Cognitive Training - A Positive Approach to Learning Disabilities

Our children are under enormous pressure to performmust process information fast and efficiently. Fully
in school based on predetermined benchmarks ordeveloped cognitive skills are at the core of this
goals. The comparison of a child with the majority ofability to process information. Cognitive abilities
his or her peers seems a necessary evil in the schooldetermine how well we can perform mental, visual,
system - to determine success or failure. Studentsand physical tasks. For example, the amount of time
are considered successful when their grades andit takes for our eye to scan a line of print in a book,
performance are on the same level or above that ofhow fast and accurately we comprehend the
their contemporaries. It would be wonderful if thereinformation we read, how well we can recall
was more wiggle room and children could work atinformation for taking a test, or how well we can
their own pace, some slower and some faster, but infollow instructions, are all cognitive related functions.
most school settings this is seldom possible. TeachersA student may know all the words in a book, but to
must give grade students based on majorityread fast and comprehend the information requires
performance. Those who fall short of thesegood cognitive ability. Slow processing can cause a
established guidelines are labeled slow learners orchild to fail an assignment even though he or she
learning disabled. Thousands of parents each year areknows the answers because there is a time limit.
told their child has a learning problem or disability;Some children lean on good cognitive skills to
although, the majority of these children will testcompensate for poor ones, such as taking copious
normal or above normal on IQ tests.notes because memory or visualization skills are poor.
Many children with problems are receiving extra helpThe ability to follow steps and directions in sequence,
through tutoring or have been placed in specialproblem solving, as well as logic and reasoning skills
education classes, as well as, being placed onare all cognitive related skills and abilities.
medication. Often, these remedies are not producingMuch like a weight lifter increases in strength and
the permanent results that parents and teachers hadmuscle capacity through weight training; cognitive
expected. Time is enemy for these children who aretraining increases the brain's ability and capacity to
struggling and discouraged. Each day millions oflearn through intense training, in a short period of
parents are told their child has a learning disability.time. As more and more information is relegated or
Learning disabilities usually consist of two or more offorced to the subconscious or automatic level of
the following problems:lack of attention andlearning through intense training: a child's learning
concentrationmakes careless mistakesslow finishingcapacity expands and the ability to absorb
workslow processing speedlong and short-terminformation quickly and accurately increases. Visual
memory problemsworks extra hard to keep up withand mental processing, long and short term memory,
everyone elseshows signs of depression,visualization and visual memory, concentration,
discouragement and lack of self-esteemseemsimultaneous and sequential processing, as well as
disinterested in schoolwill not try anymore.showslogic and reasoning skills are enhanced and developed
signs of Dyslexia, ADD or ADHDthrough cognitive training.
These are only a few of the debilitating problems ofOne-on-one individualized cognitive training yields
a child with a learning disability. The questions aboutdramatic and permanent results in a short period of
this subject are haunting parents and teachers alike.time. Children are able to work at their own pace and
Why are some children performing below theirthe nature of the program produces self-motivation.
potential? Why does one child, with the same IQ andThe competition for the child is in the race to exceed
background as another, read and comprehendthe goal accomplished in the last session. Confidence
material faster than another; or why does one childgrows as each session brings a measure of success.
make good grades on tests and finishes with time toCognitive training is beneficial for any student; but,
spare, while another child knows the answers butthe results are especially dramatic for children who
fails because he or she cannot finish the test withinhave a learning disability. Most children will exceed the
the time limit? Inevitably, these problems get worsestandard grade norm 2 years or more after training.
with time; with confidence and self-esteem issuesWith faster visual and mental processing speed,
mounting with each academic failure.enhanced memory and visualization skills, and the
To be successful in school, a child must be able toother cognitive related skills working at optimum
learn information swiftly and accurately, and be ablespeed; a child can tackle any academic subject and
to retain and recall the information. In short, a childsucceed!