The Ultimate Special Needs Expo is an online webinar coming Feb 22nd. Please join me today at 1pm EST for a free preview talk entitled: R&R for the Parents of Special Needs Kids. You can listen on line and join in on the on line chat line or call in. To access this free talk, call (347)205-9175 or log on to http://bit.ly/specialneedsradio. This session, like the three previous free preview sessions will be taped and available for on line listening late if you can't make it today. If you want to attend or listen to the taped Ultimate Special Needs Expo scheduled for Feb 22nd you can buy a ticket for only $9.97 but going to: https://www.secureinfossl.com/affProgram/Ultimate-Special-Needs-Expo/3082

Hi. My name is Tara. I am a homeschool mom of a 5 year-old and a 9 year-old. In addition, I am a PACE provider in Florida with a company called The Brain Trainers. PACE stands for Processing and Cognitive Enhancement and is the trainer-driven program that uses a similar approach and the same science upon which the online BrainSkills program is designed. They are both developed by Dr. Ken Gibson. I am currently working extensively with the BrainSkills online program, as well as the online Gibson Test of BrainSkills, in an effort to make these resources known and available, especially in our homeschool community. In fact, I will have a booth at the FPEA Convention (Florida’s annual homeschool convention) this May. Basically the program is designed to present non-academic activities to a student, requiring them to respond in a way that targets specific underlying learning skill. These learning skills are the foundation upon which learning rests. A strong foundation generally results in easier, faster and more enjoyable learning. The Gibson Test of Brain Skills measures 11 different core cognitive skills and the activities in BrainSkills focus on strengthening these skills. 1. Processing Speed The speed with which the brain processes information. 2. Working Memory To temporarily retain information while processing or manipulating it. 3. Visual Memory The part of memory that preserves some characteristics of our senses pertaining to visual experience. We are able to place in memory information that resembles objects, places, animals or people in a sort of a mental image. 4. Auditory Memory Memory process that involves being able to take in information that is presented orally to you, process that information, store it in your mind and then recall what you have heard. 5. Short-Term Memory That part of memory which is said to be able to hold a small amount of information for about 20 seconds. Estimates of short-term memory capacity vary from about 3 or 4 elements (IE, words, digits, or letters) to about 9 elements. 6. Long-Term Memory Memory, stored as meaning, that can last as little as 30 seconds or as long as decades. 7. Word Attack Word attack skills are the ability to convert graphic symbols into intelligible language. 8. Visual Processing The sequence of steps that information takes as it flows from visual sensors to cognitive (mental) processing. To process and make use of visual images. 9. Auditory Analysis Segmenting To determine the number, sequence, and which sounds are within a word. 10. Auditory Analysis Drop The ability to understand the sounds that remain after you take a word and drop a sound. For example, take the word cat. What remains if you drop the c? This is tested by auditory means. 11. Logic & Reasoning To reason, plan, and think.Often referred to as "executive functioning skills". Here’s a quick fact sheet that provides answers to questions that you may have: What should I learn about cognitive skills and their importance Why underlying cognitive skills are the foundation upon which learning rests How testing can get you started in the right direction Why training weak skills is better than focusing only on strengths The Gibson Test of Brain Skills Only $29.95 per person (recommended for ages 7+ and not a prerequisite before starting BrainSkills) Completed in your home on-line Takes 30-40 minutes to complete Same day results available on-line Comprehensive written report of skills and assessment analysis (not a diagnosis) BrainSkills Only $495 for a 1 year subscription (versus thousands for clinical training) 20% discount for additional programs purchased simultaneously within a family Trains the brain using the science of neuroplasticity Non-academic activities to encourage your reluctant learner One hour per day, five days per week for 12-24 weeks (average) Permanent results that transfer to daily life and academics Side benefit of improving self esteem An introduction to BrainSkills is available at the following links: Parents: www.brainskills.com/parents (Power Point presentation) Teachers: www.brainskills.com/teachers (Power Point presentation) A tutorial for each exercise is available at: www.brainskills.com/tutorial.html To view a FREE demo of each exercise for an unlimited period of time, please go to www.brainskills.com/intro.html. Just click “login†to enter. This demo provides access at will to each exercise for level 1, except Auditory Analysis goes up to level 5. The regular program goes well beyond these initial levels and is more structured and requires a student to spend a defined amount of time per exercise. Advancement is based upon results. To learn more about why cognitive skills testing and training may be right for you and your family, and for additional details about The Gibson Test of Brain Skills and BrainSkills, please visit http://www.thebraintrainers.net. We also offer personal consultation services at an hourly rate. For FREE activities and current information about cognitive skills activities, other health concerns, and current science applicable to learning and education, please also visit our “Grey Matters†blog and forum. Grey Matters is located on our main web site as well as at http://becausegreymatters.blogspot.com. If you want to be notified of any new posts and FREE cognitive skills activities, please select the “follow†option on the upper right hand side of the stand alone blog site. Please note that portions of BrainSkills may be too challenging for the under 7 crowd. If you would like more information to ascertain if this program is a good fit for your younger student, please call me and I would be happy to discuss your personal situation. Giving a hard and fast rule is always a little risky J Having said the above, please note that there are ways to proactively develop the underlying learning skills of the younger child. Again, feel free to contact me on that and I can help as I have developed a training approach for this younger age group, and have successfully implemented it with my own 5 year-old.

Hi. I was drawn to your question because I did exactly what you were contemplating. The biggest difference was that my child was only in the 2nd grade so that may have some bearing upon how much weight you give to my comments, but read down about my husband too ! Let me preface this by saying I was totally petrified about stopping training while I did the therapy we chose. We did PACE, followed by Master the Code (the complete phonics code program by the same developers). At first I thought I was nuts but we did 1 hour of training followed by a one hour “brain Break†followed by one hour of training. We did training 5 days per week. In the beginning we did nothing else. OK nothing formal. We still went to the library, talked about stuff we say, went to the museum etc, but no book work. This was primarily because my daughter had auditory analysis problems and developed an allergy to paper (translation if it needed to be read or written she didn’t want to have anything to do with it). Oral work was continued including scripture memorization and speech and communication drills. Grammar was done orally too. Because she was so frustrated with the written word, she would literally walk 10 feet around a table with a pencil and paper on in, while most other kids would be over there just drawing at least. Not my kid. We had to train her to hear the sounds, introduce the symbols one at a time and them using sand, shaving cream, glow in the dark markers with black lights and other fun things try to get her to create the letters without inducing nausea (quite literally). After she gained confidence step by painful step we gradually introduced colored markers, colored pencils, pens and pencils. About a month into the program auditory was repair and she spontaneously asked one day. “Why aren’t we doing school when we aren’t in PACE?â€. That’s when we slowly started back to the books. My biggest fear was that she would “get behindâ€. To be honest, it took her 8 hours to copy a sentence and after 2 years still couldn’t spell “tinâ€, “pin, “sin†and “spinâ€. I finally realized that she really couldn’t get much further behind and that by working those areas she was struggling in while trying to remediate them we may be counteracting the positive “I can do it†effect of the training by reinforcing the prior belief of “I am stupid†or “I can’tâ€. Would I do this with a 7th grader? Frankly, if the program is as effective as PACE then I would suggest that you wouldn’t need to stop the entire time of the training, because if the training is working they will want to do it more. For an even more severe case of “just doing training†read about my husband below! I am familiar with Dianne Craft’s work and she is very well informed and educated. We differ on a number of points; primarily because I was so pleased with the results from PACE that I became a trainer myself. Although I would not purport to speak on Ms. Craft’s behalf, my understanding is that she tends to train on the premise that “learning glitches†occur when one hemisphere of the brain is not well integrated with the other. Although this has a great deal of merit, it does presuppose that each of those hemispheres is sufficiently strong on their own. PACE is based on the science of neural plasticity. In short the neurons that fire together wire together. This would not only include crossing the corpus colosum (from one hemisphere to the other) but also includes increasing neural pathway development within each of the hemispheres too. Instead of teaching to the child’s strength, it strengthens the weaknesses, without decreasing the natural talents and abilities. Now you mentioned that your son’s primary issue was processing speed. I agree with one of the other posters that I do not believe that Diane Craft’s program is specifically designed to address this issue, although benefits may well be obtained. My husband who is an extremely gifted individual also had slow processing speed. He scored as a 15 year old. This had a huge impact on him because he was always taking longer than everyone else to do, well, just about everything. Intellectually, he knew how long a particular task should take and so he would budget that amount of time. Of course this left him perpetually behind, under stress feeling as though he was letting others down, which in turn slowed him down all the more. He always felt that if only he could just figure out what it was everyone else was doing, he could speed up. You asked if a 7th grader should take the time off to do training. Well, my husband left his job for 6 weeks and did PACE and Master the Code 3 hours every day, five days per week. Did it set us back financially? You bet it did. We had the cost of the program plus the loss of income. Was it worth it? Every penny! Almost sounds like one of those commercials: Priceless! He gets his work done faster, has more time for family and his health is better too. His self esteem is higher and he is less concerned that he will be setting a bad example to our children. I can’t count the number of times he has said he wished he could have had this type of training way earlier on. Although his grades were good, he always took longer to study, complete the tests and everything else. One of the other posters mentioned the new online BrainSkills. I have a great deal of information about that program on my site as well as some information on my blog and a forum in case anyone wants to add in their thoughts. I really like the new program. It adds in some of the high and low frequencies as well as high and low volume components of Fast Forward. There are some really cool activities that stretch processing speed in a way that is very fun. One example is a puzzle game that requires you to put a puzzle back together with your cursor. There is a memory component to it where numbers (starting with only one and building up) flash on the screen while you are doing the puzzle and you have to remember the information long enough to input the result when you are done with the puzzle. In some of the more advanced puzzles, if you aren’t fast enough the puzzle starts to break apart again. In another activity where processing speed is an issue, they combine it with auditory. This requires both an input speed component as well as a motor output action (selection of the correct response but on beat). If the wrong answer is given of the answer is supplied off beat, then the screen response for that answer is a grey block. If correct and on beat, then the square for that answer will be part of a picture. This is really important as the picture response is pleasurable while the grey square is “blahâ€. When there is a pleasurable response there is a release of dopamine in the brain. Neural plastic changes are solidified when there is dopamine present! They have really done their homework on this one. In addition to the BrainSkills on line there is an online test call The Gibson Test of Brain Skills. Although it is not a “double blinded standardized test†is does accurately correlate with standardized test to the extent they have results this far. The cost of the test is only $29.95 so a pre-test and a post-test will not bust the budget like a “professional†evaluation would. I am sorry for the horrendously long post but I am very passionate about this stuff since my family has been there…. If you would like more information on some of this you can check our my web site at www.TheBrainTrainers.net. Also there are a few really good books out on the science of neural plasticity. My favorite (although it does quote Freud a fair bit – but primarily in a non theological way) is The Brain That Changes Itself by Dr. Norman Doidge. With a young man in your home you may also find the section in this book on neural plastic changes and pornography rather enlightening (and frightening). It explains a lot on how this problem has and is becoming an epedemic with internet access and the speed at which images can be viewed (think about the part I mentioned about "the neurons that fire together, wire together" and the release of dopamine – this also applies to detrimental learning patterns as well). Anyway – that last part was a true digression :blushing: Feel free to call me if you have any questions.

Hi. Just saw you post and wanted to share with you some of what we have done. My daughter is 9 and has SPD. She also has hearing, visual and tactile defensiveness. In addition to the SPD she also first presented with significant auditory analysis problems (couldn’t spell or sound out words but had us all fooled as she had a gifted memory and had memorized over 2,000 sight words by 7). My husband had processing speed deficits and so my daughter has a high risk of that too. The first thing we did was PACE and Master the Code (the full phonics reading program that is the companion to PACE). We were totally pleased and saw complete remediation of her auditory analysis skills and word attack skills up to the adult level. All the other skills she worked also improved, included a very depressed score in the executive functioning section (they called it logic and reasoning). I was so impressed that I became a PACE trainers so that I could help others with this program and highlight the home study program they had at the time. Since then we have been through OT (not bad but not as much change due to the infrequency with which it is routinely offered), had a full APD hearing evaluation and complete Woodcock-Johnson cognitive and achievement batteries, TOVA testing (for ADD like attention issues in visual and auditory situations which really stunk!), and CTOPP for dyslexia testing. The repair we saw confirmed that what was worked in PACE really stuck from 2 years ago and is still strong and continuing to develop. We did see some other auditory distraction issues that went beyong the auditory analysis element remediated with PACE. Just a month ago we did AIT (Auditory Integration Training) and had great results. I was surprised and pleased when she was less bothered by both auditory and tactile stimulus. I was impressed enough that my husband is going through it right now and he is ½ way through and just got his 2nd audiogram. He had up to 5 decibels of hearing improvement in some areas after only 10 half hour sessions. I can’t wait to see what the next 10 hours brings. FastForward is a great program for auditory. It was developed by a guy named Merzenich (pronounced Mer zun ick). He was the one who created and developed the cochlear implant. He is a leader in the science of neural plasticity. I have taken the study to become a FastForward provider and only need to finish taking the test. As such I can say that the program is great for auditory and auditory processing speed, but I am not so sure it is geared toward general processing speed development outside of the auditory. There may well be some residual benefit though in those areas as we did see companion skills improve from PACE that were also not directly approached in the training. Right now I am off to bed as I have spent the last few nights burning the midnight oil updating my web site to include information on the new online BrainSkills program and the on line skills assessment test, The Gibson Test of Brain Skills. Both of these are from the developer of PACE and I have to say that the cost, especially for the test, is remarkable for what you get. The test is only $29.95! The new on line BrainSkills includes some similar auditory components to FastForward (high and low pitch and high and low volume) in addition to the sound and code component many are familiar with from the old paper version of BrainSkills and from PACE. Unlike, Fastforward, though, it also addresses memory, processing speed, visual processing, word attack skills and executive functioning (planning and organizing) skills. The executive functioning skills (logic and reasoning) section is much stronger that the old paper version and even surpassed PACE in this area, in my opinion. I wish you well. Let us know what you decide to do and how it works out. I have just added a new blog and forum section on my site so I would be thrilled if you sand others on this site would include anything you do and your results there for others to read about. Have a great weekend. PS. Where are you that you have snow birds? I'm in Florida so I fully understand and appreciate your driving situation. It can be tricky even without processing speed challenges:auto:

We have Play Attention. The best part of the program is the section where the blocks keep building when you concentrate and go back when you are not. This is always a good way to see how much focus is being given to a particular project (just have the child read or do whatever without looking at the screen). I have to say that my child did find it a little boring and at times loudly complained that she really was paying attention when it wasn't showing that on the screen. Having said all that, the biofeed back component, while not claiming to be medical in quality, is very sound science. The only real draw back we had was with the helmet and the need to wet the contacts. My daughter has sensory processing disorder and has tactile defensiveness. She was not too keen on the wet sensation and that was a big distracter for her and often played a part in her not getting the scores she thought she deserved. In the past we did PACE and I was very impressed with the results of that program (much more so than Play Attention), so much so, in fact that I became a PACE trainer. Nonetheless, I am always on the lookout for new science and technology. We have had very good results from AIT (Auditory Integration Training). We did the homeschool buy in for Brainware Safari and although my daughter will do the activities, since there is no structure approaching the activities she, and other students I know, tend to do only those activities they are strongest in and leave the very ones they need to work on to the side. Parental coersion sometime has to come into play:tongue_smilie: Currently I am working on something new that I think is the next best thing to PACE without the price tag. It is the online BrainSkills program. They also now offer on-line skills testing for only $29.95. I have just up dated my web site with information and have a brand new blog entry discussing these programs. I wish you well with whatever you do. I personally feel that there is no one program fits all, but some are better than others and some suite individuals better than others. Sincerely,

My previous post to either this forum or a dyslexia yahoo group forum from August 2007 (current comments added in bold) I did contact Gary and put in a plug requesting he consider letting homeschoolers test drive the product. I did mention how homeschoolers are often precluded from, or have only woeful access to, public school services of this nature. I too have been keeping an eye on this site. I’ve noted that there is no auditory processing part to the program. (*note this has been changes and auditory is included in the new program). As this is often a crucial issue for kids with dyslexia there would still be a need for a program to address that element. I am guardedly optimistic that this program will help. I would like to see it improve cognitive skills and hope for its unparalleled success in doing this while reaching the largest group of people possible. Since the program is produced in conjunction with the parent company that created PACE, BrainSkills and Learning RX, it has a built in credibility, unless or until is does not live up to expectations. Food for thought: From my personal observation many kids who have LD, however, still need the human reassurance they are succeeding. They have come to believe they just "can’t,' or worse, are "stupid". They need experiences that help them to replace this thought process with the new truth that they "can " all during the time their new learning skills are emerging. Their self-esteem is often shot, and unless these former beliefs are replaced with the new truth that they "can", their lie based thinking from the past will hold them back from making the gains they really could. I am not personally convinced that many of the children I see would gain as much on the psycho-social side of cognitive training through computer training. (so the side-by-side support and instruction is needed IMOA) I also think of those broken parent-child relationships that are repaired when one-on-one interaction takes place in a training environment. It is a joy to see a parent fall in love all over again with a child who has become self-hating and acting out. For a parent to see that “little child†come alive again is a true miracle. To be intimately involved with the training can undo years of damage to the relationships within a family, and can make a lifelong difference. I hate to admit that my kids enjoy electronic gizmos as much as they do. I am cautious about letting a computer be the savior of my child’s cognitive skills without me being a vital part of that activity. I don’t defer or delegate on many matters of importance, like faith and education, so I am reluctant at heart and may just be an alarmist. In the meantime, I am all for seeing how well it works and advocating for its ready and prompt availability to homeschoolers, concurrently with the public school kids. I will make every effort to see what can be done to encourage a discussion that embraces those of us who are not neatly fitting within a structured academic system for implementation of this program. There’s nothing that says it has to be a stand-alone program. We can always add TLC to the ROM and DVD!

Thanks for your questions. I will try to address them as best I can. First off – which do I like best paper or computer? That is a little tough. I liked the paper version because it had, well –paper. I’m kind of old fashioned and I like the feel of paper. Having said that; I like many of the new components in the online version. The bigger question is which one would your child like the most and which one is available? From my experience, many children with learning challenges (especially as it relates to reading and spelling) have what I would call an “allergy to paperâ€. Also, some children with paper aversion may still have computer aversion issues. My DD would still need to have had me physically present to encourage her along the way or she probably would be inclined to just get up from the computer and walk away if the going got tough. I like the auditory component of the new program online. In the paper version there was a greater chance a parent/trainer would mispronounce a sound (thereby inadvertently reinforcing bad habits). There is, in my opinion, a need for parents to be involved when the child is working with the online program (this is not a babysitter or an opportunity for anyone to focus on another child). In addition to encouraging the child through the program, there is a need to require output from your child verbally. In the computer version the responses are keyed into the keyboard or selected with a mouse and do not require a verbal response for passage to the next level. I will be recommending, to those I consult, that a verbal response also be given (on beat) before passage to the next level to help improve the verbal output responses and rapid naming issues so many face. This applies to the auditory, the directional arrows activities, as well as some of the numerical memory components of some of the activities. This is a very easy and common sense supplementation and just good parenting/teaching practice. When a child needs to repeat a section there is a non-judgmental comment stating what percentage they got correct and a prompt to try again. It is very cleverly worded to avoid judgment while encouraging at the same time to improve accuracy and completeness. When a student meets set goals for passing a section they get fire works (visual and sound). Watch out for any auditory sensory defensive kids when this happens! My DD about jumped out of her skin the first time and quickly learned to turn the volume down a bit just before the rockets red glared. I love the tracking component of the new online program as it lets you see where they have worked the hardest, where they have blasted through without difficulty and where they have quit, etc. A great feature that is done for you and eliminates the paperwork-tracking sheet that was laborious in the paper product. The biggest difference I have seen is a significant increase in the number of logic and reasoning activities (executive functioning skills) in the online version over the paper version. This was one area the paper product fell short of the PACE program in my opinion. Many kids will really get into the games and activities that appeal to their strengths. Just encourage them as much as possible and see to it that those activities are privileges after devoting time on the more challenging sections. If you want your student to have good typing skills (QWERTY versus hunt and peck) you may want to require their auditory skills answers be selected using the mouse rather than the key board. If you are willing to take a little more time with finger placement, you may get an added advantage of starting some good “home base†and typing skills while you are at it! I am still a proponent of one-on-one training with live bodies. Having said that, the computer approach WITH THE LIVE BODY SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO THE STUDENT is a good alternative. As such, I would encourage anyone who is going to get this new product to be actively involved in the training. Sit along side your child each and every time they are doing a scheduled training session. This is still a labor and time intensive program, but the results are undeniable. We are talking 1 hour a day 5 – 6 days a week for about 12 weeks. Not for the feint of heart. If you are really curious about the science behind the approach to BrainSkills, PACE and LearningRX activities, I would encourage you to do your own research. The book “Unlocking the Einstein Inside†by Ken Gibson gives a good overview. You may not give it much credibility as the developer of the programs writes it. Nonetheless, I have found it to be accurate. If you would like something a little meatier, and from someone not having a vested interest in the programs, and that talks about the science of neuroplasticity and how it all works, I would encourage you to check out the book, “The Mind that Changes Itselfâ€, by Norman Doidge MD. Be aware that this book does make references to Freud and covers some rather disturbing topics such as sexual preferences, fetishism, and Internet pornography. Regardless of the topic, the way the brain responds is a wonder. Although it is very scientific, the author has done a truly remarkable job of presenting this subject in terms that are as close to layman’s understanding as possible. It is not a quick read, but really helps to understand that not only is there a need to create new neural pathways when there is a deficit, but a need to unlearn and dismantle pathways that are inconsistent with the new goals you are setting. You may also want to check out the success stories my daughter and husband had going through PACE and Master the Code training. Although PACE does have more activities than either the paper or online BrainSkills, the science and principles track one with the other. You can find this information on my site by clicking on the link that is titled “Why We Do What We Do†If anyone would like more details or have other comments please feel free to call me, as I cannot possibly address everything in a written format or it would be a book. Maybe I will add a running commentary under the blog section of my website - after all I have been a bit remiss in working on that lately Hope this helps some. I am also attaching a copy of the letter I posted on this link or one of the dyslexia yahoo groups back in August of 2007 as a separate post (it would have been too long otherwise:tongue_smilie:. Interesting how things come full circle!

I am a homeschool mom whose daughter and husband have been through PACE with such success that I became a PACE trainer. My initial intent was to help other homeschoolers on limited budgets learn about and gain access to BrainSkills. Unfortunately, shortly after becoming a trainer, the paper version of BrainSkills was discontinued. The good news was that an individual with a strong desire to help low income and disadvantaged individuals partnered with the original creators and began developing the on line version of BrainSkills. It was originally to be made available only to urban and disadvantaged schools. Given my interest in this subject and the recognition that many of us are on a single income (hence often financially "disadvantaged") I approached them about making this product available for homeschoolers as well. I have been advocating this position for about 1 1/2 years. The original version back then did not include any auditory analysis activities either, so it was a good start but not a replacement for the paper BrainSkills or PACE. In the interim they have added a number of activities as well as an auditory section. On Christmas day I received an email from the online BrainSkills computer genius inviting me to help do the one thing I have wanted to do all along - help make this product available for homeschoolers. I have had the pleasure of being able to access the entire program and have spend over 6 hours working through the exercises and scrutinizing it to determine if I could justifiably recommend it to our community. I can honestly say that I can. There are some limitations because of the computer nature of the program, but this has been recognized by the developers and their hope is that people like me can offer some hourly consultation advice so the absolute most can be derived from the program for the children enrolled. Even without this additional and supplemental support, the program is good and sound in its principles. Over the next few weeks I will continue to work with them to finalize arrangements to help make this product readily available for anyone interested. Please note that the auditory section of the current version includes the 17 sounds and 18 codes presented in PACE and the original paper BrainSkills but does not yet incorporate the entire phonics sound to code system available through Master the Code. This portion is intended to help "upgrade" the auditory hard drive of the brain for subsequent installment of the full phonics code system. If you would like further information or would like to call me for more details, I would be more than happy to hear from any and all of you. In the event my cell goes to voice mail (or calling long distance is not within your budget) please leave me your name and number and I will call you back. Just let me know you are calling about BrainSkills so I can be prepared to answer any questions or take appropriate notes so I can field questions I don’t know the answer to directly to the creators of the program. I saw that a number of people noted the price for the program was steep. I understand that finances are tight all around, but compared to trainer driven programs, this is a great deal. Budgeting and saving now would be well worth considering. I have also researched many other home study and/or computer training programs, and none of them have yet to meet the level of professionalism and attention to detail seen with this program - especially the auditory portion and the fact that many skills are addressed simultaneously giving a well rounded and full approach to the many of the underlying learning skills that hamper our kids. Hope you all had a blessed Christmas, and here's wishing you a wonderful New Year.

If you go to www.MediaAngels.com, and click on the section for online classes, Felice Gerwitz has an online creation science class that will be starting on Sept 22nd. It will be for 6 weeks in a row. Each Monday at 11 EST you will log on and get to hear the lesson. As I understand it you will get handouts and experiments to do along with the discussion. She has some guest speakers who will also be joining her. Your students can even ask questions at the end of each session. If you can't make the live broadcast, you can listen to it on your computer at any time. I think the cost is currently $29.99 (or something like that) and is a single fee regardless of the number of kids you have. I just finished listening to the free intro class today. I think today's class can still be heard as a free download, but you would need to go to her site to confirm that. It was great! I enjoyed getting science taught without me having to do all the work and look forward to the more in depth discussions. This is not my area of strength. I think we will be investing in her new lap books as well as my kids like arts and craft stuff and I hate it. Give me the language arts stuff and all intead!

I am a trained PACE provider who has experience with both and BrainSkills. Please feel free to give me a call and I would be happy to help walk you through some of the areas that are tripping you up or need tweaking. I currently provide a homestudy program option for people who are within traveling distance (OK one lady is traveling over 4 hours each week but that is the exception) and it consists of PACE as the core program. Each parent gets a 2-day seminar (consisting of a total of 12 hours of training) and weekly follow up (one hour). Even with extensive training this is a tricky program to get a grasp of and I get a number of questions each week that come up specifically because each student has different needs. I have a fairly flexible schedule on Thursday May 29th so jut call when you get a break. If the phone goes to voice mail just leave your name and number and reference WTM forums. I am a late night person so let me know your time zone and the latest I can call. I will try to call back within 24 hours. I think this would be the most expeditious way of going or I could just write a book and not hit on a single thing that would help you. I am in Florida and my number is 239-218-4307

Would you mind contacting me off list as I have a couple of people who may be interested. I could get you in touch with one another and not be a party to the transaction. Thanks Tara thebraintrainers@comcast.net

and I will set you up with free testing. Also, if you would like, I can introduce you to the homeschool support group to which I belong. The vast majority of the people are from North Fort Myers and Cape Coral. We always attend the homeschool convention, which is at the end of Many in Orlando. Maybe we can even meet up there. Since it would be local for you, I would encourage you to check it out. You will get so much support and information regardless of what you decide. Have a very great week and let me know the middle/end of April when you will be in the area - or earlier if that turns out to be the case.

and was wondering where you were located. There are so many resources available for those looking into the possibility of homeschooling here in FL. May I recommend you go to www.FPEA.com and check out that site and keep in mind the annual homeschool convention in Orlando at the end of May. They do a bang up jpb giving information to people considering the homeschool option - not to mention hefty discounts on curriculum at the vendor exhibition hall during the conference. Feel free to give me a call anytime if you would like to chat - and if you are anywhere near my area I can get you some great homeschool support groups to get together with. Even if you don't decide to go the homeschool route, there are a number of Florida specific on line forums for kids with learning differences. Also there is an organization that regularly has free training seminars and conferences in the SW FL area. Give me a buzz and I'll route you to the ones you feel may be the most beneficial. If you are anywhere near Ft Myers (or would be willing to take a road trip), I am offering free evaluations for the 6 underlying learning skills (processing speed, visual processing, working memory, auditory analysis, word attack skills, and logic & reasoning) trained using PACE (processing and cognitive enhancement program). Call to set up an appointment if you are interested. There is no obligation. Have a great weekend.

naturopathic ways of doing things. Point in fact, I thought my DD with SPD had too many episodes of "flight, fright, fight" that it was putting her at risk of adrenal fatigue. He ordered a cortisol spit test to have that evaluated (good thing too). Also we are using a product by NutriWest that is purported to help counter effect any of the possible chemical concerns in vaccinations. You use it for 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after inoculation. My very bright and lively 3 year old is turning 4 the end of March and I'm not taking any chances. My husband is an MD but her is very open to nutrition and supplements playing a big role in health maintenance and illness prevention. There are also enough varied studies out there that indicate many approaches can reverse some of the presentations. This is a case-by-case basis and is not a 100% cure all. We have also done PACE and Master the Code with our daughter and aw significant improvement in her self esteem, decreased anxiety, and a big decrease in her SPD presentations as her cognitive difficulties translated into bit time sensory and emotional triggers for her. Once these were removed there were fewer triggers and therefore calmer days for all. If you would like more information about adrenal fatigue check out the blog section on my site. Good luck and let us know how it all goes. Please note that I did say that we are seeing an MD who subscribes to some of these treatments. I personally like having someone with a knowledge base in both aspects of medicine.

Although you don't need to do the voice analysis to pass a section I can say that the system is pretty good. It is ususally the pronunciation that is off :-} Knowing the words in your head and actually saying them are two very different things. This gives a chance to work them. If you child is really frustrated I would recommend checking out www.phonicsphone.com or go to a plumbing supply store to make your own (if you go the the site you'll know what I am talking about) so he can "hear' his own voice. This may help without the possible frustration of the system reminding him he isn't getting it right. The glitch to the system is that it does want you to use the pronunciation type they invoke. This is why we purchased the Spanish (Spian) version rather than the South American one... also I am a little biased as I grew up in Spain:-) I wish you the best. It really does work with younger kids as well as the older folks. I so like it better than Dora (although that does get them interested) as Dora tends more towards what I would call Spanglish - one word here in English and another there in Spanish. Above all have fun!