of the reflexes, since every student who has come to me for academic help has had several reflexes present. As to your questions:I attended your workshop in Rochester last week. I did the reflex testing with one of my students and found that he showed positive signs for 4 of the 5 reflexes. So now I have some questions! 1.The one that I didn't see signs for was the Tonic Labrinthine. Is it possible that he doesn't have that one, even though it is "in the middle" in terms of development, or maybe that I wasn't "strict" enough in my criteria with my criteria? I am new at this, even though I'm an OT. I was once quite fooled by the TLR, in that my student still had it so ingrained that her body was using the reflex to hold up her head and shoulders rather than her muscles – she looked like the “flying baby” you see at 3 months old. So I did not have her work on the TLR, although she had the symptoms. Later, I went back and had her work to integrate it once I realized what was happening. Another thing that can happen is for a reflex to emerge once a lower reflex begins integrating. So, as you work with your student on the Moro, you may see the TLR begin to emerge; this may appear to be a regression, when it actually is a step in development. 2. Strangely, this student has developed very neat handwriting and his parents (who are also OT's but work with adults) are requesting him to be discontinued from service. I have been feeling uneasy because this student (2nd grade) has great difficulty with any new fine motor task and works VERY SLOWLY with absolutely everything. Do you have any thoughts on this? Since the ATNR is still present, he must have developed the fine motor control from working very hard on the specific task of handwriting. But how good is he with the ability to think creatively and write at the same time? If he cannot, then he is using all his brainpower to work on the handwriting. Since his speed is very slow, that suggests that he is expending far too much energy on this task. Going through the reflex integration, writing, as well as other fine motor tasks, will be greatly relieved. 3. I am trying to decide how to proceed with him and how to approach it with his parents. I see him only 2 times in our 6 day schedule, so I would need for them to do the exercises with him. Is it truly necessary for change to do the exercises in the order presented? Could he possible do 2 exercises at a time, especially since the one for the Moro is so simple? I am most concerned about the OBVIOUS positive response that I saw for both the ATNR and the STNR. Would it do any good to just work on those 2? Education is always the best medicine. Since the parents are OTs, they may have heard of primitive reflexes, but may not be aware of the neurodevelopment that accompanies them. You could give them a list of the symptoms for each reflex, so that they would highlight the symptoms they see, and look for clusters indicating the neurodevelopment that needs to occur. It is best to work on the reflexes in order, because of the possibility of emerging reflexes as mentioned above. However, in this case, you may need to go out of order if you do not have the trust and consent of the parents. If they are not totally on board, I would suggest you work on the Moro plus one other reflex that they choose from the list of symptoms, giving them some control, plus the ability to see change in an area they deem important. But do the Moro first, so that some of his hypersensitivity symptoms (I am assuming there are some) will be relieved while working on one other reflex. I imagine that once there is significant progress, the parents will want you to continue with the other reflexes, and perhaps learn about them for their work as well. I hope that helps, and please feel free to ask more questions. I will be putting these questions and answers in my next newsletter (minus your information) to help others – so thank you for the questions! If you can, I would love to hear about your progress, not only with this student but also with others as you go on.
Vision Therapy ArticleThis was forwarded to me by JokeTeacher: Does anyone know which month has 28 days?
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Newsletter from February 25: Q and A and a joke! |
March 1st, 2010 Pyramid of Potential Newsletter I recently have received several emails with questions, and thought that you might be interested in what people are asking, plus the answers. You might also have been wondering about them! The first is about Brain Gym, and the second is about BrainSpark! a cognitive training program. After the Q&A, you will see upcoming workshops and presentations in Salem NY, Saratoga Springs NY, Voorheesville NY, San Antonio TX, and Houston TX. Finally, enjoy the Joke! Question 1: Thanks again and I will keep you posted on how my students are doing with their primitive reflex exercises!! Answer: I have been reading your blog with great interest. I have been wondering about a cognitive enhancing program for my son. We recently completed neuro-developmental exercises (after 18 months) and are just working on laterality now. But his processing speed remains slow. I had him complete IM once in the spring, which went poorly, and then again this summer, and that went very well. He was able to get through all 13 exercises and make dramatic improvements. I have BrainSpark! at home, but because of his reading skills, which are close to two years behind his chronological age, I don’t know if that program would work for him. I was considering PACE, but am having trouble finding a local provider in San Francisco. Would you recommend I try the BrainSpark anyway? Answer: So glad you contacted me. I am very impressed with all you have done with your son so far! I am curious as to your opinion why Interactive Metronome went poorly the first time, yet better the second. Did he complete certain neuro-development in the meantime? Also, I'd love to hear what specific improvements he gained from IM. Concerning the cognitive: both BrainSpark! and PACE include the pre-reading skills of blending, segmenting, and phoneme deletion. In BrainSpark! there are some additional auditory exercises for auditory memory, chunking, and rapid naming. BrainSpark! includes 19 auditory activities, whereas PACE includes 8. An advantage of PACE is that a provider would have experience administering it (and therefore better results), but BrainSpark! has the advantage of being do-it-yourself, less expensive and has more activities. I have had significant success with both programs. So feel free to use BrainSpark! as it has many activities to improve processing speed – just be sure to use the metronome as often as possible! If an activity requires you to use it at 120 beats per minute, but that is too fast and frustrating for your son, start at 60 or 90, and increase by 10 as soon as he is proficient at the slower speed. Give lots of praise, make it fun, and I know you'll both be happy with the progress you see. Good luck. Please let me know how it goes! ** To those reading this newsletter – BrainSpark! is a kit, available on www.PyramidOfPotential.com. It is not to be confused with Brain Spark the on-line cognitive training. Upcoming Presentations:March 4 at 6:30pm: Salem Rotary, Salem, NY March 9 7:45 to 3:45: Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel, 1111 NE Loop 410, San Antonio, TX March 25 11:30 – 2:30: Voorheesville School, Wellness Day Joke:Teacher: Can't you retain anything in your head overnight?
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Happy New Year to All! |
January 5th, 2010 Enjoy this Pyramid of Potential Newsletter which includes: Starting the New Year off Right Starting the New Year off Right2010 is going to be the year that is different. It is the year that the child or children that you are most concerned about will make changes and strides you have dreamed about. This week you might make the plans for this year, so that you know the changes that you expect. If you are close to me (near Albany, NY) you can visit for a screening and consultation, Listen Move and Learn for primitive reflex integration and listening therapy for auditory processing, or for cognitive training, like PACE or BrainSpark! My clients have had many years growth in less than a year! Call 518-885-2007 to get started. If you aren’t local, or are a do it yourselfer, start with the Pyramid as your guide. First, make a few dietary changes for the whole family. If you work with children, make a handout for the parents. Some easy changes may include reducing the number of fast-food meals eaten, having water available to drink frequently, eating 5 or 7 or 9 servings of vegetables and fruits a day. Harder things to do may include taking fish oil supplements, eliminating gluten and dairy to see if there is a difference, and reading The UltraMind Solution by Dr. Mark Hyman. Next, integrate the primitive reflexes using the Pyramid of Potential Series. The primitive reflex integration should help with auditory processing and vision development, but if you are still seeing problems in this area, seek out an OT and a behavioral optometrist (www.COVD.org). Finally, to improve cognitive functions like attention, memory, processing speed, and logic, find a learning center that uses PACE, or LearningRx, or purchase a cognitive training program that you use yourself. I love BrainSpark! because it improves visual attention better than PACE, and includes many more activities. That is why I endorse it and sell it on my website. Are academics still a problem after all this? Try these: Reading Math www.mathusee.com for Math U See Program Have a wonderful year – imagine the changes you will see! Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia in Syracuse and Rochester, NYDo you or someone you know want to learn more? Go to www.MEDS-PDN.com. Earn CEU credits, while learning the leading edge programs and therapies available. An attachment: additional handouts for the Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia workshops from 2009Simply click on the attachment in the email, or download from the blog site. This week’s school humorAs heard in the art room: |
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Day 4 of Astronaut Module: TLR (Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex) |
December 9th, 2009 It is early afternoon and I just finished my primitive reflex exercises for neurodevelopment. I’m doing the Astronaut Module of the Pyramid of Potential DVD/Workbook Series, it takes about 10 minutes a day. I am finding it easier to complete the TLR exercise of Fly to the Moon 1, although it continues to annoy me because of how strenuous it is on my shoulders. I’m glad when it’s over! A hint for parents of reluctant kids – this was easier to do in the early afternoon (or morning) than just before bed when your child (or me!) is tired. Today I did the workbook exercises as well. I won’t do the auditory processing exercise called “Read it in Pieces” as I can easily blend these on my own, especially when I am reading them. However, I am working on the Letter Workout workbook exercise. I passed the first 5 levels on the first try, but did not pass the sixth level after 2 tries. Letter Workout is designed to increase letter discrimination, visual span, working memory, and processing speed. Both of these originated from BrainSpark!, an at-home cognitive training program written by Dr. Doug Stephey. There is another program called Brain Spark that is a computer-based program; this is not that one. Currently, you can purchase it from www.PyramidOfPotential.com. I have seen wonderful results from the program including helping a stroke victim restore her word retrieval, and increasing the cognitive abilities of a 9 year old boy to the point that he was out of remedial reading. It includes about 53 different activities with 8 different levels to pass per activity. In just 10 to 12 weeks, a person will see dramatic changes in memory, auditory processing, visual processing, processing speed, visual attention, distractibility, rapid naming skills, and much more. The cost is one-tenth what you would expect to pay for educational therapy at a learning center. What you don’t get with it is an experienced professional, so you need to weigh the various benefits and costs. |
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Giving Thanks, Humbled by Neurodevelopment Exercises, Upcoming Events |
December 8th, 2009 You haven’t heard from me in a while, but I’ve been thinking of you! Recently during Thanksgiving, I was giving thanks for all the people who help others around them who struggle with learning – that’s you! And I’ve been giving workshops in New England, South Carolina, and Georgia; teaching many people about primitive reflexes, listening, vision, cognitive abilities, and other things that can get in the way of efficient learning. All the while, thinking of you! So, to the families out there who have had a hard time completing a month straight of an exercise: I have empathy, it’s worth it though, and let’s do it together! By the new year, we will see changes, and we can start the new year with a new optimism. Book ReviewFraid Not! By Pamela Formosa I just finished reading this wonderful book, whose subtitle is “Empowering Kids With Learning Differences”. While the book is mainly about how Pamela uses Brain Gym in her Occupational Therapy, I especially enjoyed learning how she teaches the kids to notice how they are feeling or reacting before and after therapy. By being so empowered, the kids learn that the exercises they complete have an actual effect on how they perform. They also realize that they can be their own advocates, and affect their own learning or behaviors. The first chapter includes research, definitions, and explanations about brain processes. If you find this chapter too tedious, be aware that the rest of the book is full of case histories, anecdotes, and Pamela’s therapeutic model. I could hardly put the book down while I was thinking of many of my past clients. Her style is easy to read, and there are many charts and photographs. Combine Fraid Not with exercises from Brain Gym, Teacher’s Edition Revised by Paul E. Dennison and Gail E. Dennison, and you will be able to see some real differences in cognition and behavior. Years ago, before I understood the power of Brain Gym and crossing the midline, I had a 9 year old boy as a cognitive training client. Since he did not yet cross the midline, and had a few other body issues I sent him off to a local OT. In a few months, his mom brought him back to start PACE. In PACE, a cognitive training program, there are many incremental levels to pass, and usually my students pass an average of 3 a day. This poor boy got to a point quickly where he was not passing any! To help students pass, I have them drink a sip of water and take a short walk. Since this did not help either, I had him try to do a Brain Gym exercise, the Lazy 8. He could not do this, so I taught him how, and assigned it as a daily exercise at home. About 2 weeks later, he was able to do a Lazy 8 without help in the air, and that day he passed 10 levels! He had taken a cognitive leap, and for the next several weeks he passed between 4 and 10 levels a day. Brain Gym works well because it creates neural pathways between the two hemispheres of the brain that were not there before. Once the pathways exist, information coming in from any side of the body can more easily be processed by the area of the brain required. For example, if a child is naturally dominant on the left for hearing, sound automatically and quickly travels to the right hemisphere. But since language is processed in the left hemisphere, the information must be able to travel quickly and easily from the right hemisphere. Exercises, like Brain Gym or exercises for integrating the Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR) primitive reflex, create these neural pathways for better processing and cognition. Brain Gym can be purchased for $19.95 from http://www.braingym.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=11&vmcchk=1&Itemid=11 Fraid Not: To purchase this book, please visit www.iuniverse.com or contact Pamela Formosa directly at pamformosa@aol.com. Pamela has two upcoming Brain Gym workshops near Boston, MA January 29-31 and March 5-7, 2010. More information can be found at www.pathwaystolearning.info. Pyramid of Potential DVD/Workbook Series. Start with Module 1 Starfish for neuro-development to overcome hypersensitivities and anxieties. In just 10 minutes a day for 30 to 45 days to see vast improvements. For $29.95 go to our Store and see symptom list for all modules. Combine all for inexpensive, yet powerful at-home therapy!! Upcoming events:Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia: Brain Development Causes and Remediation |
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Day 32 of Primitive Reflexes; Day 1 of Astronaut Module |
November 11th, 2009 I finished the Starfish Module on the 9th –hurray!! 30 days is a long time, but I feel like I accomplished a goal, although I did not have many significant changes. I had hoped to see these changes from doing Starfish: “I know I have some issues with fixation – the ability to stare at one thing and not involuntarily move the eyes away from it. I am slightly allergic to mold and cats. I definitely am sensitive to drugs.” I don’t know about the drugs, since I haven’t needed to take any recently. I haven’t noticed any reaction to mold or my cats lately. The mold problem is the most severe during humid days in the summer, so we will have to wait on that one. Well, the fixation problem is still there. I’ll have to ask Dr. Fox, the local Behavioral Optometrist about that one and get back to you. Lately I have noticed one big thing though – I’m calmer emotionally, and even physically in that I used to have a narrow band of comfort – between 68 and 72. Other than that, I was too warm or too cold. I’m so much better now! I did not expect to see many changes last month, whereas I expect to see large changes this month. The name of the module is Astronaut because the primitive reflex, Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex, is still present in me. This reflex is the one you see when you hold a 3 month baby up over your head, and she goes into a flying baby pose. I have poor posture, and whenever I have tension, I feel it in my weak shoulders and neck. That is the physical part of the reflex. The symptoms associated with it are: Personally, I dislike running, because I have never had the lungs for it, and I haven’t enjoyed sports that I have to push myself for. I have had difficulties with crossing my eyes all my life. I found out several years ago that I suppressed vision in one eye as a compensation strategy rather than cross my eyes to look near. As for spatial problems, I always had bruises on my legs from running into furniture. I think I’m better now, but I imagine that could improve. I have to work hard at telling a story from the beginning to the end, and that could have to do with sequencing. As for a poor sense of time, I get lost in my work frequently. Suddenly it’s much later than I thought, and tasks take longer than I imagine or estimate. I would love to have a good sense of time. I started my exercises and found them difficult. I have to do Ready Set Go 1, because I am not strong enough to do Ready Set Go 2. Believe it or not, I am the model in that video, but it was SO hard! I’ll do one or two weeks on 1, then move up to 2. Today was Veteran’s Day. Thank you to our vets. The kids and my husband had off from school and work, but I had lots to do. Now I finish my day with you. Good night! |
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Setting up support for the Pyramid of Potential Series |
November 6th, 2009 Today I am happily working on setting a support mechanism for those who have purchased the Pyramid of Potential DVD/Workbook Series. If you have purchased this, but are not yet on the Support group in Facebook, email me, and I will help you get started! What is the Series I spoke about here? I have taken the knowledge gleaned over the last 10 years of working with kids of all ages, to improve their skills so that they will be more successful, and put the best of the best into a system that is convenient and inexpensive so any family or therapist has access. The testing module teaches how I screen my clients to determine the optimal course of care. This includes a general overview, and videos of how to screen for primitive reflexes, auditory processing issues, vision issues, Irlen Syndrome (not a full screening, but an entire pack of Irlen Overlays is included), and cognitive issues. The Pyramid of Potential Series includes 5 modules; each can be bought individually, or save by buying all 5 at once. These 5 modules will take you through the steps required for the neurodevelopment necessary to open pathways to the cognitive brain that have impeded progress. If the neurodevelopment has not happened, the academics, trainings, and therapies given to a struggling child do not result in remediation as expected. In just 10 minutes and $1 a day, amazing results can be achieved. So next you ask, where is the research? “These results suggest a significant relationship between AD/HD classifications and reflex retention…. In particular, STNR retention was significantly related to scores on all three of the Conners’ Global Indices, while TLR retention was related both to Impulsive and to Problematic Behaviours. This analysis further indicated significant direct relationships between two of the reflexes (TLR and ATNR) and academic achievement in mathematics. These findings highlight the potential significance of reflex retention in predicting various learning and behavioural problems experienced by school-aged children. …these results support the notion that the Moro Reflex acts as a gateway for the inhibition of other reflexes, owing to the developmental stage at which it emerges.” Gonzales SR, Ciuffreda K, Hernandez LC, Escalante JB. The correlation between primitive reflexes and saccadic eye movements in 5th grade children with teacher-reported reading problems. Opt Vis Dev 2008: 39(3):140 Retained Primitive Reflexes: Their relation to Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Attention Deficits, and Learning Difficulties, Blumenthal J.Bio, [May 7, 2008, p 15] And there is more! I found these by Googling “research articles on primitive reflexes”. Happy searching! |
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Day 26 of primitive reflex exercises for neurodevelopment |
November 4th, 2009 It has been a while since I blogged, but I have been doing my primitive reflex exercises every day. If I find that it was late, and I didn’t do my exercises for neurodevelopment I at the very least did Starfish. I tell my clients to be sure to do this one primitive reflex exercise without fail every day; if they miss a day, they have to add two at the end of the month; miss a week and start over. I am determined not to have to add days! I am on level 7 of the Patterned Numbers cognitive exercise. Tonight I came very close to passing – I have to finish the worksheet in 60 seconds; I took 5 seconds longer. Also, I missed 2 of the numbers, so even though I have been stuck on this level for over a week, I have to continue until I pass. It looks l may not pass every level before the month is over. But that was not the goal, to do these exercises every day is. I am missing a few days of the worksheets. I am still doing the BrainSpark! cognitive exercise, Hear it, Say it, also. I still am not needing to concentrate as hard on the sounds as I did in the beginning, but I get a few sounds wrong a day – mixing up m and n, a and e. My every day auditory processing is not as spectacular as it was on the one day that I had the meeting. Sometimes, but not all the time, if there is a sharp noise, I miss what the person said at that moment. But I have found that in general I am not distracted by noises like I used to be. Right now my husband is watching TV in the next room and although I hear it, I am not distracted from my task. This is an improvement! In college, in order to study in the dorm, I had to put on classical music in the background so I didn’t notice the dorm noises. Why classical? Because I didn’t know it or like it, so I didn’t listen to it! (I like classical now) So, it has been 26 days since I began the Pyramid of Potential Starfish Module. (For more information about the Series, go to our Store) Since it takes 21 days to make a new solid connection in the brain, I should be seeing some permanent changes about now, and then continuing the exercises to solidify (and myelinate). I was hoping to see changes in memory, organization, attention, processing speed, sensitivity to smells, hearing – processing what I hear (auditory processing), reading speed, listening comprehension, controlling behavior. As I look at this, I see that I have seen improvements in processing speed as seen in my performance of Patterned Numbers. I’ve already written about my changes in auditory processing, and that is linked to listening comprehension. I have not felt that I need to control my environment and family as much as I used to. I haven’t noticed myself being sensitive to any smells lately, and my whole life, driving behind a smelly car could make me feel nauseas. I’ll have to pay closer attention in the next few days to see if there is an actual improvement. One of the symptoms associated with the Moro primitive reflex is poor fixation skills – not being able to stare at a point without the eyes involuntarily shifting. I have had that, so I am now going to test how it is by counting the number of seconds that I can stare at an X – this one, before I refocus or shift my eyes. Well, I flunked that test!! I couldn’t hold it for 5 seconds! I’ve done better than that before – up to 15 seconds or more. I’ll test it again in a couple days. Please leave a comment as to how long you can do it; I’m curious how others do. OK I just did it again and got up to 22 seconds. And again, and I’m back to 5 seconds or less. My eyes must be tired! I’ll try it in the morning and let you know how I did when I was well rested. Good night! |
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Day 19 |
October 28th, 2009 Day 19 of doing primitive reflex exercises among other exercises and trainings from Module 1 of the Pyramid of Potential Series to increase neurodevelopment. Still going strong. A slight improvement in speed of the Patterned Numbers cognitive exercise, but still not passing Level 7 after 5 days. Hmmph. Read an interesting article today, Estrogen Controls How The Brain Processes Sound from ScienceDaily. the web site is http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090505174543.htm. Very interesting read! Does this mean that women listen better than men? Do, that was not the hypothesis, nor is it my opinion. I think what it was telling me is that I may need hormone replacement therapy to process sound better. Hah!! I'm trying a different way, by practicing and exercising my brain. I'll let you know how it works. |
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Day 18 of taking my own primitive reflex and neurodevelopment medicine! |
October 27th, 2009 Just a quick blog tonight. I did my Moro primitive reflex exercises for neurodevelopment, followed by some balance exercises and two cognitive training exercises from BrainSpark! These are all part of the Pyramid of Potential Series, Module 1 – Starfish. I'm stuck at the level of Patterned Numbers that I have been at for 3 days now. I am sure it will take me a long time to get fast enough to pass this level, but since I was faster today than I was yesterday, I will prevail. Just not today. Vision and VestibularI had lunch today with Dr. Rob Fox, the Behavioral Optometrist who I refer my clients to, and who did vision therapy for me and two of my children. He's a great guy who not only helps kids but also brain injury and stroke patients. Today, he had an appointment with a woman I know who has a severe tracking issue. Tracking is the ability to smoothly follow a moving object with only your eyes. He had her follow a pen from left to right, and her eyes involuntarily jumped across. He then said that the vestibular system (balance) was so tied into the vision system that a little vestibular input can make large short-term gains, but over time, these gains become more permanent. He then slowly turned this woman a quarter turn in his swivel chair, then had her track again, and it was perfectly smooth. Amazing! Now go do chair turns for every day for a month if you find that you frequently lose your place when reading, skip words or parts of words, or jump over lines or repeat lines. Then write me about it! How about that for neurodevelopment! |
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Day 17 of Moro primitive reflex exercises, and neurodevelopment |
October 26th, 2009 Once again it is late, and I am just finishing my primitive reflex exercises for neurodevelopment. But I had a meeting this evening and did not get home until after 9, couldn’t start until 9:30. ImprovementI saw an improvement today. I was at a business lunch with about 8 other people. There were several conversations going on at once, with the other normal restaurant noises around, and I was easily carrying on a conversation with a friend down the table. Since I noticed that I could understand all he was saying, I also turned my attention to the conversation next to me and noticed that I was also able to understand them at the same time. This is really something, because when my auditory processing is off, when talking to someone in a loud place, I usually hear the teacher in the Peanuts comics – wah, wah, wah. But today it all was coming in crystal clear. However, tonight, while doing the Hear it! Say it! BrainSpark! exercise, I had a difficult time hearing the exact sound – a or e, m or n. Am I tired? Or am I better at processing words than sounds? Actually I think I am tired, but I will do this tomorrow earlier and compare. Auditory Processing DiscussionSo, this got me thinking about auditory processing, and how it is associated with neurodevelopment. According to Sally Goddard in Reflexes, Learning, and Behavior, “Efficient auditory processing is dependent upon: “What other than sound therapy can be done to improve auditory processing? Test for your dominant earSo, to sum up – if your dominant ear is the right ear, sounds travel faster to your left brain where you process language. To find out which is your dominant ear, notice which ear you listen to the phone with the next few times you are talking on it. If you are left eared, force yourself to use the right ear, or try the Madaule approach for several minutes a day. I am finding some improvements in my auditory processing probably because of the BrainSpark! exercise, but, since the Moro primitive reflex has hypersensitive hearing as a symptom, perhaps some auditory issues will be cleared up during this phase also. I’m halfway through the month – still plenty of time to see! |
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Primitive reflexes and Neurodevelopment of Kathy's Brain: Day 15 |
October 24th, 2009 I haven’t been blogging – so sorry! But I have been doing my Moro primitive reflex exercises every day. One day I only did the Starfish, but other than that, I have been doing all the neurodevelopment exercises from Module 1 of the Pyramid of Potential. I have seen improvement in my ability to distinguish and remember sounds – hurray, some improvement! I have been doing the Hear it! Say it! BrainSpark! cognitive exercise with a friend for the last several days. I had noticed at first how hard it was for me to pay attention and remember the sounds. It took an extreme amount of effort! Boy was I surprised! Now I know why my auditory memory score was so low. I had posted my cognitive scores back when I started this experiment, around October 10. My auditory memory was in the 46th percentile. Average. I sure hope it gets better. Another area where I have a low score is in processing speed – 24th percentile! Very slow! The other cognitive exercise in Module 1 works on Processing Speed. I quickly ran through the first 4 levels of the Patterned Numbers exercise, but then it took 3 days to pass the next level, and another 3 days to pass the level after that. However, I keep getting faster, and that is an improvement. Enough about me. I saw an article on Good Morning America Thursday about the effect of exercise on brain processing. Charles Hillman, a professor at the University of Illinois who has studied the issue for several years, in his latest study, "Cognition Following Acute Aerobic Exercise," found that moderate exercise -– 30 minutes for adults and 20 minutes for children -– results in a 5 percent to 10 percent improvement in cognition, increasing memory and processing speed. (More about me – I should exercise more!) Want to read Hillman’s 2008 paper titled “Be smart, exercise your heart: I exercised a lot two days ago – Julia and I went hiking up Buck Mountain in the Adirondacks, near Lake George. The picture is of me at the top – a very windy day! It was warm at the bottom, about 70 degrees, but it felt like only 50 up here where the picture was taken. Still, a great hike, and lots of exercise for almost 4 hours. I feel smarter just thinking about it! |
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Primitive reflexes and neurodevelopment of Kathy's brain: Day 11 |
October 20th, 2009 Wow – I’m tired tonight. But I need to write this blog, since I didn’t write last night. See, I was in Binghamton, NY yesterday, giving the workshop on Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia through MEDS-PDN, and immediately afterward drove 3 hours to Poughkeepsie, NY, to give another workshop. I was tired as you can imagine, and didn’t end up taking my computer into the hotel room. I thought I could blog from my Blackberry, but it turns out I can’t log in to the blog site, so I couldn’t update. Bummer. But, I did my neurodevelopmental exercises last night, and did them again tonight. So this is day 11 of my working toward integrating the Moro Primitive Reflex, which I think I have done a pretty good job of integrating already. I don’t expect to see any changes for a while yet. But one attendee in today’s workshop asked me what changes I saw in my life one the Moro was integrated. So I gave her a short answer, but have been thinking about it. When I was younger, I was very sensitive emotionally. I would cry at the drop of a hat, and even as an adult, took everything that happened to me personally. My sisters would say to just let everything roll off my back, but I couldn’t. Today, since this particular primitive reflex has integrated at least partially, I have much more self-esteem, and if someone criticizes me, I simply look closely at that criticism, and if it is valid, see if I can’t improve myself. If it isn’t valid, I can easily shake it off as if they have the problem, not me. I wasn’t able to actually feel that way before, but wanted to. Another neurodevelopmental change is the hypersensitivity to noise, which is gone. On the plus side, I can now stand the loud bangs of fireworks, but unfortunately, I can no longer hear people in the next room whispering about me! As I was driving home tonight, I realized that I still dislike night driving, and that the oncoming car lights bother me. I wonder if that will be reduced in the next few nights, since one of the symptoms of the Moro Reflex is light sensitivity. I’ll keep you posted! WorkshopsThese last two days of workshops were tiring but exhilarating! In the last eight years I have helped dozens of kids individually and in small groups. In the last two days I trained over 80 adults who will in turn help hundreds of kids. This makes me happier than you can imagine! The audience contained mostly Occupational Therapists, many Speech and Language Pathologists, many teachers – special ed and regular ed, some parents, and a psychologist. Also, today there was a woman who owns a learning center, and who is planning to start a charter school. Since the charter school is going to specialize in teaching kids toward their individual needs, she wants me to help her work out the testing procedures so that each child will get what he or she needs, using the Pyramid of Potential model. I think I’ll reward myself now with a bubble bath! Good night! |
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Primitive reflexes and neurodevelopment of Kathy's brain: Day 9 |
October 18th, 2009 Oops I missed day 8. Sorry! I'm blaming it on my husband's cousin, who came to our house last night from Cincinnati. She's attending my workshop in Binghamton, NY tomorrow. As a matter of fact, she's here in the hotel with me – drove all the way here to go to this Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia workshop, since there isn't one in Ohio yet. It's great fun getting to know her. I did my primitive reflex and neurodevelopment exercises faithfully, even if I didn't blog. Tonight, I was trying to do the log rolls in the hotel room. Well, as spatious as this room is, there was not enough room for those! So I tried, but did not do them well. Could not do astronaut due to lack of a swivel chair. But did the rest of my primitive reflex exercises. I can now see how difficult it can be to do every exercise every day. The main thing is, if you find this to be true also, don't feel guilty. It helps nothing to feel that way. Instead do what you can. In module 1 the most important exercise is Starfish, and it is important to do this daily. If you miss one day, add two at the end. If you miss a week, plan on starting over. Starfish only takes 30 seconds, and can be done anywhere, anytime, including in a bed at bedtime. The other neurodevelopment exercises help Starfish work better and faster, so they are important, just as important. So I'm logging off for now, and relaxing in my hotel the night before another workshop. Tomorrow Binghamton, Tuesday is Poughkeepsie, NY. I may make it home in time Tuesday to see smy son's soccer game. Good night! |
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Primitive reflexes and neurodevelopment of Kathy's brain: Day 7 |
October 16th, 2009 Today I did my exercises, and noticed that my eyes did not hurt after the vision exercises. Good – for just one week. Can't see much of anything else yet. But I'm doing it! That counts for something, doesn't it? Today I received the evaluations from my first two workshops from MEDS-PDN, done in Witchita and Tulsa. There were two categories of comments. First was the positive – "This was one of the most interesting seminars I have attended in a long time, thank you" and "One of the best workshops I have ever attended" among others. Wow! I love to hear comments like those, because they make me realize that I am giving them (you) what they wanted, and am doing a good job at it. Makes me excited to go out and do more! Bingamton and Poughkeepsie are next week, and I can't wait! The second category was general improvements, and they all were concerning research. So I put together an overview of some of the research out there, and have included it here. The categories are primitive reflexes and neurodevelopment, sensory-motor development, and cognitive training. Ask and you will receive! Research Sampling.pdf (43.57 kb) |
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Primitive Reflexes and Neurodevelopment: Day 6 |
October 15th, 2009 A quick blog. Yup, did my primitive reflex neurodevelopment exercises, and today was finally able to do the Hear it Say it workbook exercise correctly. In this central auditory processing exercise, the “teacher” says the two sounds, and the “student” says the word they become once they are blended together. For example, the teacher says “mmm” “ah” “nnn” and the student says “mon”. Because my daughter is home, she would say the sounds so I would blend them, and we did this to a metronome. I noticed that since she kept her head down, I couldn’t read her lips for the difference between “m” and “n” as well as other sounds. Also, it was tiring by the end to keep my attention, so I would say that I got a workout, even though the relative task was easy. Went to the movies today and saw “Fame”. It was really fun, and I recommend it. I don’t remember the original movie, but I remember the series, and this movie was similar. Remember Debbie Allen? She is the headmistress, and basically looks the same! Good music, good dancing, fun to “remember”. |
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A Dose of My Own Medicine: Day 5 |
October 14th, 2009 I’m excited to meet my husband Gary’s cousin again this weekend. I haven’t seen her in many years, but she is visiting to go to the Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia workshop in Binghamton on Monday. We will go out together Sunday, and afterward she will return to Cincinnati. I am so thrilled that she is interested in helping kids out there the same way I help them here. So, before I write about my awesome primitive reflex exercise experience today, here is some information about the workshop, in case you are local and want to go: “Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia” Seminar At the end of this seminar the participant will be able to: More information can be obtained at www.Meds-PDN.com So, today I remembered earlier to do the neurodevelopment exercises. I did them at 5pm, while I was still fresh. The exercises went well, and then it was time to do the BrainSpark! Patterned Numbers cognitive training. I needed to complete the task in 90 seconds – to circle certain 1, 2, and 3s; and to circle different 4, 5, and 6s. I’ve been keeping track of my times; I do just 2 a day. The first day it took me 140 seconds the first time, and 119 seconds the second. Then the second day, Monday, 116 seconds followed by 108. Yesterday, 98 and then 100. Today, it took just 84 seconds the first time – what a great feeling to pass this level! I now know how good a child with learning disabilities must feel when a breakthrough happens. Relief and triumph!Now on to the next level tomorrow. I wonder how that will feel, to pass today, but move on to another challenge tomorrow. All I know is, if you look at my processing speed score from a few days ago, it was quite low, in the 24th percentile. I really want to see that go up! And I am on my way! |
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A Dose of My Own Medicine: Day 4. Creating Neurodevelopment by integrating the Primitive Reflexes |
October 13th, 2009 It's late Tuesday night, late for me anyway – 10:30. Just finished my primitive reflex integration exercises. I am doing the Starfish Module of the Pyramid of Potential Series, the first of 5 modules. This one concentrates on the Moro Reflex, along with the issues that surround it, like anxiety and balance. Too bad it doesn't address memory – that's helped in the 3rd module. If I only had a brain, I would remember to do these exercises earlier in the day. And if I did these neurodevelopment exercises earlier in the day, I might finally pass Level 5 of the Patterned Numbers part of the cognitive training in the workbook. This is the third day that I've tried to pass it. These come to you from the Do It Yourself cognitive training program called BrainSpark! I have used PACE, a cognitive training program for years, but it is not as accessible as BrainSpark! is. PACE must be given by a provider, and to become a provider, you must pay for the license and go for training. There are not many providers in the country, either. However, it is a wonderful program that guarantees a 2 year increase in any deficient cognitive processing skill after 3 months of training. Not bad! My clients usually got more like 10 – 15 years growth overall, especially if they did the primitive reflex exercises beforehand. BrainSpark!, being a DIY program, is relatively inexpensive. It can be easily done with a family member, or a tutor could be hired. I would suggest that you start it at least after completing the Starfish Module primitive reflex exercises; best after all modules are complete. You can tell if it has made a difference and how much of a difference if you do the Gibson Cognitive Testing before and after the training. Most of all, have fun! And don't stay up too late! Maybe I'll talk about the brain's reaction to lack of sleep in another blog. But for now…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz… |
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A Dose of my own Medicine: Day 3 |
October 12th, 2009 It's only day 3, and I almost forgot to do my primitive reflex exercises! It's Columbus Day, and I was out leaf-peeping at Lake George, one of the most beautiful lakes in the world (in my most humble opinion). It is about peak here, and gorgeous! A chilly day, about 52 degrees, but mostly sunny, definitely colorful. So obviously my mind was on other things, but at 9:15 I remembered, so it was just a matter of doing the exercises and writing my neurodevelopment blog. Hope everyone had a great Columbus Day! |
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A Dose of My Own Medicine: Day 2 and the Moro Primitive Reflex |
October 11th, 2009 I completed the Starfish exercises yesterday (to inhibit the Moro primitive reflex) after my blog, and this morning. I thought that today I would go over the symptoms related to this first workbook, the Starfish Module. This module is to help inhibit or integrate the Moro Reflex, which is a primitive reflex, or a primitive survival reflex. It depends on who taught you as to which language you use. All babies are born with certain primitive reflexes that help them survive in this world, but as they grow and mature, they usually grow out of certain stages of development, while integrating the primitive reflex, so that the reflex no longer happens. An example of a primitive reflex that you may remember your children growing out of is the rooting reflex – where if a baby feels a touch on his check, he will turn his head toward it, rooting for Mom’s nipple to suckle. The Moro primitve reflex is the one where you may see a young baby arch his back and shake his fists when a blanket is placed over his face or you blow into his face. This helps him survive by keeping air around his face. It is usually integrated by 9 months, but if not, the child may grow into having the “startle” reflex; and be overly startled by normal stimuli. However, there is some neuro-developmental maturation that should happen in the brainstem during the Moro integration, and if they don’t, you will the following symptoms continue after age 3: I look at myself, and need to see what I may gain from this month of completing the Starfish module. I know I have some issues with fixation – the ability to stare at one thing and not involuntarily move the eyes away from it. I am slightly allergic to mold and cats. I definitely am sensitive to drugs. I used to have motion sickness and anxiety, but Yoga and meditation help those. I used to have hypoglycemia, but it is under control now. So I don’t expect to see huge improvements, at least not in this module. Still, it will be interesting to see if I have some neuro-developmental improvements in those few areas. Meanwhile, I noticed that my eyes were tired after doing the eye exercises on Page 5 of Starfish and Page 9 of All Modules Workbooks. |
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I Take a Dose of my Own Medicine | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
October 10th, 2009 Today is the first day of the rest of my life. Oh, how cliché! Yet, here I am, committing to a process that might have a huge impact on how my brain works from here on in. See, I’ve decided that I will start today to complete the Pyramid of Potential Series – all five modules, for 1 month each module. The commitment here is for 10 to 15 minutes a day. The difficulty comes in when I commit to blog about it every day. Why? I like to talk, I don’t like to write. And the writing piece may not get better until Module 4, Lizard, and that won’t be over until February 10. I wish I could have the better writing skills now! So instead, I will write as best I can, and maybe get better through practice. Meanwhile, you the reader wants to know what you will get out of this. You will see what is going on in the head of a person who is going through the process. You will see the gains that I make as I make them. Although I am a successful adult, since I probably only use 10% of my brain, I am assuming that everyone can improve. If my daughter gained 20 points in IQ, and about 12 years in processing skills, can’t I also get better, despite my age of 52? Most people my age complain of failing memory skills, so maybe I can make mine sharper. If I can, this translates to people of all ages and abilities. Although I had intended the Pyramid of Potential Series to be for young kids who struggle in school, they probably are not in the best position to blog daily about what they are experiencing. Here is a list of what I hope will improve: memory, organization, attention, processing speed, sensitivity to smells, hearing – processing what I hear (auditory processing), reading speed, listening comprehension, controlling behavior And here are the results of my Gibson Test of Brain Skills (you can take a test yourself, or give one to someone else at our Store)
Over the last 10 years, I have done many of the trainings and therapies that I prescribe for my clients, and have seen significant changes. However, even though I consider neuro-development to be the base of the Pyramid of Potential, I have not done this myself. Until now. Today. As soon as I finish this. That’s it until tomorrow. Purchase Module 1 of the Pyramid of Potential Series for just $29.95 and follow along with me! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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An Instant and Inexpensive Solution for Vision Problems | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
September 15th, 2009 Whew! We made it through summer, another school year has started, and you may be thinking, now what? If you are a parent, you may want a few hints for how to help your child succeed this year. If you are a teacher or tother professional, you may like some new tools to help your students and clients. Lucky you – I have what you want! Over the summer, I took a course on on Irlen Syndrome and was blown away at how many people have this, and how easy and inexpensive the solution is. You can possibly turn someone’s life around instantly! I have known for years that we all see differently, and that we don’t know what other people see, and that we don’t know how well we see as compared with others. I’ll never forget when I was speaking to a student of mine, after one of his eyes wandered for a few seconds, asking him if he saw double-vision. He replied, “yes, doesn’t everyone?” Actually, according to independent government research, over 20% of all people have visual difficulties that can be helped by the use of color. A screening that lasts about 45 minutes by an Irlen Screener can determine exactly what color transparent sheet, when placed over a book, clears up the problem. To obtain a set of colored overlays and see what this is all about, as part of a full screening to determine why child is struggling, purchase the Pyramid of Potential Testing Module from our Store. Or call me at 518-885-2007 to set up a full screening. The testing module also includes: As a final note, this year can and will be the best one yet. There are now more programs than ever to help you help the children in your life. In the next newsletter I will give you more hints to make your job of helping children easier than ever, so the children will be more successful than ever. Below are some neat UTube videos about Irlen Syndrome: #1. When you see this segment by Wheat42, look for the brain scan & watch in HQ size [freeze it] to really see the difference when wearing Irlen Spectral Filters: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhrKvZ_RKEU #2. IRLEN NEWS FLASH!! #3. David Accola produced his own video about Scotopic Sensitivity/Irlen
Syndrome [SSIS] on ease YouTube. Please take a few minutes to watch the
video and send it to your friends and family. He welcomes your comments. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Video about Dyslexia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
August 5th, 2009 In the video found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx5kr2T7rK8, you will see just how a dyslexic sees text, and watch professionals attempt to read text that is formatted in the same way. This is a segment of the film I show at our local library twice a year, called "The FAT City Workshop: How Difficult Can This Be?". It is so excellent, and I never get tired of it. When showing it to my kids, they found that they could relate to certain parts of it, and it validated how they struggle with certain portions of school. The next step beyond identifying the problem is to work to correct it. Most people believe that once you are identified with dyslexia that you must live with it for the rest of your life. However, it is not so. It just means that you would have to go through some therapies to rewire your brain so that this is no longer an issue. The text in the video shows two distinct problems: there is a problem with reversals and the text does not break at the right places or is on separate lines. Many of the kids I work with even say that the text moves. How frustrating! To correct these issues, vision therapy is required. It helps with changing the way the vision system perceives. So, even if a child has perfect acuity (sees clearly), they might still have problems tracking – keeping their eyes straight along a line of text. They might see with double vision. Their eyes might go out of focus after a short period of time. Vision therapy corrects these issues and more through exercises, not surgery. Why do these issues happen? It is created in infancy during neuro-development. The child might not have gone through a stage of development long enough to wire the brain completely. But even this is easy to correct. By re-creating the movements associated with developmental stage, the brain becomes wired correctly, at any age. If this is done first, vision therapy is quicker, easier, and less costly. I know this because my daughter did the neuro-development first, and vision therapy was only 8 weeks. My son did vision therapy first and it required 20 weeks. He still needed the neuro-development to help in other areas, like attention and hypersensitive hearing, so I wish we had known then where to start! To purchase my new Pyramid of Potential DVD/Workbook series that walks you through the primitive reflexes and related exercises one at a time please visit our Shop. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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3 Card Games To Increase IQ This Summer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
July 22nd, 2009 3 Card Games to Raise Your Child’s IQ This Summer It doesn’t matter if your child sailed through school this year, or if he struggled again with reading, writing, or math. He could be the next Einstein or Rainman, Menza or autistic, 7 or 17, girl or boy. The brain can change and grow at any age, and we only use about 10 to 20%, so there is always room for growth. And hey, while she’s working on improving her brain, you could also be warding off Alzheimer’s before it starts! The rules for increasing IQ are simple – push the brain’s limits, and do it repeatedly over a significant number of days. So, while on summer break, play these games almost every day for the summer, and I know you will see a difference. We will start with increasing processing speed. Speedy SortIncreases processing speed. Requires a well shuffled deck of cards and a timing device. The game: use the timing device as you sort the deck of cards by suit as fast as you can. Record the time each time, and repeat three times a day. You should see significant improvement within 2 weeks if done daily. Don’t compare times to other people as everyone has their own strengths. This is not a competition against anyone else. Crazy EightsImproves reasoning skills. Requires only a shuffled deck of cards and two or more people. The game: each player gets 7 cards, and the rest of the cards are placed in the middle with the top card turned over in the discard pile. Each player in turn plays a card from their hand if they can that: If they cannot match, they have to pick up a new card from the original deck. If they cannot play that card, they must continue picking up cards until they can play a card. Once they play a card, it is the next player’s turn. Play continues until one of the players has no cards left and is the winner. Twenty-oneImproves math skills Requires only a shuffled deck of cards The game: The dealer gives each player a card face down and a card face up. The object of the game is to add up the points of the cards, and to get as close to 21 as possible without going over. In turn each player may choose to “stay” and not get more cards or to take one. Aces are worth one, and jacks, queens, and kings are each worth 10. Once everyone playing chooses to stay, everyone shows their cards. The player who gets closest to 21 without going over wins that hand. You can play as many hands as you like. It’s fun, fast, and easy. And everyone practices math facts! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Change Brain Chemistry Through Diet and Supplements, Not Drugs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
May 8th, 2009 Drugs from your local CVS help so many things, from ADD/ADHD to depression, to acid reflux. Yet many times, your doctor has to experiment to find a drug that works with your specific brain chemistry. There is now a way to test your individual chemistry needs through blood and urine testing. Then the exact supplements your body requires to overcome your specific symptoms can be prescribed by a nutritionist or functional medicine specialist. No need to worry about side effects! One place to learn more is www.metametrix.com. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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When is ADD not ADD? |
April 23rd, 2009 Although there are many instances when ADD symptoms arise, and it turns out something else is the cause, this blog addresses two. 1. Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) When a child has CAPD, it can occur in several ways, but here I specifically want to address the child with hypersensitive hearing, a subset of CAPD. When tested in the pediatrician's office, or at the school nurse, the child is complimented because he or she can actually hear better than the average child. But put that same child in a typical school classroom, and they can hear not only teacher, but also the chair squeeking, the pencil dropping, the whisperings of classmates, the person walking outside the doorway, and the bird outside the window chirping. Unfortunately, at the same time, he/she cannot attend solely to the teacher, and the attention is constantly wandering. One child, after 3 months of Therapeutic Listening (which relieved the problem), remarked on her first day back to school, "Mom, I could hear the teacher!" No one had known that she could not hear the teacher the year before – we do not know what other people hear. Ask the child if they hear better than everyone olse. Do they cover their ears in loud situations or avoid them altogether? Other symptoms of CAPD are talking late and mispronouncing words. An audiologist can confirm any suspicions. As to what parents can do: research for Listening therapies, and local providers. The programs are Therapeutic Listening, Samonas, and The Listening Program. On their websites, there should be a place to look for local Occupational Therapists and Speech and Language Pathologists who can help. For a child with problems with Visual Selective Attention, the world is a very confusing place. It's not that he/she cannot pay attention to one visual input for any length of time; they pay attention to all inputs and cannot filter out the one important one, the teacher. They are looking at the word wall, the colorful bulletin boards, the many different sweaters everyone wears, plus the teacher, all at the same time. As an adult, many people notice that they may look for a rubber band in the junk drawer, but get discouraged easily at all the visual input, and just give up. It is the same for the child. To find out if this might be the problem, ask if they dislike word searches and mazes (these are difficult for someone with this issue). A behavioral or developmental optometrist, who is specifically trained in vision issues beyond acuity, can diagnose this, as well as treat it. Many times, this issue is accompanied by other vision issues that delay reading, such as tracking smoothly so as not to jump over words or lines, and convergence, allowing a child to copy from a white board quickly and painlessly. www.COVD.org is an excellent resource for vision issues and local practitioners. In the meantime, a parent could daily give very simple word searches and mazes to the child, increasing in complexity, and decreasing in letter size. Make it fun, not stressful, and join in! I see many parents who benefit from listening therapy or vision therapy, since the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. |
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Private, Montessori, or Waldorf? |
April 8th, 2009 A question was put out: I'm curious to hear from parents who have fully researched both traditional private schools along with montessori and walforf schools, chose a school for their child, and why you chose what you chose.Also, can you help me better understand the differences between waldorf and montessori?Thanks! My answer:
I have a masters in education, 3 children, and a business that helps children who struggle. When my daughter was young, we looked into several options for her, so I have some experienc and knowledge. First Montessori: I had a class with a Montessori teacher and was fascinated to learn about the method. In a typical primary classroom of kids, each child chooses a project they want to do, and that interests them. They may get guidance from the teacher or other students, but it is primarily independent. The project may focus on dinosaurs or food, but the lessons include age appropriate lessons in several areas, such as reading, math, social studies or science. The children learn at their own pace and are engaged because they get to choose from their interests. For young children, I see no problems in this philosophy, unless there is a problem that does not get noticed, but I did not see this as a problem.
We looked at Waldorf for our daughter. We settled on public education until 4th grade when that no longer worked for my daughter. I then home-schooled her for a year, to get her caught up, and moved on to a small private school with an excellent reputation. In less than 2 years, they asked us to take her out, they could not understand how to teach her, and they thought she had learning disabilities (which she did). The conclusion? Probably any choice is wonderful for the well-adjusted non-LD child, but for the child who struggles, none of those options is ideal. Without excellent intervention, homeschooling would be the beat option. BTW, my daughter got excellent intervetion through OT, vision therapy, and cognitive training which increased her IQ by 20 points and reduced all her symptoms to the point that she no longer has LD. She is currently a college Sophomore on the deans list with no interventions. If this is at all interesting to you, go to www.PyramidOfPotential.com. Best of luck with your decision!!! Kathy Johnson, MS Ed |
Kathy Johnson, MS Ed
Pyramid of Potential
PO Box 103
Burnt Hills, NY 12027
518-885-2007