The following is J.’s letter from July 2010 about her daughter’s continuing progress using Brainjogging!  Little N.  is doing a great job!

July 16, 2010

Dear Brainjogging –

Yeah!  We are at our fourth weekly visit to Brainjogging, and once again N. has done very well.  She is really waking up.  By the end of the week, N.’s focus during the sessions increased.  She demonstrated her throwing ability by launching chalk as Ms. Anna when she did not get her way.  She typically would only do that kind of thing at home.  It is amazing how her cognition is just popping.  She had a definite opinion on what shoes she wanted to wear … now this is my child.  She was even telling me she did not want to wear a particular shirt.  Very exciting!!  N. was able to recall a friends son’s name, as well as an aunt and uncle!  [My husband] C. and I are so proud.  In the elevator today, I was stalling and she told me to push up.  Articulation needed work, but it was there!  She has improved repeating the three letter sequences.  We have discussed possible ways to assist N. with focusing on the computer; hopefully, once she pays more attention to Brainjogging, letter recognition and memory will continue to increase.  I have worked a lot with physical and fine motor skills, and she has improved there as well.  She learned to chew Bubble Gum without swallowing.  We are moving forward in Bear Crawl.  I am just so proud of her, and my expectation is rising.  Thanks for a great week!  Oh, I love it that she knows all her teachers by name at Brainjogging!  Can’t wait to see what every day brings!!

-J.

June brought more changes in N.’s life.  Her mother, J., shares her reflections on N.’s third month of Brainjogging!

June 18, 2010

Dear Brainjogging,

Hello.  Well, N. will complete her third week here at Camp Academia tomorrow.  Once again, I am just in awe of how much progress she has made! Our family is so proud of her!

Over the past few months, we have been faithful to Brainjogging at home.  As I have said, there have been some very challenging moments where N. has not wanted to Brainjog; however, we have not given her the option.  One could pull from those times that N. is demonstrating her strong will and own personal opinions, which is a great thing to see J.  It is great to see some of the older students because I know eventually it will become second nature and just part of her life, or our lives.

This week, N. has continued to say some amazing things.  I will forever smile at the moment of N. coming up to me in our hotel and saying, “Hi, Jamie.”  She can name all her immediate family members … now that is a new N.!!  She has continued to say some more words, and she seems so much better at pronunciation.  N. even remembered we have always gone to the park after Brainjogging on previous visits.  Monday, she asked to go to the park.  We switched to the pool, and Tuesday she requested “pool” J.

The past few months, we have made Brainjogging part of our lifestyle.  It is a big commitment, and I was terrified of how to fit it in.  I am proud to say Brainojogging fits in nicely … the laptop travels, and we have just made it a priority.  Even when N. refused and closed her eyes J, it is “N.’s job.”  N. has a lot of homework all around.  I do feel like we’ve got a great home-program that complements goals of Brainjogging.  Play is very intentional, and we try to use our time wisely.

I arrived wondering what the week would hold because the first week was so intense.  I mean we went from not saying ABC letters to saying them.  Cognition is popping.  Following instructions, memory improvement.  I loved that Shirley said Brainjogging will lead to improvement in motor coordination and fine motor.  When one steps back and realizes how much is going on and what N. is doing now … well it is awesome!  I was watching N. and I realized I was wondering why she wasn’t recognizing all the letters yet when I almost missed all of the great things that she is improving on.  I mean we all saw her catch and throw today, and she knew when to roll.  She recognizes most pictures in the flash cards, which she loves those cards.

There is a remarkable difference in saying two or three syllables.  Today was a great day.  She was actually recalling more three letters in her letter flash … She was consistently following two-step instructions.  Remember the ball throwing!!  There were smiles across the room.  Her ball throwing and catching has improved.  We are getting better and better at saying ABCs on our own, as well as counting 1-10, wow!  Colors … we are getting them!  Letter recognition will come, I know it!  As I’ve said before, I am kind of a “chop chop” person J so N. teaches me everyday to be in the moment and enjoy the ride.  I can still get overwhelmed with many things, I [want] her to accomplish on my time frame.  But if you look at how much she has learned and is doing since April, it is just fantastic!!  We have come so far.

The people around her are excited to see her progress.  We have received compliments on “how much better N. is doing.”  Without a doubt, N. is a bright little lady.  Brainjogging is helping us pull all the parts to get it out.  Even tonight I was reading 8 Monkeys Jumping on the Bed with N..  I stopped to see if she could complete the sentence, and N. said “bumped his head” and “doctor.”  All I can say, bright smile from me J.

N. is doing so well, and I feel like we are just starting … stay tuned, so much more to come!  Thanks so much!!  Brainjogging everyday!!

Warmly,

J. and N.

P.S.  … I forgot to add how excited I am already for N. to strut her stuff once she starts school.  Her therapists are already so excited about her progress.  N. has shown so much improvement this week.  She just took a bow, and I did not know she can do that.  She also did an incredible drawing.  Each color was in a circle, and she named all the colors.  Thanks again!!

*As always, this parent testimonial has been reprinted without editing for content; testimonials are occasionally edited for grammar, but all changes are bracketed.

The following is the second letter mother J. wrote Brainjogging about her daughter N. and N.’s progress, from May 2010.  Over the coming days, you’ll be able to read J.’s letters from June, July and August and watch N.’s progress from her mother’s perspective (April’s letter can be found here).  *Please note that each letter reads exactly as it was written by J., the exception being the presence of initials instead of names, which Brainjogging did with the intention of protecting this family’s identity.

May marked N.’s second month of Brainjogging.  Her mother, J., continues to be thrilled with N.’s progress!

May 20, 2010

Dear Brainjogging –

Well, N. and I are back after one month of Brainjogging!  Obviously, we are back because Brainjogging has brought so many wonderful leaps for N..  It was a little emotional to walk in the first day and see N. start rocking and singing her ABCs!  Now that is a different child compared to the first day we walked into Brainjogging!  It is very emotional to realize her progress.  She first of all is singing ABCs; she can say the anticipated next letter; and I feel we are really close to having it on our own.  She can tell you her name … and that she is four.  N. has received praises from her dance teacher, who announced how great N. is doing.  N. resumed Hippotherapy after an 8 month break:  her teacher was amazed; she is a different rider, and so much more verbal!  It has been the little sentences randomly popping out that has stopped us in our tracks.  For instance, N. telling her daddy, “I want a hamburger.”  The PB & J went in the lunchbox, and N. got the hamburger.  Although, we are working on consistency, naming colors is improving.  I feel like attending and following directions has improved.  N.’s grandparents have noticed improvement in speech as well!  That is a compliment because they do not see her every day.  My mother announced, “Wow, N. is going to be just fine.”  N. has gotten good reports at school regarding participation and being vocal!

As I said before, Brainjogging at home is a big commitment with three small children, but we are getting it in, and it is just part of our day.  I think a huge change is N.’s progress with the actual Brainjogging program.  She is doing well with the letters.  I do have to monitor her eye movements closely because she will just anticipate the next letter.  Can you believe she easily recites 2 letters from letter flash?  My heart pounds to think of three, but I know we can do it!  As a mom, I’ll always worry, and I have those days where you just want everything to be “normal” with a snap, but when I realize how much N. has done and how far she has come, especially in the last month … okay, I’m tearing up now … I know she will be fine and continue to thrive.  She gives our family a great gift of being in the moment and resilience … perseverance.  N. has her moments where she isn’t into Brainjogging, but overall, she has done well with the program.  In fact, this week every am and pm, she is asking me to get the computer out.

Since we’ve been here this week – N. has memorized key words to “Suzy Q” only after hearing it once!!  What do you say to that.  She is matching numbers to cards!!  She learned the rhyming cards within an hour.  She cut her own piece of paper for the first time.  Unbelievable, N. just recited 3 letters (a few times!) on letter flash … Wow, so exciting!!  She has been attending well.  Potty training is still a goal.  N. has done well with staying dry during the day, much better!  We are emphasizing clapping and patting, N. has made progress, and we will continue working on it, as well as catching the ball.  Any fine motor activities we can incorporate, we will.

It has been a great week with more improvement!  It will be exciting to see what comes.  I have this picture that stays in my head.  N., A. [her sister], and I ran a race with W. [her brother] in the stroller.  N. ran the ½ mile perfect.  Because she had a little cough, I put her in the stroller.  As the finish line approached down a lengthy path, I asked N. if she wanted to run.  She was already coming out of the stroller.   She refused to hold my hand; she shouted, “ME!”  I was amazed she knew what the flags meant, and she ran with ALL her might.  Behind, A. and I crossed that finish line beaming!  Brainjogging is helping cross many finish lines beaming with the brightest “N. smile!”

Thank you!  J.

*As always, this parent testimonial has been reprinted without editing for content; testimonials are occasionally edited for grammar, but all changes are bracketed.

Brainjogging affects real children and real families.  Brainjogging has one particular student, N., that began Brainjogging in April 2010.  N. attends Brainjogging sessions with a Brainjogging cognitive therapist from 9 am – 3 pm, with a one hour lunch break, one week each month; she Brainjogs at least twice daily at home with her mother the other three weeks of the month. Directly following N.’s week of Brainjogging session, her mother, J., writes Brainjogging a letter about N. and the progress she made over that week in relation to her state prior to the week’s therapy.

N., who began Brainjogging in April 2010, poses during her week of sessions in August, 2010.

The following is the first letter J. wrote Brainjogging, from April 2010.  Over the coming days, you’ll be able to read J.’s letters from May, June, July and August and watch N.’s progress from her mother’s perspective.  *Please note that each letter reads exactly as it was written by J., the exception being the presence of initials instead of names, which Brainjogging did with the intention of protecting this family’s identity; the completion of abbreviated terms OT for Occupational Therapy; and the grammatical errors.  All changes are bracketed.

April 15, 2010
Dear Brainjogging,

Hello, this is J., N.’s mother, and I am writing this letter filled with Hope as we approach the end of our first week of Brainjogging.

I’ll start with telling you a little about N..  She is our middle child after years of infertility.  Her older sister, A., was born via gestational surrogate.  She has been working very hard from day one.  My pregnancy was wonderful, but N.’s delivery was traumatic.  She was so beaten up that a geneticist saw her right away.  We have a slew of physicians and have run every test possible.  Fortunately, everything has come back normal.  However, this is frustrating in the sense you want something definitive so it can just be fixed!

N. came into this world with that sparkle and a smile that melts anyone.  She was born with Torticollis and low muscle tone.  C. and I have been very proactive from the beginning.  N. started P[hysical] T[herapy] at 4 months and began S[peech] T[herapy] and O[ccupational] T[herapy] during her first year.  From the beginning she has been on the upward curve of progress, and we’ve been told that is the best sign possible.

N. has a doting family that will continue to do anything we can to help her have a happy life.  N. is an appendage to A., and she is a little Mommy to her younger brother W..  N. feels like 2 children at times because she requires a little more with her delays; however, I cannot imagine the three without each other.  N.’s siblings challenge her; she must keep up with them.

Physically, N. has seemed to be about a year behind.  She was slow to sit, speak, run.  She has been diagnosed with Apraxia and Dyspraxia/SPD … all that said, it has been indicated with therapies and work she will be fine and live a productive life.  Now what exactly that means is unclear to me J. All I know is that I feel so much is in N. that she just can’t get out.  She is intelligent; her body just won’t sync with her brain … but it is getting better!  It can be heartbreaking to watch her attempt a normal activity and realize she is trying but can’t do how all the “typical” children are doing it.

N. does tire easily, especially with all the effort she has to use to function.  She eats well; we call her Swiper because she easily takes others’ food.  We’ve had IgG allergy test, and N. is highly sensitive to rice and shrimp.  We did attempt a gluten-free diet, but no difference was noted.  N. always walked on her toes; A[nkle] F[oot] O[rthoses] corrected that.  N. has a need to chew or teethe items/things.  She is very clumsy and unbalanced, but we are improving.  N. started jumping with 2 feet off the ground 5 months ago!!  Because speech is limited, N. does show frustration more because she is telling us something in N. language but no one understands.  N. is very social and happy.  She can be very stubborn and strong willed.  She is tough as nails given everything she has been through.

At this time, N. is a student at CC & F.  It is a fabulous school and worth my drive.  She gets ST, OT, and PT at school.  We have a private therapist once a week, and I think she complements Brainjogging very well.  N. takes dance and will resume Hippotherapy in the summer.  N. loves taking care of her babies, water, bubbles, music; she is busy and known for her quick and sneaky nature.

I was apprehensive to start Brainjogging because we really did not have our ABCs.  I am thrilled at the progress N. has made in learning the ABCs and how her speed has improved.  When I speak of speed that crosses over to when you ask her to repeat a letter or random word; her answer is coming out quicker.  It is amazing (with some prompting) how many words N. can say clearly!  I do realize we as a family will have some work in making sure we get the words out.  Since we started this week, N. obviously showed great improvement on the Brainjogging program.  She is catching a ball!  Throwing with some umph!  N. is saying more two word phrases.  She said, “I love Jelly Bean!” [the office dog] – one for the books.  The use of the potty has improved!  She is telling me she “has to go” at times!!  I’ve noted less tongue protrusion and mouth opening.  I have truly loved seeing improvement in N.’s eye contact.  Tonight we had a chat and she did so well with keeping eye contact!!  I am thrilled about the week … a great sense of hope.  I realize it is a huge commitment, but how can N.’s parents not do anything they could to help her?  I’m a little anxious about getting Brainjogging settled into our daily routine, but I know it will just take some practice.  I’m even more excited to see what will come.  N. has given me the gift of relaxing into the moment and enjoying the journey (of course with a lot of prayers, too ).  I know we can get those ABCs!!  It is fantastic to [hear] her improvement in enunciation; she can say those letters!  It is unbelievable how she has improved on Brainjogging from Monday!

Thank you so much!  It has been a productive and fun week – fun in the sense that N. has done so well.

Warmly,
J.