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Where's Kathy?
It is now time to set up your professional development at your school - Kathy is available for many dates this summer! Call now to secure YOUR date!
Below are the upcoming workshops that Kathy Johnson is giving. If she is not coming to your area, why not hire her for your next professional development?
March 13 at 6:30
5 Fun Activities to Improve Attention, Memory and Processing Speed
Bring your children, ages 6 to 18 for a fun evening about the brain. At any age, our brains can improve so that we can learn easier, shorten homework time, and get better jobs. Kathy Johnson of Pyramid of Potential will show you how to change your brain to overcome various obstacles. Put this on your calendar because this is going to be fun!
Saratoga Springs Public Library
March 13, 2014 6:30-8pm
Free and open to the public
The following professional development workshops are sponsored by PESI. If one is not coming to your area, but you would like to see this workshop, on April 30 the workshop will be aired live via webcast. Click here for more information.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014 in ST CLOUD, MN
If you aren't near any of these on-site professional development conferences, consider the following:
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What is the Foundation for Learning?
March 12, 2014 |
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Dear All,
Below this article, be sure to read about an upcoming conference put on by Equipping Minds and Carol and Kyle Brown in Danville, Kentucky. They use the same approach as I do - a not to miss conference if you are a professional in the field!
What is the Foundation for Learning?
In my opinion, from over 13 years of working with clients and students of all ages to improve brain functioning, the foundation for learning is primitive reflexes.
You may be wondering what these are. Perhaps you have not heard of them at all; maybe you heard a little; maybe you have been taught how to test for them, but don't know why or how to deal with them. In the next several newsletters I will help to demystify them.
First of all, what exactly are primitive reflexes?
These are the stages in development that babies do. Babies need to go through these stages in order to develop the body and the brain. Let's look at the stage of development, the primitive reflex, called Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR).
 | | Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex |
I love to use this as an example, because you have seen it if you have seen a normally developing infant of about 3 months old.
When you hold this baby over your head, you can play superman with her. She holds out her arms and legs while you zoom her around the room. When she is on the floor on her tummy, she holds her head up. When my babies were this age, I was so proud of how strong they were, yet I was wrong! They actually were not strong, they were using a reflex (the TLR) to hold their head up. This reflex is necessary in development to develop the muscles in the neck, back, and shoulders so that they later can roll over, crawl, stand, and walk.
At the same time, in the brain, they are developing the neural connections for sequencing, which is necessary for blending and reading, spelling and writing, and all types of math. In other words, LEARNING. If a person does not have good sequencing, they will not be very good in school. Period.
Think now of someone who has very poor posture. Can this person tell a joke or story easily from beginning to end? If not, that is because of the Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex still occurring.
In the coming weeks:
Below are the 6 primitive reflexes and their corresponding symptoms that I consider the foundation for learning. In the next few weeks, I will be writing more on the reflexes:
- History and research
- Auditory processing, Dyslexia and the primitive reflexes
- Visual processing, learning disabilities and the primitive reflexes
- Cognitive skills and the primitive reflexes
On sale, 20% off!
Also, until March 31, you can purchase the Primitive Reflexes: Foundation for Learning webinar (over 7 hours of information and videos) for 20% off! Click here for more information.
Primitive Reflexes and symptoms:
Group #1 - Moro Reflex
Car sickness or poor balance and coordination
Poor stamina
Doesn't maintain eye contact
Sensitive to light
Sensitive to sound
Allergies
Adverse reaction to drugs
Hypoglycemia
Dislike of change
Anxiety or nervousness
Mood swings
Poor math sense
Group #2 - Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR)
Poor posture
Weak muscles
Poor balance
Unable to cross eyes easily, or it hurts when crossing
Spatial problems - bumps into furniture, stands too close
Poor sequencing - telling stories, counting, organizing
Poor sense of time, unable to tell time
Group #3 - Spinal Galant Reflex
Fidgeting
Bedwetting
Poor concentration or attention
Poor memory
Poor organization
Very sensitive or under-sensitive to several senses (visual, hearing, touch, smell, taste)
Auditory processing difficulties
Difficulty reading
Group #4 - Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR)
Unable to cross eyes easily, or hurts when crossing
Eyes jump over words or parts of words, or lines or repeats lines when reading
Poor balance
Right-left confusion
Mixes up "d"s and "b"s or other letters and numbers
Difficulty skipping or marching
Poor handwriting
Poor expression of ideas on paper
Group #5 -Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR)
Poor posture
Ape-like walk
Poor eye-hand coordination
Messy eater
Unable to cross eyes easily, or hurts when crossing
Eyes jump over words or parts of words, or lines or repeats lines when reading
Slow with copying tasks
Poor attention skills
Group #6 - Palmar Reflex
Poor handwriting
Poor manual dexterity
Lack of pincer grip
Speech and articulation issues
Palm may be hypersensitive to touch
Makes mouth movements when writing or drawing
There is lots more to learn, so be sure to read next week's newsletter!
Have a great week,
Kathy Johnson
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Equipping Minds Conference
Strengthening Cognitive Abilities Through a Multi-Disciplinary Approach
April 9-11, 2014
Danville, KY
World Renown Guest Speakers Joining Us:
Dr. David Martin, PhD, Co-Author, Developing Minds: A Resource for Teaching Thinking and The Thinking Academy
Rafaele Joundry, Author, Why Aren't I Learning?
Dr. Tracy Alloway, PhD, Author, The Working Memory Advantage: Train Your Brain to Function Stronger, Smarter, and Faster
Host Presenters: Carol Brown and Kyle Brown
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The Equipping Minds Conference trains educators, therapists, and other specialists in our multi-disciplinary approach, which increases anyone's capacity to learn. You will be introduced to the theory of Structural Cognitive Modifiability, the role of neuro-developmental therapy, sound therapy, vestibular therapy, vision therapy, and cognitive developmental therapy. You will be provided with a proven set of exercises in these areas through a hands-on approach. This conference is designed for those who want to implement this program into their private practice, learning center, or school.
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Conference Schedule
Wednesday
- 9:00 am - Carol Brown: "The Equipping Minds Program: Understanding, Identifying, and Strengthening Cognitive Abilities"
- 10:00 am - "Neuro-Developmental Therapy and Exercises"
- 11:00 am - Carol Brown: "Working Memory Exercises Crucial for Learning, Language, and Life Skills"
- 12:00 pm - Lunch
- 1:00 pm - Dr. David Martin: "Structural Cognitive Modifiability and Mediated Learning Based on Reuven Feuerstein's Instrumental Enrichment Program"
- 2:00 pm - "Vestibular Therapy for Dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, Anxiety, Dysgraphia, and Other Disorders"
- 3:00 pm - Carol Brown: "Auditory and Visual Processing Exercises"
- 4:00 pm - Rafaele Joudry: "Understanding the Benefits of Sound Therapy"
Thursday
- 9:00 am - Dr. Tracy Alloway: "Working Memory: Why It Is More Important Than IQ and How to Increase It"
- 10:30 am - Carol Brown: "Developing Critical Thinking"
- 12:00 pm - Lunch
- 1:00 pm - Kyle Brown: "Remembering What You Read: Visualizing for Comprehension"
- 2:00 pm - Kyle Brown: "Putting Your Thoughts on Paper"
- 3:00 pm - Carol Brown: "Adapting for All Ages and Abilities: Gifted, Dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, Down Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Traumatic Brain Injuries, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Turner Syndrome, and Others"
Friday
- 9:00 am-5:00 pm - Carol Brown: "Putting Everything Together: A Typical Day in Your Practice, Center, or Classroom"
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
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Announcement!!
Pyramid of Potential Series Exercises are now available as apps for your iPhone or iPad!
These apps contain exercises that, if done daily for at least 30 days, have helped many people improve the issues identified below! Based on brain development research and "integration of primitive reflexes", the exercises are appropriate for ages 5 through 99, are simple, and take about 10 minutes a day.
Use these for home therapy at a price anyone can afford!
For the Overview app, click here
Hypersensitivity and Anxiety
Are you anxious or nervous? Are you sensitive to light or sound? Would you like to live a calmer, easier life?
For Hypersensitivity and Anxiety click here
Organization and Time Management
Are you disorganized? Are you frequently late but don't mean to be and mix up time? Do you find it hard to keep things in sequential order?
For Organization and Time Management click here
ADD-ADHD, Memory & Bed wetting
Do you have trouble paying attention, are fidgety and impulsive? Do you have trouble with short term memory or with things that are said? Perhaps someone you know has had trouble with bed wetting?
For ADD/ADHD, Memory and Bedwetting click here
Dyslexia and Dysgraphia
Do you or someone you know have a hard time reading, especially with reversing letters and numbers at an older age? Do you have poor handwriting? Do you have a hard time getting your thoughts down on paper?
For Dyslexia and Dysgraphia click here
Vision, Co-ordination & Attention
Do you know someone who struggles with vision - getting headaches when reading, eyes jump over words and lines, or who can read but doesn't like to? Or who had trouble learning to swim or is a messy eater? Who has problems concentrating, but not necessarily hyperactive?
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| Save 20% |
Primitive Reflexes: Foundation for Learning
7+ hour webinar and videos
Normally $198, until March 31 just $159!! Hurry!!
| | Offer Expires: March 31, 2014 |
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