Dyslexia Discovered in Infants Through MRI

For today’s blog, I’d like to share this article that came out last week about new research being conducted at Boston Children’s Hospital. Did you know that most kids with dyslexia aren’t diagnosed until around the time they’ve reached third grade? This is because that’s around the time that the kids start to encounter difficulty with reading, and find themselves not progressing at the same rate as their friends and classmates.

So, this means that there are several negative consequences. For one thing, it’s harder at this age for intervention to start working – the earlier it is, the better. And perhaps more importantly, this kind of negative discovery when the child is in third grade often result in a significant loss of self-confidence. As Boston Children’s Hospital’s researcher Nadine Gaab stated, kids have to fail first in order to be diagnosed.

That’s a pretty sad, but true statement. Basically, dyslexia can make kids feel inadequate, which is debilitating in a public classroom setting.

However, in this new research, Gaab and her colleagues have discovered a way that might change the way educators and parents treat kids with dyslexia. Kids at risk of dyslexia have differences in regions of their brain at around 5 years old, which is long before they start reading. These differences are found through MRI scans.

In their newest phase, Gaab used MRI techniques on babies one year and younger. They were able to find differences in the infants’ fibers that connect two key language-processing centers of the brain. Thanks to this research, it’s becoming more possible for us to catch dyslexia much earlier, especially if they know that their kids are more at risk. 

This is great, because this means we can catch dyslexia early enough to start intervention in preschool or kindergarten utilizing programs like Fast ForWord's Reading Readiness and Language V2, making it easier for the child to overcome any symptoms much sooner than kids who are in third grade! If you’re interesting, you can read the whole article here:

http://www.betaboston.com/news/2016/01/11/dyslexia-research-provides-insight-into-brain-function/ 

Research Supports Interactive Metronome for ADHD, Language and Reading Disorders

If you’re anything like me – a parent with children who have apraxia, autism or ADHD – you are automatically a research geek! As in, if there is any opportunity to learn more about what your kid has and how these disorders can be overcome, you’ll be reading all about it and sharing these studies online.

Which is why I thought to post a link to some well-written, peer-reviewed research which I found fascinating…and also invaluable to what I do! Each of these studies have had group participants, using appropriate experimental design methods where there were two or more groups and one received IM, while the other received none. At the end of the study, the researchers were able to prove the effectiveness of Interactive Metronome (IM), which is one of the brain-training programs that I offer at Learn 2 Focus. Designed to help children and adults with developmental, learning and attention problems related to motor processing and sequencing challenges, IM training focuses on improving rhythm and timing, two critical factors in being able to plan and sequence your thoughts and actions.

Here is the link: http://www.brainclock.net/2015/12/interactive-metronome-im-efficacy.html

For our audience specifically, I would suggest “Effects of Interactive Metronome Training on Children with ADHD,” “Reading Intervention Using Interactive Metronome in Children with Language and Reading Impairment: A Preliminary Investigation,” and “Improvements in Interval Time Tracking and Effects on Reading Achievement.” But there are also some other fascinating studies in this link, such as how Interactive Metronome can improve blast-related brain injury, mathematics, and even golfing! Consider them extra credit reading. J Let me know what you think of them and consider including IM in your child’s training!

How the Landau Reflex May Challenge Your Child's Progress

This week, we’re back to talking about primitive reflexes, those amazing sensory responses that are developed in your child to help establish motor head control, posture, sensory integration and stability. I find it fascinating that there are so many of these reflexes that start developing in the womb, and each of them have a specific, important role.

For example, do you know which intricate reflex helps your baby look up at your face, while lying on his or her stomach?  Thanks to the specific primitive reflex known as the landau reflex, infants are able to start lifting their heads at four weeks and at two months, lift their chests. By the time the infant is about four months old, the child’s landau reflex enables him or her to raise legs while lifting the head and chest.

Each of these stages that the child goes through are known as developmental stages. As long as the child is able to make his or her way through each stage, the landau reflex will hopefully be fully integrated by the time the child is about three years old. This helps the child develop motor coordination, allowing the child to lift his or her head while keeping the legs on the floor.

Unfortunately, if the landau reflex remains in the child past its “due date” without being integrated, the child can grow up to have challenges keeping the head upright. His or her body posture might be affected, and there may be issues with sitting upright, due to low muscle tone in the neck and back. This can all lead to problems with vision and difficulty with attention and focus. Often times, this can extend even to depression in adults, as the landau reflex is associated with body posture and linked to positive emotions such as joy and happiness.

With the introduction of rhythmic movement therapy (RMT), these many challenges of nonintegrated landau reflex (as well as other nonintegrated primitive reflexes that I’ve mentioned before) can be overcome. When my students pair their learning programs such as Interactive Metronome with RMT for reflex integration, I often see a significant improvement in their focus, coordination and attention. Feel free to ask me about RMT and primitive reflexes if you’d like to learn more!

Keiki Success: Meet Kai - Say Goodbye to ADHD

Kai was diagnosed at 5 years old with moderate ADHD, displaying the usual suspects: inability to focus, being argumentative and unwilling to sing or learn anything at pre-school. He didn't take well to his teacher's corrections which only made problems worse. He was well behind in his progress compared to his peers, and he displayed some characteristics of an immature sensory processing system as he was extremely sensitive to loud noises and bright lights. 

His mother was hesitant to put him on medication because of his age – most doctors wait until the child is at least 7 years old before they prescribe anything. However, his parents knew that if he was 7 years old, his diagnosis would have been severe, rather than moderate, ADHD. Thankfully, they were not willing to wait until he turned 7. They wanted to be proactive for their child and refused to take the “wait and see” approach…good for them!

We started Interactive Metronome and primitive reflex integration in July 2015 and added Rhythmic Movement Training a few months after his start date. Kai and I worked together three times a week. It was a challenge, as he would become easily irritated and emotional during our sessions together, and required a great deal of hand over hand assistance. He was unable to manage a ball or execute many motor tasks, and wasn’t interested in trying new activities. He simply gave up with any sort of challenge.

But it only took 6 weeks of training for Kai to show significant improvement! He was able to take a 7-hour plane trip without disruptive behavior, and as any parent of a child with ADHD can attest, that is a huge milestone.

Kai began kindergarten in September and by December, his teacher told his parents that Kai had become the most improved student in class. This is a miracle, especially because he has to work 3 times as hard as his peers to be their academic equal. Over the holidays, he was able to memorize his lines for the Thanksgiving skit performance and speak clearly and loudly in front of the whole audience. He even participated and sang carols for Christmas. His handwriting has significantly improved and he’s now close to being able to read. 

We are still continuing our sessions, but I can see now that he can successfully finish the tasks assigned in our programs and he shows an interest and willingness to try something different. His coordination is now just as good as other 6 year olds and he readily accepts and looks forward to a challenge. At home, he has become less argumentative and more cooperative. He can go to restaurants with the family and actually enjoy these outings in public. Loud noises also do not bother him as much.

I am so proud of Kai and the improvement he’s made in just 6 months. Not only that, but his parents did an amazing job encouraging him and staying committed to helping him overcome his symptoms!

Go Kai!

Exercise to Reduce Symptoms of ADHD

We all know that exercise is a good thing. Working out for just 30 minutes a day can make a world of difference – strengthening your heart, relieving stress and boosting metabolism.

But it turns out that exercise isn’t just for toning up or losing weight. It can help resolve symptoms which are common to ADHD, such as hyperactivity, poor academic performance, and lack of mental focus. According to this Atlantic article, researches of the University of Illinois shared that physical activity shows important enhancement of cognitive performance and brain function, especially for those who are hyperactive and have ADHD.

The article states, “The improvements in this case came in executive control, which consists of inhibition (resisting distraction, maintaining focus), working memory, and cognitive flexibility (switching between tasks).”

The difference between two groups of kids who did the exercise program and those who didn’t were extremely dramatic. Those who did, showed vast improvement in brain processing capacity and mental workload during cognitive tasks that required executive control in children.

The articles talks about how millions of kids are immediately introduced to medication such as amphetamines and other stimulants to address ADHD. In fact, between 2007 to 2011, the number of prescriptions increased from 34.8 to 48.4 million, which is an almost frightening increase. Based on this research, scholars are starting to propose that it might be a better idea to start implementing exercise into these kids’ lifestyles, instead of simply resorting to medication, which can cause unwanted side effects, such as stomach pain, low appetite and sleeplessness.

So, if it’s one of your new year’s resolutions to exercise more in 2016…good for you! Try incorporating more exercise routines into your and your child’s life, and see how working out might help reduce ADHD symptoms. You can read the full article in the link below.

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/09/exercise-seems-to-be-beneficial-to-children/380844/?utm_source=SFFB

Let's Be Doers In 2016!

Happy New Year! What are your plans for today? I hope that they involve friends and family, good food, reflecting onto the old year – both the good and the bad – and looking forward to the new one.

It’s popular around this time of year to start making resolutions: Eat healthier, lose more weight, exercise more, spend time with family. These goals are great, but we all know that they tend to take the backseat, especially when life happens. And every year, life just seems to happen. We get busy with work, our autistic child seems to not be improving as quickly as we had hoped, our kids get in trouble at school, our car breaks down. The list goes on, and our resolutions are never completed.

So, I propose that we make it our new year’s resolution to simply act. This year, I want to throw away the “wait-and-see” approach and start making steps towards the “act now” approach. That way, our other goals can also be accomplished. No more setting things aside for another day. No more waiting to see what happens.

Of course, I’m not saying rush into situations or to act rashly. By all means, make a pro-and-con list and do your research. When it comes to your child’s particular challenges, make sure you’ve covered all the bases. Make a list of his or her symptoms and see which treatment or program matches his or her needs the best. Remember, you have to be able to maintain any brain training programs in order to see significant and permanent changes.

Back in October, I talked about the academic gap, and how a 2011 study by the American Education Research Association presented that “a student who can’t read on grade level by 3rd grade is four times less likely to graduate by the age of 19 than a child who does read proficiently by that time.”

The academic gap can only widen and worsen. That’s why it’s so important to act now! Let’s make this year the year you do something about your child, whether he or she needs a new program or a tweak in the present one. The longer you wait, the worse the symptoms can become down the road. That alone should be enough for action! Already started on a program? Let’s make a commitment for your child to complete his or her training this year!

Here’s to 2016, everyone. Together, let’s make it a good one!

How ADHD May Be Connected to the Spinal Galant Reflex

What happens when you touch a hot stove? Your body immediately reacts by jerking your hand away, protecting you with unconscious muscle movements called reflexes. It’s an automatic movement that is a response to a certain stimuli, like heat from the stove.

Babies have similar reflexes called primitive reflexes which help them process incoming sensory stimuli,  develop good posture and core strength for crawling and sitting (and eventually walking), as well as eye teaming and hand - eye coordination to name a few things.  You can scroll back to previous blog posts to learn more! The most important thing to remember is that primitive reflexes are meant to disappear most often within the first year.

Today, I want to focus on the Spinal Galant Reflex. Together with another primitive reflex called the Moro reflex, the spinal galant reflex has been found to be directly linked to ADHD if it is retained past its integration time.

This reflex encourages movement and range of motion in the hip, to prepare the baby for walking and crawling. Babies will curve their hip outward if the lower back is stroked next to the spine. Some doctors also believe that the spinal galant reflex helps prompt urination, which is why babies urinate when their diapers are secured around their hips.

This reflex should be present until around 9 months. However, if it is retained beyond this point, the child can show problems such as bed-wetting, fidgeting and an inability to sit still. Short-term memory loss and an inability to concentrate can also be symptoms of retained spinal galant reflex.

These symptoms should sound familiar – they are often the same problems that we see in children who have ADHD. The good news is that the brain is plastic, meaning it can be retrained through specific repetitive re-patterning or movement therapy. The brain can be encouraged to develop the mature patterns which should have been formed during infancy by taking the body through the physical motions of the developmental stage which was skipped. This results in the release and replacement of primitive reflexes with higher-level reflexes, and can even cure ADHD. You’ll be amazed to see how brain training and movement therapy can improve your child’s symptoms! 

Help for Attention, Dyslexia and Writing in 10 Minutes a Day

Ever heard of Harald Blomberg? He’s a significant figure in the field of child psychiatry; a Swedish doctor who’s responsible for introducing rhythmic movement training (RMT). For students with developmental and intellectual disabilities, RMT is a great program that targets people with retained primitive reflexes. We’ve talked about primitive reflexes quite a bit over the couple weeks – you can scroll down to read more in my past blog posts if you need to brush up!

But Blomberg didn’t create this program on his own. He was inspired by a Swedish body therapist, Kerstin Linde. When he first met her, Blomberg wanted to overcome his own motor difficulties caused by childhood polio. As Linde’s treatment helped him improve significantly, he asked her if he could sit in during her other treatments, especially for children who suffered from severe neurological challenges.

His research, together with observing Linde’s treatments, made him conclude that spontaneous rhythmic baby movements were of fundamental importance for both motor abilities and development of many faculties, such as speech, emotions and visions. Repeating these movements later on in life could help children and adults who suffer from developmental and intellectual disabilities.

RMT can improve motor abilities and motor control such as coordination, muscle tone and, as I just mentioned, integration of primitive reflexes. It can even help with attention difficulties, hyperactivity, reading and writing. This is because stimulation and linking up different parts of the brain caused by the rhythmic exercises.

In order for RMT to be effective, exercises usually are conducted at least five days a week regularly, and permanent changes might take up to three to six months. For children with more severe challenges, it could take up to a year or more.

Let’s use the example of a child with ADD or ADHD. RMT exercises can be done for 10 to 15 minutes every day. With the help of an instructor and a home program, the child imitates the rhythmic movements that the infant spontaneously make. After continuous exercises, RMT can increase the muscle tone of the extensor muscles, stimulate the nerve nets of the brainstem, cerebellum and more. This can cause the attention and concentration to improve and hyperactivity and impulsivity to decrease. Body posture, breathing and endurance can also improve, helping the child have better focus and body coordination. 

We initiated a RMT challenge over the Christmas holiday break from school with some of our students.  Learn 2 Focus families who had 20 minutes a day agreed to participate.  Positive responses are starting to trickle in already!  Be watching for my follow up blog next month which will go over the final results of the challenge.

Attention, Reading and Writing Challenges? Maybe It's the STNR

Merry almost Christmas! I know that we’ve talked about primary reflexes quite a bit during the past couple weeks. And I just want to say…we’re only covering just a few of them! Did you know that there are actually more than 70 primary reflexes in babies? It is incredible to think about how intricate and complex our bodies are made, and that even the slightest imbalance, such as one reflex retaining when it shouldn’t, can cause such a ripple effect to our learning capabilities down the road.

Today, I wanted to share about the Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR). It’s a fancy name for a reflex that’s extremely important in the baby’s developmental stage. Basically, it’s a bridging reflex that helps the baby transition from lying on the floor to being able to crawl.

So how does it work? First, STNR helps the baby separate his or her automatic movement of the head from the movement of the arms and legs. When the baby is born, the movements of the head, arms and legs are initially not completely independent of each other. It’s STNR that helps unlink these movements, and we as parents get to see the baby make its first exciting transition to the wide world of crawling!

However, if STNR remains in the baby past its 8 to 12-month integration point, it can cause difficulties later in life. For example, the baby may grow up to have poor posture, headaches from muscle tension and—perhaps most detrimental to his or her schooling—difficulty reading, writing and sitting still. Other signs of unintegrated STNR include vision disorders and having trouble focusing on tasks.

Do these symptoms sound familiar? Maybe your child has STNR or another primary reflex that hasn’t integrated yet. It’s easy to assume our child has one kind of disorder or another, and quickly resort to using medication or focusing only on a specific training program. However, I know that as a parent, we want to know all the factors. We want to have all the knowledge that is out there to help our child. And as we’ve been discussing, these primary reflexes potentially play significant roles in our child’s learning difficulties. If that’s the case, reflex training such as the rhythmic movement training (RMT) can help. I’ve seen incredible progress in my students with RMT, and want to encourage you to consider it as an additional program. Let’s see your child become a success story! 

Help! My ADHD Kid is Always on the Computer

Have you ever wondered if your kids really have ADHD? They can spend hours on the TV, glued to the screen. They can spend the entire day on the computer playing games or on the Internet. How is that they have the ability to give the screen so much attention and focus, when any other tasks seem to fall out of the picture?

According to this New York Times article (link below), attention to the screen is actually a symptom of ADHD. The article states, “The kind of concentration that children bring to video games and television is not the kind they need to thrive in school or elsewhere in real life, according to Dr. Christopher Lucas, associate professor of child psychiatry at New York University school of Medicine. ‘It’s not sustained attention in the absence of rewards,’ he said. ‘It’s sustained attention with frequent intermittent rewards.’”

However, there is another side to the cause-and-effect loop. Often, kids who have problems socializing may revert to the screen to seek out electronic companionship. They spend more time alone on the Internet and in the virtual world. It’s a two-way street.

In addition to issues with attention and socialization, researchers believe too much computer time may cause advanced nearsightedness.  Though heredity seems to play a significant role in the development of myopia in childhood, some research suggests that computer eye strain may be involved.

To see clearly up close, the eye has to exert focusing effort. Some researchers feel that fatigue caused by excessive focusing can lead to changes within the eye  that cause myopia. And experts agree that focusing on images on a computer screen causes greater eye fatigue than reading normal print in a book or magazine.

While I believe that the Internet can be used for good – we have virtual Learn 2 Focus programs for our students! – I also strongly believe that too much screen time can be detrimental to the child’s well-being. In fact, abnormal amount of time in the virtual world can worsen the child’s social interaction with the real world.

My suggestion is pretty straightforward. Limit screen time. The amount depends on your child of course, but consider limiting it to less than two hours a day. Replace television or video with reading, games with family activities, like board games or card games, going to the park, attend a free community event (check out Honolulu Family’s online calendar at http://www.honolulufamily.com/calendar!) or even start a new home project together, like remodeling their room, planting a garden, or learning a new sport. Be creative! It might take a little more work, but consider making the effort and see how your family might become closer during this holiday season.

New York Times Article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/10/health/views/10klass.html?_r=0

Dyslexia, ADHD, Delayed Processing? Maybe It's the ATNR

Onto the next primitive reflex!

As I’ve been sharing, primitive reflexes, or infantile reflexes, begin developing from the time the child is in the uterus. They are repetitive, involuntary or automatic movements in response to stimuli that are essential for the baby’s healthy development. As the baby grows, ideally these primitive reflexes will no longer be active and disappear as they become unnecessary. However, if primitive reflexes are still present at a certain age, it can be a sign of damage to the central nervous system.

The Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR) is one such primitive reflex. It starts in the uterus at about 18 weeks after conception, and remains with the newborn for around 6 months. You (or doctors) can tell if the reflex is working if the arm and leg on one side extends when the head is turned to the left or right while the baby is on its back. If the head turns to the right, the right arm and leg will automatically extend. At the same time, the left arm and leg will both flex. It’s actually called the fencing reflex because the baby looks like he or she is fencing!

So why do we need the ATNR? It helps develop hand-eye coordination, muscle tone and the vestibular system in the womb before birth, and also helps with the birthing process by inhibiting the limb movement.

A retained ATNR though, can prevent a baby from making certain movement patterns and limb movements. If ATNR is too strongly retained, it could even cause physical problems in the child’s bone development. In addition, a retained ATNR could impact and delay the child’s social and emotional progress, affecting his or her ability to function well at school and can be associated with dyslexia and ADHD. Reflex Movement Training (RMT) can help the child overcome these issues.  Most students who come to us for Interactive Metronome are also placed on a home RMT program.  The combination of these two movement and rhythm programs are very powerful at addressing the root causes of attention, processing, and challenges associated with dyslexia or coordination disorders. 

Auditory and Visual Processing Disorders: What's the Cause?

Are you ready to learn about another major primitive reflex?

Today we’re going to talk about the tonic labryinthine reflex (TLR), but first, a quick refresher: Primitive reflexes, or infantile reflexes, begin developing from the time the child is in the uterus. They are repetitive, involuntary or automatic movements in response to stimuli that are essential for the baby’s healthy development. As the baby grows, ideally these primitive reflexes will no longer be active and disappear as they become unnecessary. However, if primitive reflexes are still present at a certain age, it can be a sign of nervous system damage or lesions in the brain.

The tonic labryinthe reflex (TLR) acts as a means of helping the baby learn about gravity. While it starts developing inside the mother’s uterus, it’s a way for the baby to master head and neck control once he or she is outside the womb. Not only does this reflex help the baby practice balance, but it also increases muscle tone and develops coordination, posture and correct head alignment.

This reflex should become integrated by the time the child is six months old. If the reflex remains activated, the child may experience balance and coordination difficulties, hunched posture, poor muscle tone, difficulty judging distance, depth, space and speed, visual, speech and auditory difficulties and more.

I’ve spoken to many parents who come to me for help, and I admire their determination to find a reason why their child may be suffering from ADHD, autism or other developmental disorders. Sometimes, this cause is illusive and little seems to help. Yet when we address primitive reflexes, more often than not, we see positive changes begin to occur in challenges which appeared to be quite resistant. Frequently, the results of a reflex integration program create a rapid turn around.  

Here's just one quick story: This past summer a 6 year old child with ADHD  and sensory processing issues came to see me, and we started him on a reflex integration program, along with Interactive Metronome. The result? He was off his meds within six weeks! His parents took a break from the exercises before the reflexes were fully integrated, and the child’s issues began cropping up again. We went back to the home reflex program, and his challenges again completely disappeared both in school at at home! It was again very apparent to see that residual primitive reflexes can have an effect on our children’s problems.

The takeaway? There is nothing more uplifting than seeing brain training and reflex training all the through to the end, and seeing improvements in the child. I just want to encourage all parents: You are the driving force behind your child’s betterment. When you and I both are committed to training and following up on home exercises, great things happen. Let’s keep moving forward in helping our kids achieve their true potential!

ADHD Medication - Is It Worth It?

I firmly believe that ADHD can be overcome without the use of medication. One of the best things about the brain training programs at Learn 2 Focus is that everything is “natural,” so to speak. All the programs we use consist of tried-and-true methods and exercises developed by neuroscientists that our students can practice in the office or at home, gradually rewiring and developing the way they think and the way their neuronal pathways work. No medication or chemicals are ingested – the transformation begins from the inside, and not from anything the child is prescribed.

And yes, while ADHD medication can in certain instances temporarily curb restlessness, impulsivity and inattention, the side effects are frequently a hefty price to pay. I've had students actually miss school because of the side effects of ADHD medication, especially due to stomach problems, headaches, and aggressive outbursts. One child became violent and kicked out his family's windshield twice in 3 weeks before they decided to halt his 3rd medication trial and switch exclusively to brain training. Other effects include decreased appetite, delayed growth, sleep problems, rebounding effects, tics, irritability and moodiness. In the rare, severe occasions, the child could experience heart problems as well.

If you recognize any of these side effects, I strongly recommend trying an alternative method that might have less of a health impact on your child. Two students came to me this past year with what looked like Tourette’s, but it was actually their ADHD medication that was causing tics. The children are currently off the medications now, and are doing great with Interactive Metronome and reflex integration program! 

The good news is that the stimulation medications for ADHD are short acting, which means that they do not stay in the body for a long period. As soon as your child stops taking the meds, possible side-effects will also cease.

For more information about ADHD medication, you can visit http://www.childmind.org/en/posts/articles/2014-5-6-what-we-know-long-term-effects-adhd-medication.

Sensory and Behavior Issues: Could It Be the Moro Reflex?

Last week, I introduced primitive reflexes in my blog as an important factor in what may be causing or contributing to symptoms associated with autism, ADHD and other developmental disorders in children.

Here’s a brief recap: Primitive reflexes, or infantile reflexes, begin developing from the time the child is in the uterus. They are repetitive, involuntary or automatic movements in response to stimuli that are essential for the baby’s healthy development. As the baby grows, ideally these primitive reflexes will no longer be active and disappear as they become unnecessary. However, if primitive reflexes are still present at a certain age, it can be a sign of nervous system dis-regulation which pervasively affects sensory processing, behavior and cognitive skills.  

One of the major primitive reflexes is called Moro Reflex or infantile startle reflex.

The Moro Reflex acts as a baby’s primitive fight/flight reaction. Sudden head movements on a vertical plane – forward and backward- will initiate the Moro reaction. Most doctors will probably check for the reaction during your infant’s first visits. First, the doctor will probably place the child on a soft, padded surface. The head is released suddenly, allowed to fall backward and quickly supported. If the reflex is functioning, the baby will have a startled look, the baby’s arms would move sideways with palms up and he or she may cry for a minute. As the reflex ends, the infant draws its arms back to the body with elbows flexed, and then relaxes.  

By the time the baby is four months old, the Moro reflex should disappear. If a child experiences a retained Moro reflex after he or she turns four months, there is a possibility that he or she is over sensitive and over reactive to sensory stimulus. This means poor impulse control, sensory overload, anxiety and emotions and social immaturity. Other signs include motion sickness, poor balance, poor coordination, easily distracted, a lack of an ability to adapt to change and mood swings.

The Moro Reflex may also become activated due to trauma or injury.  We have seen children and teens develop challenges with the Moro after accidents and sports related injury.

At Learn 2 Focus, the Moro is one of the retained reflexes we see most frequently in our students - young and old alike.  As we address the Moro through specific exercises, the students stress is reduced, sensory issues decrease, and their challenging behaviors diminish.  It is a relatively easy issue to deal with, yet the most frequently overlooked.

Accelerate Learning During Winter Break

In the holiday spirit of giving, I’m excited to announce that Learn 2 Focus is offering winter promotions for two of our Language and Literacy programs, Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant! If you purchase 1 year of Fast ForWord from now until December 11th, you’ll receive 1 year of Reading Assistant for free -- a $700 value savings.

We also have a second second winter break promotion for Cogmed (3 licenses only at the reduced cost, so don't wait). Regularly priced at $1500, we are offering Cogmed for $899 from now through December 11th.  The program spans for only 5 weeks – it’s a fast in, fast out solution for a working memory deficit frequently associated with ADHD.

Fast ForWord

Fast ForWord program bases its approach on scientific evidence that suggests many language challenges are the result of the brain failing to process sounds correctly. Training focuses on helping your child hear and process the sounds and distinguish between phonemes — the basic building blocks of language. Beginning at artificially slow speeds and gradually increasing to normal speech patterns, your child learns to process sounds rapidly in order to overcome his or her auditory processing challenges.

The Fast ForWord Language programs allow for dramatic improvement in reading and writing scores while focusing on memory, attention, processing and sequencing. When you or your child begins the Fast ForWord program, you will follow a differentiated learning path based on age and assessment results. As you continue with the program, the training software constantly adapts to your level so you won’t become frustrated or bored.

Reading Assistant

RA is the only reading program that “listens” to students as they read out loud, intervenes when students falter and automatically scores students’ oral reading. When a student has difficulty reading a word, RA provides a visual cue. If the student does not self-correct, the software intervenes by pronouncing the word. Where other programs record a student’s audio but still need someone to review it, RA immediately gives feedback to students and generates daily reports for parents. Students who use the RA program can improve their reading grade level up to 50 percent more than students receiving classroom instruction alone. If your child is struggling to read at his or her grade level, you can begin using RA for immediate progress.

Cogmed

Cogmed Working Memory Training is an evidence-based program designed to help children, adolescents and adults train their working memory to significantly improve attention. With enhanced working memory, clients become more focused and less distraction-prone and are better able to remember instructions, plan next steps, and start and finish tasks. For adults, this means enhanced professional performance and attentional stamina. School-age kids who undergo Cogmed training experience improved social skills, improved reading and math comprehension and better academic results. 

For more information about these programs and how they might help you and your child, please contact us at susi@learn2focus.com or call 808-352-0116.

Keiki Success Spotlight: Meet Ryder

Ryder is one of my students who displayed poor reading skills, comprehension, a short attention span and slow processing skills. He couldn’t keep a beat – poor time perception skills – and had attended a special education program at his public school, all through 4th grade. After transferring to a small Catholic school in 5th grade, he began 2 years of direct 1:1 tutoring 3 days a week. But the results were not satisfactory: He still remained more than 2 years behind his peers in all his subjects.

When I met Ryder, he was 12 years old and his parents were eager to have him improve in time for 7th grade in the fall. Although I normally have my students begin with just one program at a time, they requested we start immediately with Interactive Metronome, Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant.

Partly due to slow processing of both the written and verbal language, the Fast ForWord Reading Progress Indicator assessed him nearly 3 grade levels below his peers. Despite graphics designed to please younger children, I placed him in Language V2 for Fast ForWord and adjusted his Reading Assistant to lower elementary school level, so he could succeed at fluency and build his confidence. His mom and dad were his daily coaches, taking turns during home training sessions.

The results were remarkable. He also responded particularly well to Interactive Metronome’s combined use of auditory and visual cues, and quickly progressed to cognitive loading tasks. He progressed through Fast ForWord's Reading V2 in a little less than a month, completing 90-minute sessions 5 days a week.  Ryder also completed more than 40 minutes a day of Reading Assistant 3 times a week.  Once Language V2 was finished, he moved into the Fast ForWord Language to Reading program.  Within a month and making outstanding progress, I advanced Ryder into Literacy.  His reading and comprehension climbed during the 7 weeks of Reading Assistant and he was ready for the challenge, so I moved him into passages geared toward 4th through 6th grade.  By then, he was scoring 90 to 100 percent on his comprehension quizzes.

Summer afforded him the time to apply himself without homework pressure. As a side note, many kids at Learn 2 Focus begin their training programs during winter, spring or summer breaks, so they can maximize several solid weeks of daily work and jumpstart the program. Once school begins, they scale down to 30 to 50 minutes a day depending on their schedules.

At the end of summer, Ryder cut his training time back due to homework. When he returned to school, his teachers couldn't believe the changes that had occurred over the summer.  He was quickly closing the academic gap in reading and comprehension, and he had higher self-esteem because of his successes. Ryder's improved confidence has spilled out of the classroom and he willingly joined a soccer team again - the first time since he was 6 years old. Although he still tends to be quiet and reserved, he is learning to be a better communicator and he now responds promptly without delay. His ability to follow instructions has helped him in both academics and on the soccer field.

Today, he’s progressed to his grade level for Reading Assistant and reads with good fluency skills.  With more time available to concentrate on Fast ForWord during winter break, Ryder will start the final language program, Literacy Advanced, and transition to the higher level reading programs in the spring.  

In Spring 2016, Ryder will be testing for entry into several larger private schools for 8th grade. I have no doubt that he’ll succeed! Good job, Ryder!

How Reflex Integration Can Organize the Brain

I shared about primitive reflexes last week, and how specific training that focuses on these reflexes can improve neurological learning challenges such as ADD/ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and more. There are two of these training programs that I’d like to talk about today: Quantum Reflex Integration (QRI) and Rhythmic Movement Training (RMT).

Quantum Reflex Integration:

Quantum Reflex Integration (QRI) is an innovative method that targets many primitive reflexes such as the Asymmetrical Tonic and the Moro Reflex. Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex is active up to 6 months old, when it is integrated, and helps develop muscle tone, kicking movements and balancing mechanisms. The Moro Reflex is a primitive reflex that helps the infant hold the correct vertical and horizontal positions of the head for the first two months of life. It should be active only from 2 to 4 months of age before it’s integrated into the brain. There are many of these types of infantile reflexes, and over the next few weeks I will be reviewing some of the more common ones. As I discussed in the previous blog post, if these reflexes are still active when they shouldn’t, they can cause neurological challenges.

QRI combines sound (harmonious frequencies) and light (Low Level Cold Laser Therapy) to revolutionize the way reflexes are integrated.  Cold lasers are combined with the integration of primitive reflex patterns via acupressure points and improvements are seen in cognition, behavior, emotional stability and movement. Eye tracking, eye-hand coordination, hand strength and grasping, as well as movement, are often visibly improved in 2 – 3 sessions. 

Rhythmic Movement Training

At Learn 2 Focus, I offer a second training program that target primitive reflexes, influenced by Rhythmic Movement Training (RMT). It’s a system of gentle movements and reflex integration activities for developing emotional balance, ease of movement, learning ability and sensory integration. For more than 30 years, these movements have been helping children and adults overcome learning, sensory, motor, emotional, social, mental health, physical and behavioral challenges.

I find the combination of QRI and RMT is particularly useful for children and adults with challenges including ADD/ADHD, dyslexia, coordination difficulties, developmental, speech and learning delays, sensory processing disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders and many other challenges. In addition, it can benefit those with emotional/behavioral challenges, anxiety and panic.  

Children and teens who seem particularly "stuck" or challenged while working through other programs like Interactive Metronome show faster results when QRI and RMT are also incorporated.

For more information, visit www.rhythmicmovement.com.

Primitive Reflexes: Are These the Cause of Your Child's Academic or Behavioral Challenges?

Today I’d like to talk about residual primitive reflexes and how they impact ADHD and other neurological challenges. Almost 100 percent of the kids I see test positive for certain primary reflexes, when these reflexes should be no longer developmentally appropriate.

So, what are they?

Primitive reflexes, or infantile reflexes, begin developing from the time the child is in the mother’s womb. They are repetitive, involuntary or automatic movements in response to stimuli that are essential for development of head control, muscle tone, sensory integration and overall development. They’re necessary to protect the fetus, aid the birthing process and contribute later to mature postural reflexes. 

As the baby grows, ideally these primitive reflexes will no longer be active. The practice of these movements do their intended job and movements become more controlled and voluntary. Basically, they should disappear when they are no longer needed. However, if primitive reflexes are still present at a certain age, it can be a sign of nervous system damage or brain damage.

A Quote from MedLinePlus:

“Absent or abnormal reflexes in an infant, persistence of a reflex past the age where the reflex is normally lost, or redevelopment of an infantile reflex in an older child or adult may suggest significant central nervous system, nerve trunk, or peripheral nerve problems.”

I’ve found that there is a lot of interest and new research surrounding this relationship between neuro-developmental disorders like Aspergers or ADHD and the retention of developmentally inappropriate primitive reflexes.  

Throughout the next couple weeks, I’d like to introduce some of the major primitive reflexes and assigned exercises that I can do for your child, using such methods as Quantum Reflex Integration and Rhythmic Movement Training. Stay tuned!

How the Brain Keeps Time

We’ve talked about time intervals in past blogs. It’s an important part of Learn 2 Focus’ brain-training programs, and enables our kids to pay attention, play the piano, play sports or hold a conversation. Take inTime for example, which uses beat and rhythm-based music to stimulate awareness of time intervals - or Interactive Metronome which uses auditory and visual rhythmic cues to create neural pathways which improve skills associated with executive function.

Neuroscientists at MIT and Columbia University have now figured out how neurons in one part of the brain measure time intervals and accurately reproduce them. Check out my five key takeaways from this article:

http://news.mit.edu/2015/neuron-firing-patterns-underlie-time-measurement-brain-1008

1.    The lateral intraparietal cortex (LIP) plays a role in sensorimotor function, and represents elapsed time, as animals measure and then reproduce a time interval. Firing patterns of population of neurons in the LIP could coordinate sensory and motor aspects of timing.

2.    Jazayeri, who joined the MIT faculty in 2013, began studying timing in the brain by testing humans’ ability to measure and reproduce time using a task called “ready, set, go.” In this experiment, the subject measures the time between two flashes (“ready” and “set”) and then presses a button (“go”) at the appropriate time — that is, after the same amount of time that separated the “ready” and “set.”

3.    From these studies, he discovered that people do not simply measure an interval and then reproduce it. Rather, after measuring an interval they combine that measurement, which is imprecise, with their prior knowledge of what the interval could have been. This prior knowledge, which builds up as they repeat the task many times, allows people to reproduce the interval more accurately.

4.    To find out what happens in the brain during this process, Jazayeri recorded neuronal activity in the LIP of monkeys trained to perform the same task. When the interval is short, the slope during the second phase is steep. This allows the activity to increase quickly so that the animal can produce a short interval. When the interval is longer, the slope is gentler and it takes longer to reach the time of response.

5.    While LIP represents time during interval reproduction, Jazayeri believes that tracking time occurs throughout brain circuits that connect subcortical structures such as the thalamus, basal ganglia, and cerebellum to the cortex.

Autism: What's Your Child Eating?

When it comes to autism, we often think about ways to cure the disease from the outside, and forget about factors as simple as diet. Dr. Katherine Reid, an entrepreneur, biochemist and mother of five, talks about the changes she made in her daughter’s diet and the improvements she saw.

1.      Dr. Reid first introduced nutritional supplements such as multi vitamin, B complexes, Vitamin D, magnesium, omega 3s and probiotics. Results? Her daughter increased eye contact and showed a heightened awareness of the outside environment, where she’d respond to her name and turn her head when other people spoke.

2.      On the second phase, Dr. Reid switched to a popular diet which many families whose children have autism adopt called the gluten-free casein-free (GFCF) diet.  In this phase, she removed wheat and other sources of gluten, as well as dairy products from her daughter’s foods. Within six months, her daughter’s social and communication skills had improved and imaginary play had been initiated. There were milder sensory perception distortions and she discontinued extreme repetitive behaviors.

3.      Finally, Dr. Reid rationalized that the improvements seen in the GFCF diet were due to lowering levels of reduced free glutamate, an amino acid that is excessively found in today’s diet, thanks to sodium. She incorporated the Low Glutamate Diet. Glutamate can be found in products like bouillon, calcium caseinate, citric acid, pectin, MSG and more. This excess causes chronic activation of different functions in the brain, related to autism and other neurodegenerative diseases.

After incorporating this final phase in her diet, her daughter’s repetitive behaviors disappeared, her social and communication skills became equal to her peers, her sensory perceptions distortions were no longer evident, and she showed an inquisitive, curious personality to her world.

You can watch the video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL4SD5f2toQ

About Dr. Katherine Reid:

Dr. Katherine Reid is an entrepreneur, biochemist, and mother of five. Through her research and trial and error, Dr. Reid determined that certain foods were associated with her daughter's autistic behaviors. She started a nonprofit business, Unblind My Mind, dedicated to helping others improve health through improved diet. We are what we eat, but what are we eating? Dr. Reid takes us on an intriguing journey of diet changes that diminished her daughter's autistic behaviors. She reveals an association between a common ingredient in the Western diet and many chronic illnesses that plague a number of countries. Dr. Reid tells the story that lead to her founding Unblind My Mind.