Frequently Asked Questions
It's only natural to have questions.
Let's help you with the answers!
What Are Cognitive Skills?
Cognitive skills (also referred to as brain skills or the foundational skills for information processing) are the core skills your brain uses to think, read, learn, remember, reason, and pay attention. Working together, they take incoming information and move it into the bank of knowledge you use every day at school, at university, at work, and in life.
Each of your cognitive skills plays an important part in processing new information. That means if even one of these skills is weak, no matter what kind of information is coming your way, grasping, retaining, or using that information is impacted.
Here’s a brief description of each of your cognitive skills:
Sustained Attention
What it does: Enables you to stay focused and on task for a sustained period of time
Selective Attention
What it does: Enables you to stay focused and on task despite distractions
Divided Attention
What it does: Enables you to remember information while doing two things at once
Long-Term Memory
What it does: Enables you to recall information stored in the past
Working Memory
What it does: Enables you to hang on to information while in the process of using it
Logic & Reasoning
What it does: Enables you to reason, form ideas, and solve problems
Auditory Processing
What it does: Enables you to analyze, blend, and segment sounds
Visual Processing
What it does: Enables you to think in visual images
Processing Speed
What it does: Enables you to perform tasks quickly and accurately, especially when under pressure
Word Attack
What it does: Enables you to apply phonic and structural analysis skills to pronounce unfamiliar printed words(Although Word Attack is not a cognitive skill, we include it in our battery of tests as it is an important reading fluency skill for both children and adults alike.)
What Sets BrainRx Programs Apart?
Results driven. Research based. One-on-One.
BrainRx is both a pioneer and leader in the field of cognitive training:
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BrainRx programs are based on the latest in neurocognitive research.
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We test the cognitive skills of every client before and after training, using the gold standard in cognitive skills testing, The Gibson Test of Cognitive Skills.
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More than 100,000 brains trained (and counting).
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Backed by more than 35+ years of research.
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Centres licensed to offer the BrainRx programs in 46 countries around the world, and growing (even during COVID-19 period).
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More than 100+ published white papers.
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Experts and a leader in the field of applied neuroplasticity.
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Ongoing clinical research on programs and results through independent studies as well as our own active research institute, The Gibson Institute of Cognitive Research, established in April 2014.
Why Is It Important To Test Individual Cognitive Skills?
Each person has a unique cognitive skills profile.
A cognitive skills weakness is internal and specific - and differs from person to person.
One person might be weak in Visual Processing skills and another weak in Long-term Memory, but on the surface both may seem to struggle in a similar way. You must measure each person's individual cognitive skills to identify cognitive strengths and weaknesses, which in turn will confirm the cause of his or her particular learning-, attention or memory problem(s).
The Gibson Test of Cognitive Skills is a non-invasive way of clinically measuring current cognitive brain function, and is therefore the right place to start.
It is also the foundation on which to formulate the right training program not only for struggling students, but also for average and even advanced students looking for further enhancement.
Untested, cognitive weaknesses can remain undetected for years while hindering a person's ability to learn or concentrate or read successfully. Guessing at the cause without testing can lead to frustration and wasted time and money.
Why Should I Strengthen My Child's Cognitive Skills? Should We Not Wait And See What Happens?
Answer these two simple questions:
What will happen if you strengthen your child's learning skills?
What will happen if you don't?
So, one day or day one. You decide.
How Is BrainRx Brain Taining Different From Tutoring?
Tutoring simply attempts to re-teach (academic) material/information what should already have been learned or understood but was not.
Before deciding whether tutoring or cognitive training is what is needed, you should ask: "Why didn't they learn this information the first time (or even the second time) it was presented?".
Unless the answer is obvious - such as missing school/university for a period of time - tutoring will likely be a frustrating, ongoing and expensive choice.
Cognitive Training is radically different. Especially the BrainRx program. We seek solutions with a different question: "How strong is your brain's ability to learn, read, remember or concentrate?"
That is why we start off by pinpointing the WHY behind someone's need for ongoing tutoring, then work on strengthening those weak underlying cognitive skills causing the problem(s).
Once weak cognitive skills are strengthened through brain training - to enable faster, easier learning so that you can catch up and keep up - if needed, tutoring can be considered as a next step to help you catch up on any academic work.
Difference between BrainRx and Tutoring
Who Can benefit From Cognitive Training?
Our clients include:
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struggling students of all ages (from the age of 6 years to 106 years)
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high-performing and gifted students wanting to further enhance their cognitive ability
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children and adults diagnosed with ADHD
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children and adults diagnosed with a learning disability
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children and adults struggling with memory, attention or reading problems
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career adults, from junior to senior executive level, wanting to get ahead
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high school and university level students looking for an edge
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senior adults wanting to stay sharp
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children and adults diagnosed with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)
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children and adults diagnosed with Dyslexia
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children and adults diagnosed with Dyscalculia
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children and adults who had a concussion(s)
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children and adults who regularly take part in any type of contact sport
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victims of stroke or brain injury (*dependent on severity and type of stroke or brain injury)
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recovered chemotherapy patients
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professional and amateur sportsmen/women looking for an edge on the sports field
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sports- and corporate teams wanting to understand and improve their team's cognitive abilities
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anyone interested in understanding and/or improving their cognitive profile
How Is Testing And Training Done?
Both testing and training is clinically researched, one-on-one and non-invasive.
Your cognitive assessment can be completed either in-centre at one of our centres, or online from the comfort of your home or office.
The assessment fee includes a 1-hour feedback consultation, which can be scheduled in-centre or online via Zoom.
Once you sign up for your cognitive development program, your training sessions will be done on a one-on-one basis with your dedicated Cognitive Trainer. With the exception of the BrainLeap Attention Arcade program, for most of our cognitive development programs, you have three options when it come to choosing how you'd like to complete your training sessions - you have the option to complete all your sessions in-centre, all online, or a combination of the two (our hybrid model) where some sessions are completed online and some in-centre.
Your exercise procedures consist of well-researched, intense mental exercises that are also really fun to do. This is because our Cognitive Trainers know exactly how to encourage and challenge clients past their comfort zones and into the thrill of new accomplishments.