YORK, Pa. — As the uncertainty over how parents and teachers will be able to help their students best this year, one thing is certain: A student's focus can be the difference between a passing or failing grade. Staying focused with online learning can be challenging for anyone, but there is hope. A top neurocognitive training technology is being used worldwide to help students improve their attention. It's called Play Attention and even though complex, how it works it pretty simple.
You strap a little monitor on your arm that then receives signals from the brain and records your attention. "It allows you to see your attention in real time and then control the computer games by your mind alone, making your mind become the mouse or joystick, " said Play Attention CEO Peter Freer. He says by doing so, the word attention becomes something children can physically see and then learn how to manipulate.
It all started 26 years ago when the former educator took NASA's tech it was using to train astronauts to stay attentive, and enhanced it with video games to train and shape behavior.
"Our students have significant improvement in attention, behavior, in academic performance, in executive function," Freer said proudly.
He says it's only possible because our brains are made up of what they call neuroplastic, which is not at all like what it sounds. "We're talking about malleable, shapable molds like clay and the brain will rewire," he said.
That's welcome news for any parent who has ever told their child to go upstairs, brush their teeth and get ready for bed, only to come up 20 minutes later to find that they barely got past the first instruction. "We have programs that teach them to start a task, stay with it, and close it within a normal amount of time," said Freer.
The program takes about 40 hours, with many people taking 3-4 months to finish. The company has even now added the iLab, a distance learning platform that allows someone to complete their program from the comfort of their own home.
Play Attention is the only neurocognitive system to have randomized, controlled studies funded by the US Department of Education and performed by a prestigious medical school.
" We know that if we provide the right stimulation and the right technology we get fantastic results," said Freer.
The program is not just for kids. It helps adults as well who struggle with ADHD and other numerous executive functions. For more information or a free consult, click here.