Persuasion - one step at a time

A week or so ago I broached the subject of attending the Arrowsmith program with A-One.

A-One: Well I'm not going!

Mum: A-One, this program could really help you!  For example, if you wanted to do a course at TAFE, you could find it easier than when you were at school.  It could help you learn better.  You remember that you found writing difficult at school?  It could help you do that better.

A-One: I didn't find writing difficult.  It was what to write.

Mum: Yes, that's right.

A-One: Anyway, I'm not going!

Mum: This is very serious A-One.  When we're gone, what will you do? Where will you live? How will you get your groceries? Who will help you manage your insurances? Health cover? Tax returns? Your pension?  It's not right to those who love you, nor to the Australian public who fund your pension, if you don't take up an opportunity which may help you be able to do those things for yourself!  Surely you'll at least try it?

A-One: No, I'm not doing it!

Mum: This is so serious, we'll have to start thinking about making it a condition of you living in this house.

A-One: You can't do that!

Mum: You are 23 years of age and you need to be thinking about living more independently.

A-One: I'm not going anywhere!

Mum: What are you objecting to so much?

A-One: I don't need it.

Mum: And yet you don't have a job, nor a driver's licence, nor able to take on responsibilities that others your age are already doing.

A-One: That's not my fault! Employers should give me a job!  They should give me a chance!

Mum: Don't you want to give yourself the best chance?

A-One: Yes, but I'm not that bad. I don't need it.

Mum: That's right. You're quite capable of many things. But this program is for people who are already good at some things, but have some blockages in their brain that stop them from doing other things.

A-One: I'm not doing it.

Mum: A-One. Has it been your experience that people often get frustrated with you? That they lose patience with you? For all your life so far?

A-One: Yes.

Mum: Do you want it to be that way for the rest of your life?  Do you think we want it that way? There's a chance your life could be different in a way you don't yet know. Don't you think we'd want your life to be one where people no longer get impatient with you?

He started giggling.  Not because he found it funny. It was his emotive response.

A-One: Stop talking about it.  I'm not doing it.

Mum: Well, you've assessed that you don't need this program.  What about the people who are offering the program?  Don't you think they'd be able to tell whether you're a suitable candidate?  If we put in an expression of interest, that doesn't mean you'd automatically be doing the program.  They might decide that it wouldn't really help you, and you'd be right after all.  Couldn't we at least see what they say?

I can't quite recall if he said anything after that. It seemed to me he was still intransigent, so I thought I'd draw round one to a close.  I knew it would take some time for him to get used to the idea, even if just to agree to an expression of interest.

That evening, his father said to me simply, 'He's doing it.'  He went to A-One's room to talk it over with him.

After about 20 minutes, his father reported that A-One had agreed to the expression of interest.

The chorus (A-One's youngest sister) commented: Gee, I was expecting there to be shouting and tears over this tonight, but it was all very calm and controlled. Wow.

I'm not sure where the magic happened.

A-One may be right.  This program may not be the right one for him.  It's for people with average or above average intelligence, and in the past A-One's tests put him at low average - yet still in the average range.

At least we have a chance to find out now.

A life lesson ...

In the last week A-One's WOW guild kicked him out.

He was very upset telling me about it.

A-One: They said I made them feel uncomfortable.  That I talked too much about what I was doing.  And now they've put me on 'Ignore'.

Mum: Are they the same ones who were planning the real life event next February? (which A-One's father and I had been very nervous about, with all the risks of meeting up with online 'friends').

A-One: Yes, and I was looking forward to that.

Mum: Did they mean you talked too much about what you were doing in the game or in real life?

A-One: I think they meant the game.  What should I do?  I want them to reconsider and give me another chance.

Mum: Well, it seems like they don't want to.  You'll probably have to move on to another guild, and remember to not talk as much about what you're doing.

A-One: They told me a bit about that a while ago, and I thought I'd stopped doing that.

Mum: OK. Well, it seems like it wasn't enough for them.  All that means is that you need to improve picking up on social signals from people.  And you can do that.  But it's much harder in an online game because you miss out on all the non-verbal communication.  Do you know what that is?

A-One: No.

Mum: The words that people use are just a very small part of communicating.  Their eyes, tone of voice, posture - all these things tell you something too - in fact much more than their words.  For example, you might be talking to someone and their eyes might be looking away all the time.  That's a signal for you to stop talking, and perhaps ask them a question about themselves, or to let them talk about something.

A-One: Hold on.  Back track.  What were you just saying?

I repeated it, trying to couch it as a social 'rule' for A-One to learn, when he said:

A-One: I got a message from (a school friend) about that the other day.

He proceeded to show me his Facebook message.  A female friend had given him some tips on how to have (and not have) social conversations.  'Stand about one or two metres (sic) away from people.' 'I might say ...  Then you might say ....  Then I might say ....' and so on. 'You just don't keep talking about the same thing all the time'.  The tone of her message was genuinely wanting to help him, and I was touched by her kindness in going to the trouble of giving such direct feedback in as friendly a way as she could.

Mum: She's trying to help you A-One.  It might hurt to hear it, but you really can learn to do this better. We could practise it here.  She's been a good friend to you, trying to help you like this.

A-One: Do you know the worst part of the guild was that they had a meeting about me, and wouldn't let me be there. What can I do to make them take me back?

Mum: I don't know them, so I can't really advise on what approach might work, or even whether they'd be interested in hearing from you. 

A-One showed me the messages on the game, and they had clearly reached the end of their patience with him, yet had tried to be not too nasty in telling him.

Mum: Had you ever mentioned anything to them about a disability?

A-One: Well, yes, I had mentioned that a little.  And one of the members has a child with a speech problem, so I thought they understood.  It takes a while to find a good guild, and the people in this one seemed to be family oriented.

Mum:  Well, I really don't know if it's wise to try to talk to them again.  When a break-down in a relationship has got this far, if you really want to repair it, the very first thing you have to do is acknowledge what they are saying.  You certainly can't ask for anything first up.  And you might have to wait a while before you even say anything ... to give them time to get over the heat of it first.  Because it sure sounds like you've done your dash with them.

A-One: So what could I say?

Mum: Well, if you say anything at all, it has to be short, and simple, and gracious.

Despite my reservations about trying to repair a relationship with a group whom he has never met in real life!, because it's the first time he's really wanted some advice, I thought it presented a learning opportunity which he could apply in real life.

In the end, we spent a couple of hours talking through it.  We worked on some words which he wrote down on his iPod to copy it online later.  He later sent the message, 'I hear what you are saying.  I get it - I have to stop talking about what I do all the time (in game and IRL).  As you know I have a developmental disability and I want to improve myself.  Thank you for your feedback and for the good times I had in the guild.'

A-One: Of course, I think they really should give me a second chance! The worst part is that I won't even know if they got the message.

Mum: Well, if you don't hear anything back, you'll just have to move on, and remember how you can do things differently in future.  This is a really good time to add other groups to your life - in real life.  Join up for Tae Kwon Do or Karate, or is there some other sport you'd like to do?

A-One: Yes, I might like to do that.

He didn't hear back.

Turbo in waiting?

A-One's fortnightly appointment with his employment consultant falls due tomorrow, and he is meant to have had at least 8 employer contacts since the last meeting.  That was his 'homework' for the last meeting, and the one before that too, but the dog ate it both times.

I reminded him yesterday that we'd better get down to the shopping centre today if he is not to be embarrassed about not having done his homework.

Mum: When do you want to get started tomorrow?

A-One: Early.

Mum: What time is 'early'?

A-One: I don't know. Just early in the morning.

Mum: Well, early in the morning could mean 5am.

A-One: Not that early.

Around 10am, after I had finished my exercise, I woke him.  I calculated that he might be ready by the time I'd finished my shower.

Mum: Time to wake up.  We going to the shopping centre today?

A-One: What for? ... Oh, yeh.

Mum: So get up.  Have breakfast.  Do you need to shower?  Also, empty the dishwasher before we go too.  Get cracking.  We're not going down there at 4pm because that will not be enough time.  And if you leave it until lunch time, the people you want to see may be on lunch.  Come on.  Time to get up and at 'em.

We have had a few exchanges in the intervening hours in response to my
'A-One, what's happening?'s:

A-One: I've only just finished my breakfast ... What should I wear? .... I'm just getting dressed .... I need to check something in my resume ....  I'm just getting something ....

It's now past 2pm.  It appears not a creature is stirring ... I'd better go see what's happening again.

Status Check

A-One hasn't done much brain training over the last month - just one day in the last four weeks.  His last score on Lumosity was 45th percentile, comprising the following sub-percentiles:

• Speed: 72.4
• Memory: 60.1
• Attention: 46.8
• Flexibility: 53.9
• Problem Solving: 9.1

All of the above are well within the average range, except Problem Solving.  I reckon his overall BPI would be higher than 45th percentile if he learnt his number facts.

So, has anything changed for A-One from his brain training?

When he met with his employment consultant yesterday discussing kitchen hand work, I noticed that he worked out how many years he'd been cleaning up the kitchen at home when I said he'd been rostered on that job since he was at least 8 years old.  Next week he turns 23.  He casually slipped into his conversation 'So, I've been doing that for 15 years.'  No pause, no counting on fingers.

I've also been noticing that his conversations as he plays WOW with his online friends are quite coherent and not all one-way.  Quite different from just a few years ago when he'd get on to a topic and keep talking regardless of signals that it was time to let someone else speak, or to inquire after them.  It all sounds very regular to me.

He now needs to build his confidence, and become motivated to get out of his comfort zone at home.

The best laid plans ...

At his meeting with his employment consultant yesterday, A-One reported on the job ads he had found interesting over the last fortnight, even if just a little.

A-One: There was one that required some packaging of orders, with some reception and admin work.  But they wanted someone who could 'work under pressure', and 'answer phone calls at reception'.

Consultant: Let me stop you right there.  How do you know if your idea of pressure is the same as their idea of pressure? You don't really know until you try.  When you think maybe you can't do it, I want you to put those thoughts away, and give it a go.  It's a good to be in the habit of applying, and good practice if you get an interview.  And when they say they want experience? Remember, you say you are willing to learn.

A-One: Yes.

Consultant: As you say, you might not find cleaning jobs really interesting, but you need to start somewhere, and from there you can work on to other jobs that you like better.

Mum: Yes, over the last fortnight, I heard A-One say for the first time ever 'working my way up'!

Consultant: Yes, that's how it can work. Will you get to your 8 employer contacts for our next meeting?

A-One: Yes, I'll do that.

On the way home, the plan had been to go via the shopping centre so that A-One could drop in his resume at his targeted shops (electronic gaming), as well as be on the look out for those looking for staff.

Mum: We'll just stop by home first so that you can swap the thongs for some shoes.

A-One: So, we're going home first now?  ... I really need a haircut too.

Mum: We could do that right now if you like.

A-One: OK.   Now, (consulting his iPod notes) how do I pay for this with my card again? Do I press credit or savings?

The haircut and payment duly executed, we headed for the 'quick' stop at home. He headed for the toilet.

Thirty minutes later:

Mum: A-One, how long will you be?  We'll run out of time!

A-One: We won't do it this afternoon.

After he emerged, he sat at his computer:

Mum: So when do you want to go down to the shopping centre?

A-One: I don't know.

Mum: If you need my help to get there, or to help you practice what to say before you talk to employers, you need to give me a time.  But if you go there on the bus, or walk, then it's up to you.

A-One: I don't know!  I need to think about it.

Mum: OK. How long do you think you'll need to think about it?

A-One: I don't know!

I moved on to something else.  Another day, another try ...

Job Hunting?

A-One and I had an appointment with his employment consultant again yesterday.  He had been given 'homework' - to have 8 employer contacts (submitted his resume) in the preceding fortnight.

Since the last appointment I had been reminding him about looking up the job sites in the way his consultant had shown him, or heading down to the local shopping centre to hand in his resume.  Despite his insistence to the contrary, as far as I could tell not much had been happening because he usually asks me questions when he's perusing jobs.

I woke him at 11:30am for a 1pm appointment.  At 12:30pm, he stepped dressed from the shower:

A-One: We should go down to the shopping centre before our meeting.

Mum: We don't have time for that now.  We have to leave here by 12:45pm at the latest to make it to the appointment by 1pm.

A-One: Yes, we'll have time.  I can't really go with nothing to show.

Mum: I'm glad to see you realise your obligations, but it needs more time than we have right now.  We simply won't make it by 1pm if we go down to the shopping centre now.

A-One: How do you know that? All I have to do is eat my breakfast and clean my teeth and then we can go to the shopping centre.

I left it as a rhetorical question until he had finished his food and cleaned his teeth.  By that time it was 1:45pm.

Mum: Are you ready to go now?

A-One: Yes.

Mum: You realise we're only just going to make it to the meeting?

A-One: Okay Mum.  You don't have to keep going on about it.

I went out to the car with A-One following me. He then rushed upstairs saying he'd forgotten something.  By the time we were backing out the driveway, it was 4 minutes to 1pm.

A-One: What will I say?

Mum: What do you think you might say?

A-One: I don't know.  That's why I'm asking you.

Mum: You'll have to call (consultant) to let him know we will be late.  (This happens for just about every meeting.)

A-One (on his mobile): Just calling to let you know we'll be a bit late.  We're on our way ... No, I didn't get around to that ... yes, we can talk about it soon.

A-One (off the phone): So, what should I say?

Mum: Well, what have you done in the last fortnight?

A-One: I've been looking, but I don't see jobs I'm interested in or think I could do.  (Pause)  ... I could tell him what I've done. And we could go down to the shopping centre on the way home after the meeting.  So I can tell him what I plan to do too.

Mum: Sounds good to me.  Still, it's better to be able to tell what you've done than what you plan to do.

Arrowsmith in Brisbane!

The very good news is that the Shaping Brains Project of The Benevolent Society has now signed up for the Arrowsmith program at the Acacia Ridge Early Years Centre. The program will be for children - but for adults too!  Sheryl Batchelor emailed me with her exciting news a few days before she went to Toronto for her training.  She will be starting the candidate selection process when she comes back.

I'm sooo hoping that A-One will be a suitable candidate.

I chose my time to tell him about the program coming to Brisbane, because he hadn't shown any enthusiasm for it when I've raised it with him before.

Mum: A-One, you remember the Arrowsmith program? Well, it's now going to be available in Brisbane.

A-One: Well, I won't be going.

Mum: I think it could help change your life.  Even though we don't know that for absolute certainty, I still think it's the best thing that I've seen that could help you.  You could start thinking about a sound engineer course at TAFE or even something else if you wanted to.  The program could help you to learn and to write more easily - to be able to handle a course so much better than when you were at school.

A-One: It's not necessary.

Sisters: So what are you going to do if you don't do this?

Mum ... and Dad: You know the people who usually do the course are just normal, intelligent people. They just have some blockages in their otherwise perfectly fine brain, and they want to work to remove those blockages so that they can make the best use of the already good parts of their brain.

Grandparents:  A-One, this is very exciting for you.  You'd be at the cutting edge of a new frontier!

I think he'll come round.

Testing

A-One and I have finally completed his practice and baseline tests using CogStateTM.  For him to have had sufficient sleep it usually means he's free in the afternoons, but I'm not always free then.  In my attempts to co-ordinate our schedules I'd occasionally hear faint mumblings of ... 'not important' ... but, in the end, he submitted relatively graciously.

To administer the tests I was required to read the instructions while they were also presented to him on the screen.  For the practice tests, he usually read ahead and pressed on without waiting for me to finish the instructions.  Except the working memory tests - he read and re-read them before proceeding.

For the baseline tests, because they are timed and should be done without significant breaks, I asked him if he needed a glass of water or to use the toilet before we started.  He decided he did.

An hour later (sigh) we got started.

Again I read the preparatory instructions, reminding him that the tests were the same as the practice tests, just different in the specifics so that they are still 'fresh'.

Mum: Are you ready to start?

A-One: Not yet.  I'll let you know.

A minute or so passed.

Mum: Are you ready yet?

A-One: No.  I'll let you know when I am.

A minute or so passed.

Mum: How about now?

A-One: No. Not yet.

Mum: Are you composing yourself, getting your mind ready for this?

A-One: Yes.

The first baseline test was to remember a shopping list.  As I started to read out the items, he burst out, 'Aren't these meant to be the same words as before?'  So we used up some seconds as I explained that the test is the same, but the words are different.  That's what the 'composing' time had been about - trying to remember the words from the practice test!

For most of the tests again, he pressed on without waiting for me to finish reading the instructions, except for the more challenging of the working memory tests.  We completed all the tests in about an hour and fifteen minutes. My observation, supported by the test results, showed that his working memory is quite good. When tests required that he 'work out' a rule or find a path in a maze, he performed better than when he had to remember many things short term.  But for anything that had made it into his memory, his delayed recall was then good.  This is consistent with our experience of him - it might take a while for something to get into his brain, but once it's there, it's there forever!  So it sounds to me like he would benefit from practising learning things off by heart - not so much to know many more things, but to practice the learning technique required to remember things.

Mum: Do you want to see your test results?

A-One: Nah.

Pondering the good working memory results, and recalling that his previous neuro-psyche tests indicated a weak working memory, I asked him if he was willing to do a little exercise that would take only a minute (a working memory test).

Mum: I'll give you five numbers and I want you to repeat them back to me - backwards.

A-One: OK.

Mum: 7    3     9     5     8

A-One gazed down with a look of concentration on his face.  After about 15 seconds he looked at me and giggled.  He looked down again for about another 10 seconds.  Looked up, giggling again.

Then, tumbling the numbers out in quick succession:

A-One: 85937!

Not so enthusiastic

As excited as I have been about using CogStateTM to independently baseline A-Ones's cognitive functioning, and getting ready to try him out with C8 - Kids Cognitive Cross Training, I don't exactly have an enthusiastic partner in my venture.

Last night A-One went to bed early.  His sleeping patterns have become more erratic lately because he's been playing WOW on and off both day and night. However, after last night I thought 'You beaudy!  He's had a really good night's sleep.  His brain will be fresh. What a golden opportunity to begin the CogStateTM practice tests!'  I had been 'warming' him up to them over the last couple of days. Waking him up mid-morning:

Mum: Hi A-One. Time to get up. After such a good night's sleep, let's get started with your round of practice tests today.  How about you get up, eat, have a shower (it's been several days), and we can get started.

A-One: OK, I'll get up, but we'll see about the practice tests.

Later on as he was having breakfast ...

Mum: When will we get started? This afternoon sometime?

A-One: No! I'm not doing it today!

Mum: A-One, this is a golden opportunity because you had such a good night's sleep! Your brain will be on fire!

A-One: I'm not doing it today! 

Mum: The scientists have proven that you need adequate sleep, nutrition, physical exercise, as well as mental exercise for your brain to be healthy, so it's important that you've had adequate sleep to do the tests.

A-One: How do they know that? I'll prove that I can be fine without even 5 hours sleep!

Mum: Do you see that this brain training work is about helping you be able to have a job, and not just a job, but a good job? What will you do instead today?

A-One: Other things.

Mum: Do you think your WOW friends would be happy for you to spend some time away from them, improving things for yourself?

A-One: Yes.   

Mum: Well, can we do it tomorrow?

A-One: Yes.

Mum: What time?

A-One: I don't know!

Mum: How about 10am?

A-One: OK.

Mum: It may take about 3 hours all up.

A-One: Three hours! How come?

Mum: The practice will take about an hour or more, so that you get used to what you have to do.  Then we do the real baseline test, which will take just as long.

A-One: No, we're doing only the first part.

Mum: So when will we do the second part?

A-One: The next day, Sunday.

Mum: I can't do it Sunday because Dad and I have something on Sunday morning.

A-One: Well, whenever is the next time!

Mum: You do realise, don't you, that improving things for yourself can start right now?

So instead today, I'm blogging ... and he's WOW'ing.

Getting ready for a change ...

In the last couple of days I've sent off a few emails to others on the advocacy list for Arrowsmith, as well to a couple of educational institutions.  I've also been keeping up with the latest news from SharpBrains, and came across a reference to a free cognitive test called Brain Baseline for iPads and iPhones.  I duly went looking for it but it's only in the US Apple store, not the Australian one.  So I wrote off to them too asking when it would be available in the Australian store.

In the meanwhile I've tested myself out on the CogStateTM practice tests and think I have the hang of them now.  I've uploaded my practice results and am now working out whether the test report is useful to me, or simply to track A-One's scores in a spreadsheet myself. I'm very keen to get started with him as he seems to be losing interest in Lumosity, and I think it's time for a change. So I want to baseline him using CogStateTM, then try something else, giving Lumosity a rest for a while.

I'm very impressed with C8-Kids Cognition Cross Training, another suite of brain training exercises I came across via SharpBrains.  This one's from Yale University and has been used to treat ADHD. I like very much that a few simple games progressively incorporate training for additional cognitive functions, and progressive comprehensive reports on a student's cognitive profile are also available i.e. it combines both training and assessment.  The program also combines mental and physical training, so it's really the whole package! The program is geared to 5-10 year olds, but the interface is not too 'babyish' and adults can benefit from it too. The downside, and this is noted on their website, is that for adults any comparative assessments draw on a much smaller population, so I'm not sure how useful they'll be.

The C8 program requires that the student do 3 - 5 sessions a week ranging from 25 - 40 mins each, generally over a 4 month period.

I recall when I spoke to Sheryl Batchelor that she wondered why the Arrowsmith program needs 3-4 years when other programs show improvements over 3 months or so. I also have some niggling concerns whether A-One would qualify for the Arrowsmith program which requires students to have average or above average intelligence.  A-One's IQ is just below the average range, although when he was younger he was in the average range. Given the C8 program is used for ADHD, and A-One had been on medication for ADD when he was younger, this program might even be more suitable for him than Arrowsmith?

So, I think C8's worth a try.  It seems to match A-One's cognitive impairments, and compares in price to Lumosity.

Arrowsmith advocacy

Last week, Debbie Gilmore, the Arrowsmith program's Australian representative, distributed the email addresses of people wishing to form an advocacy group to bring an adult Arrowsmith program to Queensland.

I'm keen to work with others to see how we can progress this. To that end I've emailed the group, as has one other in the group.

The policy of the Arrowsmith organisation is to not make public the discussions they have with any educational institutions considering the program until they have formally committed to the program and/or are happy to have that made public.  Advocates are not bound by that policy because they do not represent the Arrowsmith organisation.  However, I see the prudence in adopting the same position, so in this blog I'll write only in general terms about such advocacy.

The exciting news is that two more Australian schools have now agreed to offer the program:

• Silkwood School on the Gold Coast
• Mosman Church of England Prep in Sydney

The Arrowsmith website lists both Participating Schools and Prospective Schools.

CogState

An article on SharpBrains referred to using a battery of online cognitive tests developed by CogStateTM, an Australian company based in Melbourne, listed in the top five in SharpBrains' Market Report.

When I had previously looked at CogStateTM's website I had noted that their target markets were primarily for testing cognitive capacities in the aging (Alzheimer's) and sports (concussions), clinical trials for pharmaceuticals, as well as use by academic researchers. I hadn't pursued it at the time because I hadn't thought that the work I was doing with A-One fitted any of those categories.

However, following on from my thinking in The Challenge blog, I wrote to CogStateTM several weeks back making an enquiry about the use of their tests. I was looking for an economical way to independently assess cognitive progress using Lumosity, or CogniFit, or any other online brain training.

Much to my excitement, CogStateTM has offered me the use of their Research battery of tests for 12 months!  This will enable me to take an independent baseline of A-One's cognitive capacities now, and to periodically check how he's going as he continues his training. I'm hoping that it will also help me better target the training that A-One requires.

I checked with A-One whether he was willing to undertake the tests.

A-One: How long will they take?

Mum: Each test takes between a few to several minutes, and there are about a dozen tests. Doing the tests would take perhaps an hour, but the total time would probably be longer than that as you would need to learn what each test entails.

A-One: OK.

So far, so good. No resistance.

I downloaded the software yesterday.  The software comes with a research manual which I have been reading and I'm now training myself in how to administer the tests.

I'm also putting on my thinking cap about how to gather others similar to A-One so that he has some fellow travellers wishing to improve their cognitive capacities. CogStateTM has told me that I am free to use the tests for such a group.

I hope I can keep A-One as excited about this as I am!

Mind Up

A few weeks ago I attended a SPELD seminar presented by Sheryl Batchelor, the Program Director of the Shaping Brains Project funded by The Benevolent Society. 

I had previously not considered SPELD for A-One because many of its clients have dyslexia, and that is one area where A-One does not have a problem.  However, I had spoken to Sheryl late last year before embarking on A-One's brain training program, when she had advised me to be careful to use only evidenced based programs, and I was keen to meet her in person.

The seminar was about the Mind Up program, developed by the Goldie Hawn Foundation, in response to the number of children suiciding after 9/11.  The program helps children manage their self-regulation. Sheryl  first came across the program when she visited the Arrowsmith school in Canada about 6 months ago.  Mind Up is incorporated into the Arrowsmith program to help students manage the frustration they may feel when trying to maintain the sustained effortful attention to brain exercises. A lack of ability to self regulate can often be a student's first learning disability.

After seeing the program first-hand, Sheryl is keen to bring the Arrowsmith program to Brisbane for primary children and adults - to enable a family approach if that's what's required. After speaking with Sheryl after her presentation I emailed her to ask how I can also help bring the Arrowsmith program to Brisbane.

Under his own steam

Over the last month I have not been overseeing A-One's brain training too closely.  Under his own steam he has averaged training 3 times a week, which I'm very pleased about. 

At 53.6th percentile, his Flexibility has now finally passed the 50th percentile which is great news too! 

His Problem Solving is the only area that still lags under 10th percentile.

Over the last month we have been learning more about his WOW friends because he talks to them frequently, using his headphones and microphone. When playing, he sits in our family room so that he can use the internet cable instead of our unreliable wireless - we can't help overhearing his end of the conversations.  His sitting in our family area helps to include his online life with ours.

The Challenge

A few days ago I was reading a SharpBrains article about whether brain training really works, and read with interest my own burning question: 'how to max­i­mize the like­li­hood of trans­fer from train­ing to daily life.'

One of the conditions is that it must target a bottleneck. 'For instance, if you need to train your exec­u­tive func­tions but use a pro­gram designed to enhance speed of pro­cess­ing, you may well con­clude that this pro­gram does not “work.” But this pro­gram may work for some­body whose bot­tle­neck is speed of pro­cess­ing ...'

Bingo.
This is the area where I have been looking lately for some professional assistance.  Where is the user's guide to online brain training, so that someone can pick the right brain training exercise for their specific area of impairment?  Even the jargon for describing cognitive capacities seems to vary between sites, or is too general, so it's not always clear which exercises match A-One's specific deficits.


To this end, I have contacted some organisations to raise the possibility of combining professional expertise with online brain training, not for general brain fitness but specifically to improve cognitive deficits, just as I am trying to do with A-One.

For example, the co-ordinator of a 'brain gym' for brain injured soldiers at Walter Reed Military Hospital in the US presented at SharpBrain's Virtual Summit last year. She described how they use readily available brain exercises based on peer reviewed neuroscience, delivered via various media - online, mobile device apps, Nintendo etc - combined with standardised neuropsych evaluations to help soldiers rehabilitate their cognitive capacities after an injury, so that it is evidence based.

It seems to me that A-One could benefit from working with others seeking to improve capacity in their areas of cognitive deficit, where each person's brain exercises are targeted to their individual bottlenecks.  I think he would benefit from the social aspects of meeting with others, as well as increased motivation to keep working at it.

I keep coming back to the initial assessment phase of the Arrowsmith program and the classroom environment for delivery, and why that has been so successful. Could there be something similar for readily available, and inexpensive, online brain training?

So I'm running a few parallel paths of activity at the moment:

• I'm contacting support organisations for people with learning disabilities or developmental or neurological deficits, with a view to joining with other parents and practitioners who have an interest in brain training to see what we could get happening for group training, especially for adults with average or above average intelligence with cognitive deficits.
• I've contacted TAFE to discuss what would be needed for TAFE to deliver the Arrowsmith program
• I have been raising awareness of the educational implications of developments in neuroscience, and the Arrowsmith program in particular.  For example, Coursera have recently announced their Continuing Professional Development program for Teachers which includes a course called The Brain-Targeted Teaching® Model for 21st Century Schools from Dr. Mariale Hardiman at John Hopkins University. I've alerted the Learning Support teacher at my daughter's school to this, and she is raising it with the school's senior admin. I also sent a link to my contact at TAFE, and the Australian Arrowsmith program as it may be a useful supplementary professional development course for teachers involved in this year's pilot in Sydney.

Not bored. Disappointed.

Over the last few weeks A-One's overall Lumosity BPI has stayed pretty steady at around 1000 or 43rd percentile.  He's been playing on average about three to four times a week.  The exciting part is that he is almost at the 50th percentile for Flexibility, and almost, almost at the 10th percentile for Problem Solving.  I'm still trying to convince him to re-prioritise his training preferences with Problem Solving at the top so that he can give himself a good workout in that area.

I asked him today if he was getting bored with Lumosity, because there are other exercises he could try, for example CogniFit.

A-One: It's not so much that I'm bored, but that only a few of the games have a 'Pause' button.  They flash up things so fast that it doesn't give me time to get it right. And sometimes I get only one thing wrong, and it gives me a low score - which is disappointing.  And the Penguin still goes faster than I can, which is cheating. Do they have a feedback section where I can tell them?

Mum: Some of the games might be testing your speed, just above your current level of skill, so that it's stretching you to get better.  Do you know what happens when you play any game against someone better than you?  Like tennis?

A-One: You lose?

Mum (laughing): Yes, probably.  But you get better!  They help you to lift your game. 

A-One: Sometimes you need to pause to do something else, like answer the door or something, and then for that day, you get a low score.

Mum: Well, after your official training for that day you could always do the game again to see how well you could really do without taking a break.  It wouldn't count in your official score, but you'd know how well you've really done.  And that's what really important isn't it?

A-One: Yes, I could do that.

Mum: If you want to send in some feedback, why don't you and see what they say?

A-One: I will, but not now.

Plateau'ing is normal

Today we looked at A-One's brain training scores over the last week. He seems to be playing about three to four times a week at present.  His scores are still at a plateau; he's now at 42.7th percentile overall.  However his Flexibility has been showing a steady increase, now at 48.2nd percentile.

Mum: I was reading in the Lumosity blog that plateau'ing is a common pattern when learning something new, and that sometimes sharp rises can occur and then be sustained.  That's certainly been your pattern, A-One.  The important thing is that you keep doing it, because your brain is working on it even though it doesn't seem to show in your scores right away.

A-One: Well, I didn't have internet for some days.

Mum: But you do now, so you should play today to catch up.

A-One: Yes, I will.

Perhaps he has been encouraged by his test report.  I haven't managed to get him to try CogniFit yet.

He's a Sharpshooter!

I was listening to a 'Founder Story' of Mike Scanlon, Lumosity's Chief Scientific Officer today.  He made reference to a broader cognitive test that Lumosity members can use every few months to see how their cognitive capacity is going as distinct from how well they are performing in the brain exercises.  (Note: It doesn't seem to work with IE 10, but does with Chrome.)  I can't find a link from the Lumosity website, but I had an email record of the URL from my initial inquiry to Lumosity.

I can't recall why I didn't get A-One to do it initially because that had been my plan.  Perhaps I had thought that limited levels of co-operation were better directed to the actual brain training.

Today he was willing enough to do it.  His test results tell him that his strengths are Speed and Attention. Problem Solving is rated above Memory which is his weakest, even though Memory is his area of strength in the actual exercises and Problem Solving his weakest. The report notes that Attention is good for driving. Imagine that! For a boy who had been told all his life that he needs to be kept on task,  had been on ADD medication for a while, and last year told by the neuropsychologist that he shouldn't get his drivers licence.

I love the encouraging way the report is presented and the smile on A-One's face when he read it: A-One, you are a Sharpshooter! Quick, observant and incisive.  You easily take in information and use penetrating insight to make quick decisions.  With a keen sense of spatial orientation, people with these strengths make natural athletes and navigators.   His overall score also put him in the 'about average' range for people in his age range.

(Would WOW also have something to do with this?)

Mum: See A-One, I think for someone who has your capabilities, it's criminal that you're not out there working or learning an occupation.  And you should be playing to your strengths - get to the gym three times a week!  or Tae Kwon Do or Roller Blading. I'm happy to take you.

A-One: I'd like to go to gym.

Mum: Great.  What time of the day do you want to go - and it should be at least 3 times a week.

He's still thinking about that one.

Mum: For someone who is decisive, it shouldn't take too long for you to make a decision about that.

A-One: I don't think I'd do very well at TAFE, because I struggle with the theory.

Mum: Don't base all your decisions on what you were good at, or not, at school.  Remember all this brain training is to enable you to do those things.  It's not because I'm 'into it' that I'm getting you to do brain training.  It's to make it possible for you to do those things that you are interested in!

A-One: OK.

CogniFit

I've just had a good look at CogniFit.  And it's fun. I saw it referenced in a Friends of SharpBrains LinkedIn discussion.

It's also in SharpBrains list of vendors to watch in 2013/14 and is based on peer reviewed research, although mainly for aging adults. It includes some very interesting features:

• You can register for free and get some free 'neurons' which is like a currency
• You can do an assessment first up to get your profile of cognitive strengths and weaknesses as well as how you compare with others in your age range
• Cognitive abilities are described at quite a granular level e.g. not just Memory, but working memory, short-term memory, contextual memory
• You can earn more 'neurons' by training and 'unlock' new games by spending your neurons, or you can purchase more neurons (with real money) to play more
• You can bet your neurons to win more
• You can challenge other players
• The training is tailored based on your assessment
• It's fun

I hadn't investigated this site in depth before because it's pitched to keeping your mind agile as you age, but I think it would be really good for A-One - especially if we can get some other players for him to play with.  It seems to have incorporated the appeal of online multiplayer games e.g. like WOW and the chance of notching up your 'neurons' to play more.

I'm pretty excited about it as it seems to include a number of features that I've been looking for in relation to A-One, in particular the assessments which can be done at any time, the increased granularity of cognitive abilities including planning, the ability to choose specific games for these, and the ability to play with and challenge others.

I've done several training sessions today and have not had to pay any real money. 

(I started using my mouse left-handed several years ago, mainly to ease some tension that had been developing on the right side of my neck from a highly stressful job.  But for these games today I quickly switched to my right hand because the speed challenge sucked me right in!)

Now the hard part is gaining A-One's willingness to try it.

I'm just not that into it Mum

Mum: A-One, I want to get your scores on the last couple of Lumosity games you've played.

A-One: No, not now!

Mum: I told you about an hour ago that I'd be coming to get your scores.

A-One: Not until I've done my games today.

Mum: I'm not waiting until midnight to get your scores for the last couple of days.

A-One: It won't be midnight.

Mum: All you need to do is 'brb' to your WOW mates!  I'm not waiting until tonight! I've given you plenty of notice.

Under sufferance he logged on to get his scores.

Mum: You're now at 40th percentile overall!

A-One (dully): Yes.

Mum: And you are in the 40s for both Attention and Flexibility!  All you need to do is relearn your tables and number facts and your Problem Solving would shoot up too.

A-One: I know what I have to do Mum.

Mum: Sigh.

It takes work to reach your goal

A-One: I know! I know what I have to do Mum!

A-One's response to my urging him to start looking at websites that might guide his efforts in looking for employment. Are his job goals realistic?  What steps to find out more?

I had selected a blog to encourage him to stick with the discipline required to make progress, hoping he'd make the connection with the consistent effort required to make his brain training work, and the work required to find a suitable job.

Mum: What do you think this blog is about?

A-One: It doesn't mean anything to me.

Mum: Well, what did Aristotle say?

A-One read it again: That we are what we repeatedly do.

Mum: And how many hours before you become an expert at anything?

A-One: They reckon 10,000 hours.

Mum: That could be about 5 years.  Is there anything you're an expert at?

A-One: Well, there'd be things I'm pretty good at, but I'm not an expert.

Mum: ... let's move on.  The next thing to look at is this website to help you see if you'd like to have any of these jobs.

A-One selected 'Nature and Recreation' then 'Performing Arts'.  It was the recreation part he was interested in, not nature.  He eventually looked at sound/audio technician.  Then an audiovisual technician.

A-One: I want to work in music, not TV, and music I like.  Like an assistant disc jockey.

Mum: So why don't you Google 'DJ careers' to find out more about it?

A-One: No, I've done enough of this.

Mum: How might you get into the DJ industry if you don't find out more about it, or even if you would like it?  This is the work that it takes.

A-One: I am working at it.

Mum: Do you have 'DJ' set up for any of your job alerts?

A-One: No.  I'm not having this conversation! Stop going on about it!

Mum (sighing): Tomorrow we'll need to work on getting all your papers in order so that you can find your correspondence from Centrelink and to complete your tax return.

I went away, Googled 'DJ careers', and sent him a link which showed a little of what customers like in a DJ.  Later I asked him, do you think you'd like to do that, be like that?

A-One: Maybe.

Motivation and discipline

Once we got home, A-One had some jobs to do which he hadn't done last night, and I reminded him that I wanted to see his last Lumosity results (from Friday). Eventually he called me upstairs to see them.

He pointed out to me that he had achieved five PBs - I was pleased that he showed some interest in his results.  I told him again what great progress he had made - he's almost at 40th percentile overall, is already in the 40s (percentile) for Flexibility and almost the same for Attention.

Mum: You're doing so well, I think it's time to change your training priorities.

A-One: No. Nuh. No.

Mum: You need to work on your Problem Solving (which is still under 10th percentile).  You have done so well on all the others - up 60 percentiles on Speed since you started! You would do really well on Problem Solving if you just revised all your tables and number facts.  You used to know them, they would come back if you worked at them.  If you did that, I reckon you would zoom up on Problem Solving too, just like you have on all the others.

A-One: I know, but look, I will be doing a Problem Solving game today.  It's a Maths one though.

Mum: As I said ....  You know, I'm really looking forward to seeing what difference this all makes for your next job.

Is it making a difference in real life?

Last week A-One's dad asked him to do an outside job - pull down a vine off the fence.  It's a job he had done before, and it usually takes days of hassling to get him on to it.  However, last week he offered far less protest and actually had it done before his dad came home.  I didn't even remind him about doing it, and he did an excellent job.

This morning I asked him if he was ready to leave for Centrelink by 8:20am for an 8:45am appointment.  Recalling the last appointment, he said we could leave by 8:30am and be there on time.  When I think of all the times I try to get him to commit to a time and work back from there as to when to start getting ready! Seems that when it suits him, the working back from a time (time planning) may be all there?

I was reading a discussion on Friends of SharpBrains LinkedIn page this morning, which stressed the need for continued, disciplined effort for brain training to be effective.  That even parents find it difficult to maintain the focus for their children on brain training programs.  I also listened to a TED talk on motivation. How a manager takes notice of what people do can make all the difference to their willingness to stick with things (although I think any parent knows this too).  I know that if I left his brain training to A-One, it would never happen.  I just hope that my continued interest, encouragement and hassling - he sees me recording all his results in 'the red folder' - is sufficient to ensure he is doing enough for it to make a difference.

A Centrelink appointment ... for?

We visited Centrelink this morning to attend an appointment for people on disability pensions who are looking for less than a specified number of hours of work per week. At our last meeting with A-One's Disability Employment Services provider, A-One's target hours per week were recorded as 8-16.  He had received a phone call from Centrelink inviting him to attend an appointment to talk about how he's going; to make sure he's not falling through society's cracks; that he is making progress with his employment goals, and has some engagement with community.

A-One: I'm nervous about this appointment.  I hope they don't ask me any questions I'm uncomfortable with.

Mum: What type of questions might they be?

A-One: If they ask me what else I'm doing besides looking at emails for work.

Mum: How would you answer?

A-One: That I watch some TV, do some reading, play some X-Box games, play computer games.

From where I stand, he seemed to have reversed the order, but I let it pass. Instead I posed some questions he might get.

Mum: What about friends?

A-One: Yes, I talk to them.

Mum: How do you talk to them - call? email? Facebook?

A-One: Facebook.

Mum: When was the last time you talked to them?

A-One: It's been a little while.

Mum: How long is 'a little while'?  Before? After? Christmas?

A-One: After Christmas was the last time.

He observed the security people in the Centrelink office so we went on to discuss why they might be there, when his name was called.

The Centrelink officers were friendly, but the process for the interview seemed to be very perfunctory.  We were advised that this was a new initiative of the federal government, and that his participation was entirely voluntary; that they had a set list of questions to ask and that the outcome would be a plan which he would sign.  The timeframe for any plan could be long term, for example five years.

My impressions?  Accepting A-One's responses at face value with no insightful questioning as to what might really constitute barriers to employment.  In response to A-One's stated goal of becoming a sound engineer or assistant DJ, there was some brief discussion about a TAFE course, but they simply noted that A-One was not doing it. They stressed to A-One that he share his employment goals with his Disability Employment Services (DES) provider.  They gave A-One a glossy package containing a pen, a notebook, and a copy of his signed 'plan' which stated his employment goal which, as he said, is already on his resume anyway. I came away with the feeling that they could tick off another box in 'assisting' people; it seemed more like a bureaucratic overhead.

Our discussion on the way home seemed to provide more insight that I thought such an interview might have drawn out.

A-One: I don't  mind doing study that is hands on, like making sure that everything is connected properly, but I'd struggle if I had to do assignments that required writing.  Even games testing would be good, but I'd have difficulty writing reports of the tests.  There are problems with WOW, but I don't know if the WOW developers would think they are problems.

Mum: There's a website where you can submit problems with WOW - perhaps you could start small by practising reporting bugs there?

A-One: You see, in WOW my character is at level 90 and I've been trying to get a recipe for food for health - you can restore the health of your character with food.  It's at level 60, which should be really easy for me, but I've been trying for years to get it and still haven't - that's very frustrating. You see I like to collect full sets of things, and ...

... and so on for the rest of our trip home.

Easter holidays

As Easter approached, we told A-One about our plans for family camping, as we often do at Easter.  A-One was not enthusiastic.

A-One: Do I have to go?

Mum: Yes. We can't leave you here for 6 days on your own.  You can't even drive to the supermarket for food.

A-One: Will there be anyone else there?

Mum: Yes.  Some of your cousins will be there.

He likes the company of his cousins but he came along grudgingly nevertheless, leaving his packing until late as usual.  He has two tents of his own, but he elected to sleep in the second room of our two-room family tent because there was less setup.

We are used to his 'help' at setting up camp. It involves a lot of looking on his part, and a lot of doing on ours.

Regardless, we enjoyed ourselves, and tried to allocate washing/wiping up to A-One only when timing wasn't important.

Once A-One's cousins had left he kept asking if we could leave a day early. We didn't. However, when it came to packing up, his level of helpfulness was a notch up on his usual standard.

More remarkable was his ready willingness to come with us the next weekend to stay in a high rise apartment down the coast.  No protests about going.  I told him there'd be free internet (enough for emails, but probably not enough for games), but he decided not to take his laptop! When we arrived, he wanted photos of him with other well known high rises in the background, and was keen to go for a walk to check out the surrounds.  This level of enthusiasm is rare.

We ate in the mall on Saturday night, watching the passing crowds, many of whom were dressed up for clubbing.

A-One: There's a real vibe here and I like it. I think I should have worn something better.  I'd really like to stay out - if only I had some friends to go out with.

Perhaps his new Disability Employment Service can help him gain the skills to be more engaged socially.  However, he will need to decide (and follow through) on how much time he plays WOW.  Today, he told us: 'I've just got a mount that I've been trying to get for ages!!!!  I've killed the boss 46 times - it feels like much more than that - but I've finally got the golden Phoenix!  I'm so happy, I'm just shaking!!!'

Pension cancelled!

A-One forgot to report his (zero) income to Centrelink for a couple of reporting periods, and received a letter advising him that his pension had been cancelled. I was aghast.

 

 

 

Earlier I had coached him to set up an alert on his iPod to remind him to report. When he lost his job and his reporting became zero, he had been managing the reporting OK. Despite my suggestion that he should advise Centrelink he no longer had a job (so that he didn't have to report any more), he hadn't taken me up on assisting him with the phone call. 

 

The letter prompted him to action.  Before he made the call to Centrelink, we practised what he could say. He pulled out the making phone calls 'recipe' I had written out for him some time ago.  He handled the call very well, which resulted in the reactivation of his pension (and no longer needing to report his income.)  Phew!

Real life changes?

So after a good three months actual time brain training (longer in elapsed time), have there been any changes in real life for A-One?

I'm aware that results of non-blind clinical studies can be biased by the 'want it to happen' factor, and that may apply to me too.  That said, here are my observations of some behaviours over the last month that I haven't noticed before:

With his proposed change of Employment Service Provider, A-One needed to go through Centrelink hoops again, one of which was his Employment Service Assessment interview (previously called Job Capability Assessment or JCA).  I attended with him.  I noted how he reported the challenging feedback that he had received from previous jobs i.e. his variable productivity.  I realise that expressing this played to his verbal communication strength, however he articulated it very well. Also, when I was deciding out loud on a route home he suggested one route over an alternative and was able to back up his suggestion with a reasoned argument.  There's more 'connecting' in two-way conversations than when he was little; conversations were always like two games of ping-pong - he'd always say what he wanted to say regardless of whatever we said to him.

Of late, A-One has participated in more family conversations or discussions:

• We were watching the news when he ventured an opinion about a news item.  As far as I can recall, that's a first.  The family continued discussing his opinion, including him.
• 'You're a bit of a nerd' he told his sister amiably one day.  It struck me that he had never made such a comment before.
• One day when I was urging him to do his brain training he said, 'You know Mum, I'm just not into it as you are.'  While he still frequently invokes the 'I'm not doing it' or 'I will do it' (at some deliberately undefined time), this response was a new one.
• 'I play WOW because I enjoy it.' While that may seem obvious, he was responding to his sister's question about why he spends so much time at it.  I think the difference was that his tone was less defensive than other times, instead merely a statement about his position.

Or perhaps he is simply growing in confidence and maturity ...

Working Memory

I can hardly believe it's been over a month since I blogged about my son A-One's brain training. He has continued doing some, but it hasn't been daily, more like every 4 or 5 days.  His overall score has moved up 5 percentiles during that time:

• His Speed is now 72nd percentile, with over half of the games having included information processing
• He cracked 50th percentile for Memory, although only a couple included working memory exercises
• He moved up 5 percentiles in Attention, but slipped back a couple of percentiles over the last few games played
• He has moved up almost 12 percentiles in Flexibility
• Problem Solving stays doggedly around 8-9th percentile, although he has been served up very few problem solving games over the last month

Once A-One had cracked the 50th percentile for Memory, I wanted to include additional working memory games e.g. Dual NBack download because it is a well-known clinically proven peer reviewed exercise for working memory, and is also free.  Roughly speaking, working memory is where you do (manipulate) things in your head e.g. reciting a known telephone number backwards.  A-One has an impairment in this area, and it's a pretty key one for learning.

I chose the downloadable version (there is an online version at Dual NBack online) so that any lack of access to internet would not be an issue.  Although he also does a version of that game in his Lumosity training, he doesn't get working memory games every time he plays, and I'd like to intensify his training in this area.  Cogmed is also a commercially available peer reviewed program for working memory which I had originally thought I'd book him in for, but I wanted to gauge his commitment level before committing funds.

The downloadable version does not have as simple look and feel as the online version, however it is more configurable, and can be set to start more simply than the online version.  Basically, the player has to remember two things (dual) and hit nominated keys when there have been matches from N times ago.  To get him started, I initially set it up for A-One to remember only the previous try (1 Back) instead of the default which is two tries ago (2 Back).  I tried it myself first so that I could explain how to play (for me, the explanation with the game took a few reads through).  He downloaded it happily enough (around 20 March), clearly indicating that he didn't need my help downloading it.

However, when it came to playing it:

A-One: This game is too hard - you have to remember two things.

Mum: Yes, it's difficult at first, but once you get used to it, you'll get the hang of it.

A-One: I'm not doing it.

And he hasn't since ...

Time to take a break? or Change?

Synch'ing my blogging with A-One's brain training is becoming a bit hit and miss.  Last night he did his training both before and after midnight, so his chart at the website shows some games for yesterday and one for today. I don't know whether that will allow him to include any more today in his recorded scores.

He's definitely hitting a plateau.  He wasn't pleased with his Speed score (information processing) which has dropped slightly over the last couple of days. He was showing me the game last night and, as he's done before, kept stopping and restarting the game when he made mistakes.  Perhaps he was distracted showing it to me, but if stopping and restarting means he gets more training repetitions in, then I'm fine with that. No memory game was served up.

He has had steep rises in improvement before. They seem to be after a break, so perhaps he needs a breathing spell. 

Alternatively, he might reset his training priorities so that he is served up more games on Attention, Flexibility and Problem Solving, rather than Speed and Memory where he's already at quite a reasonable percentile.

I'll put it to him ...

Coping with a change in disability employment service provider

Even though it was Sunday yesterday, A-One did his Lumosity training.  He had been reminded by his father, and didn't protest that it was the weekend.  However, he hasn't yet done his training today.

He's still plateau'ing in his scores, so no change much yesterday.  No information processing or working memory games, but he gained another PB again for the cafe game (familiar faces). He's really strong on that one.

 

This morning we attended an appointment with a new disability employment service (DES) provider, specialising in intellectual and learning disability, the only one in Queensland.  We have the usual hoops to go through, as we did a couple of years ago, including a Job Capability Assessment (JCA) at Centrelink next Monday. 

 

While his previous DES provider was good too, I was keen to try this new one due to their specialty. This one had been recommended to me by someone at the workshop I attended at University of Queensland last year.

 

A-One: Do you think the other DES people will think badly of me for changing? I don't want them to think badly of me because they were OK.  Sometimes they'd give me a lift to the bus stop, or even drive me home.

Mum: I expect they may be disappointed in losing a client, and I don't want to leave on bad terms either.  We'll give them a courtesy call to thank them for all their help, and tell them that this new service specialises in disabilities like yours, so we'd like to try it.

I'm glad that A-One is tuning into interpersonal aspects. I've seen him make similar comments when contemplating changing guilds in WOW too.

60th percentile for Speed!

A-One finally got to his Friday game before he went to bed Saturday morning - when? Don't know.  He's had the same pair of pyjama pants on night and day for the last week.

The exciting news is that he's hit 60th percentile for Speed, and is almost cracking 50th percentile for Memory. He was served an information processing game, but no working memory.  Nevertheless, he gained another PB for the cafe game for remembering names, faces and orders. I suggested to him that once he's hit 50th percentile for Memory, he might adjust his training priorities so that he gets more intensive work on Attention and Flexibility.  He didn't protest, so we'll see once he hits the mark.

Also, through SharpBrains again, I saw a reference to a paper published in Nature, by two professors advocating for games developers and neuroscientists to collaborate to produce digital games that train the brain.  Yeh! When you think that children's game play is how they learn and grow, why not digital games too?  One of the scientists spoke at a TED talk last November.

ESCoNS Cognitive Neurotherapeutics - a new field of gaming

A-One seems to have reached a plateau in his Lumosity brain training over the last couple of days, sitting at overall percentile of  31.9.  His games have included information processing and working memory on most of the last three days with several PBs on Wednesday.  However, yesterday (Thursday) he achieved a PB for Penguin Pursuit! This is the speed game where he complains that the penguin is cheating because it goes faster than he can. Nevertheless he completed level 15 of the game, and commented that he hasn't cracked level 16 yet.

Through SharpBrains I was alerted to an exciting symposium happening at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles this month. It's the second annual conference and meeting of The Entertainment Software and Cognitive Neurotherapeutics Society.  The press release states that it fosters collaboration to advance development of video game therapy to diagnose and combat mental disorders and improve cognitive learning, brain capacity and function. 

The society seems to have developed the whole new and exciting field of “cognitive neurotherapeutics.” What got me really excited was that the founder of the society is a past Executive of Activision Blizzard which publishes World of Warcraft!  So that means that there are others who recognise the potential of combining the disciplines of good game design with neuroscientific brain training!  It makes me feel hopeful about the increasing availability of online brain training exercises.  We just need to ensure that it's clear how to assess which games address which cognitive dysfunctions.

It takes time to be handsome

With no WiFi at present, A-One has connected his laptop into the last spare cable internet connection in the study.  As I have been working at my laptop too, we have been spending more time in each other's company.  In fact, I spent several days engrossed in some work of my own, and A-One beat me to bed one night! Or more accurately, one morning.  I well understand the draw of some kinds of work, just to see it completed - as A-One finds with campaigns in WOW.  These days I usually avoid activities that hook me in this way because there are many other things that also need my attention.  So for me, I'm glad my work of last week is over and that I've returned to the land of the living.

A-One played his brain training exercises Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. On several days he played in his pyjamas at the eleventh hour, knowing now that if he waits until after midnight, it doesn't count for that day.

• His best score for Speed was on Tuesday, achieving his highest yet, coming in at 56.2nd percentile.  Since then he's been steady at 54.4th percentile, with a slight drop on Friday to 54.1st percentile.

• He has also been steady on Memory at 47.8th percentile with working memory played most days, rising to 48.8th percentile on Friday.

• Very few Attention games were offered this last week, so A-One has been steady there too at 33.4th percentile.

• Of late his program seems to have been exercising mainly his Flexibility, particularly brain shift, which has seen a good improvement last week, rising to 28.2nd percentile. I'm hoping these exercises will help him with his rigidity - in helping formulate options when considering courses of action.

• No change in problem solving (only a couple of games last week), at 9.1st percentile.

• His overall percentile is now 31.2nd percentile - still his highest yet.

A-One and I reviewed his results each day, and if information processing and working memory were not offered, I suggested additional games.  However with my own busy-ness I did not push it, and A-One did not play any additional games last week.

Nevertheless on Friday I felt like celebrating, so on Friday morning I raised the idea of going out for a low key dinner that night.  A-One seemed open to the idea.  I reminded him that he'd need to be ready by 6:30pm so that we could pick up his sister from work on the way.

I was very pleased to see him stop playing WOW at 5pm, with no prompting, to have a shower. At about 5:30pm he came downstairs wrapped in a towel to check with me again about the leaving time.  I told him that he needed to be ready by 6:30pm in case his sister rang for an early pickup, as she sometimes does, but that if she doesn't ring, we'd be leaving at 6:45pm. He then went back upstairs.

At 6:45pm he was still in the bathroom.

Mum: We have to leave now A-One.  Your sister has just called too.

A-One: I'll only be a couple of minutes.

Mum: But we have to leave now - as I told you this morning.  You've had all that notice!

A-One: I won't be long.

At 6:53pm:

Mum: A-One, we have to leave!

A-One: Okay. I'll only be a couple of minutes.

Mum: We have to go!

At 6:55pm, he came out of the bathroom looking very smart - he had shaved and put on nice clothes. I was pleased that he had taken care with his appearance, but I was also very conscious that his (younger) sister was waiting on a city street. At night. On her own.

Mum: I was really looking forward to being able to tell you what a great job you did being ready on time.  You stopped playing WOW at 5 o'clock which was great, but then you were still almost half an hour late!

A-One: If you must know, I was cutting my nails.  I've only done one hand.

(A-One's beard and nails get quite long when he plays WOW for weeks on end.)

Mum: Well, that's great too that you want to spruce up for going out - you look very handsome - but if you need more time to do that, then you need to start earlier.  You might say sorry to your sister for being late.

He didn't say sorry when we picked up his sister, but we did have a lovely meal.  With a little encouragement he tried something new to eat - and he finished it all before the rest of us, saying that's what he'll have every time he comes here!