Other Stragedies Along w/ Meds

I haven’t heard of R+.PACE (Processing and Cognitive Enhancement) has a good track record with ADD. Certain aspects of attention are responsive to training — specifically, sustained attention (ability to stay on task), selective attention (ability to ignore distractions), attention to detail (e.g., ability to recall detail from a flashed picture), and divided attention (also known as working memory, ability to hold multiple pieces of information in mind while performing a task). PACE doesn’t do much for impulsivity or hyperactivity, though (which is where meds usually come in).PACE website is http://www.mentalskills.com.The program takes 12 weeks, with 3 hours of one-on-one tutoring and about double that much homework. Parents can get trained in the program. It usually costs in the neighborhood of $2,400 through an outside provider.PACE is not behavior management, but usually there is improvement in behavior when gains are made in cognitive skills. PACE is a program that cross-trains multiple cognitive skills.Mary: I have a 7-year-old diagnosed w/ ADD. He is currently taking Ritalin
: but we are wondering what other things should we be doing with him
: for cognitive behavior management besides medicating him. He can’t
: be medicated round the clock. His psychologist suggested something
: called an R+ program—anyone heard of this or something else we
: can implement for him? Thank you for your help.: Andrea

Mary, my son has ADD and processing difficulties. Would PACE help with processing speed? Currently he is allowed extra time to answer questions both written and verbal and the teachers are supposed to use his visual strengths to enhance classroom discussions. He is 11 years old and in the 6th grade.Thanks for your help.: I haven’t heard of R+.: PACE (Processing and Cognitive Enhancement) has a good track record
: with ADD. Certain aspects of attention are responsive to training
: — specifically, sustained attention (ability to stay on task),
: selective attention (ability to ignore distractions), attention to
: detail (e.g., ability to recall detail from a flashed picture),
: and divided attention (also known as working memory, ability to
: hold multiple pieces of information in mind while performing a
: task). PACE doesn’t do much for impulsivity or hyperactivity,
: though (which is where meds usually come in).: PACE website is http://www.mentalskills.com.: The program takes 12 weeks, with 3 hours of one-on-one tutoring and
: about double that much homework. Parents can get trained in the
: program. It usually costs in the neighborhood of $2,400 through an
: outside provider.: PACE is not behavior management, but usually there is improvement in
: behavior when gains are made in cognitive skills. PACE is a
: program that cross-trains multiple cognitive skills.: Mar

Yes, PACE does work on processing speed. A metronome is used in most of the exercises to develop rhythm and, as soon as accuracy is achieved, develop processing speed.Have you done a CAPD eval with an audiologist?Mary: Mary, my son has ADD and processing difficulties. Would PACE help
: with processing speed? Currently he is allowed extra time to
: answer questions both written and verbal and the teachers are
: supposed to use his visual strengths to enhance classroom
: discussions. He is 11 years old and in the 6th grade.Thanks for
: your help.

He had an eval. done with a speech pathologist a week after being diagnosed ADD. This was in the 1st grade and he was found to have CAPD. In subsequent school testing (the first was at a military hospital)2nd grade it was not tested as being significant to his learning difficulties but in 4th grade it was significant in addition to his ADD so was qualiied for sped under OHI. This year at a DODDS school (6th grade) he had to requalify under their standards (he did) but they were not specific as to which processing just that his speed was slow. He has a checkup comimg up I plan to ask about an audiological eval through the military hospital. Most of what I have read about classroom measures to lessen the impact are similar to those for ADD. However I am thinking maybe the PACE might help with his test taking. He is middle average but scores in single digits on standardized tests and has to retake most classroom tests. Actually he almost passed the VA SOL tests with sped help. I was pleased with his progress since his previous standardized test scores had been so dismal. Thanks for the info.: Yes, PACE does work on processing speed. A metronome is used in most
: of the exercises to develop rhythm and, as soon as accuracy is
: achieved, develop processing speed.: Have you done a CAPD eval with an audiologist?: Mary

If you can, get the CAPD eval before PACE. If your son has the kind of auditory problem that responds to sound therapy, you would want to do that before PACE. It would give a better sensory/motor foundation for the kind of cognitive training that PACE does.Most audiologists do not have the training necessary for a good CAPD eval. If you can’t get an audiologist who specializes in CAPD, I’d just go ahead and do PACE. If you haven’t been there yet, check out http://pages.cthome.net/cbristol/ which has lots of information and a search engine that locates CAPD specialists by geographic area.Mary: He had an eval. done with a speech pathologist a week after being
: diagnosed ADD. This was in the 1st grade and he was found to have
: CAPD. In subsequent school testing (the first was at a military
: hospital)2nd grade it was not tested as being significant to his
: learning difficulties but in 4th grade it was significant in
: addition to his ADD so was qualiied for sped under OHI. This year
: at a DODDS school (6th grade) he had to requalify under their
: standards (he did) but they were not specific as to which
: processing just that his speed was slow. He has a checkup comimg
: up I plan to ask about an audiological eval through the military
: hospital. Most of what I have read about classroom measures to
: lessen the impact are similar to those for ADD. However I am
: thinking maybe the PACE might help with his test taking. He is
: middle average but scores in single digits on standardized tests
: and has to retake most classroom tests. Actually he almost passed
: the VA SOL tests with sped help. I was pleased with his progress
: since his previous standardized test scores had been so dismal.
: Thanks for the info.

: If you can, get the CAPD eval before PACE. If your son has the kind
: of auditory problem that responds to sound therapy, you would want
: to do that before PACE. It would give a better sensory/motor
: foundation for the kind of cognitive training that PACE does.: Most audiologists do not have the training necessary for a good CAPD
: eval. If you can’t get an audiologist who specializes in CAPD, I’d
: just go ahead and do PACE. If you haven’t been there yet, check
: out http://pages.cthome.net/cbristol/ which has lots of
: information and a search engine that locates CAPD specialists by
: geographic area.: MaryMary, thanks for the info, I am kind of stuck as far as audiologists since we are in a military community in Germany. Have to use the resources available to me. However I have had good results from our docs in uniform they’ve been very supportive and knowledgeable. I’ll keep y’all updated.Thanks again.