In a conversation with a client recently they were unsure of how the brain functions in respect to learning processes. Therefore, below I am listing the four areas of the brain and how it functions. For brain health keep in mind water is especially important in brain health along with Omega 3 Fatty Acids.

Frontal Lobe: This area of the brain is associated with higher mental functions (such as strategic attention, reasoning, and innovative thinking (or frequency of ideas, and social functioning.)

Parietal Lobe: This are is associated with sensory input from the skin and muscles, body awareness.

Temporal Lobe: This area is associated with short-term memory, equilibrium, and input from hearing.

Occipital Lobe: This area is associated with sight and image processing.

Provided by Kim Ashby

Answer the following questions:     YES     NO

Do you skip words or lines when reading?        
Do you reread lines?        
Do you lose your place?        
Are you easily distracted when reading?        
Do you need to take breaks often?        
Do you find it harder to read the longer you read?        
Do you get headaches when you read?        
Do your eyes get red and watery?        
Does reading make you tired?        
Do you blink or squint?        
Do you prefer to read in dim light?        
Do you read close to the page?        
Do you use your finger or other markers?        
Do you get restless, active, or fidgety when reading?        

If you answered yes to three or more of these questions, then you might be experiencing the effects of a perception problem called Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome, which can interfere with your reading efficiency. Now, for the first time, there is a simple method Irlen Colored Filters worn as glasses or contact lenses, that can help people overcome this problem quickly and easily.

Copyright © 1991 by Perceptual Development Corp/Helen Irlen.  All rights reserved.
For other self tests including the long test, headache test, light sensitivity test, autism test <a href="http://irlen.com/index.php?s=selftests">click here</a>.

Students seek tutoring for a variety of reasons. Whether to improve a grade or increase their understanding in a certain subject area; stay organized and on track in all their classes, or prepare for entrance exams and standardized tests, a tutor can be just the boost they need. But for some students with slumping grades and rising frustrations, tutoring may not be a boost but a lifeline.

While hundreds of thousands of American students meet with tutors each week, no two students are alike and for those with learning differences, finding the right tutor who can understand and even diagnose specific issues while implementing a personalized strategy for academic success can be a desperate, frustrating, and costly exercise in futility.

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First, to fully understand the purpose of an ARD and how to prepare you need some important background. Congress thought an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for a child with a disability was too important to be developed by any one person. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) regulations require that the IEP be developed by a committee composed of, at a minimum, a teacher certified in the child’s area of disability, at least one regular education teacher (if the child is, or may be, in the regular education environment), an administrator (someone who can ensure that the services provided in the IEP will be provided), and the parent (which includes a guardian, a person acting as a parent of the child or a surrogate parent as appointed in accordance with law). In Texas these teams are called Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) committees.

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Preschool Children | Although children's growth patterns vary among individuals and within individuals, uneven development or significant delays in development can signal the presence of a learning disability. It is important to keep in mind that the behaviors listed below must persist over time to be considered warning signs. Any child may occasionally exhibit one or two of these behaviors in the course of normal development.

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Because learning disabilities cannot be seen, they often go undetected. Recognizing a learning disability is even more difficult because the severity and characteristics vary.

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by Plano franchise owner, Jan Coltrain-Sapp

With the beginning of the school year comes the challenge of what to tell your child’s teachers about their learning differences, how much or how little and what form of communication do you use. You certainly don’t want the teachers to spend 6 weeks or more getting to know your child, or make incorrect assumptions about your child. Although teachers are the experts in the classroom, you are the expert on your child!

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