| There is a great deal of evidence from animal | | | | already dire situation. Children with cerebral palsy, |
| experimentation that for instance, rodents who | | | | autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and many |
| are exposed to generally stimulating environments | | | | more, all demonstrate poor working memory |
| such as mazes, etc. experience better brain | | | | function |
| growth than those who are not exposed to such | | | | Fortunately, we can now address many learning |
| environments. These findings have been mirrored | | | | difficulties by giving children appropriate training in |
| in human societies with children who have been | | | | the use of working memory and consequently |
| exposed to impoverished, understimulating | | | | encourage brain plasticity and rewiring. Many |
| environments having smaller, more | | | | researchers have proven this to be true, most |
| underdeveloped brains than children who have | | | | notably the Max Plank Institute for Biological |
| experienced more stimulating environments, who | | | | Cybernetics in Tubingen who have succeeded in |
| in turn have larger, better developed brains with | | | | demonstrating for the first time that the activities |
| more connections between neurons. | | | | of large parts of the brain can be altered in the |
| Now by default, brain injured children, such as | | | | long term. The scientists were able to trace how |
| those suffering from say, cerebral palsy, have | | | | large populations of brain cells in the human |
| smaller, less well developed brains with less | | | | forebrain are able to reorganise and change their |
| connections than their uninjured peers. This is | | | | connections to other brain cells as a consequence |
| because their brain injuries prevent them from | | | | of environmental stimulation. (Current Biology, |
| interacting with and taking advantage of their | | | | March 10th, 2009) |
| developmental environment. However, if we could | | | | What we do at Snowdrop, when we see a child |
| somehow ensure that they did receive enriched | | | | with brain injuries, is to design a set of sensory, |
| environmental stimulation, then we know from | | | | physical and intellectual tasks designed to gradually |
| the previously mentioned studies that there would | | | | strengthen the child's abilities. The tasks are |
| be an excellent chance that their brains would | | | | necessarily repetitive and demand the child's |
| respond to that environment by changing its | | | | attention. This is done for several hours per |
| structure and functioning, ie, by brain cells forming | | | | week, but we do see some huge improvements. |
| new connections. We know that this process or | | | | All we are doing is providing an enriched |
| brain plasticity, known as 'Long Term Potentiation' | | | | environment designed to retrain the brain of the |
| takes place in all of us, so why should children | | | | child with brain injuries, - an environment which will |
| who have suffered brain injury be any different? | | | | encourage the plasticity and the neural rewiring |
| The answer is that of course they aren't! | | | | that we know occurs not only in lower mammals, |
| In the area of learning disabilities, we often need | | | | but in human beings too. |
| to concentrate upon developing working memory. | | | | Research has shown that Snowdrop's approach is |
| Working memory is vital to learning and in young | | | | correct. If we train our brains we stimulate them |
| children, has been demonstrated to predict future | | | | to grow and change. By training the functions we |
| academic success. When working memory is | | | | seek to strengthen in brain injured children, they |
| poor, it makes it difficult for children to recall the | | | | should eventually become more and more capable |
| instructions given by parents or teacher, | | | | in those areas. |
| therefore making tasks difficult if not nearly | | | | Anyone interested in more information on |
| impossible for them to complete. The effect of | | | | Snowdrop's programmes should email |
| this is failure both at school and in daily life, causing | | | | info@snowdrop. |
| lack of motivation, which further compounds an | | | | |