You may chalk forgetfulness and memory problems up to signs of aging, but they could be something more. Here are ways to recognize the signs of cognitive decline and how you can help slow down the process.
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Neuropsychological Assessments
Assessments are designed to identify cognitive and academic strengths and weaknesses, uncover the root of struggles (beyond diagnosis), guide intervention and provide individualized recommendations. The standard administration of assessments typically involves face-to-face methods. However, the practice of psychology has adapted those methods to simulate standard assessment practices remotely by using screen sharing and webcams throughout testing. Moreover, we are excited to integrate tests specifically designed for the purpose of telehealth/remote administration and have been created to measure various neurocognitive functions.
The team at Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic uses detailed medical, developmental, social, academic, and psychological histories to inform their neuropsychological assessments. This broad battery of tests looks carefully at functioning in the following areas:
- Visual-spatial abilities
- Fine motor skills
- Speed of information processing
- Memory and learning
- Academic abilities (reading, writing, and math)
- Emotional and social functioning
- Cognitive flexibility
- Problem-solving and conceptualization
- Attention
- Executive Functioning
- Planning and organization
As weaknesses surface through the testing process, the team might recommend additional tests to discover the root cause of your challenges, at no additional cost. In addition, the team employs a strength-based model in order to identify what you’re good at. The goal of testing is to help each individual optimize their potential and their well being.
Whether you’re facing a challenge in learning, behavior, emotional regulation, work, or development, or you want to understand yourself at a deeper level, the team at Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic can help; make an appointment today by calling the office at 650-614-0014 or submitting an online inquiry.
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Move and Learn
Sometimes learning isn't meant to be done in a chair all day. We know there are many online programs, but very few involve movement and live one-on-one training. Our Move and Learn program motivates the power of the brain and movement in learning. Your student will build skills in processing speed, mental timing, and self-regulation. Work with our Interactive Metronome trainers and complete a series of exercises and games in the comfort of your own home.
Utilize your strengths in our dynamic program by tying in gross motor movement with cognitive processes. The Move and Learn program builds on the student’s strengths. Students ultimately learn to be in-tune with their bodies and to have more control.
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Reading Interventions
Our reading program is a multi-sensory approach to reading and language. The program focuses on developing foundational skills in reading such as phonological awareness, decoding, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and fluency as well as cognitive skills such as working memory, attention, processing, and sequencing skills. An initial assessment will be administered to help your child get started with the appropriate reading level. By taking the initial assessment, you will then be assigned specific exercises to help you strengthen your skills.
These exercises turn reading into fun games, using interactive graphics (animals, aliens, etc.). These exercises focus on phonics, sound pairs, contrasting sound pairs, and word contrasts (antonyms vs synonyms). The other portion of the reading program, Reading Assistant Plus, gives the student a large library of books to choose from and read online at their tested reading level. This portion allows students to practice pronunciation, vocabulary, and fluency. The benefit of doing the Fast Forward and Reading Assistant Plus programs at the same time, is to allow the student to strengthen their foundational skills while also applying those skills in an interactive environment that provides immediate, real-time feedback. By doing this program through our clinic, you will have access to a cognitive trainer to help run sessions more smoothly, add additional learning modalities onto the program, and motivate and encourage students to succeed.
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Neurofeedback
Neurofeedback, which is also known as EEG (electroencephalogram) biofeedback, harnesses your brain’s capacity to change in order to reshape weaknesses in brain function. Neurofeedback can be used to treat patients who have disorders such as ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), anxiety, depression, ASD (autism spectrum disorder), and brain injuries. Neurofeedback works by reinforcing optimal brain functioning through rewards. For example, when your brain is using the correct neural pathways, you will receive an immediate reward such as the movie you're watching becoming brighter. When your brain deviates from optimal functioning, the reward is taken away. This process of operant conditioning helps retrain the brain and optimize functioning. In response to COVID-19 we are offering different home interventions available for neurofeedback to be done via telehealth communication and video conferencing. With these programs, you will have a clinician-guided home training system with customized protocols and appointments with a cognitive trainer to guide your sessions and review your progress with you. Please contact us for more information
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Vision Sensory Training
This innovative technique heightens and develops neural pathways relating to eye movement, neural timing, balance, motor control, and your awareness of the position and movement of your body in space. Vision training enhances your perception and processing of new visual information. By strengthening your visual system, neurological functions often improve.
Work one-on-one with a vision trainer from the comfort of your home to improve and train eye tracking, eye teaming, depth perception, attention, and cognitive functioning, among many other visual and cognitive skills. Use state-of-the-art software and equipment shipped to you!
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Executive Functioning Skills Coaching Program
Central to our ability to think for ourselves are mental processes that link our past experiences with present actions and enable us to plan and organize our behavior over time. These are called ‘executive functions’ and play a key role in our everyday lives including activities such as:
- keeping track of time on exams or work assignments
- sustaining attention to successfully complete homework or projects.
- taking appropriate actions to respond to different situations
- inhibiting actions that could be inappropriate or counter-productive
- thinking critically and actively while reading or writing
When executive functioning skills lag in your childor yourself, these activities and others are likely sources of frustration. The good news is that with appropriate coaching, your child and/or you can grow and make effective use of your executive functioning skills leading to less stress and more success with daily tasks and situations.
Coaching Program Objectives:
- Develop understanding of executive functions and their role in your capacity to set, to monitor, and to achieve goals.
- Determine your current profile of executive skills and its impact in your day-to-day situations.
- Promote development of your executive skills to function more effectively and work to your full cognitive potential.
- Foster initiative and self-advocacy and help you reduce the negative impact of weaker executive skills and to optimize the use of stronger ones.
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Focus Program
Integrated Listening System, known as ILS, is a comprehensive program designed to help people who struggle with inattention, sensory sensitivities, slow processing speeds, or low comprehension. The sound therapy is delivered through an air and bone conduction headset and directly targets the vestibular system, responsible for balance and coordination as well as sensory modulation and emotional regulation. When combined with body movement and language exercises, our neurons are repetitively stimulated and essentially our brain is being re-trained to become more efficient and effective to improve cognitive performance. Here at Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic, we are proud to offer the ILS program to our clients remotely so that you can work on becoming your best self in the comfort of your own home while using us as a coach for your journey. Please call us at 650-614-0014 to learn more about how ILS can help you.
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Safe & Sound
The Safe and Sound Protocol, known as SSP, is a five-day auditory intervention designed to reduce stress and auditory sensitivity while enhancing social engagement and resilience. Designed by Dr. Stephen Porges, SSP is helpful for people struggling with social and emotional difficulties, auditory sensitivities, anxiety and trauma, and inattention. This non-invasive intervention involves listening to music that has been processed specifically to retune the nervous system (regulating state) to introduce a sense of safety and the ability to socially engage. Upon completion, individuals are better able to focus and experience a calmed emotional and physiological state. With the help of experienced professionals at Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic, let us guide you through the SSP program remotely. Give us a call at 650-614-0014 to learn more.
