Brain Coach Tips

Have you ever had that frustrating experience where you were certain your child grasped an academic concept, and then the very next day, she couldn’t recall ever seeing it? Well, I can tell you, it is not just a frustration for you. The child often vacillates from discouraged to devastated. In this episode, Dr. Jan tells her story of inconsistent recall and the frustration it caused her. Even after studying hard, she was unable to recall the information when under the pressure of a testing situation. The good news is that the NeuroDevelopmental Approach to life can change all that if you are willing to think differently about education. The brain controls everything that you do. Thus, when you need a solution for a learning challenge, the brain is where you must start. The brain needs to be organized like a container built for storing information instead of a sieve-like structure where everything leaks out. Many children miss developmental steps and the result is a poor organization of the brain. The good news is that a child who is struggling to learn or who has a learning label like ADD, ADHD, dyslexia, Asperger’s, or Autism can develop this part of the brain.

Ear infections are painful, but who knew the extremely far-reaching effects of fluid on the inner ear, which is often the result of ear infections and allergies? The Brain Coach, Dr. Jan Bedell, will go through the cascading negative consequences of ear infections. Learn how to change the negative effects and avoid difficulties altogether with some simple know-how. Many of the symptoms experienced by children with learning challenges, ADD, ADHD, CAPD (Central Auditory Processing Disorder), tonal processing, and other auditory processing issues results from not having clear input to the brain because of distortions that exist with fluid in the ears. In addition to other challenges, children with small ear canals, like many of those with Down syndrome, are highly susceptible to developmental delays because of this reoccurring illness. Let’s change that!

Autism is a multi-faceted diagnosis that includes such symptoms as processing delays and sensory integration dysfunction, as well as metabolic (chemistry of the body) issues and more. The NeuroDevelopmental Approach looks for the root causes of the symptoms of any label including Autism and takes a multi-pronged approach to relieve the symptoms. At Little Giant Steps, we use the NeuroDevelopmental Approach to equip parents with a plan of activities to address those root causes at home. The result is dramatic! Over time, the symptoms diminish and sometimes fully disappear.

In this Brain Coach Tip, you will learn the sad consequences of trauma on the brain. All children that are adopted have gone through the trauma of abandonment and rejection at the very least (even if they were adopted at birth). Depending on the circumstances, there is often much more trauma involved than just the two listed above. When there is trauma, there are chemicals released in the brain to allow the person to stay alive but these chemicals cause damage to the neuropathways. This damage can cause emotional, behavioral, and academic struggles. There is good news though. The brain has a tremendous ability to change and grow. This is called brain plasticity. It means that pathways that were damaged can be rebuilt with specific stimulation. God can do miracles and often does, but typically to regain overall health after trauma, love just isn’t enough. Intervention in the form of neurodevelopment can make all the difference in the individual’s outcomes.

As an educator, Cathy struggled with the uniqueness of the Little Giant Steps/ now Brain Sprints program. She stuck it out and saw unbelievable changes. They found Hope!

Auditory Processing is known in my circles as the best-kept secret in education because few people know about it, yet it affects so many aspects of everyday life. We are talking here about your auditory short-term memory. This auditory deficit has reached epidemic proportions and now officially has its own label – CAPD, Central Auditory Processing Disorder. There are varying degrees of deficiency in auditory processing, and I contend that it is one of the root causes of many learning labels such as dyslexia, ADD, and ADHD. At the very least it is intensifying a negative situation for children that are struggling whether they are gifted, typical, or have diagnosed learning disabilities. Get you FREE Test Kits -

Do you have children that are constantly in trouble? They don’t look at you when you talk to them. Following directions is a constant source of conflict. They don’t answer when spoken to. Sitting still and doing their school work is next to impossible. This may not be defiance! Dr. Jan has worked with clients using the NeuroDevelopmental Approach for over 20 years. She has seen the change in children when the root cause is addresses whether it is developmental or metabolic (chemistry of the body). Of course, we are all born with a sin nature, but that is not always the source of the problem. If a child skips a NeuroDevelopmental step there may be an issue with how he sees, hears, or processes, but there is still hope! Before you go for a label like ADD, ADHD, let’s see if a drug-free solution can make the needed changes. We were fearfully and wonderfully made so we can still develop the pathways needed to complete these poor pathways in the brain.

Have you ever heard our brains are hardwired? That by the time we reach our adult years your brain is what it is? Modern technology like MRI and other scans have shown us otherwise. This is confirmed by the fact that a stroke victim who has lost the ability to speak, walk, or feed themselves is able to regain that ability. What science now confirms with technology is what neurodevelopmentalists have known for half a century. The brain changes and grows based on the stimulation that the person’s brain receives. When the stimulation is specific and targeted, the change in function can be dramatic. What does this mean for individuals that are struggling academically and in life? It means that with the right intervention, taught to parents to do in the home, there can be positive changes in symptoms found in labels like dyslexia, Autism, ADD, ADHD, CAPD, ODD, and even effects of syndromes like Down. Listen in to know how this can benefit your life or the life of someone you know.

Neuroplasticity, hmm? It really is quite simple – “neuro” is having to do with the brain and “plasticity” is the ability to change. With the right kind of stimulation, your brain can take little developmental steps to achieve giant strides in academics and overall function. This is really good news for all of us on the planet but especially impacting news when you have a struggling learner or a child with a label like dyslexia, ADD, ADHD, autism, CP or any of the various syndromes.

It is hard to understand the reaction of some children when their tactile system is giving the wrong messages to the brain. The sensory system is the gateway to overall ability of an individual to go through life with few or no distractions. A person has to experience the correct input from the sensory system to be able to use that information in life. When it is not functioning correctly, it sends messages to the brain that are interrupted as pain. The tactile system is well known for giving poor messages when a child hasn’t gone through the correct developmental steps. Learn why your child may be, what you deem, overreacting and what can be done to help the tactile system to regulate for more stress-free living.

The excitement of a new school year buzzes through buildings and homes as time approaches. New clothes, shiny notebooks, and a fresh curriculum to be unpacked and explored! The question is, how to keep the excitement and momentum as you add to an already demanding daily life to include a successful school year? Today Dr. Jan Bedell talks about the most strategic way to get started. She shares how to focus on your true purpose. Don't get blindsided by the enemy who wants to keep you frustrated and defeated.

NeuroDevelopment, what is that? Neuro refers to the brain and Development is the path to efficient function. Visit our website for more details: www.BrainSprints.com The brain controls everything you do. So, understanding foundational steps of brain development allows you to maximize God’s incredible design – YOU! This foundation consists of a certain level of organization and the ability to receive, process, as well as store information efficiently before it can be used in everyday life. With the knowledge of a few simple but key components of TheNeuroDevelopmental Approach for Life, you can get rid of those frustrating roadblocks to learning and achieve superior functional abilities for life. The NeuroDevelopmental Approach DVD has information that applies to typically developing children as well as gifted and those with learning struggles.

Vision is more than seeing 20/20. Discover more about The NeuroDevelopmental Profile as it relates to vision and visual distortions in this Brain Coach Tip episode. There are seven main visual developmental levels that all children should go through. Some of these areas of development are compromised by our cultural practices of putting our infants in gadgets such as walkers, swings and jump-ups. When an individual doesn’t go through the correct developmental stages where vision is developed, challenges can occur. The good news is that we don’t have to focus on the symptoms that are often on the checklists for labels such as Dyslexia, Autism, ADD/ADHD, or Sensory Integration Disorder (SID). We can address the root cause of the symptoms and change the child’s function, thus reducing or eliminating the symptoms altogether.