Everything we learn, we process using our brain’s cognitive skills. These skills include memory, attention, reasoning, logic, auditory processing, and visual processing. All of us use these skills, including people with autism. Effective learning requires strong, active mental skills. Cognitive training, also called brain training, makes stronger skills possible. What is brain training?
Brain training exercises the brain like a fitness coach works your muscles. The results a
re similar—more strength to accomplish the task.Brain training typically uses a series of structured, progressively challenging activities to arouse and strengthen the brain. It works all the skills I mentioned above in an integrated way, as improvements in one area often lead to improvements in another. Effective trainers gradually increase the complexity and intensity of each task that students do. This increased intensity helps trigger dramatic changes in neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to change.
Better cognitive skills lead to greater independence, better grades, improved self esteem and more opportunities for your child or loved one with autism.
Why is brain training effective for individuals who have autism?
The brain gets “rewired” when it’s exposed to new experiences and stimuli. If neurons receive enough excitatory signals, they will fire. The more frequently that occurs, the more connections are made and a network is formed. The result of more networking is better and more efficient processing. Brain training encourages that in people with autism.
Although we don’t know the cause of autism, we do recognize the brains of individuals with autism are wired differently. It’s crucial to help people with autism be able to focus their attention to learn, particularly their auditory and visual abilities. Effective brain training can accomplish this, allowing us to build more brain networks that result in better association skills. These associations drive recall and performance.
The new networks also can led to improved communication skills, such as more interest in the environment, interest in other people, better eye contact, more facial expression, comprehension of directions, and initiation of tasks.
Types of Students:
At my brain training center, Learning Rx in Charlotte, N.C., we’ve had good outcomes with moderate to high functioning students on the autism spectrum. Changes we have observed in our students include:
Increased awareness of their environment
More verbal interactions with others
Increased calmness, fewer meltdowns
Improved persistence and ability to work through stress
Improved flexibility and less rigidity
Improved organizational skills
Improved processing speed
Fewer repetitive movements
Increased attention span
Less easy to distract
Improved reading when this skill is targeted
Our programs for students with autism typically run 12 to 32 weeks, featuring 60-90 minute sessions two to four times per week, some families choose the parent training option with “homework”.
If you don’t have a brain training center nearby, don’t worry. There are many activities to try at home that can make a difference. We'll share some ideas for home brain training in a future blog.
- written by Dr. Vicki Parker
Dr. Vicki Parker is a speech-language pathologist with a background in neuroscience. She is the owner of Learning Rx, a brain training facility in Charlotte, N.C. Parker is the author of Problem Solving, Planning and Organizational Tasks: Strategies for Retraining.
