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Help is Available in Upstate New York if Your Child is Struggling in School

9/27/2015

12 Comments

 
Written by Dr. Sheila Clonan
September 27, 2015 @ 9:30 am
Brain Cells
Recent neurological studies have given us greater insight into brain plasticity, or the brain’s ability to adapt or change in response to experience.  This is the science behind such popular brain exercise apps like LumosityTM and CognifitTM that aim to re-train the brain by making new connections in neural circuits.  The idea is that by engaging in intensive and repetitive exercises that are tailored for specific goals, skills like memory, cognitive processing, and attention can be improved.  The jury may still be out on the effectiveness of some of these self-administered apps, but there is good research and evidence that brain plasticity is real. There is also substantial evidence that working memory, the part of the brain function that is key in handling processing, can be definitively improved through intensive intervention.  This is good news for all, but especially for children who are struggling in school as a result of a learning disability that may have a direct connection to working memory.  Such learning disabilities among children include ADHD, Dyslexia, Auditory Processing Disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorders.   

​So, why is working memory so important for a child’s education?
  • It is one of the best predictors of academic achievement.
  • 80% of children who scored in the lowest 10% for working memory also experienced substantial problems in math, reading or both.
  • Working memory is commonly impaired in people with ADHD, dyslexia and other learning disabilities, and even in about fifteen percent of typical learners.
Does your child have working memory issues?
Consider the following. Does your child…
  • Have difficulties remembering long instructions or a chain of instructions (e.g. following directions or a cooking recipe)?
  • Have a hard time staying focused on (school) work if he/she isn’t extremely motivated?
  • Have a hard time with problems that require holding information in mind, such as math word problems or mental arithmetic?
  • Make more mistakes than other kids his age when trying to complete a task in a hurry?
  • Often seem to be on the go or hyperactive?
  • Have difficulty organizing tasks (e.g. planning the order in which tasks should be done, and knowing how long each will take to complete)?
  • Have difficulty taking in information in longer sentences, and need to read it several times to remember and understand content?
  • Very particular – so much so that everything takes a long time?
  • Have problems staying with the thread of a conversation or story (both listening and speaking)?
  • Often daydream in situations when she is expected to listen?
  • Have trouble organizing the daily details, such as starting and completing tasks, and arriving to places on time prepared?
  • Become easily distracted?
  • Have difficulty being on time or have a poor concept of time (e.g. has a poor understanding of how long an hour is and/or lose track of time easily)?
  • Often fidget and become restless or bored in situations that require focus and concentration?

If you answered yes to more than 4 items your child may have a working memory issue and be a candidate for brain re-training.
Cogmed Help
​One of the best interventions to come out of the field of brain plasticity has been Cogmed Working Memory Training. Cogmed is an evidence-based, computerized training program designed by leading neuroscientists to improve attention, concentration and focus by effectively increasing working memory capacity.  It is administered by certified professionals.  Eighty percent of Cogmed users improve their working memory by an average of 30%.  That is significant to a child who may need just a little help in turning learning, concentration and organization from a struggle into a pleasure. Here is a great story of a 4th grader that was on verge of changing schools until he received Cogmed help.

Dr. Sheila Clonan is a certified Cogmed Working Memory Training Coach and a Licensed Psychologist practicing in the Upstate New York areas surrounding Syracuse, Rochester, Utica, Binghamton and Watertown. By integrating Cogmed into her practice, Educational Solutions CNY, for child and adolescent testing, assessments, and reading interventions, Sheila can go beyond identifying learning problems and help set students on a path to success.  Cogmed can be administered remotely via internet and weekly coach calls by phone, so call Dr. Clonan now at (315) 320-6404 or visit the website to set up a free consultation.

12 Comments
Lorelei
9/28/2015 03:37:18 pm

I would love more information on testing for my daughter. She is 10 and in fifth grade, she struggles with math and reading and has for several years and I'm not sure where to turn now for help or a diagnosis.
Thank you!
Lorelei

Reply
Sheila
9/28/2015 09:23:46 pm

Lorelei, thank you for your comment. I am sorry your daughter is struggling! That is something we definitely can help you with. I will follow up with a personal email.

Reply
Diana Congden
9/28/2015 07:02:52 pm

My son Trace is ADHD and is struggling in reading. He takes much longer to complete work. I suspect he is autistic. My physician wants him to see a neuropsychiatrist.

Reply
Sheila
9/28/2015 09:24:40 pm

Dianna, I am sending you a personal email-- I think we may be able to help your son. Thank you for the comment.

Reply
jamie
9/29/2015 06:18:45 pm

I would love more information. My daughter struggles every day.

Reply
Sheila
9/29/2015 07:50:34 pm

Hi Jamie,
I sent you an email- hope we can help! No child should have to struggle every day :(

Reply
Patty link
9/29/2015 08:26:26 pm

My son has ASD and adhd. I'd like to hear more, and get pricing info.

Reply
Patricia
9/29/2015 11:14:55 pm

Can you assess 17 year old? She has been dx with LD @18 months and ADHD @14...getting ready for the real world and struggles even with daily help.

Reply
Barnett Don
8/23/2016 09:37:12 am

After learning about my son’s learning disability, I had him enrolled in a special education school in here in NYC(http://www.aaronschool.org/). Since then things have gotten better, but I would still love to have opinions on his progress and current state. Thank you for the post.

Reply
Latisha
5/3/2017 02:12:01 pm

My son is about to complete kindergarten. He was diagnosed with ADHD and ODD. This school year he has struggle the whole year. He hasn't retained anything. I contacted school about evaluation, but hasn't gotten anywhere.

Reply
Dr. Sheila Clonan
5/10/2017 11:12:54 am

Latisha, I'm sorry, I'm just seeing your comment (I guess since this blog post has been up a while, I didn't go back and check it). Please email us us (info@educationalsolutions.com) -- we can talk you through how to get the school to do an evaluation or help you get a private evaluation. Also, see the ebook I published on this website that also talks you through this process: http://www.educationalsolutionscny.com/our-teams-content.html
Best,
Dr. Sheila Clonan

Reply
Ryan Morrison link
12/12/2022 01:44:43 pm

There is also substantial evidence that working memory, the part of the brain function that is key in handling processing, can be definitively improved through intensive intervention. Thank you for the beautiful post!

Reply



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