What is Neuroplasticity? And How Can Understanding Neuroplasticity Give Hope for People with Learning Disabilities?

When one of my sons was in kindergarten way back in 1983 his teacher kindly informed me that he was “retarded” and that he would never learn to read. His older brother had surprised us by reading random things to us when he was 18 months old. Except for reading ability my sons did not seem very different in their abilities, so I did not believe he was “retarded”. I also had a daughter who was “retarded” with Rett Syndrome who was said to be functioning on a five-month-old level, so I knew a little bit about what that meant. The next year in my son’s first parent teacher conference his first-grade teacher told me that when her desk had come apart and crashed to the floor my son had quickly come up and put her desk back together again. It involved finding some screws that had come out and replacing them. I was frequently in touch with this teacher. At Christmas time she informed me that the class Christmas tree had fallen over, and my son had run to the playground, found a five-gallon bucket and put some sand in it and brought it into the classroom and stuck the tree in it with very successful results. He still wasn’t reading. We had placed him on an IEP, but progress was extremely slow.

That year I helped to start the Utah Parent Center and started working part time while my children were in school. Four years later the Center sent me to the Learning Disabilities Association of America national conference. On the flight home I met two members of LDAU who invited me to join the LDAU board. I have been on the board ever since. When he was in 7th grade I received a list of tutors from LDAU. I found Florence Magleby who was retired from working at the Utah State Office of Education. She was in her 80’s and was then the director over the western Region of the Orton Gillingham Society. She worked with my son during 7th and 8th grade patiently explaining concepts and practicing the skills with him in a way that could not be done in a group setting, practicing until he mastered each skill. With her expert help tailored to his needs, his reading level increased from a fourth-grade level to an eleventh-grade level in a one year span. I feel blessed that I found help that was suitable for my son.

In my teacher preparation classes and in my early teaching career as a language arts teacher, we were given the impression that intelligence and mental abilities were fixed at birth. In my studies to try to help my children, I read that the number of brain cells we have is fixed and that you cannot change your natural abilities—quite a discouraging viewpoint. There was a lot of evidence to the contrary, but research hadn’t caught up with what we instinctively know. Thankfully there is a lot of great research continuing now. Just try searching online for neuroplasticity. Everyone wants to get on the bandwagon.

A book that really excited me and still does is A User’s Guide to the Brain, Perception, Attention, and the Four Theaters of the Brain by John J. Ratey, M.D., 2002. (This book is still widely available, and you can find used copies online for around $5.00.) It started me on the journey to understand how we can improve brain functioning and cognitive skills.

The brain is highly complex and individualized, and many variables influence our brain’s functioning, so I can hardly summarize the book here, but I recommend it to you. I would like to briefly discuss neuroplasticity, the ability of our brains to change. Some parts of the brain can grow new cells even into old age, and other parts have almost unlimited ability to form and strengthen new connections or neural networks. On a very simple level this means that when you put effort into a task or learning a skill, abilities can improve. Looking at the brain with an MRI it can be seen that when something new is being worked on with intensity, the part of the brain being used becomes larger and recruits surrounding brain real estate. Changes can be seen with as little as ten minutes of intense work. After many repetitions, (often said to be around 200) the skill becomes automatic. After the skill becomes automatic, the size of that part returns to normal and the skill is retained. The brain is always adapting to provide support for the activities that we do regularly,

Everyone is different in which things come easy to them. Some things may be influenced by early exposure to skills or activities. Other factors such as exposure to lead and other toxins can have a negative effect. The important thing is that if a cognitive skill is difficult, that is the invitation to work on it.

One every day example of how neuroplasticity works is learning to ride a bike. At first being on the bike may feel difficult and unnatural. The rider has to stay focused and attentive. With repeated practice, eventually all of the parts of the process of riding a bike become automatic and feel comfortable and easy. The same thing happens with learning to drive a car. Learning various sports also works this way. Learning to play a musical instrument works this way, and it is interesting that research connects playing a musical instrument with improved mathematical abilities. Learning cursive handwriting is now also being shown to be connected with academic improvements and developing cognitive skills.

Just understanding something does not change the brain in the same way as intense practicing over time. Individual coaching to ensure practicing correctly can be a key to success.

Some important tips and considerations for training cognitive skills, which are skills to process incoming information include:

1. Make sure the student has guidance to practice the skill correctly.

2. Have the student work at a level that is challenging. Only move to a new level after at least 90% accuracy. Make the practice more intense by speeding it up or moving to a new level of difficulty or introducing new information.

3. Search out teaching methods and activities that are research based.

4. Find games that practice the skill that is needed.

5. Practice regularly for a sustained amount of time.

6. Parental input and positive encouragement are key.

7. Point out progress and help the student understand how practicing things that are difficult helps improve cognitive skills.

8. Use rewards that the student enjoys.

9. Make sure the student has down time and an opportunity to relax and do enjoyable and rewarding activities.

10. Make sure the student has enough good quality sleep, along with good nutrition.

11. Physical exercise is an important key to good brain health.

12. Other health practices such as good nutrition, adequate exposure to sunlight and avoiding toxins are also keys to good brain development.

Examples: These examples are from the PACE program for which I have been a part time provider for 23 years. These students had weekly sessions with us and practiced an hour per day at home as much a possible. Some were more consistent than others.

1. A ten-year-old boy who was on a first grade level with phonemic awareness and auditory processing skills and a very poor reader advanced to a 14 year old level in less than 1 year. His teacher then considered him the best reader in his class and he was reading at home for fun.

2. A nine-year-old girl with down syndrome who was behind in many cognitive skills worked for three months and went from a second grade reading level to a third-grade level.

3. A twenty-one-year-old man who had difficulty in his school years with reading and didn’t dare study a language worked with us for three months and became very comfortable with reading. He enrolled at BYU and learned Spanish, graduated and now has an executive position in the business world.

4. A young woman was failing her courses at the University of Utah. She worked hard with us and passed off every cognitive skill in our program. She told me that she finally saw respect in the eyes of her instructors. She graduated with a B+ average and is now working for a tech company.

5. A nine-year-old girl had been struggling with reading and would spend hours each night trying to complete homework. After a few weeks working on the PACE program her teacher said to the grandmother/guardian, “What have you been doing? She is staying on task and completing all of her work at her desk on time. She has changed so much”. She also greatly improved in skills related to math and reading.

Resources

Neuroplasticity is a popular idea now, and an internet search will yield many different offerings. I will include here a few things that I recommend that specifically focus on cognitive skills improvement.

Programs:

Orton Gillingham based programs. In recent years a number of programs have been developed that simplify the original program in various ways. These programs are often taught individually or in small groups. Programs include but not limited to:

1. Intensive Phonics (A Utah Company, sometimes used in schools)

2. Wilson

3. Slingerland

4. Barton

5. Reading Horizons

6. Pride

7. Magic of Reading (MOR)

The Dyslexia Center of Utah https://www.dyslexiacenterofutah.org

The Dyslexia Center of Utah Provides the MOR program and has several locations in Utah.

Learning Without Tears, A program for learning cursive writing. I have seen this program used in schools and included in some students’ IEPs.

Learning Technics, Learning technics is a Utah company with a 30 year history. They now provide an online program. They focus on training cognitive skills for all ages and they are especially noted for training visual processing skills. There is a free sample exercise to try out on their web page.

LearningRx, LearningRx has franchise centers in many states but not in Utah. They are headquartered in Colorado. Their program has traditionally been delivered one to one in person, but they now have some trainers certified to provide the program online.

The PACE program (the program I use) is the original program developed by that company and the same program as LearningRx only it is now not provided at the franchises but by private centers or individuals. LearningRX has done good research about the program over the last 30 or so years, and there is a lot of in-depth information available about the research on their website. These programs teach a comprehensive group of cognitive skills and are particularly noted for teaching auditory processing skills. There are several PACE providers in Utah.

Game:

I highly recommend the SET Family Game of Visual Perception. It can be used in many ways besides using the rules that come with it. It helps with visual perception, processing speed, logic and reasoning, and attention skills for starters. It has won many awards and is available as an online game too.

Books:

A Users’s Guide to the Brain, Perception, Attention, and the Four Theaters of the Brain, by John J. Ratey, M.D. 2001 “An introduction to neuroscience which sticks to a man-on-the-street vocabulary”—The New Yorker

Unlock the Einstein Inside: Applying New Brain Science to Wake Up the Smart In Your Child, 2007, Dr. Ken Gibson, Founder of LearningRx. This little book contains instructions for some research based cognitive training activities and tells how to access free additional activities online. It also gives tips for training cognitive skills.

Making A Good Brain Great, Daniel G. Amen, M.D. 2005. Covers general topics about how to improve brain health. Dr. Amen has also written many other books on related topics.

The Brain That Changes Itself, Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science, Norman Doidge, M.D. 2007 “The Power of positive thinking finally gains scientific credibility. Mind-Bending, miracle=making, reality busting stuff…Straddles the gap between science and self-help.”—The New York Times

The Brain’s Way of Healing, Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity, Norman Doidge, M.D. 2015. I bought this after hearing Dr. Doidge speak in Salt Lake in 2015. Since this publication, many of the therapies he described have come into more general use.

I loved these books, because they give so much hope. There are other newer publications available that I haven’t read, that I am sure have much to offer--As easy to find as an online search.

Bonus Neuroplasticity resource:

Sometimes things like multiple chemical sensitivities, chronic pain, chronic illnesses and anxiety become a habit in the brain both with youth and adults. When the condition becomes a habit, it takes on a life of its own and claims more space in the brain. Sometimes these conditions can co-occur with disabilities.

Now that this is understood from recent research, there are several programs that work to free the brain from these habits. I am highlighting the program here that I used to overcome multiple chemical sensitivities.

Dynamic Neural Retraining System (DNRS)

The Dynamic Neural Retraining System™ is a self-directed, drug-free program grounded in the science of neuroplasticity. It targets overactive neural circuits in the brain responsible for chronic stress and threat responses. When these circuits become sensitized—due to factors like infections, injuries, toxic exposures, or emotional trauma—they can trap the body in a persistent fight, flight, or freeze state. DNRS helps interrupt this cycle, allowing the brain and body to shift back into balance and reduce symptoms at their neurological source. (from the DNRS website)

This program is taught online, with lots of support available. It takes about six months of practicing for 1 hour per day to rewire the brain and relieve these problems. I saw mostly adults involved, but I do not see why a parent couldn’t help a youngster apply these principles. It is also helpful with learning to focus on the positive.

https://retrainingthebrain.com