A couple of weeks ago I got a message from a mom. She had just walked out of her son’s IEP meeting.
He struggles with reading, math, attention, and learning. She had gone into that meeting hopeful and she knew her research and her options in cognitive and educational therapies.
…And she was told, by a credentialed professional sitting across a table from her, that her son’s cognitive skills were essentially hardwired.
That processing speed and working memory don’t really change.
That there is no meaningful research to support the idea of neuroplasticity or cognitive modifiability.
She was told to focus on accommodations like ‘rely on a calculator for math’ – and to adjust her expectations. 🙄
She was so angry – justifiably so.
Then she sent me a message.
And I reminded her that what these professionals said is not accurate.
Neuroplasticity and improving weak cognitive skills is not fringe or alternative to say so. It is the position of mainstream neuroscience, documented across decades of peer-reviewed research by some of the most respected cognitive scientists in the world.
Dr. Torkel Klingberg at the Karolinska Institutet documented measurable changes in brain activation following working memory training.
Dr. Adele Diamond published a landmark review showing that executive functions – including attention and self-regulation – can improve with the right intervention.
Dr. Reuven Feuerstein spent his career proving that cognitive structure is modifiable in even the most challenging learners.
And Dr. Carol Brown’s controlled research showed IQ composite gains of 15 to 16 points following structured cognitive intervention in children with specific learning disorders – including Down Syndrome.
Fifteen to sixteen points!!! IQ – the thing they tell you is fixed.
Then the next day a mom walked into my office in tears because she was also told after her son’s Psych. Ed assessment that these skills are hard wired. 😱
This happens day in and day out in my line of work.
… and quite frankly – last week I hit a ceiling.
My blood was boiling too.
Because kids are being denied the ability to reach their full potential despite decades of neuroscience.
I am fed up with parents being told there is nothing they can do – and them knowing there are more options but not having the resources to prove otherwise.
So I have a treat for you – I have put all of this together for you so that you are informed and armed for any meeting or appointment you go into.
In this document, you will find – the research, the studies, the findings, and the language you can actually use in a meeting – into a parent guide called “A Mom’s Guide to Busting the ‘Fixed Brain’ Myth”.
I wrote this guide for this mom and for all moms.
And I’m sharing it with you today because I know she is not the only one who walked out of that meeting feeling powerless and – angry.
You can download it here – and be sure to forward this email to all your mom friends so they can have it too!
If this lands for you – if you read it and feel that mix of relief and anger that comes from finally having words for something you have known all along – I want to hear from you.
And if you want to go deeper and understand what is specifically driving your child’s challenges, that is exactly what I do.
Start with the guide – but know there is so much hope for your child.
You deserve to walk into the next meeting knowing what the science actually says.
No one is exempt from the science of neuroplasticity.
I see it every day in the Full Potential Academy. Apply for our spring enrollment by booking a free Clarity Call.