"REWIRING" THE BRAIN
to help solve learning problems
The following testimonials are from students who have completed the PACE and Master the Code training program at Learning Advantage in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Josh, a 17 year old diagnosed with ADD, completed PACE training in March 2010.
A few improvements he reported during enrollment:
Dec. 30: "I have better focus when reading and driving."
Jan. 11: "Sometimes when the teacher asks the class a question now, I'm the only one who gets it right."
Jan. 25: "I was one of the few who completed an English assignment on the day of the Saints game." (He says he didn't always bother to do homework in the past.)
Mar. 1: Josh played in a sports tournament out of town over the weekend, and told me that he had three assignments due on Monday. He turned in two, and worked on the third, but had to turn it in late and lose points. He was proud of his accomplishment, and explained that prior to PACE training he probably would not have turned anything in. "PACE has made me aware of the importance of school and turning in homework."
Josh's biggest improvements were in the three skills that were weakest prior to training: Auditory Analysis, Attention, and Auditory Memory.
Paige
8 years old
Average gain in cognitive skills:
2.81 years
February 2009
"PACE sessions were never a drudgery for her. Jena was able to keep Paige engaged because she is so enthusiastic and the activities were fast paced and physical - which is what an ADHD child needs.
"Paige developed many more skills through PACE training than she did from her previous Sylvan lessons that just addressed reading and math.
"I think Jena Costello has found her calling as a PACE Trainer. She is perfect at what she does. Jena creates just the right environment and teaching methods for a struggling child."
- Paige's grandmother
*****
Meagan
14 yrs old
Average gain in skills:
4.6 years
December 2008
"The greatest change in Meagan is that she has seen she can succeed! This has given her a great boost of confidence in every part of her life.
We are very pleased with what Meagan accomplished through PACE. Money and time well spent!!!"
- Meagan's grandmother
*****
Ryan
11 years old
Average gain in skills:
3.95 years
October 2006:
Recommendation: The clinical psychologist who diagnosed Ryan's learning disability recommended several accommodations for school. One was for the requirement of foreign language to be waived since he did not possess the phonemic awareness skills necessary to succeed in learning a language.
Decision: Ryan didn't want to be seen as different by his peers, and chose to register for Spanish in sixth grade.
Result: Thanks to his PACE training, Ryan made As and Bs in Spanish, with no more effort than his classmates.
- Ryan's mom
Quoted January 2007, during sixth grade (3 months after completing PACE and Master the Code training):
“Mom, I’m reading the whole Deltora Quest series again, and I’m understanding it better. I used to get all the characters mixed up, but now I can see it in my head."
- Ryan
Note: Ryan had read this book series three years before he started PACE and Master the Code.
Sean
18 years old
Average gain in skills:
6.9 years
December 2008:
"Sean reads articles to us out loud, whereas he never even tried to read aloud before. Some teachers have said he seems to have matured tremendously and cares more about his school work. His ACT score in reading went from a 17 to a 24. That speaks for itself."
- Sean's mother
*****
Blair
9 years old
Average gain in skills:
2.66 years
October 2009:
- Blair's father
*****
Joseph
8 years old
Achieved a 5 year improvement
in Auditory Analysis
December 2008:
- A note Joseph wrote to Jena
"As a school social worker, I work with students who struggle in school and their families. When I was searching for a program to help my own child, I researched many programs. We utilized two “academic only” based programs prior to PACE, as well as an after school private tutor. These programs helped with the immediate problems, but we were looking for more. The program provided by Learning Advantage is unique in that it provides cognitive as well as academic training for the student.
"Any student who has the opportunity to experience this program will be better off in any academic setting they pursue."
- Joseph's mother
Follow-up six months after completion of training, June 2009:
"My husband and I continue to be AMAZED at Joseph's vocabulary and his reading and writing skills, because we never thought he'd get this far. Our prayers were definitely answered and our hard work has paid off!! Thank you for PACE!!! I hope your summer is going well and that you continue to help children with the gift of PACE."
- Joseph's mother
*****
Evan
8 years old
Average gain in skills:
4.56 years
August 2006:
- Evan