NeuroNet Questions and related

[MicheleB]

I looked at the NN website. Correct me if I'm wrong, please. Do you have to go to their site in FL (?) and have the evaluation done, etc, to use their program?

 

Also, I guess if ds has trouble with word-retrieval, it would make sense that this could be his difficulty in remembering (retrieving?) alphabet letters, shapes and sounds???

 

It does not seem financially feasible for us to use NeuroNet, from what I know at this point. Is there absolutely nothing else we can do?

[Claire]

FL is the home of the originator of NeuroNet and she's very, very good. However, she has trained others so there might be someone else closer to you. Probably the best way to find out is to call or email.

 

I don't know of any other program that works on retrieval and related issues.

[Mom0012]

Michele -

 

I just completed the basic Neuronet program with my son in February. We did fly down to Florida for the intial evaluation. The evaluation was about $600. Nancy spent 2 full mornings with us. On the first day, she evaluated my son and on the second she showed me how to do the program with him. After that, we met by webcab every 3 or 4 weeks. The webcam cost us $50 and each of the meetings cost us about $120 or $140.

 

Our biggest expense was travelling down there and for the auditory processing evaluation that Nancy wanted. If I had to do it again, I would ask her to skip the APD eval. For us, I think that was a waste of money.

 

At the end of the therapy, we flew down for a follow-up evaluation. Funds have been very tight for us and I was fortunate that my father was able to let me use some of his frequent flyer miles for the airfare. We flew down on a 6:00 am flight and returned on a 10:00 pm one so that I only had to spend money on a car rental for one day and no hotel. It was exhausting, but worth it to me.

 

My son made significant improvements with the program and it's really one of the most cost effective things we've done when you compare it to the expense of even regular therapy, like speech or OT over a year. My husband has a flexfund at work and we put the maximum amount into that every year. This also makes therapies more affordable for us.

 

I don't know if any of this information will be helpful to you, but I just thought I'd throw there in case it was.

 

Lisa

[Mom0012]

Michele -

 

My son also had a lot of trouble with word retrieval. When he was 5 and he took the pre-test at Lindamood Bell, he scored in the 2nd percentile for word opposites because he had to come up with the name of the opposite. The evaluator showed me that he knew what all the opposites were, but was just unable to come up with the word. At the end of their program, he still scored in the 2nd percentile.

 

I began doing part of the NILD program with him at home called Rhythmic Writing. It basically consists of drawing various shapes on a chalkboard and talking about the direction you are drawing in while you are drawing the shapes. I did this with him for 10 minutes a day for the next 2 years. I intially did the RW with him to help him with his fine motor skills. And, it was excellent for that, by the way.

 

When I took him back to Lindamood Bell again for a follow up evaluation, his word opposite score was in the 50th percentile. The evaluator was really surprised and said they never see that kind of improvement in that area. I really believe it was because of the rhythmic writing. My son used to never be able to pull the word out that he was looking for and now he rarely has that problem.

 

So, if you are interested in pursuing that, you could go to http://www.nild.org and see if you can buy the sheets for the rhythmic writing program and do it at home.

 

Lisa

[MicheleB]

Thanks for all that information, Lisa! I will look into the nild.org site.

[Sandra in FL]

person (than the previous poster) is doing NN via webcam. Fortunately for us, we live in the South Florida area so we just a 45 min drive from her. She has been training others in NN so maybe you could find someone in your area. But if you can swing the funds, I'd do it long distance with her. She is excellent! This has been the most cost effective, lasting therapy that my son has done (after years of OT, PT and ST). I can't recommend her highly enough; she is really outstanding with children. It has been the step to finally pull everything together.

 

BTW, she did something like "rhythmic writing" (alphabet and numbers) with my ds but to the sound of a metronome (on a pre-taped CD). In fact most of his exercises are to the sound of a metronome.

 

She recently videotaped ds doing his exercises for a conference she's giving in Germany. He thinks he's going to be famous :-) I was more concerned with his dirty feet and soiled t-shirt :-)

 

HTH,

Sandra

[MicheleB]

She recently videotaped ds doing his exercises for a conference she's giving in Germany. He thinks he's going to be famous :-) I was more concerned with his dirty feet and soiled t-shirt :-)

 

:001_smile:The things we mothers worry about.... That is great news! How old is your son?

[Sandra in FL]

diagnosed with mild asperger's. Has gross and fine motor problems. Speech is still a bit "robotic" at times. Impulsive, lack of eye contact, only has 2 friends.

 

We've been doing NN since July 2007.

 

Blessings,

Sandra