Greetings!
The brain can change, even after a few months of training.
Recently, I was asked to consult at the Amen Clinic in California* which specializes in brain health and innovative diagnosis and treatment for a wide variety of neuropsychiatric, behavioral, and learning problems. I was a visiting professor for one week, working with Dr. Brian Goldman, Director of the Fairfield, California clinic.
One of my clients, Patrick**, had two brain scans at the Amen Clinic-one before and one after three months of brain engineering work with me. The changes we saw were remarkable.
According to Dr. Goldman's analysis of Patrick's initial brain scan, the part of his brain that sequentially processes words received information a few milliseconds later than the part that processes music, noise, and background sounds. Patrick would hear the noise before the signal; he was easily distracted by background noise. Information presented as lectures was difficult. Auditory overload would exhaust him and cause him to zone out, and he then would have difficulty picking up the thread.
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The 5 Steps of Brain Engineering
Because of these findings, we began Patrick's program following the 5-Step program used by Brain Engineering Labs:
1. Attention and Memory: the Brain Pillars
Patrick learned to use his powerful visual attention and memory systems to access his auditory attention and memory, forming a solid foundation for learning. When we began the training program, Patrick's sessions were about 90-10 visual-to-verbal. Now, after three months of training, they are 10-90 visual-to-verbal.
2. Self Control: Anchoring the Central Executive
Patrick's training was aimed at teaching the skills that build self-control over mood, behavior and communication, all controlled by the brain's central executive. The central executive is driven by the sequencer and the associator. The sequencer drives language, allowing words to flow in a specific order to create a sentence, sentences to create paragraphs, and paragraphs to build sequentially to convey a larger message. The very powerful associator can think in many patterns all at once.
Patrick's training focused on developing the ability to channel switch between the associator and the sequencer, in order to train the central executive to help him prioritize, plan, and translate thoughts into words. Analyzing Patrick's second brain scan, Dr. Goldman observed changes -- more balanced activation in the left-right visual cortex, and "more blood flow associated with more lateral inhibition implies that he can better regulate his visual attention and his visual associating."
3. Listening and Reading: Developing Input Processors
Patrick is working on the receptive language skills of listening and reading. By improving attention and memory and the ability to channel-switch between verbal and visual processing, Mavericks are to develop an active system of segmenting, associating, and sequencing their listening and reading.
Recently, Patrick scored at the 75th percentile on a standardized reading vocabulary test. In addition, working closely with his mother, Patrick has shown marked improvement in his ability to listen-read, sort-store, retrieve-write/speak language. At 11 years old, Patrick's listening comprehension was measured at the 8-year-old level. Now he is scoring significantly above his age group.
4. Speaking and Writing: Developing Output Processors
We learn through our receptive language (listening, reading) but we are graded by our expressive language (writing, speaking). Mavericks are trained to use the strength of their receptive language to support speaking and writing.
Patrick recently scored at the 63rd percentile for his age on a standardized test measuring his sequential processing. Although this is marked improvement, this area is still below his overall mental age. However, Patrick's written expression has shown significant gains -- his writing on standardized testing was measured at the 75th percentile, and he has received numerous excellent evaluations of his writing at school.
5. Self-Esteem: Home, School and Work
Mavericks are highly intuitive, big-picture thinkers, associators, working from the concept to the details. These traits can cause problems initially, but when harnessed properly, they allow the Maverick to excel. As they begin to excel, they build self-esteem, leading to the ultimate goal: successful interaction at home, school and work.
At first, they need support to transfer their new skills to various structured situations. Generalization occurs when the skill becomes a fully-functioning automatic habit that no longer relies on support. Once a Maverick is generalized at home, school and work, they are considered to be mainstreamed.
Patrick's second brain scan, as analyzed by Dr. Goldman, confirmed the progress we were seeing through testing, his school experiences, and his interactions with his family. There were physical changes in his brain, and after only three months' of brain engineering training. |
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Footnote
* The Amen Clinic was established in 1989 by Dr. Daniel Amen. The center has a national reputation for utilizing brain SPECT imaging for a wide variety of neuropsychiatric problems, including ADD, anxiety, depression, autism, and memory problems. Daniel Amen, M.D. is a physician, child and adult psychiatrist, brain SPECT imaging specialist, bestselling author, Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. According to Dr. Stephen Gillman, M.D., Dr. Amen's writings are used in most medical schools around the country.
** Names of our Mavericks have been changed to protect their privacy.
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Scholarships
We now have two scholarships available per month which reduce the cost of our services to a fee that is affordable for most families. The scholarships provide interest-free payment plans that are supported, in part, by Brain Engineering Labs. Candidates selected are high visual thinkers who will benefit the most from my programs.
To inquire about the scholarships, please schedule an appointment with my assistant Tia Zorne by clicking http://brain-engineering-labs.genbook.com. Choose "Scholarship Telephone Interview" and select a day and time that's open and convenient for your schedule. Tia will then call you at the time and date and phone number you have specified. It's as easy as that.
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Need more information?
PODCAST: To hear our audio success stories called Magnificent Maverick Moments.
http://itunes.apple.com OR http://ebrainlabs.com/rss
FACEBOOK AND TWITTER: We're now using Facebook to celebrate the Magnificent Maverick Mind by sharing photos and success stories. Mavericks have fun learning!
www.facebook.com/ebrainlabs and http://twitter.com/BrainDr
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Thank you and we look forward to helping you soon.
Cheri Florance, Ph.D.
Brain Engineering Labs
866-865-9820
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