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.