Useful Links

Links

Radio Interview

Norman Doidge covers the impact of Fast ForWord in improving learning skills. Its a very clear and relatively short interview (about 10 minutes)

Click here

Learning in 2025? Full Immersion

What does the future look like for students? Books, PCs, Multimedia, Immersion? What could these resourses doe to help struggling students? Look at the possibilities for austistic kids. The variation of learning styles for dyslexic students. Definitely these are great prospects here in relation to autism, dyslexia, Aspergers and other learning difficulties.

Hoover Institution - Education Next - Full Immersion 2025.

Brainwave leads to mind control - The Irish Times - Thu, May 21, 2009

Sci-fi comes to reality and promises great hope for us.

If you think about ir you can do it. Take a look at the US ABC programme excerps also.

This also underlines the potential for brain processing improvements for dyslexics, autistic and other people with cognitive issues

Brainwave leads to mind control - The Irish Times - Thu, May 21, 2009.

Norman Doidge Radio Interview

Norman Doidge is interviewed in this Guardian Science Weekly Podcast interview Click Here

He covers the impact of Fast ForWord in improving learning skills. He mentions Fast ForWord which we use to help students improve processing skills. We get great results with students with dyslexia. We also see big improvements with Asperger and autism students.

There is also in interview in the print edition Click Here

Autism: Language, Cognitive, Behaviour Development

Dr. Michael Merzenich on Fast ForWord and Autism, He explains the reasons why with the development of receptive language and cognitive skills autistic children also improve expressive language, behaviour and social skills.

YouTube - Dr. Michael Merzenich on Fast ForWord and Autism.

Which Way Do I Face Mummy?

Here is an interesting insight into early language development.

"Most brain development occurs between birth and age two, so that is when babies and toddlers need the
benefit of a language-rich start to life. Language is the key to learning. Children's early communication skills are regarded as the single best predictor of future cognitive skills and school performance. In addition, the ability to communicate is the basis of social and emotional wellbeing."

See the full report Click here

Research on APD

NEW RESEARCH: Auditory Processing Disorders in children suspected of Learning Disabilities-A need for screening?

Our students who use Fast ForWord have seen improvements in listening and auditory processing-types of skills (whether formal APD testing was completed or not). Here is an interesting insight into the condition.

Dora Eva Bamiou has done some research with Frank Musiek and this is a fascinating article.


Auditory Processing Disorders in children suspected of Learning Disabilities—A need for screening?
Vassiliki Iliadou, Doris-Eva Bamiou, Stergios Kaprinis, Dimitris Kandylis and George Kaprinis

International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, Available online 7 May 2009.

Aim
The current study aims to assess: (a) the prevalence of auditory processing in a population of children reporting learning difficulties, (b) the correlation of APD diagnosis with age, the intelligence coefficient (IQ) and with the presence of a specific learning disability such as dyslexia and (c) to evaluate the reliability of each auditory processing test used in this study in identifying APD.

Method
We evaluated one hundred and twenty-seven consecutive children referred to the academic tertiary LD Clinic of the Psychiatric Department by means of a psychoacoustic mainly non–verbal test battery.

Results
APD was found to be present in 43.3% and co-existing with developmental dyslexia in 25% of cases. The diagnosis of APD correlated with age in that children with APD were younger by 2 years than those without a diagnosis of APD. The diagnosis of APD did not correlate with IQ or with the diagnosis of dyslexia.

Interpretation
High prevalence of APD in the targeted group of children suspected of Learning Disabilities sets the grounds for a possible benefit in screening for the disorder.


This posting originally appeared on SpellTalk, a free online discussion group for educators dedicated to improving spelling and word study skills. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or manage other options, please visit http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/spelltalk