Autism & Aspergers

Gemm provides autism help and Aspergers help using Fast ForWord software at home anywhere in the US with personal tutor support.   We offer local CT and NY autism help at our centers in Westchester, NY and Fairfield County, CT.

Fast ForWord and Autism Spectrum Disorders

Dr. Michael Merzenich and the other scientists who developed Fast ForWord, our primary program, have spent a great deal of time studying autism.  They have made the following discovery:

Children on the spectrum are making exactly the same kinds of errors in language and reading as higher functioning children.  They are just making  more of them.

This has been a watershed event for families with autistic children.

Since Fast ForWord, our language and reading program has been able to improve and in most cases remove the cognitive glitches that impede progress in higher functioning children as shown on functional MRIs, then why can't it also improve cognitive function in autistic children?

Since this epiphany 3-4 years ago there has been a flurry of activity relating to Fast ForWord and autism.   Thousands of families have used Fast ForWord, with many reporting dramatic gains.
Study results here

How Gemm Helps Autism

Gemm is helping autistic children all over the US and Canada with heartening results.

While this is a challenging diagnosis for any single software program, it seems to be that that adaptive nature of Fast ForWord -- its ability to exercise a right at the marginal of cognitive function -- is creating powerful new potential for this population.

Our best results occur where:

1/ Attendance is consistent.  Outcomes are highly correlated to good compliance. We go to great lengths to help parents in this regard, with an elaborate online rewards network and other recognition.

2/ Children can access the program, i.e., get started.  Fast ForWord uses the neuroscience concept of shaping, cognitive exercising that adds speed and complexity in tiny incremental steps.   The challenge always for autistic children is getting started.  If they are able to interact with the program at its starting level, Fast ForWord will the be able to produce gains.

More about our autism program here.

BrainWare Safari and Autism

The developers of BrainWare Safari have been working with schools and associations with autistic students lately. Results have been mixed, mainly because about half of the children tested were unable to get to the higher levels where most of the changes occur. However, where a child has been able to "access" these higher levels, solid gains have been achieved.

BrainWare Safari has a heavy integrative philosophy, meaning it improves individual skills and at the same time integrates that higher skill level into better overall learning effectiveness. This is addresses a primary weakness in most students with ASD.
Learn more about BrainWare Safari