NO ESY? Summer is a great time to
begin at-home feedback-based attention training or cognitive skills training
S. L. Crum, B.S., M.S., Ph.D.
Attention Training
So many children in need of Extended School Year Services are denied. If this is the case for your child, and you are wondering what you can do to help your child over the summer, you may want to consider feedback based attention training. I have found this intervention helpful not only for children with ADD/ADHD, but also for those with other disorder who have attention problems. As you can see, what you need is a computer, the Play Attention EEG sensor and interface box, your child and 40 minutes.
There are many children who take prescribed medications for attentional problems, and others whose parents are exploring that option. Medication can be a blessing when you feel your child is out of control or struggling needlessly; but they carry with them a range of possible side effects. So, many parents seek out alternative interventions. If you are interested in exploring a non pharmacological alternative with an excellent researched based track record for success in improve attention you may want to attend Unique Logic’s free webinar.
Unique Logic + Technology holds a free informational webinar every Wednesday evening at 9:00 PM EST. Interested parents may register for the event at http://www.playattention.com/seminars/?refid=drcrum
This FREE webinar discusses:
* The latest brain research on attention problems
* AD/HD and its relationship to the learning process
* Play Attention -- the most advanced learning system for students
with attention problems
* The latest developments in attention training and behavior shaping
with audience questions and answers immediately afterward
Introduction to the System
An educational tool for parents and teachers
Permit me to give you a brief introduction to this program. Play Attention is based on the work of Joel Lubar, Professor Emeritus Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee. He found that training children to increase the fast brainwaves (beta) and decrease the slow brainwaves (theta) over the sensory motor cortex improved attention, concentration, impulse control and memory. His system requires that a child work two to three times a week with a trained biofeedback technician certified in EEG biofeedback or neurofeedback.
Unique Logic has used this principal to develop an educational system that is designed to be used by parents or teachers in that it is simple to use and it focuses on improving specific skills that affect academic performance: the ability to attend for longer periods of time, the ability to concentrate on a moving target – like a teacher walking around the room, the ability to initiate focus quickly and sustain it until a task is complete, the ability to remember both auditory or visual sequences long enough to copy them, and the ability to process information selectively so you ignore the irrelevant stuff and focus on the critical stuff. Though this is based on the same principal as Joel Lubar’s work, with Play Attention the child’s experience is simply that they are controlling games by using their focus. The helmet transmits your child’s brainwaves to the computer, which gives your child a concrete visual referent for improved attention through the various characters in the games they are playing. It basically makes their attention tangible for them so they can learn to control it.
Benefits
Learn more with a free demonstration disc
From my perspective, there are two primary benefits of this system. First (according to the research) you get improvement that is equal to or better than improvement with medication in terms of success rate, but, with much greater longevity of benefit. Research shows that those who take medication are no better off after three years than those who were never treated with medication, but, with attention training of this type, it is like riding a bicycle: once you learn the skill, you can always use it. Second, there are no medication side effects, no medication rebounds after school, and no worry about medication interactions. Other benefits include the reduced cost of treatment versus a lifetime of medication; as well as the child’s improve ability to benefit from their program of general or special education.
For my clients, during the school year, the parent works two afternoons a week with the Play Attention (5 levels of 5 minutes each), and they consult with me once a month so we can make any necessary protocol adjustments as the child progresses, and so they can learn effective behavior shaping techniques to eliminate undesirable behaviors as their child’s capacity for self-control improves.
Personally, I really like to see this intervention done intensely over the summer. This avoid the problem of trying to fit it in around baseball, soccer, dance, church and everything else that goes on during the school year. During the summer, I suggest that parents consider feedback based attention training first thing in the morning every morning. While it is true that after the honeymoon period of seeing that their mind can control the screen, children begin to show resistance; but the summer is a perfect time to deal with this because parents can easily use the Premack Principal. “Before you do any fun activities, you have to do Play Attention.” You simply have to make doing anything the child likes (TV, Computer, playing with friends) contingent completing PlayAttention. Since this only takes 40 minutes from start to finish this can be done right after breakfast and then the rest of the day is free. If you have a typical 10 week summer break, you can get 70 sessions done in one summer, and your child will almost be done with their feedback based attention training by the end of the summer. In my practice, I often had children do the training 2x per day, once in the morning and once after lunch so they could complete the entire program over the summer and return to school ready to pay attention to their academics.
How to get more information
Learn more with participation in a free webinar
If you are interested in learning about this intervention, click on the link above to register for the free webinar. In the meanwhile, if you’d like to request a free demonstration CD, please visit: http://www.playattention.com/ABOUT-US/contact-us/?refid=drcrum
If you sign up for the webinar or order the free CD, please drop me an email at able2learn@live.com, so I can follow up with you in a few days to answer any lingering questions, and send you an annotated bibliography on this type of biofeedback.
For parents who are looking for to provide their children
with a more complete home program for the summer, please contact me at able2learn@live.com
to find out about the cognitive skills training program, Captain’s
Log. This program offers over 2000 hours of cognitive training and is a
researched based intervention to improve brain functioning. Just as research
shows that regular exercise boosts physical fitness, so cognitive exercise
books mental fitness. Captain’s Lof includes 40 different program
that stimulate the areas of the brain that are responsible for learning
abilities such as listening skills, self control, reasoning, hand-eye coordination,
listening skills and memory. This computerized cognitive rehabilitation
program includes lively graphics, instant feedback and exciting, entertaining
tasks to motivate children while they learn. I used this program in my practice
working with patients with TBI and ADHD and learning disorders for 20 years,
and highly recommend it. Parent’s can lease this program through www.Able2learn@clubspaces.com
for $495.00 per year and work with their children at home to develop these
skills at their own pace.
For children with auditory processing problem, you may want to look into
SoundSmart.. This program consists of three modules: This program was designed
by a clicinal psychologist in collaboration with a psychiatrist to improve
listening skills, following directions, phonemic awareness, working memory,
mental processing speed and impulse control. These are all crucial skills
for progressing academically. The auditory attention coach that progresses
from beginner through intermediate to advanced levels with spoken instructions
becoming increasingly complex. Math and Memory Coach which works to improve
memory by learning to do math in one’s head, and covers elementary
school math curriculum from K through 4, thought it has training all the
way to the adult level; and Sound Discrimination Coach which provides challenging
phonemic awareness drills to train the player to listen well under all types
of conditions. If you are interested in trying this program out, email me
at able2learn@live.com and I can send you a demo disk for a home trail for
$25.00.
If our child’s problems lie in the area of visual processing,
then you may want to explore SmartDriver Visual Attention Builder. This
is a stimulating and entertaining, non violent driving game. It builds both
cognitive skills and self-esteem in individuals ages 5 through adult who
have problems with visual processing, learning disabilities, TBI or ADHD.
It is a game situation where in order to win, you have to drive your car
successfully through progressively more difficult roads and driving situations.
It plays like a video game while developing important skills. For teenager
approaching driving age, it may even serve as a good transition preparation
tool. For those who need it, you can even use it with the USB Steering Wheel
with brake and accelerator pedals so they feel more like they are really
driving. Meanwhile, they will be improving visual attention and perception,
visual tracing and self-control as they progress through 90 progressive
levels of difficulty; and you have automatic detailed record-keeping of
their current level of performance. Since driving defensively is the only
way to win the game, children develop the ability to anticipate problems
and to connect cause and effect. If you feel this might be a good fit for
your child, I have a demo disks for $25 each that will permit you to try
the program out.
Presented as a community service by,
Susan L. Crum, B.S., M.S., Ph.D.
Special Needs Coach
Able2Learn
Email: Able2learn@live.com
Voice and Fax: 863-471-0281
Website: specialeducationsupport.org