Cognitive Skills are Learned and Can Be Improved

We know that cognitive skills can be enhanced not only because we can see the changes through observation and tests, but also because there is evidence derived from brain research as well.

Recent research suggests that stimulating the mind with mental exercise may cause brain cells, called neurons, to branch widely. This branching causes millions of additional connections, or synapses, between brain cells. Arnold Scheibel, the director of UCLA's Brain Research Institute, suggests that we think of it as a computer with a bigger memory board that allows you "to do more things more quickly."

Other studies demonstrate that our brains develop throughout our lives and that they are constantly being modified. For example, Michael Merzenich trained a monkey to touch a rotating disk with the three middle fingers of its hand. After several thousand times, the monkey's brain expanded in the areas that are designated for the three middle fingers (at the expense of those areas designated to the other two fingers). This expansion proves that training and practice can stimulate brain development.

In addition. Life magazine recently featured the idea of "Brain Calisthenics" in the article "Building a Better Brain." The article stated that, "evidence is accumulating that the brain works a lot like a muscle — the harder you use it, the more it grows. Although scientists had long believed the brain's circuitry was hard-wired by adolescence and inflexible in adulthood, its newly discovered ability to change and adapt is apparently with us well into old age. Best of all, this research has opened up an exciting world of possibilities."

These studies show that by using proper training methods, one can target, modify, and develop the brain to improve deficiencies. And the fastest and most efficient way to do this is through cognitive training exercises that specifically and directly target a deficient skill.

At Learning Skills Unlimited we do not assume that all learning problems are the result of poor cognitive processing skills or that all children need cognitive training. Instead, we use screenings that probe different areas of processing to see if there are any deficiencies that we can address. Some of the skills we look at include the following:

             Attention: the ability to stay on task, even when distractions are present.

             Simultaneous Processing: the ability to handle more than one thing at a time (e.g., the ability to  recognize a word without sounding it out, to listen to the instructor while taking notes, or to  drive a car while carrying on a conversation).

             Sequential processing: the ability to link a series of inputs over time (a skill required for reading so that the beginner can blend a series of sounds to create words and the advanced reader can link a series of words to understand the story or idea).

             Planning: the ability to decide how you are going to solve a problem, make sure it gets done, check it for mistakes, and modify it if needed.

             Processing speed: the ability to perform cognitive tasks quickly; an important skill for complex tasks or tasks that have many steps (e.g., if we are dividing two numbers in our head but processing is slow, we might forget an earlier calculation before we are done and have to start over again — we took longer to do the problem than our ability to remember).

             Short-term Memory (STM): the ability to store and recall small amounts of information about the current situation. Children with STM problems may need to look several times at something before copying, have problems following instructions, or need to have information repeated often.

             Long-term Memory: the ability to recall information that was stored in the past when needed. It's very important for spelling, recalling facts on tests, and comprehension.             

              Auditory processing: the ability to perceive, analyze, and conceptualize what is heard. It's critical in beginning reading and spelling because it includes hearing, identifying and blending sounds, and sounding out words.

            Visual processing: the ability to perceive, analyze, and think in visual images. This includes visualization, which is the ability to create a picture in your mind. Children who have problems with visual processing may reverse letters or have difficulty following instructions, reading maps, doing word math problems, and comprehending. .