The Simply Smarter® program is built upon the foundation of neuroplasticity, utilizing the science of targeted input, frequency, intensity, and duration.

Targeted

The program constantly modifies itself to keep you right at the sweet spot, the spot that is targeted for you to achieve maximum benefit.

Frequency

To take advantage of neuroplasticity, we need to keep triggering the firing of neurons and reinforcing neural networks. Everyone is encouraged to use the program once or twice a day and preferably four or more days a week.

Intensity

This is an incredibly important piece. The importance of intensity cannot be overstated. How you or your child approach every session is going to determine how much the program impacts, changes, and develops the brain. Just doing it isn’t enough; you must do it with real intensity and with intention. Every activity is very short. It was designed that way so that you could create and maintain maximum attention and intensity for the seconds needed to complete each piece that you are asked to process, to watch, or listen to. Approach every sequence of every activity with the intention of remembering it, of nailing it!

If your children are using the program, sit with them, if you can, and cheer them on. The program has built-in rewards and acknowledgement, but a parent’s power is much greater, and we encourage you to provide very meaningful, big rewards for new high scores or higher digit spans. These changes can be life changing, treat them as such.

We realize that it’s not reasonable for many parents to sit in while their child does Simply Smarter®, so we have built in the means to send email and text alerts so that Mom, Dad, grandparents, coaches, whoever will know when the child did well; and each can provide their own congratulations, making every step forward all that more meaningful. Dad coming home from work and immediately acknowledging Johnny’s new high score or a call from Grandma can be very powerful.

For adults be honest with yourselves. Sitting down with good energy, intensity, and with the intention of knocking it out of the park each time is difficult. You are not only allowed but encouraged to set up your own rewards program—rewards for all new high scores. Set digit span and processing power goals, and when you hit it, reward it. It’s only your life and future that you are changing!

Duration

To change the brain, we need to keep causing those networks of brain cells to keep firing together. The longer we do it, the greater the change. Keep in mind that generally without specific intervention the development of processing, short-term memory and working memory, slows virtually to a halt at about seven years of age, creeps a tiny bit forward from then until we are in our twenties, and then usually begins a slow decline that continues throughout our life unless we target it, address it, and build it!

Simply Smarter® is an invaluable tool that has the potential to change the lives of your children, your parents, and yourselves.

Reprinted by permission of The NACD Foundation, Volume 33 No. 7, 2020 ©NACD

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A 2012 study of child prodigies conducted by Joanne Ruthsatz and Jourdan B. Urbach found that all the children studied tested in the 99th percentile for working memory.

Each of the child prodigies tested at what was considered a moderately elevated intelligence and exhibited high scores relative to their attention to detail. But the most exciting results were the working memory, with each child testing in the 99th percentile.

This study helps confirm Bob Doman’s and NACD’s 40 years of experience of addressing and developing working memory in children. Having helped develop working memory in many thousands of special needs and “typical” children, NACD has had firsthand knowledge of just how key this vital function is to every aspect of a child’s ability to learn, think, and perform.

NACD’s experience also suggests that the elevated intelligence and attention to detail exhibited in these children is at least in part a reflection of the benefits of their superior working memory.

NACD has been at the forefront of understanding the tremendous importance of working memory and developing tools to aid in its development. The NACD Foundation Simply Smarter Project has been an attempt to heighten awareness of the importance of this essential neurological building block and to bring tools to the world to help take advantage of neuroplasticity and help everyone build their working memory.

Related Links

• Simply Smarter
• NACD’s Simply Smarter Project
• NACD Cognition Coach Apps

The post NACD Science Corner Vol. 11 – Study Links Child Prodigies & Working Memory appeared first on NACD International | The National Association for Child Development.

Years ago, I saw a TV show on Discovery with an organization from England that transformed “typical” children into geniuses using programs close to what NACD is using. I was fascinated but frustrated because I believed that I would never have an opportunity to follow this type of program in Romania. After I registered my son in an NACD personalized program [NACD TDI Program] last year and saw how fast a brain-damaged child can learn to process information, I quickly understood that NACD was the key to success. My dream created by that TV show was about to come true. I read about Simply Smarter and registered immediately. When I first started the Simply Smarter program, I was processing 7 directions. Some studies show that “smart” people are able to process between 7 and 10. NACD said that if you are processing 10, you are doing very well. It has been more than one year since I started Simply Smarter and I can process 15-16 pieces of information at this point. This is huge, folks, very huge. I was in the dark a year ago. I started a discussion and after 2 minutes forgot where I was going with the conversation. I could not remember too many things, nor could I understand many important pieces of information because of my weak auditory processing. There are many of you out there in the same situation that I was experiencing. Now at a processing level of 15-16, things have changed so much. I can think, talk and learn faster, hear more, and write better. I have many good ideas. I can function better. I have improved my life and the life of my family also. I’ve started to remember things from my childhood, memories that I thought were lost!

Thinking gives you strength and you can achieve things that most people find impossible to achieve. For those of you who have children in NACD, you know what going from 7 to 16 means. For those of you who don’t know about NACD, let me try to explain it to you. It is like lifting weights. At the beginning, perhaps you can lift 10 kg. Then you start building your body and after one year you can lift 200 kg. In this case, however, you are building your intelligence which is so much more important. Much like those body builders who become addicted to growing muscle, I am addicted to building intelligence. I now am 36 years old and by the time I am 40 I want to process 25-30 pieces of information.

I love Simply Smarter and I will use it for the rest of my life. If you want to ask me questions about my experience with Simply Smarter, feel free to do so at roviancom@yahoo.com

—Razvan

P.S. My wife started Simply Smarter at a processing level of 8 last year. She can now process 20-21 pieces of information (However, I am still the boss in the house!).

The post Manole Family – A “Discovery” Leads to Success with NACD & Simply Smarter appeared first on NACD International | The National Association for Child Development.

I am often asked by fellow NACD moms, “How do you do it?” “How do you get it all done?” “Why do you have your kids involved in so many activities?” The easy answer is to say that I am a little crazy. (But I’m really not.) I think it comes down to our different, unique personalities, and how that impacts our approach to life and schedules. I have always been passionate about human behavior, even to the point of getting a degree in psychology. Recently as I have been thinking and reading more and more about different personalities and personality traits, I had an “aha” moment. I have always known that I am more of an extrovert. I am loud and get excited easily. I have a lot of energy (just not past 9 pm, when I turn into a pumpkin). My intensity level is generally always at a “10.” But you don’t have to be an extrovert to “get it all done.” Introverts have their own unique gifts and can often be even more productive. Where I am going with all this is that if we as moms and dads can identify how our personalities work, and then from there develop a plan for what we need in order to be more productive with our kids, ultimately we can be more effective parents. In this article I hope to provide you with some input on how to do just that.

Carl Jung, who popularized the terms “extroverts” and “introverts,” believed that we each have some characteristics of both, just that one is generally more dominant. Extroverts, in general, have an intense need for stimulation. (I can enjoy a weekend in Las Vegas.) Extroverts tend to be more outgoing, like a high level of activity, are perhaps more aggressive, and generally are able to make quick decisions. Introverts, on the other hand, function better with less external stimulation, tend to be more contemplative, perhaps reserved, and may have more of a careful balancing of considerations before reaching decisions. Susan Cain, author of Quiet, researched introversion as a personality trait and discovered that while some see it as a weakness, it is actually a strength. In a NY Times interview in 2012, she said, “There are many different definitions that psychologists use [in defining introversion]. One that many would agree with – and that I like – is ‘people who prefer quieter, more minimally stimulating environments.’ The key is about stimulation: Extroverts feel at their best with and crave a high degree of stimulation. For introverts the optimal zone is much lower.”

So here is my life as an extrovert: I have three kids. I have worked for NACD for over 16 years, starting before I was a mother. When kids came along I was neither able nor willing to completely give up my career. My husband and I rely on my income, and I love working for such an amazing organization. Fortunately, I work for a company who believes that mothers and fathers should play an active role in their child’s development. Over the past 11.5 years, Bob has let me change roles, stop traveling, or increase my traveling, take my babies with me to different locations while I was still nursing them, etc. In turn, my babies have been videotaped many times, (three of my babies are who you see in the program videos), they have been guinea pigs, and they have each been on program since they were born. They still do program. I am able leave at 3:00 every day in order to be at home with my kids. (For those of you who work and are also trying to fit things in, I encourage you to talk to your boss. Is it possible to come in later in order to work with your child and then stay later, or vice versa? Is it possible to telecommute or do some work from home? More often, employers are letting moms and dads have a bit more flexibility, which in turn creates happier employees. Happy employees can also be more productive employees.)

Jump ahead 11 years, and here I am… a full-time working mom to three kids: Michael is 11, Marc is 9 (almost 10), and Elle is 5. I travel for work most months, and my husband also travels with his job as a golf coach for Weber State University. The kids each have their own activities – Michael does competitive soccer year round, basketball during the winter, Boy Scouts each week, and golf (a must in our family!). Marc plays the seasonal sports – football in fall, wrestling and basketball in winter, baseball in spring, and golf in summer, and is also in Boy Scouts. Elle is in ballet year round and plays soccer in the fall and spring. Plus they have school and, of course, their NACD programs.

I give you this background so that you know just how much stuff I have to schedule. So how do I do it and not go crazy? First, I recognize that I am an extrovert. I crave constant stimulation. Even on the weekends when the house is clean and the laundry is done, I can’t just sit. I have to be doing something. I thrive on having a busy life. So I recognize that this is just a part of who I am. Also, I should qualify all of this by pointing out that 1) my kids are neuro-typical (they don’t have special needs) 2) they are all three in school now and 3) I have family locally and within a couple of hours away. I do understand that those things make it easier for me to do all that I do compared to some of you readers. But let me provide you with some things that are always “MUST DOs” (besides an admitted reliance on morning caffeine) during my weeks in order to keep up with all the activity:

1. First and most important, I SLEEP. I go to bed religiously by 10. Only occasionally do I stay up late. It is not uncommon on the weekends for me to be in bed before that! I love my sleep. I need at least 8 hours a night. I sleep well and when I wake up I am ready to face the day.
2. I also make sure that I EXERCISE most days of the week. I am a runner and I love to run. I don’t have to run an hour each day – most of the time it is only 30 minutes, but I run. I make sure that I do it. Michael is old enough to watch Elle at home while I run around the neighborhood for 30 minutes. When the kids were younger, I remember running with them in the jogger strollers. I would run to a park, let them play and work on their physical program activities there or do some program there, then I would put them back in and run back.
3. I stay conscious of my family’s HEALTH, aside from just the exercise. I watch our diets. I have been also experimenting more with our essential oils from Young Living, and I am really enjoying the citrus and “Joy” essential oils. I apply them topically and through our diffuser at home in the morning and in the evening.
4. Monday through Friday we have a VERY CONSISTENT SCHEDULE. I think that it is important to be consistent, as that helps the kids predict and know what we expect to have happen. In the mornings, the kids wake themselves up with their alarms, and they have a morning routine that they have to follow. And they know what needs to happen on that day of the week. (For those of you who have one or two kids who need more assistance from you, be sure that the ones who don’t are taking full responsibility for what they need to do. If you have to remind everyone to do this or that, you end up spending a lot of time nagging; and ultimately they don’t learn how to be responsible.
5. Each of the kids has their own CHECKLIST of what they need to do in the morning before 8:00. That includes making their own breakfast, which requires that I have things available to them that are easy to make and nutritious. If they don’t get done with their list by 8, then they lose screen time for the day. In the mornings, the boys and Elle will also try to get in a bit of their programs. One of the boys might be able to do a Simply Smarter session, while the other one reads or vice versa. I do sequencing with Elle while I do her hair. Or I will review her sight words for a one-minute duration while she is eating. They keep their school folders on our island in the kitchen so that while they are eating breakfast or before school, and of course after, they can have them to review what they need to complete or study or homework. While they are getting ready for the day, so am I. My husband takes care of the bed and lets the dog out. He makes the coffee, etc., while I am getting ready. We work together to get out of the house and on who will pick up whom from what activity. We are a well-oiled machine! The big thing to remember here is time management. I am trying to teach that to my children. If they can learn to manage their time well, then they will learn that they can have much more free time.
6. I MULTI-TASK. I often work while waiting for practices or games. When the kids were younger, I would often take advantage of mealtime. Breakfast and dinner, two frequencies of picture cards or language photos or word cards – done!
7. I FOCUS MY TIME. Yes, sometimes I multitask. But other times I stay very focused on one thing. From 8:30 to 3 it is all about work. I am at the office, working on work. From 3:30 to 5 pm I am with my kids. They are doing the rest of their programs and their homework with me present. We don’t turn on the TV or play with friends or go anywhere until it is done. I don’t engage in social media or talk on the phone. I try to rotate–I spend 15 minutes working with one, then while they do something independent, I work with the other one, then on to the third child. Some days I have to spend more time working with one child over another. If I have one child who needs a lot of my time on a particular day, then I have the other child work with Elle.
8. I do SIMPLY SMARTER– I try to do it first thing before I do anything else. Even if I do it three times a week, that helps me to keep my focus and multi-tasking abilities up.
9. The KIDS HELP. The kids each have their areas of the house that they maintain, as do my husband and I. Their area should take them a maximum of 15 minutes to do. They have the same areas because for them it works better. They know what to do and how to do it. I have worked with families who have a constant rotation of chores. While that works great for some, for us, that doesn’t work well. The older two also have their own separate laundry days. They are responsible to do their own loads and hang them all up. The kids all work together to empty the dishwasher daily and clean up after our dog. Elle helps me with our laundry, and I am always teaching her to do more things on her own.
10. Generally from 5:00-7:00 we are doing sports activities. I TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE HELP I HAVE. My mom takes care of Elle in the afternoons, as she is retired and Elle only has Kindergarten half days. She reads with Elle, does some program and school type activities with her, and just has fun. She takes her to ballet class and sometimes brings her home to me. I ASK for help! Michael has several close soccer teammates that we carpool with to and from practices and games each week. Many of their activities are very close to where we live. When I travel, my mother-in-law generally comes and stays with Scott and the kids, and I have a very specific plan for each day of the week. I work with many families who have help available. Many of you need help with your kids to increase their neurodevelopmental function. Don’t be afraid to ask for it!
11. I CANNOT GO WITHOUT MY SMART PHONE! I answer emails while waiting during practices or games. I am often talking to a parent while waiting as well. Or, I’ll admit, my phone may keep Elle entertained while we wait for one of her brothers.
12. I PLAN OUR MEALS WEEKLY. On the weekends I plan meals, do my grocery shopping, get gas, and run errands so that during the week our days are not interrupted. On days when there are games or something that I need to attend between 5-7, that is a crockpot day. I am a firm believer in making it simple. I know that many of you have children that are on special diets and that take up much more cooking time than what I need to do for my family. I just encourage that you separate your day into finding time to do that cooking. Plan it out ahead of time.
13. I view our FAMILY SCHEDULE AS SACRED. I really try to not let anything interfere with it. Call me neurotic. I know how much time something should really take. Making my daily breakfast should take 5 minutes, not an hour. Doing Simply Smarter should only take 20 minutes. Making dinner should take less than 30. If things are taking too long, I am always asking myself why? What is getting me distracted? Am I checking Facebook too much? Is the TV on when it doesn’t need to be? Am I spending too much time talking on the phone when my kids deserve more of that time? I am constantly evaluating where my time goes and working harder and harder to make the best of it. And I make sure we always have dinner together.

That’s what works for me and my family. But what if you are an introvert? Would this drive you up the wall? I recently read an article called, “Self-Care for the Highly Sensitive Parent,” by Anne Bogel of Modern Mrs. Darcy. A homeschool mom and blogger, Mrs. Bogel talked about Susan Cain’s book, and while she knew she was more of an introvert, she also discovered that she was a “highly sensitive parent.” According to Susan Cain’s book, “A highly sensitive person is someone who’s more sensitive to physical and/or emotional stimuli than the general population. They have sensitive nervous systems, are more attuned to subtleties in their surrounding, and are more easily overwhelmed by highly stimulating environments. Interacting with people drains introverts; sensory input drains highly sensitive people. HSPs are more likely to be introverts, but about 30% of HSPs are extroverts.” Ms. Bogel talked about how she was a highly sensitive person to the “core” and that homeschooling 4 children ages 4-11 was a very highly stimulating environment. However, by understanding her personality and knowing more about it, she created a cheat sheet in the hopes that it would benefit other HSP parents. Ms. Bogel talked about needing to make her energy last through the homeschool day. Here were her suggestions:

1. “START THE DAY RIGHT. It is very important for HSPs to have a calm start to their days. Put yourself to bed on time so you can wake before the kids, have a cup of coffee by yourself, and do whatever you do to ready yourself for the day in peace.
2. EMBRACE ROUTINE. Smooth routines means fewer decisions, which tax your mental energy. Consistent routines also mean less talking, which zaps the HSP’s energy when engaged in nonstop during an 8-hour school day. Make checklists so you don’t have to remind the kids to make their beds, brush their teeth, or start their math. Streamline snack time. Put a daily schedule in place, and stick to it.” (Sound familiar?)
3. “OUTSOURCE THE TALKING. I love reading aloud to my kids, but talking all day drains every drop of my energy. Let audiobooks do some of the work for you.
4. ENFORCE QUIET TIMES. HSPs need some noise-free zones in their day. At our house, we have book basket time: 30 minutes of silent reading time to let everyone rest and recharge and learn something. We also have a daily rest time at our house. Everyone – including me – spends two hours alone (well, mostly alone) every afternoon. The kids can read, play quietly, listen to music or audiobooks, and watch the occasional movie – as long as they do it by themselves.
5. CONTROL THE CLUTTER. Messy spaces are draining for many HSPs because there’s too much visual input. Although I would never describe myself as a neatnik, I’ve noticed that keeping my house tidy keeps my metaphorical fuel tank full. Clear kitchen counters do a lot for inner calm.
6. LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION YOU’RE TAKING IN DURING THE SCHOOL DAY. As a general rule, I don’t check email, Twitter, or Facebook during our school days. HSPs are more likely to find a homeschool day exhausting because of the sheer amount of info coming in from all directions. The last thing my brain needs is additional stimulation via email or social media.
7. BE DELIBERATE ABOUT HOW YOU REST AND RECHARGE. Build some downtime into your day, and be deliberate about how you use it. When you need to re-charge, make sure to do something that actually fills your tank. As much as I love catching up on the phone with a friend, that’s not the best way for me to recharge after a loud and busy homeschool morning. I’m much better off with a cup of coffee and a good book. “

While this all sounds right, since I am an admitted extrovert, I’ll bring in my introverted colleague, Lori, to comment:

I am the poster child for Susan Cain’s description of introverts. I generally have a rather slow pace in life (perhaps it’s related to being a native Texan; but I think it’s just my nature). I would rather ski cross-country than downhill. I’d love a sports car, but I’d like to take it for a nice, leisurely drive through the countryside. (And unlike Sara, I truly dislike Las Vegas.) I’d rather pay more and shop on the day before Thanksgiving than fight the mobs on Black Friday. Less is more when it comes to external stimulation. I rarely think to turn on the TV, and definitely do only if I am going to sit down and watch something specific. I don’t like distractions or chaos or noise. I don’t speak in groups, but enjoy quiet conversation one-on-one. I always knew I wanted two children, as I was aware that my nature was such that there was only that much of me to go around, and more than that might produce a household that felt chaotic. The Sara-types might find my lifestyle boring, while I would find the lifestyle of the Sara-types semi-un-livable.

Aside from personality differences, Sara and I have some other differences as well. I am a single mom, and my family members all live in Texas, while I am in Utah. So when it comes to being taxi-driver, working mom, maintainer of car and house, cook, and coffee-maker, I live by those ten 2-letter words: If it is to be it is up to me. So although I have one less child than she does, and my kids have fewer activities than hers do, there is a lot to pack into a day. I think Anne Bogel’s list is great. And I think Sara’s list is perfect…for her. As for me, here’s my take on how I get it done:

1. I am a list-maker. Grocery lists, to-do lists, don’t-forget lists. Anything I need to organize and keep track of, I write down—mostly to keep from forgetting things, but also because it’s so satisfying to check things off as they are completed.
2. I am more than willing to go without my smart phone. I do not wish to be available to all people at all times. And while there may be an app for that, sometimes I find it more convenient, efficient, and useful to do things the old fashioned way. I have a 9:00 rule, and I stick by it: Don’t call or text before 9 am or after 9 pm. (I think that rule was made up in the Olden Days of telephones and then forgotten in the days of absent-cell-phone-etiquette.)
3. I don’t multi-task. I like to give my full attention to whatever it is I am doing. And I don’t feel like I can do that if I’m doing more than one thing at a time. Even washing dishes and cleaning house can turn into a meditation if I do it with enough thought and intention and attention.
4. I limit my kids’ activities. I started with the rule that each child could choose one activity outside of school. But they ended up liking the same things and doing them together, so that’s turned into both of them being involved in martial arts as well as music lessons. I have no concept of how I would manage it if I had one in basketball and football and soccer and one in baseball and marching band and karate. Or cheer and dance and…. It’s not that I’m against any of those things. My nature is just such that I can’t imagine running around to all of those things and surviving it.
5. I take care of myself. With a history of adrenal stress, I wouldn’t call myself a high-energy person. I have to be very conscious of health and make sure I’m doing everything I can to optimize it. After all, with those ten 2-letter words looming in my head, I don’t have time to be sick or even generally unhealthy. And I figure that all the lectures in the world on nutrition, sleep hygiene, and exercise won’t have nearly the impact on my children that modeling those things with a healthy lifestyle will have.
6. I live in the moment…and plan, plan, plan! I understand that each moment and each stage of my kids’ lives is fleeting. I truly strive to appreciate each stage they go through and commit the details to memory. I like to listen when my kids are talking and let them know they have my attention. I like to taste the food that I’m eating, not grab a meal on the run. At the same time, I’m always planning ahead so that I’m ready for what comes next (which brings us back to lists). It makes me think of a Peanuts cartoon on the side of a glass I drank out of when I was a kid, where Lucy says, “There’s no excuse for not being properly prepared.” So that we can eat healthy, real food every day—at the end of a work day—I plan ahead for the week, including knowing what I need to do the night before to prep for the next day’s dinner, and having all ingredients on hand to avoid any last minute store runs. I plan my budget and stick to it. I plan the summer out months ahead so that I know how I will keep my kids busy during my work hours and when we’ll fit in the annual Texas trek. I make plans, and I stick to them.
7. I cut myself some slack…frequently. I can’t plan for kids getting sick, the car breaking down, or an unexpected ice storm. And sometimes for no reason at all, I just don’t feel like carrying through with what was on The List that day. Instead, sometimes I need to scrap The List and wrap up in a blanket and hang out while my kids show me their finely honed video game skills. And I need to know that’s just okay.

Some ways that I approach my schedule are just like Sara’s. Some appear to be in direct opposition, which only illustrates the differences in people and personality types. This isn’t a how-to article; it’s a this-is-what-works-for-me article. With our differences, our uniqueness, our own little personality eccentricities, it can’t be a one-size-fits-all life. And who wants it to be? Our differences can be what draw us together. Perhaps that is why Sara and I work together so well and can be such great friends. Find your strengths. Improve your weaknesses. Know who you are and what works for you. And sometimes just wrap up in a blanket and don’t worry about it.

While we might have different personality traits and one might be more dominant than the other – there were some definite overlaps. Schedule, be consistent, schedule time for you, and eliminate those things that distract you. As parents, we all want to help our kids be successful. Even though our kids’ needs may be very different, these tools can be used by all parents to keep our sanity and have more productive days than not. We all have unproductive, blah days; and when those happen, I just eat chocolate and go to bed. There is always tomorrow. Let’s make 2015 a much more productive year.

Reprinted by permission of The NACD Foundation, Volume 27 No. 6, 2014 ©NACD

The post Getting It All Done: A Tale of Two Employees appeared first on NACD International | The National Association for Child Development.

One of the things I have learned and have had reinforced on an almost daily basis is that raising children is not an easy deal. In fact, for many of us it’s the toughest, most challenging thing we ever do. And we’re not just talking about raising kids with developmental issues. It’s the “typical” ones that have you pulling your hair out and keep you up at night worrying about tomorrow (let alone their futures), to which many of our parents will attest.

I have had many professional moms leave their careers for periods of time to concentrate on their kids, who discover that really doing the job with their child or children is tougher than being a doctor or a lawyer or running a company. Kids aren’t easy!

Sadly, kids are not only not easy, they also require and demand that we be the best we can be, and that we stay at the top of our game, day after day and week after week.

Unfortunately, unless we parents are doing something to maintain or build our own basic abilities, we start to lose our processing power. (Let’s hope it was really good to start with.) As supported by the data in our Simply Smarter Project and the work of other researchers, our short-term and working memory often begin to decline in our twenties. The exceptions are those whose work and lives keep presenting new challenging information and problems to solve and those who actively work to maintain and develop their basic mental/neurological foundation, including their short-term memory, working memory, and executive function.

I believe that our moms who are actively working with their kids on their NACD program are probably maintaining fairly well, except for those who can’t get 8 hours of sleep, maintain a good diet, get exercise at least three days a week, and have time to take care of their mental health and basic brain function. (Perhaps it is a rather short list after all.)

At NACD we look at digit spans as a measure of our sequential processing. Many of you have discovered the difference that even a part of a digit of improvement in digit span can make in your children. You can see your child change as they work from that digit span of 3 to a 3.1, a 3.2, working their way up to a four. Every incremental change up or down impacts your overall function, whether that is change for the better or worse. Most of you have seen it in your children, and most of you know how significant and dramatic the change can be. If you are at a six and you move to a seven, you have done something to change your life and the lives of those depending on you. Processing affects that many things! Hopefully each step you take will motivate you to take another. Better is better! And we all can stand to be better. There is no downside to having better processing, to being able to learn better, think better, communicate better, and enjoy a fuller richer life. Obtaining a digit span of 10 is realistic. At a 10 you are functioning very, very well.

The truth is that our NACD dads need to be 10s as well. A lot of dads whose processing ability isn’t quite up to snuff don’t have the mental reserves, the ability to really get their heads around the issues and problems at home and with the children so that they can be of a lot of help, or sadly, even be much of a moral support. Bringing in a little more money wouldn’t hurt either.

As many of you have hopefully seen from our announcements, our programmers are going to permit us to put new people on our new Simply Smarter System Beta online program, but only up to the end of June. I am really excited about this program, which literally has thirty years of development behind it. We have been testing and developing this specific program for the past five years, and we have used it with over 2,000 individuals. The results are really super.

I am really proud of the science we have done to make this possible. Most of our families do some form of processing work with themselves or their children and kind of take the importance of it and the activities for granted. Most of you don’t know that the science behind this has originated with us at NACD. We have developed the understanding and significance of the pieces and created many tools to address these pieces. In addition, we developed the first “brain” software back in the early 80s, which operated on a Commodore Pet Computer using a cassette drive. We’ve come a long way since then.

The Simply Smarter System creates a totally individualized program that addresses auditory and visual short-term memory, auditory and visual working memory, and executive function, as well as visualization and conceptualization, essentially all of the key pieces that permit us to learn, think, and communicate. The program can generally be used by anyone with a digit span of 5 or above, whether they are age 5 or 105. This program today is a beta version–we are still adding bells and whistles and evaluating results and feedback; but as mentioned, the program has been used with over 2,000 individuals. Those of you who know us know that we never settle for anything as being “good enough,” so we will continue to learn and continue to develop the program.

I really encourage all of our NACD parents to do the program. We can’t function too well, and the better your function, the better job you can do with your children and for that matter, your lives. As an example of what this program can do for an adult, you might want to read this article about one of our first adults to use the program. (Read more in our article NACD Makes Adults Smarter Too, Dec 2010)

It’s not at all unrealistic to think that we could all be 10s with our processing. We can, and we should, and we need to be. The truth is that we can be even better than that.

Ten or fifteen minutes 3-5 days a week could make a significant, and possibly even a dramatic, change in your global function. “Global function” means your lives, virtually all aspects of your lives. I’ll be anxious to hear what you see and what you think of the program.

Those of you with children who are not on the program way want to have them take the summer to build their brains as well.

Reprinted from the Journal of The NACD Foundation (formerly The National Academy for Child Development)

Reprinted by permission of The NACD Foundation, Volume 27 No. 2, 2014 ©NACD

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Bruce Haslam, PhD, Director of Research for The NACD Foundation, along with Tamara Knapp-Grosz, PhD, Director of Counseling and Support Services at Savannah College of Art & Design, presented “Brain Change: Simple Interventions to Dramatically Improve Student Functioning” at the 45th Southeast Conference of College Counseling Center Personnel held on November 5-7th in Chattanooga, TN. The presentation provided a glimpse of the preliminary findings of the Simply Smarter Software program, as implemented by Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) with counseling center students, administrative staff, and interns. Simply Smarter Software is the outgrowth of Robert J. Doman Jr.’s thirty-plus years of clinical work and application of a neurodevelopmental approach to cognitive development and function in both typical and atypical child and adult populations.

SCAD initiated the “Jump Start” Program as an elective offering during this current academic year (2008- 2009). This program was designed for incoming freshmen who identified themselves as having a disability impacting their learning ability. The goal of the program was to provide the students with the skills needed for a successful transition into college.

The program was designed specifically for students with any of the following diagnoses:

• ADD/ADHD
• A learning disability
• A psychiatric/psychological disability
• High functioning Autism/Asperger’s Syndrome
• A medical disability that might impact learning

Forty students signed up for the program: 23 males and 17 females. Most came in with more than two diagnoses. Their average SAT scores were:

• Verbal – 507
• Math – 476
• Writing – 490

Although the majority of the Jump Start students participated in baseline testing and used the Simply Smarter program a few times, the number of practice sessions (start of Fall 2008 semester to just before the conference in early November) was not enough to create sufficient data. The Counseling Center personnel are now looking into ways to overcome the lack of compliance and follow-through. Robert J. Doman commented, “You cannot expect organized function from a disorganized brain. They will need to have a good structure in place and adequate feedback to achieve the necessary compliance.”

The Counseling Center’s administrative staff and interns also utilized the software, achieving greater compliance than the students, although only averaging 14 sessions during the three-month period. However even this minimal amount of training produced significant improvement in processing and cognitive functioning. Dr. Knapp-Grosz reported:

My staff have expressed many positive outcomes as a result of participation in the Simply Smarter Program. Some of the changes we have noticed have been an increased ability to easily recall student information, like student ID numbers and demographic information, better concentration and attention, and increased confidence in retaining information. We really look forward to seeing how continued participation and regular practice will improve our overall functioning!

As a whole, the Counseling Center staff and interns were composed of the following:

• 20 total participants: 5 males; 15 females
• Ages ranging from 25 – 60
• 7 interns
• 1 administrative staff
• 11 professional staff
• 1 staff member chose not to participate

Each participant practiced four sets of activities. Those who had a qualifying auditory forward score practiced one additional activity, an auditory alphanumeric exercise. The number of practice sessions varied by individual within the 3-month trial period.

The mean pre- and post- scores for each of the exercises were as follows:

Auditory Forward Digit Span
Pre: 7.89
Post: 8.58
Change in Score: Increase of 0.69

Auditory Reverse Digit Span
Pre: 6.93
Post: 7.85
Change in Score: Increase of 0.92

Visual Forward Digit Span
Pre: 7.71
Post: 8.65
Change in Score: Increase of 0.94

Visual Reverse Digit Span
Pre: 6.49
Post: 7.56
Change in Score: Increase of 1.07

Alphanumeric Span (15 had the requisite Auditory Forward scores to participate)
Pre: 6.12
Post: 7.0
Change in Score: Increase of 0.88

In analyzing the available data from each of the trial areas, the t-test resulted in statistical significant values of p<.01, meaning that there was less than 1 chance in 100 of obtaining the improved results by chance alone.

The results of this short trial produced significant results that again confirm Robert J. Doman’s contention that these critical functions can be developed – and developed well past the age of what is typically considered a ceiling for improvement. Cognitive function does not have to decline or remain fixed as one gets older. Instead, with specific, targeted intervention one can continue to develop.

In summary, students with learning and attention issues require structure and feedback to achieve the necessary compliance in order to improve their short term and working memories. However, as evidenced by this short study, even with minimal compliance adults can significantly improve these functions. Further, similar programs utilizing Simply Smarter need to be devised and implemented both for college students and personnel to enhance their overall neurological function and performance.

Reprinted by permission of The NACD Foundation, Volume 22 No. 1, 2009 ©NACD

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It’s January, a rough time of year for parents as teachers, as well as for the kids. The holidays are over, and everyone is frequently stuck indoors for longer periods of time. It is, in fact, the most common time to hear about “burn out.” It’s a funny thing about parenting, there are not a lot of breaks. It is the true full-time job. If your child is not successful, it produces lots of stress. If you are not getting things done with your child, it can produce stress, frustration, and fatigue. So let’s fix that, shall we?

First of all, do you know why you are doing each and every piece of program with your child? Could you explain it to someone else? Do you have an anticipated improved outcome from that activity? What is it designed to do, and what are you looking for in the way of improvement? What are the nuances of your child’s program? If you cannot answer these questions, please take notes in your next evaluation. Contact your coach and find out what you do not know. The program activities are meaningful with expected outcomes. Going through the motions of doing them without understanding why you are doing them leads to poor outcomes. Be successful. Be well-informed.

Get organized so you get things done. Use your new planner to help you organize your day. There is true gratification in getting everything or nearly everything done. Your planner isn’t just for program. You can fit the other things you need to do on there as well. You can make planners for the siblings to help, or the sitter to help, or your spouse to help. If you know what to do, why you are doing it, and the progress you expect to see out of it, then you will be much more successful, more enthusiastic, more motivated.

Keep your eye on the future. You are working today to keep doors open for your child tomorrow. Can you visualize that? Today’s work isn’t about today. It is about ten years from now. It is about the quality of life that your child can achieve. Look at the impact that your education and upbringing had on you. Look at what you could have achieved or what you have achieved as a result of that.

The need for new input, new experiences is real. Get out of the house. Go to new places, see new things, and enjoy it. For your child, it builds intensity and leads in many cases to increases in language. Don’t be afraid to go to some places that you really love. Your happiness and enthusiasm are important as well. Make a list of interesting places to go, and then make sure that you go to them.

Exercise and sleep are two things that you need in order to keep going. You also need a bit of downtime to read or listen to books, talk to friends, or soak in the tub. Downtime spent on the internet should not be confused with relaxing and refreshing yourself. Pick up the phone or go see a friend or relative. Find an aerobic activity that works with your schedule and do it. Learn new things. You need stimulation in order to be happy and think clearly. Do Simply Smarter because we all need to keep our processing as good as possible.

If you feel really stuck and have tried all or most of the above, get yourself evaluated. We all need help from time to time. We have a lot of responsibilities, and day-to-day life can get overwhelming at times. An evaluation will help locate trouble spots and help you to understand what changes can be made to make life easier through better thinking and functioning.

Reprinted by permission of The NACD Foundation, Volume 25 No. 2, 2012 ©NACD

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I am the mother of a lovely 12-year old boy, Usaid. He was diagnosed with Autism when he was 3 1/2 years old. We went through all the regular denials, nightmares, helplessness, and frustrations that all parents of newly diagnosed ASD children go through. As his language started developing with speech therapy, we discovered he was advanced at reading and high-functioning, and so he got admission in mainstream school. The school was very cooperative, and academics were never an issue; but his tantrums, perseveration, and behaviors were becoming huge problems in school. Every day from the time I would drop him off at school until I picked him up, I would be looking at the phone as if it were a sword hanging over my head. Each time the phone rang my heart would miss a few beats. I would dread the calls from school telling me they could not handle his tantrum and requesting me to come to school as soon as possible. This had become a routine at least 2-3 times a week and has been going on for the last 8 years.

In August 2011 I came to know about Simply Smarter online from a friend. I decided to try it for Usaid. I was not very sure if this would work when nothing else had worked for the last 8 years. But I started noticing the positive changes in him from the 2nd week. He was speaking in sentences, had lots of spontaneous speech, started asking a lot of questions and initiating discussions and JOKING too! His violent tantrums at home, which had been a daily affair, were reduced to once a week. By the 3rd week I was convinced that all these changes had to be due to Simply Smarter and there could not be so many coincidences.

I decided to go in for the Targeted Developmental Intervention program for him at NACD. By the next week I had set up an appointment with Prachi Sinha in Gurgaon, India. Prachi set up a very detailed and impressive program for him. (Prachi Sinha is no longer associated with NACD.)

In the following 2 months the changes in my child have been immense. His TANTRUMS have completely gone. PERSEVERATIONS are gone. He has become much more social and friendly. As his digits in sequential processing went on increasing every week, so did his awareness of people, their feelings, his surroundings, and his logical reasoning, understanding and thinking skills.

We are currently in the 3rd week of the TSI program, and his sound sensitivity to noises has reduced considerably, and his listening skills have also improved a great deal.

In the last 2 months I have not received any phone calls from his school. In fact it has been the other way round. I have approached his teachers to ask if there are any issues and they have said–NONE! He has started helping me in household chores and has become much more independent in his skills at school. If 2 1/2 months of NACD has bought such huge changes in my child, then my heart sings and wants to believe that my son will be SYMPTOM FREE very soon!!

Thank you Bob, Prachi & NACD!!!

Regards,
Fatima

Reprinted by permission of The NACD Foundation, Volume 24 No. 5 2011 ©NACD

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My name is Bridget, and I’m living in Dublin Ireland and working full time as Senior Manager in financial services. I have a Master’s degree.

In May 2010 I went to London to meet Bob Doman. I had seen the amazing difference that Bob and Sara Erling had made working with my niece. I was curious to know if I, an average adult, could benefit from doing a similar NACD program.

I was aware that I wasn’t as efficient as I could be. I could see that some of my colleagues were more organised, could process information faster, and were more logical in their approach.

What Happened?

In May Bob carried out the assessment, which involved a number of visual and auditory tests. A couple of days later, he gave me a program tailored to my needs.

Since then I’ve invested around an hour a day, 5 days a week. In that time my baseline processing scores have increased significantly.

More importantly, I’ve experienced significant behavioural changes. I’m more effective and confident in work. I have better quality leisure time. My analytical and problem-solving skills have increased. I’m also a much better reader.

My husband has observed changes too, and I have shared these with you below. But first I’m going to tell you a little more about what’s happened to me.

More Effective & Confident At Work

We tend to have a lot of conference calls in work. I was brilliant at tuning out and multi-tasking whilst on the call. While listening, I’d respond to e-mail and draw up ‘to do’ lists, which meant I’m wasn’t engaging in the meeting. So I asked Bob to help me with my listening skills.

I can now really focus at meetings. I contribute to the discussion, ask relevant questions, and at the end of the meeting, I understand the implications for our department. I can also understand other peoples’ perspectives better.

Bob also helped me with my focus and attention skills. As a result, my concentration improved dramatically. I now start and finish each task before moving to the next one. I don’t allow myself to get distracted.

I believe both of these changes have made me more productive and effective at work, which has reduced my stress levels. I also have more confidence in my abilities.

Better Quality Leisure Time

You may know that Ireland is in deep recession and the Government has announced details of its 4-year austerity plan.

In June, in anticipation of the recession, we took a key decision to sell our house. It sold quickly, which meant we signed a lease on a rental property in July.

This provided the perfect opportunity to re-organise our life. We moved closer to the town, which meant that I can walk to and from work. When we go to a restaurant or to meet our friends at the tennis club or in local restaurant, we can walk home.

We made other changes, such as hiring a cleaner on Friday afternoons and ordering the shopping online on Thursday evenings. We also re-organised our furniture and put a lot of things we didn’t need into storage. So now everything in the new house is in place and consequently, the house runs more efficiently.

This has really increased the quality of our leisure time on weekends. This is a big change for me because previously I spent most of my time on the weekends doing cleaning, shopping, and running around doing errands. I never got a break, whereas, now we have fabulous weekends, as everything is taken care of during the week.

Our decision to sell our home has also really paid off, as a similar house to ours is now on the market for an asking price which is 20% less than what we sold for – and its only 4 months since we sold.

I attribute my ability to make these life decisions and changes to my increased organization and improved thinking skills.

More Analytical Thinking

The recession also got me thinking about my own finances and the future. I wanted to put some financial plans in place that would give us more options for later in life.

I started two Company share save schemes, and I also started paying additional voluntary contributions into my pension.

I also made some short-term changes which has resulted in reducing our outgoings on a monthly basis – e.g., I reduced my husband’s car insurance by adding him to my policy. We reduced the home insurance, as we no longer needed buildings covered. For the first time ever, I completed a medical tax return and claimed my Club Subscriptions in work, as my files were more organised and I had the relevant receipts.

Now I feel much more in control of my finances and have got a lot of pleasure out of putting the savings and pension plans in place.

Better Problem-Solving Skills

As I’m working full time and have a busy life, I didn’t really have time to fit in the NACD program. I used to try and do it when I came home from work about 8 o’clock in the evening. This didn’t work because I was too tired.

So I agreed with my boss that I would start at 9.30am. This enabled me to do it first thing in the morning when my concentration was good. This is now working well, and I can see the difference in the Simply Smarter scores.

I will admit that I have good and bad days like everybody else. However I always like it when Bob reminds me that it is not about the score, it is about the behaviours.

One of the behaviours I use frequently now is to look at what’s working well and what’s not working well, both in terms of my life at home and at work. I’m not afraid to try out different solutions to see if I can get a better result.

A Better Reader

When I first went to visit Bob, I wasn’t a good reader. He was taken aback at the time, as he wondered where I got my information. He really encouraged me to read a lot more and to listen to audio books. I now always have an audio book on my iPod, which I listen to walking to and from work every day. I also love reading the newspaper on a daily basis.

As a result of this, I’ve noticed that I’m much better reader at work too. I get a grasp of the information much faster. I have to say that this has been one my favourite changes about the program.

A Word From My Husband

My husband now finds our house more efficient. He can find everything he needs because it is in its place.

He’s noticed that I’m a better cook. He sees less wastage, more variety and use of fresh produce. He likes all the different cooking techniques like flambé, bourguignon, soup made with fresh stock, etc.

He also finds the weekends more enjoyable because we’re doing more simple things like going for a walk in the park and having Sunday lunch out with the family. His mantra, in these recessionary times, is ‘less is more.’

He thinks we’re working even better together to come up with the optimum solution for us.

Finally, he finds our house to be even more harmonious. He attributes this to the fact that I’m much happier, and that makes him happier too.

Conclusion

Last May I set out to find out if NACD could make me smarter like my niece. I decided to give it 6 months to see if it worked.

In return for my investment of an hour a day, I feel that I have genuinely gained enormously from the program. I feel at the top of my game now. I’m much more organised and in control. I feel more effective and happier and have more time to relax and enjoy the weekends.

I’ve decided now to keep going for a further 6 months with NACD because I’m getting so much out of it and I feel that I can do even better.

If you have any queries about my experience, please email me at bridgetsheehan@ymail.com. I would encourage you to talk to Bob or Sara to find out more about how this program can enhance your life too.

A Note from NACD

The graphs below illustrate Bridget’s improvement in her sequential processing skills over a six-month period. Bridget’s scores are represented by a star.

The graphs have been designed for and are based on data we have collected from the NACD Foundation’s Simply Smarter Project. The black line between the red and yellow zones on the graph represents the average processing level of each corresponding age group. The colors on the graph represent how well the individual is doing relative to others of their age.

The Red Zone is a danger zone! Individuals scoring in the red zone have processing skills below 50% of those in their age range. These individuals are not processing as well as they should be or need to be to realize their potential. It would be expected that those in this range are struggling more than necessary in many, if not most, aspects of their lives.

The Yellow Zone is an intermediate zone. Those that test in this area are functioning higher than 50% of those in their age group, but they are possibly still struggling and have not yet achieved levels of processing that are permitting them to fully realize their potential.

The Green Zone is the goal. The Green Zone represents those who are processing well and the goal most people should try to achieve. In this group we would typically find those with superior skills and function. Those scoring in the Green Zones should have short-term memory, working-memory, and executive mental functions that would permit them to excel.

In June for Bridget’s auditory forward digit span, which represents auditory short-term memory, and her reverse auditory digit span, which represents auditory working memory, she tested at a 6, below the average for her age group and in the Red Zone. In six months she increased her processing in both of these critical functions to 10s, putting her into the superior range of the Green Zone!

In visual forward digit spans, representing visual short term memory, she initially scored a 7, which put her right at the average point for her age group and on the line between the Red and Yellow Zone. Her reverse visual digit span, representing her visual working memory, initially placed her at an 8, in the Yellow Zone. Six months later she scored an incredible Green Zone 12!

Her change in function is representative of the work she has done with the Simply Smarter System. Sequential processing is a key component to changing focus, attention, communication, learning, conceptualization, visualization, comprehension, organization, complexity of thought, motivation, and overall well being. Simply Smarter is an essential tool for adults and children to help increase their overall function and productivity.

Keys to Bridget’s success were her motivation, the intensity with which completed her activities, and her consistency.

Congratulations, Bridget! Brilliant!

Reprinted by permission of The NACD Foundation, Volume 23 No. 5, 2010 ©NACD

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Founder and Director of the National Association for Child Development

2nd Annual International Congress of Developmental Psychology
University of Aguascalientes
Aguascalientes, Mexico
October 2008

The International Congress of Developmental Psychology, held at the University of Aguascalientes, was the site of Bob Doman’s first opportunity to present the initial ground breaking data from NACD’s Simply Smarter Project. NACD’s Director of Research, Dr. Bruce Haslam, and NACD’s Development Director, Carol Estrada, accompanied Bob to Mexico, assisting Bob and translating throughout the presentation.
The data Bob presented represent the first definitive information on the development of short term and working memory, and they provide some very significant insights into the understanding and development of cognitive ability and thought.

Most of the new insights provided by the Project verified NACD’s clinical experiences and expectations and provided the first concrete analysis of the development of these critical functions. One of the more relevant aspects of the study was the confirmation of Bob’s belief that auditory processing–the basis of most conceptual thought–was lower than previous assumed and lower than visual processing. Bob strongly believes that this critical function has diminished as a reflection of societal changes in the last 50- 100 years. Furthermore, he believes that lower auditory processing has created serious problems, both for individuals and society as a whole, as we lack the skills to think, learn, and communicate as effectively as we need.

Another significant aspect of NACD’s Project was discovering that visual forward (short term) processing skills tend to develop with age into the 30’s, while auditory forward skills and reverse (working memory) processing skills typically continue to develop into the 20’s. And not surprisingly, after peaking, without specific intervention these critical functions (particularly the auditory and working memory skills) start a slow but steady decline. (see figure 1 – project graph with 4 lines)

Part of Bob’s presentation was to refute the beliefs of the majority of researchers, which is that short term and working memory functions are fixed. As Bob explained, neuro-plasticity is such that, “If it develops, it changes” and that, “If it develops, then it can be changed.” As evidenced by Bob’s work, not only can these critical functions be developed, they can be developed at an accelerated rate, developed to levels far superior to the norm, and then maintained.

The mass of new information that Bob presented included a scale representing the complexity of thought. The scale demonstrates how improvement in sequential processing permits an increase in more complex mental processes. Bob also demonstrated, as evidenced through the Simply Smarter software data, that to develop working memory and cognitive thought, one must not only use or exercise the brain, but also apply TDI Targeted Developmental Intervention® in an organized manner.

Additionally, Bob presented his new model of the Neurodevelopmental Construct of Thought and Memory. Bob’s model shows the correlations and relationships between short term memory, working memory, and long term memory, explaining how all of these pieces not only inter-relate but also how they can be influenced and developed.

Bob’s work was very well received, and his keynote speech helped to insure his position at the forefront of human development.

Reprinted from the Journal of The NACD Foundation (formerly The National Academy for Child Development)

Reprinted by permission of The NACD Foundation, Volume 21 No. 17, 2008 ©NACD

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