Brainware Safari

[~Summer~]

We just started using this yesterday for our dd(9) who has high functioning autism. Wow...Brainware Safari (http://www.brainwareforyou.com/) is really hard for her. She has a real hard time following directions so some of the exercises are very difficult. I am hoping as time goes by things get better. Has anyone here used Brainware Safari with your dc? What has your experience been?

[lisabees]

We've been using it for over a week or two. My 13 year old son is using it and yes, it is difficult for him. It would be for me too!

Sit with her during the first few sessions. Explain the process as she's doing it. Also, she will try to avoid the more difficult "games". Don't let her. Try to keep all of the levels as even as possible - apparently, they work in conjunction with each other.

Tell her that it is a really hard program, but she can do it.

Good luck. My ds actually just completed level one on the two games that were really difficult for him. It's a matter of sticking with it - something he usually doesn't do when the going gets tough.

Lisa

[LisaTheresa]

My daughter started using this a few weeks ago and she's doing pretty well with it, but she has had some moments of intense frustration to say the least. To help her, I set the timer for 30 minutes and don't allow her to work on it longer than that. Based on Laurie4B's advise, I try to keep her moving fairly evenly through the levels. I tell her if she is getting frustrated, to only work on that section for 5 more minutes and then to move on to something else.

I know that my son is going to have a lot more trouble using this program than my daughter. Many of the exercises they are introducing, even at the lower levels are things that he struggles with. Hopefully, it will be helpful to him in the end!

Lisa

[Laurie4b]

We just started using this yesterday for our dd(9) who has high functioning autism. Wow...Brainware Safari (http://www.brainwareforyou.com/) is really hard for her. She has a real hard time following directions so some of the exercises are very difficult. I am hoping as time goes by things get better. Has anyone here used Brainware Safari with your dc? What has your experience been?

The program isn't meant to be done by the child in isolation; it works best with a parent who is the coach nearby. So as coach, you'd interpret the directions, cheerlead, decide it would be good to move on to another activity, etc.

Yes, the exercises will be hard--if not at the beginning, at some point. It's working through them that is retraining the brain. Ds made incredible progress, but he also had times of real frustration and complaining. I bribed him. I don't usually do that, but I thought this was worth it. Sometimes I'd offer $1 per level passed; sometimes $1 for 20 min. of work. The folks at Brainware told me that it works best when done 20-30 min per day, 5 days per week, and if you keep the levels pretty close on the various activities. The reason they said for keeping the levels fairly close is that the skills are interwoven, and one task will help with the next.