Archive for the ‘Learning Issues’ Category

Touching blog on PDD-NOS

Friday, June 18th, 2010

Progress on Autism Interventions

Here is a touching bog, a wonderful glimpse into the life of a parent bringing up an autistic child.  It recounts a day at the Yankees and how different the experience was for father and autistic son compared to the father’s first time to the Yankees with his father.

It is frustrating to learning services like ours to read stories like this. We know our core program, Fast ForWord software, is not a “cure” for autism but it does show what is possible.  Fast ForWord is able to improve the processing aspects of learning in often dramatic ways, showing that the brain has much more in common with muscle than it does with a hard-wired computer — it is an inspiration to researchers around the world that learning rewiring is possible. 

In years to come the hope is that more Fast ForWord-like treatments will become available addressing the various different aspects of learning, eventually adding up to a comprehensive intervention that should be able to repair most of the learning gaps associated with autism or PDD-NOS.

Here is the blog post:

http://wcbstv.com/topstories/autism.pervasive.developmental.2.1749342.html

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TV News: Fast ForWord Changes A Life

Monday, March 15th, 2010

Helps Child Get To Top Of Class

Here is a great TV news shows segment showing how Fast ForWord has helped a student improve his processing abilities to become top in his class!

Dr Martha Burns explains how the program works to improve memory, attention, processing speeds and sequencing skills.

The commentary shows the impact on APD (auditory processing disorder) related issues alongside other study aspects. The programs help children be confident socially as well as in the classroom, enjoy school and achieve good academic results.

Click on this link to see the video:

http://au.tv.yahoo.com/sunrise/video/-/18558693/

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Dyslexia Affects 15% of Population

Saturday, February 20th, 2010

up_closeDyslexia Up Close

Contrary to popular misconception, dyslexia is not characterized by letter or word reversal. In fact, dyslexia is a language-processing difficulty caused by the inability to break words into phonemes. Experts estimate that dyslexia, the most common reading difficulty, affects as many as 15 percent of all Americans.

So goes this summary from Misunderstood Minds, a wonderful documentary first aired in 2002 on the challenges of dealing with a variety of  learning issues. 

What mystifies many parents is where and why the reading process breaks down. Although, problems may occur in any area, decoding, comprehension, or retention, the root of most reading problems, in the view of many experts, is decoding.

Reading Facts

  • Roughly 85% of children diagnosed with learning difficulties have a primary problem with reading and related language skills.
  • Reading difficulties are neurodevelopmental in nature.
  • Neurodevelopmental problems don’t go away, but they do not mean that a student (or an adult) cannot learn or progress in school and life.
  • When children’s reading problems are identified early, they are more likely to learn strategies that will raise their reading to grade level.

We could have written this summary oursleves!  It is why Gemm Learning exists, to help students resolve reading issues by working on the often unseen underlying lanaguge processing difficulties. 

Here is a link to the PBS website on this documentary.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/readingdiffs.html

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Does ADHD Medicine Help At All?

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

adhd-drugs-pharmaceutical-774231New Study on Value of ADHD Medicine

How’s this for a dramatic lead in, in a world where ADHD medicine flows freely?

“CHILDREN with ADHD who use prescription drugs to manage their condition are 10 times more likely to perform poorly at school than ADHD kids who avoid medication, a new report reveals. ”

So starts an article in The Australian, reporting on a study of 2,800 families over 20 years, focusing in on 131 14 year olds diagnosed with ADHD.  The main thrust of the article is that it in this small study, there were no real gains in learning achievement in the children that went the drug route versus the ones that did not, but there were long term health consequences for the ones that took the drugs.

This is a very small sample of learners, but the study is the first of its kind in the world and possibly an indication of what is to come.  Namely, renewed debate on the value of ADD and ADHD drugs, i.e., medicating the problem rather than fixing it.

Yet another reason to think of going the learning intervention route, using Fast ForWord for ADD or ADHD.  It addresses the underlying processing issues, aiming to correct them for life.

Here’s a link to the article:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/kids-on-adhd-drugs-poor-at-school/story-e6frg6nf-1225831116701

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Financial Burden of Autism

Sunday, January 24th, 2010

There was an interesting article in the NY Times, January 23 talking about possible financial help for autism.  It quotes a study by the Harvard School of Public Health that estimates families are spending $67-72,000 a year in direct medical and non-medical expenses related to autism.

The article highlights that (1) a growing public recognition of this financial burden, plus (2) a growing prevalence of autism, especially in boys — now 1 in 70 births — is leading to more funding support.  States are mandating coverage, Medicaid programs in some states are not setting income maximums for autism coverage, some insurance companies are adding more coverage and many local organizations are helping out.

It’s a great article.  You can read it here:

Dealing With the Financial Burden of Autism

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Australia Approves Fast ForWord For Autism

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

Here’s an interesting trend.  The Australian government has agreed to pay for parents to use Fast ForWord software as an early intervention for autism. 

We wrote recently about processing delays being used at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as a biomarker for autism.  This points to a growing belief that processing difficulties, targeted directly by Fast ForWord, are a core issue for most children diagnosed with ASDs. 

Which in turn explains the growing use of Fast ForWord for autism.  Its adaptive algorythms are ideal for this population as it allows the sofwtare to engage but not frustrate.  This makes it accessible to most autistic children.

Here is the press release:

OAKLAND, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Scientific Learning Corp today announced that the Australian Government’s Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs has named the Fast ForWord® family of products as an approved intervention for children under age six who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs).

Designed to accelerate learning by developing the student brain to process more efficiently, the Fast ForWord educational software consists of scientifically proven, intervention programs that apply neuroscience principles to build the fundamental cognitive skills required to read and learn. The strengthening of these skills results in a wide range of improved critical language and reading abilities, such as phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, decoding, working memory, syntax and grammar.

In Australia, the Fast ForWord program is available to eligible children under the Helping Children with Autism funding package. Through this package, the Australian Government is working to address the need for support and services for children with ASDs.  As part of the package, the government offers funding for early intervention services for children ages zero to seven who are diagnosed with an ASD. 

Our partners in Australia, LearnFast, have been identified as a primary provider for this population.

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A Gemm Learning Fast ForWord Success Story

Friday, November 20th, 2009

Progress Report

“My daughter is doing great in school. She still needs instructions to
sometimes be explained in more detail but is showing improvement. Her
confidence continues to increase, this year I spend less time with her
on her homework. She is now showing a great pride in her homework
assignments and testing without me having to ride her to take pride in
her work. She studies very hard on her own for her test and continues
to receive a 100 percent on her homework assignments. My husband and I
are very pleased with her dedication to her education this year.
I definitely have observed a change in her comprehension at home and I
am sure they have noticed it in school.”

This is why we do what we do at Gemm!  Please check back weekly to hear more Gemm Learning success stories.

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