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Sharper Mind Centers Newsletter January 17, 2007

Sharper Mind Centers Newsletter Topics

• Cognitive Training Helps the Elderly
• Study Results
• Bone Conduction Auditory Integration Therapy
• Congratulations (It works!)

The holiday season is over and school is back in session.  Grade reports should be coming out or received by now. If you are not satisfied with the results, are you ready to do something to help improve your students capabilities?

If you are an adult that is not satisfied with your work performance, what would it be worth to you to be able to think more accurately, be more productive, and a higher performer?  If so, why not do something about it?  Invest in the mind for a better future!

This is our busiest time of the year, when a lot of families elect to move forward.  Don't be left behind or be put on a waiting list.  By next school year, things could be very much improved!  Call us to discuss your unique situation. 503-641-5707 or toll free 1-866-HELP-A.D.D.

Cognitive Training Helps the Elderly

In a recent Journal of the American Medical Association article (JAMA Dec. 20, 2006), a study of 2,832 people with a mean age of 73.6 years old demonstrated that those who received cognitive training reported notable improvements in the usual activities of daily life.  A follow-up study at 5 years showed the improvements were long lasting.  This is something we've stated for years ("Improve the mind, stave off mental aging").  The oldest person currently in the Sharper Minds program is 82.  Do you know an aging loved one that could benefit from better thinking?  Parents should do the exercises of the Sharper Minds program with their children to benefit themselves (there's no additional charge).  Make it family fun.  For a paper with more tips on slowing down the aging process, call and we'll e-mail it to you.  503-641-5707 or toll free 1-866-HELP-A.D.D.

Study Results

In 2006, a study of 84 of our program graduates was done.  The findings were very substantial.  Results included:

1. reading comprehension improvement ranged from 2-9 reading grade levels (as tested using the Dyslexia Determination Test and/or the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test - II (WIAT-II).  The average was 3.5 grade levels, a fairly substantial jump for a typical one year program.  Essentially, the larger the discrepancy between the entering reading grade level and where the student should be (e.g. an 11th grader reading at a 3rd grade level), the bigger the jump in reading improvement. 
2. the need for psychostimulant medications was eliminated in 100% of those that began the program on meds (prior results study was 81%).  This is not something we push for, but is a natural result of improved brain function.
3. graduates were able to hear much more clearly and remember much better than before.  Those with auditory discrimination issues who had auditory analysis skills at a kindergarten, 1st or 2nd grade level, were able to analyze sounds at a level greater than what we were able to test (3rd grade).
4. Based upon parents filling out questionnaires pertaining to the symptoms of ADHD (DSM-IV criteria), most of the symptoms were either resolved or reduced.

Bone Conduction Auditory Integration Therapy

Sharper Mind Centers offers a marvelous technology designed to enable faster results by conducting sound through the skull and as well as the ears.  For years, certain music (esp. classical baroque) with therapeutic frequencies has been shown to assist with better auditory analysis (listening) skills.  For more severe cases, including autistic spectrum disorders, conducting the sound through the bones of the skull as well as the air pathway results in faster improvement.  Usually 10 hours of sessions are done for either 10 visits x 60 minutes each or 20 visits x 30 minutes each.  

Results reported from several families going through the therapy at our Beaverton office include:

• more peaceful, able to sleep much better at night, less anxious.
• faster ability to complete a writing assignment (instead of the usual hour, the assignment took just 5 minutes).

Call for details or download a brochure.

Congratulations (It works!)

• Investing in the mind pays off.  Matthew, a program graduate from about 6 years ago developed the ability to read at blazing speeds with high comprehension.  A senior in high school this year, he scored in the 98th percentile in Analytical Reading on his SAT test and a 32 on his ACT test (top 1 percentile, average is 20.6). So far, he's been offered an $8,000/year scholarship at one university and more may be coming.  He's excited and so are his parents.  Invest in the mind for a better future!
  
• Exceptional memory.  Every quarter, we check our students' ability to remember what they hear quickly.  We use a common Auditory Digit Span test, where we say a series of numbers once at 1 second intervals and ask the student to repeat the numbers back to us.  We start with 2 digits, go to 3 digits, then 4, 5, 6, etc. We also do a series where the student reverses the numbers we gave him or her.  The average person usually can remember 7 digits forward (hence the 7-digit phone number) or 5 in reverse order.  Adrian, a current student recently set the record at 11 digits properly recalled.  This was absolutely mind boggling.  When asked how he scored this high, he stated that he pictured the numbers in his mind and then read the numbers off the composite picture.  This is a technique (photographic memory skills and imaging) that Sharper Mind Centers focuses on teaching. 

While not every student is going to see these type of results, a parent never knows when their student begins the program where they will end up.  Maximize their potential by releasing the best!  Works at any age!

Respectfully yours,

Ed Meelhuysen,
President and General Manager

Have you misplaced or discarded some of our past mailers to you?  You can download updated versions at: http://www.SharperMindCenters.com/mailers  

We hope you have found this e-newsletter helpful and informative. You inquired about our program back on ________ and provided us with your e-mail information.  If you do not wish to receive informational e-mails in the future, you may ask to have us remove your e-mail address from our active list.  Reply to the e-mail with the word REMOVE in the subject line.  If you wish us to delete your name from our database, reply to the e-mail with the word DELETE in the subject line.

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Last modified: October 08, 2008