Tools for Life

Blogging

2011-09-04T11:38:00.000-07:00

My main interest is in getting information to parents so they can help their own children. I get enough business by word of mouth such that I do not need to have a big publicity drive to get business. However I am still aware of the number of parents out there who need help and are not sure where to turn.
As Chairman of the Developmental Practitiooners' Association I have been involved with their website and updating www.brainshift.co.uk . There are lots of programmes about to help children but, parents need to know what they are all about and which is best for them. For most children there is need of more than one input.
I train teachers for EASIE so they can put that in for early years children. All benefit and those children needing more will be higfhlighted in the checklist. Early intervention is best. Listening training and Primary Movement can come after that. Bi lateral integration , Brain gym and repatterning can be added in later if thought necessary.
Reading and spelling help, may be needed to make up the gap in learning caused by difficulty. Developmental programmes reduce learning difficulties but do not teach children.'Toe by Toe' is an excellent resource for teaching reading, a structured multi sensory approach. Violet Brand's 'Spelling made Easy' can help with spelling as can 'Word wand'. Lexia can be used to check understanding and Word Shark can add a bit of fun.
:ots of help out there

Sleep Apnea

2011-07-14T08:19:00.000-07:00

Sleep apnea is just one topic which will be covered at the Newark conference, for parents and professionals, on September 10th. Details can be found on the poster, under events, on my website, www.toolsforlife.co.uk. You can also find details on www.brainshift.co.uk for the Developmental Practitioners Association. The conference is run on a 'not for profit' basis so you get good value for money.
There are two experts talking about attachment disorder from different perspectives and autism will be covered. A SENCO will share academic results for school students who have had input of developmental programmes alongside traditional teaching. The students involved are those statemented, have behavioural problems or other learning needs. A dentist will give an insight into sleep problems and how to help.
It is necessary to be aware of all the different inputs which can be employed to help a child because many children will need help in more than one area. They may be under medical care or working with another therapist. The important thing is for the child to get the help which will benefit them. Underlying developmental problems feature as a part of the problems for children with any of the many labels. Different inputs may not be a cure for any group but reduction of underlying problems can alleviate some of the suffering.

2011-03-05T07:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I spent the day discussing the Listening Programme with the UK provider Alan Heath. Lots of schools use TLP but there is no write up on it. Teachers are too busy implementing it in their own school. However this fails to show the areas where it is implemented and the results they are getting.
Every time a new provider wants to implement the programme it is as if they are the first to do this . Some authorities are reluctant to take on anything new. However the use of the programme is widespread and all achieve results. Looking at ways now to show the numerous and diverse situations where the programme is already established. Need to provide information on location , results and point of contact. If all this info could be married together then the benefits of the programme would be self evident.
It is all very well wanting a mass study with strict adherence to scientific protocol but all that takes money. Money not available to teachers or individuals working with limited intake because they have insufficent students to yield matched test, control and placebo subjects. Needs to be a national study. However if you keep on taking students across the board and getting results then eventually interest in mass study will be generated. They cannot keep denying efficacy in the face of results that show it.
The question is 'Do we care enough to correlate results across the country demonstrating the benefits of the programme?' For me personally, this is a must.

EASIE

2011-01-20T11:25:00.000-08:00

EASIE stands for 'Exercise and Sound in Education'. It is backed by research funded by the General Teaching Council , Wales. By addressing child development in a fun, but structured way it enhances learning . It can be used by a whole class, from nursery up and with individuals with special needs who are older. Developmental progress can be tracked and seen to mirror improvements in the educational sphere. The earlier you intervene , the less input is needed and the sooner children benefit.
This programme addresses the needs of all the children. There will be those who need the course repeated to address the more severe difficulties and it will pin point difficulties in any specific area. I think it is very important to include all the children. Those with additional needs are easily recognisable as they progress up through the education system but without this, a good number of children of above average intelligence will be missed. They are bright enough to find compensatory strategies to achieve an end and so will not get flagged up as having a difficulty. However as they move up, these compensations sap them, such that although they may achieve an average grade, they fall short of their potential.
It is essential that these children are recognised. They are as important as those with a specific difficulty or label. We need to look at the brighter children. How many of them cannot hold a pencil correctly, are almost flat on the desk when writing a longer piece, are too close to the paper when reading, cannot follow or need repetition of instructions? These are just a few indicators. It may be thought that they never listen and cannot follow instructions. If the teacher is not boring the whole class, which is rare, can they tell the difference between sounds and so understand the spoken word correctly, first time and without effort?

I have tutored children for secondary entrance exams for over 20 years and have been into developmental work in a big way for the last 15. The child affected by developmental delay used to be rare but in the last few years it has been seen to affect more than a quarter of these students of above average potential. Only one in four of the total number can hold a pencil correctly. About half are slumped over the desk when writing and about the same number are far too close to the text when reading. The result for a lot is they are unable to work fast enough because of the problems, to achieve their end.

By bringing in a developmental programme for use with all the children a lot of these problems could be corrected before they even start on formal education. We have put money into education to address individual needs for those not succeeding, we have trained up excellent teachers and now we have to look at the child as a learner. The child is the one who does the learning and it would be better if they were developmentally ready to take on the task. We are failing those children of above average ability who will be earning the money for the country in the future and, the scheme to help them would also benefit the children with more severe needs.
If every child matters then we need to consider every child and a programme which addresses the needs of all, can be used across the board to do this. Makes sound economic sense.

These children have no voice or specific group to speak out for them but, it is vital to those with severe difficulties, that they get help. Some with severe difficulties will need support throughout their life and it is this neglected group who will have to provide the money for that long term support.

It may be thought that I am championing this group without thought or understanding of those with more severe difficulties but this is not the case. I am at present working on a study to show the benefits of a listening programme with those on the autistic spectrum and produced a published study on Down Syndrome with a colleague. I have shown in study, how programmes can help children underachieving with a variety of labels (warwick 2004). All children should have the best. No group is more worthy than another.

2010-11-01T03:40:00.000-07:00

The article on children with Down Syndrome and The Listening Training Programme is in Music and Medicine Journal, volume 2, Issue 4, October 2010. Local children with Down Syndrome are continuing to be added to the research group and the improvements seen are consistent.
In addition work is ongoing with students on the autism spectrum aged 16 - 19 years who are following the listening training programme from ABT. This will added to work with autistic children in Ireland.
Work with dyslexic children and the listening training programme is also ongoing.
An article was published in the Daily Express on a case study of a young woman with dyscalculia who improved following the use of The Listening Training Programme and Primary Movement.
Is it coincidence that Listening Training and Primary Movement can help those with different labels or is developmental delay a feature across all the labels? These might not cure all difficulties for all but can make significant improvements for the individuals. These programmes are drug free and non invasive . No two children are exactly the same but maybe they have more in common rather than being entirely separate as labels imply.

2010-08-23T09:35:00.000-07:00

We should all be aware that a study on hearing of adolescents shows an increase in adolescent deafness. Should not come as a surprise as we see youngsters, joggers etc with headphones where the ear piece fits into the ear, listening to music through them but sadly, at too loud a volume. I can see the advantage of these headphones. They are neat and not bulky to carry about. They are the trendy thing of the day. However it would be better if we recommended the use of headphones which fit over the ear, where sound has a better chance to escape and used with a player where the volume is limited to a safe level. We have a duty to protect the youngsters and so we should be insisting on volume limitation of playing devices and the recommendation of open headphones.
Many of us may remember the concerts we attended where we know now the volume of music could have had a damaging effect. However we only had very limited exposure. The youth of today are in much greater danger as they can arrange this input, at a continuous dangerous level, for themselves. We need to be training these children from a young age, to take sensible precautions so their hearing is protected.

Down Syndrome study

2010-08-05T07:16:00.000-07:00

The Down Syndrome study was written up and published Monday August 2nd, in an early online before print version of the article scheduled to appear in the Journal Music and Medicine in October 2010 issue.

Reference
Jeyes,G., Newton,C. Evaluation of the Listening Programme in Assessing Auditory Processing and Speech Skills in Children with Down Syndrome
Music and Medicine August2,2010 doi: 10.1177/1943862110371809

It is important that all should be done to reduce difficulties with communication so that the children will benefit more quickly from their education and, continue that benefit as they move into adult life.

2010-01-20T07:45:00.000-08:00

As we move towards a General Election Education becomes a topic for all. Cameron seems to think that getting suitably qualified people in the various subject areas is the key. In Primary school it is more important to be a communicator and motivator so children are not turned off learning. There are lots of good teachers around altready but despite all the input in aspects of teaching the results have not reflected the effort.
I work with brighter children as well as those struggling and I am astounded at the problems I pick up. A brighter child may achieve average but they should do better. A lot of children have excellent hearing but they cannot shut out extraneous noise which distracts or, distinguish clearly between the sounds in words. This impacts on reading, spelling and memory at the least. Retained reflexes mean the child is having to use compensatory strategies to overcome difficulties which requires lots more effort. The children need to be effective learners.
Having a good teacher alone is not enough. The child needs to be an effective learner to learn with ease and gain success from their efforts. We can do so much more to help them and early intervention is the key.

2010-01-06T11:02:00.000-08:00

Have been requested to submit recent studies to a journal on Music. I am now in process of converting studies to manuscript stlye requested by journal but should get it done by end of this week.
In academia they work from some minute part of the brain trying to understand how it works and to define difficulties. The teacher and developmental practitioner work from the child, where they have to work with brain and all senses together. Proof of the developmental work being effective comes from the changes in behaviour and improved academic progress. We are at a point where academia is still trying to define the problems but developmental practitioners have at least some of the answers and are effective.

Graphs etc

2009-10-04T06:25:00.000-07:00

The graphs are now in. Those from the Down Study are a bit random in size but the study can also be viewed at The Down Library.
I have included the selection of case studies in order to help people to be aware that the prospects for children are not set in stone. There are improvements that can be made.
To me it is vitally important that we address underachievement as well as the different labels because these children of higher intelligence are vital to the prosperity of the country in the future and they will be the ones with the responsibility for providing for those less able to fend for themselves.
In a letter published in The Times newspaper and also in an article in their debate section a few years ago I suggested that children who cannot succeed in education express their frustration in adverse behaviours both introverted and extroverted, leading to expenditure in the public sector on health, justice and social care to deal with anti social behaviour and other effects of failure to achieve. In some cases the problems are handed down from generation to generation and in others they are emerging anew. When I see a child achieve I see changes in the whole family as a result.
The Government has shown initiative in raising the effectiveness of the teacher and addressing the social side with Sure Start and these are both very important parts of the education system but, results have been seen to plateau. The effectiveness of the child as a learner is the missing link. Learning is not done to the child but the child has to actively participate. They need to be ready for learning. Introducing training earlier does not address the problem of the ineffective learner but rather compounds the problem.
There is much evidence to support developmental intervention but it is ignored and by inference this discredits it. We concentrate on labelling children and coping strategies but we can and should , in my opinion, be doing a lot more.
Want to see a bit about this for yourselves and you could look at Utube, 'Moving Towards Success' which gives a glimpse of what can be done using developmental programmes
illustrated by examples of real people in real schools.

Case studies

2009-10-04T05:25:00.000-07:00

I have uploaded my case studies across the labels but still no graphs included. This is in the process of being sorted so hopefully will be done this next week . Apologies.
Even without the graphs the message is that, using Primary Movement and, listening training from ABT, there are improvements for all in the academic area, naming speed etc. whatever the label.
Early intervention using such programmes as EASIE can start remediation from nursery up and avoid children experiencing demoralising failure whilst waiting for that point of assessment for a label, not that a label remediates the problem.

2009-09-18T11:08:00.000-07:00

The conference 'Children Matter' went well. It showed overwhelmingly that listening and movement interventions raise achievements and do so much more across the labels, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, ADHD, autism and underachievement.
I've put my study on autism and the listening programme, showing how auditory skills improve with intervention, on my website. I've also put up the poster on Down Syndrome which was presented at The World Symposium for Down Syndrome 2009 in Dublin. The graphs appear missing on the website though they show on my updater so will have to address that this next week. Have still to put up case studies for different labels.
The idea is to show how integration of reflexes and improving auditory skills help all children , whatever the label. If these were addressed for all it would be possible to look at what else remains. Naming speed improves for all with interventions and labels.
It goes to prove that achievement can be raised through developmental programmes even where there is no extra teaching intervention. Where there is a large deficit in achievement, teaching would help bridge the gap because. the developmental programmes only make the children more effective learners, they do not teach the child.
I came into this work not because we had bad teachers but rather the reverse. We had good teachers but, despite this, some children underachieved.
We can prevent a lot of the problems by putting in developmental programmes in early years. EASIE addresses not only development but listening and it has been useful in nursery, key stage 1 , special schools for autistic and schools catering for traumatised children. OFSTED have approved the use when they have inspected schools using EASIE.
I do not deal with labels as they serve only as an excuse for poor performance. I would far rather see children going through developmental programmes and overcoming their difficulties so they are no longer unable to read at THEIR appropriate level, and can process at an average speed or above , no longer suffer from clumsiness or be derided for their lack of sporting ability. I want them to go on as adults functioning as others , not needing someone at their side to counsel them etc .
Training to cope with reading and number has its place but, after intervention, because it does not increase speed or deal with so many of the other aspects of any label.
I have just taken the Chair of The Developmental Practioners Association . This is a body open to all who work in the developmental field, all allied professions and parents. The aim is to raise the profile of developmental work so all children shall benefit not just those fortunate enough to have parents with the knowledge and the money to go private.
This is something which should be a part of teacher training and should be included in all schools.
There is just no truth in saying that nothing can be done for the children with a variety of labels or otherwise. There may not be a cure for all aspects but with developmental programmes many children would be able to stand unaided when they reach the adult world. With more and more children suffering problems it is a matter of urgency to address the difficulties.
The DPA can be found at www.brainshift.co.uk

World Down Symposium - Dublin

2009-08-23T10:54:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful event. People came half way across the world to exhibit posters and tell people of their research experiences. There were experts from every corner of the earth sharing knowledge.
I went with Caroline Newton from Orston and Marie Nicholson from Flintham. They head up the Nottinghamshire Down Support Group and are co workers in speech and language therapy with Symbol UK. Together we put in The Listening training Programme with nine Down children and saw them all improve in speech, listening and communication. We went to disseminate that information to other parents so their children could benefit. There is no cash benefit in doing this for any of us but, it helps the children, so we wanted to get it out there to people and a lot of people showed interest.
Early intervention in all areas, medical, speech and language, motor skills plus and so many people are working to bring this about. They are looking to realise the potential of these children because lifespan has increased to 66 years plus. The message was clear that these children have potential but, it takes more effort for them to realise it.
Most of the people there had connection or family with Down Syndrome so they think in terms of this group but, I deal with all children and I found so much which was applicable to children generally if they are to go on to achieve what they should.
One lecture I was especially keen to get to was that of David Hingsburger, an extra included by request, on Bullying. This is a problem throughout schools and our strategies do not seem to work even if we pretend that they do. We tell children to ignore bullies and quote the old adage 'sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me' but words do hurt and damage the recepient. He advocated honouring children who came with their tales of bullying and giving some little insight into a personal experience of their own, so children did not see it as just an attack on them due to their disability . He then got them to chant and clap a saying 'I am OK , they are mean' as a way of coping with the experience so they were not damaged by it inside themselves. He is working on strategies to help with this. This man describes himself as 'a fat guy in a wheelchair' but he speaks with passion , in down to earth terms, dealing with problems that most shy away from. It is a pity his lecture is not a compulsory constituent of teacher television because no words from me can adequately convey his message.
I met so many wonderful people out there , who are working to benefit children so they can cope in the outside world. One had a kinaesthetic method for children to use with mathematics and another had a solution to handling cash. All good to know about.
The UN are bringing out a policy to outlaw discrimation against the intellectually disabled and apparently the UK has already signed up for this. Ways have to be found so that we are a more inclusive society to improve the quality of life all round. Personally I took the son of one of my colleagues to a pub for chicken nuggetes and chips. They wanted us to go in the lounge but he wanted to be by the TV screen so they let us be in the bar with the screen. They were just ordinary guys out for a pint at their local but they could not have been kinder. They gave him a drink with ice but as soon as they realised he did not want ice it was gone. They came over to chat with him and asked about the football gear he was wearing. All of the men there were attentive to him. There are a lot of good people about.

2009-07-12T11:27:00.000-07:00

Glad to have people coming to conference 'Children matter' from as far away as Edinburgh, Southport, Swansea, London, Bournemouth. Leicestershire is sending quite a number including mentor for Early Years. The conference was arranged to enable people from this area to benefit too. Hopefully there will be a surge of interest in the neighbourhood in next few days.

2009-07-04T10:10:00.000-07:00

Signed up in support of Gary McKinnon. Why did it take publicity of case for recognition to be gained of his Asperger syndrome. It has been around since 1944. Illustrates the time lag between knowledge gained and actually incorporating it in the system
I deal with all children with or without labels.
I've seen developmental problems escalate in last few years amongs my 11+ candidates. 25% are on developmental programmes to address difficulties which make them too slow to pass. One of my earlier students with problems, that meant before intervention he might only do 50% of test paper, is now top of his year at grammar school. One from an independent, selective prep school, struggling to cope, has just won the academic award as top of his class. These children are just as special as those labelled but in the system they are not even picked up.
I aim for excellence for all. Do wish I was not on my own.

2009-07-02T12:59:00.000-07:00

Altruism is something I was brought up with - you take some but you give back a lot more.
I've seen developmental delay increase exponentially over last few years. Parents have come up with ideas- pressure in pregnancy over future, early start to nursery, increase of mobile phone use. One has connected increase in delay with increase of breast cancer in younger women. I have no idea which is right. However developmental programmes can help children whatever cause.
I am funding a conference in September so schools and other services can be aware of ways to bridge the gap. It is to spread information.No one involved is going to make money out of it. This may be hard to understand but reducing difficulties in learning makes for less anti social activity later on and, so builds a better world for everyone to enjoy. Who can have a problem with that?

2009-06-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

Just watched DVD of educational changes announced by Ed Balls. Look at the black guy at the end. Whatever he is achieving could be improved upon. Obvious developmental delay. Poor lad cannot hold a pen correctly - note pressure applied , see knuckles. Too close to paper- developmental problems. If we addressed such issues across population we would see improvements in individual performance, less adverse behaviours, more contented children. Such programmes exist and research has been paid for by education bodies. Why do we not use what is known? We can put in individual reading programmes but it reaches only a very few and is expensive. We could get the same improvement for a much larger number by early developmental intervention.

2009-06-28T06:54:00.000-07:00

Just back from seeing brother . He and his wife are back from Thailand for a couple of months. He is going on Mongolia Charity rally July 11th with long time friend Meurig Jones. Hope to see them off from London. Good luck to them both.

2009-06-26T02:23:00.000-07:00

Good to hear from past EASIE trainees and to know that the programme is helping them help children. Especially glad that children who have had a poor start in life can be helped. All children deserve the best chance to succeed.

2009-06-21T04:32:00.001-07:00

Been to Listening update and it was great to hear how well the Listening Program has been received in some areas and the excellent results they are getting over a whole range of labels. They are now starting to get it in for whole classes. This work started in Nottinghamshire nearly ten years ago and similarly they are seeing improvements.
There were reports on effects with autism and connecting it with the work of Stephen Porges and studies of the vagus nerve. As a result of some findings there is now a study ongoing on continence.
It is not one programme to cure all but has been combined with movement for best effect in many cases.
The need of the children is ever growing so I hope the news will be spread for their benefit, at the September conference in Newark.

2009-06-19T03:59:00.000-07:00

Off to the update meeting for the listening Training programme from ABT. There are more studies being presented which show the improvements that can be made with the input. The programme is expensive for individuals to purchase but it makes a worthwhile difference. It would be even better if it could be brought into schools for all, and that is being done in some places. Input of developmental programmes is complementary to teaching and allows the children to benefit far more from the teaching they receive because, they are more effective learners.

2009-06-15T04:43:00.000-07:00

Just received update from www.whataboutthechildren.org.uk . There is some interesting information on their website. Deals with children under 3 years. Looks at emotions in particular. All things help to complete the puzzle of child development. Worth a look.

2009-06-12T04:51:00.000-07:00

Been to Newark Business meeting today. Trying to expand publicity for conference September 12th 'Children Matter'. Details on website under events www.toolsforlife.co.uk
It seems an uphill struggle sometimes but just retested 2 children on autistic spectrum today , after input of Listening Training Programme. To use a standardised test and see such improvement in results for auditory skills makes it worthwhile. It may not solve all their problems but it will make a real difference by reducing their difficulties in this area.
It raises a smile from the boys when they look at the results charts and see the difference.
Parent reports: child stringing more words together into sentences more often, mixing with other children more easily and more willing to accept changes to routine.
It all helps make life easier overall.

2009-06-09T07:16:00.000-07:00

Seem to be more and more children struggling with developmental difficulties. Schools can train them up well for reading and spelling but the effort the children have to make in school is too much and it leaves them fatigued. Some children can let it all wash over them but others become sad or angry. Some children get help with a label, dyslexia, dyspraxia, autistic spectrum etc but there are lots who do not fit in to a specific label and get nothing. If we put in a structured developmental programme in early years for all children, then these children would be helped too. It would also benefit those from disadvantaged situations and those where english is not the first language. A lot of the more severe problems of the secondary sector would be removed by early intervention. Makes sense to do that and financially beneficial too.

2009-06-07T09:58:00.000-07:00

Quite an interesting week. Good to know one of the children I helped with developmental programmes is now top of his year at the Grammar school. Seeing the children succeed makes the job worthwhile.

Weekend

2009-05-31T12:30:00.000-07:00

Just spent this last weekend completing the second part of the Brain Gym course with Buffy McClelland at Oxford. Did this to learn more about Educational Kinesiology. I think it is better to be informed about all the different approaches so you can begin to see how they all fit together in the jigsaw of learning. The programmes may approach areas differently but they all work to the same end ie. to benefit the children.

Learning follow on

2009-05-28T13:55:00.000-07:00

Allergies can have an effect on learning.
Listening as well as hearing needs to be honed for good communication, and so much more, concerned with learning.
Reflexes, balance and coordination are all part of the system relating to cognition.
The ability to learn can be improved and it is complementary to teaching.

My allergy to dairy caused me to fail at school

2009-05-28T12:37:00.000-07:00

My allergy to dairy caused me to fail at school and it wasn't until I was in my late teens that I was aware that the migranes I suffered, were linked to milk products.

See my website for more details www.toolsforlife.co.uk