iLs is a brain stimulation intervention that is based on the fact that we can change our brain – we can essentially re-wire it through specific and repeated stimulation, a concept known as neuroplasticity. As in building strength and endurance with physical exercise, we are able to build neurological pathways and synaptic activity at any…
Continue ReadingThink that dyslexia is all bad? Think again. Individuals with dyslexia use their brain differently and therefore have incredible gifts and abilities. Some of the world’s most successful and intelligent people are dyslexic–and their success is due to dyslexia not in spite of it! Dr. Sally Shaywitz at Yale University concluded that dyslexia is completely…
Continue ReadingIs Your Child’s Gut Health Messing with Their Brain? One of the unique characteristics of children who suffer from childhood disorders such as dyslexia, ADHD, learning disabilities and autism spectrum is that they often suffer from other more subtle signs of a poor functioning immune system. Immune health is reflective of brain health because both…
Continue ReadingWhile back-to-school can be a welcome change with the return to a schedule “for children with learning and behaviour challenges, it can also present challenges that parents and kids dread. Struggles waking up, getting organized, dressed and on the bus on time “nevermind the homework battles or receiving notes from the school can leave kids…
Continue ReadingDeveloping visual memory is key to improving reading and learning ability since 80% of learning occurs through the visual system. Visual memory is a crucial component to your child’s ability to read and effectively learn. It has actually been found to exceed auditory memory; in fact three quarters of learning both in and outside of…
Continue ReadingIn my last article, I wrote about how poor working memory affects learning disabilities. Poor working memory can have a significant impact on the ability to decode and comprehend written text. Up to 70% of students with learning disabilities in reading score ‘very low’ on working memory. Working memory can be compared to a video…
Continue ReadingOften, our educational interventions are putting a roof on a weak foundation. The acquisition of reading, writing, math and other academic skills is dependent upon a normally-developed nervous system. Communication between the brain’s two hemispheres and integration of sensory input from the eyes, ears and motor systems must be intact for adequate response to intervention…
Continue ReadingLet me tell you about a client, Nick. When he first started my program, his parents were certain he would need additional reading therapy on top of addressing behaviours related to autism spectrum. They said, “let’s do iLs first to address behaviour and processing and we’ll deal with reading afterwards.” Yet in those next few…
Continue ReadingIf you read my article how how poor working memory can affect reading comprehension, the ability to decode words and even read fluently, it’s time to address what can be done to change that. The first step is to make it clear to your child that difficulty decoding or reading has little to with IQ. Many…
Continue ReadingWhen I explained working memory to a ten-year-old last week, he said, “I get it. It’s called working memory because it’s the memory you need to do your work.” He said he now understood why he wasn’t very good at ‘working’ in class. When working memory is weak your child can appear careless, unfocused, lazy…
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