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Training Principles

Training Programmes

BlickLabor offers assessment and training to diagnose and rectify specific dysfunctions in auditory and visual processing and in eye movement control. These areas of processing are further sub-divided for the precise analysis of deficiencies. For example, several sub-functions of saccade control are assessed and each has its specific individual training programme. The assessment of auditory and visual processing includes reflexive and voluntary saccade control, binocular stability, subitizing, and the discrimination of volume, pitch, gap-detection and time order.

Most people have specific, not generalized, weaknesses. A training recommendation is only given when an assessment shows a significant deviation from the results of an age-matched control group. Each individual who undergoes assessment has a training programme tailored to his or her particular requirements. Generalised training is not given because it may have adverse effects on processes functioning well.

Each training programme:

• Is Specific to individual requirements. Only the functions that require improvement are trained.
• Evaluates the person’s results and success rates.
• Adapts to the level of the individual; if the task is too difficult it changes to an easier mode. As the person improves, the training becomes more demanding.
• Provides Feedback on the course of training. Every key-press response is stored. Once the device is returned the complete course of training is analysed and a detailed written report (protocol) is sent.

Training Devices

The training programmes developed at BlickLabor are integrated within a hand-held training device that can be used at home for daily practice. These devices are hired for a period of between three to eight weeks, depending on the number of training tasks.

The training devices can be ordered, after the assessment, from BlickZentrum, Freiburg, Germany. BlickZentrum is responsible for all aspects of the device. These include packing, sending, programming, maintenance, downloading and analysing the training data, and, the sending of a final report.

Training Schedules

Regular and frequent practice is the most effective way of bringing about improvement. A short daily training period has greater impact than a longer training period only twice a week. We recommend 5 to 10 minutes daily practice over several weeks to make up diagnosed developmental deficits. The success of the training programme depends on the careful completion of the training recommendations. High compliance Is needed.

Training Protocols

The training schedules are individually organized depending on the specific findings from the diagnosis. The way the training should be conducted is predetermined by the methods used in the corresponding studies. The children do the training at home mostly on their own without much of a supervision by the parents. It is therefore important to know, what exactly has been done during the training period. The training devices store all the data and, when returned to the Blicklabor, a training protocol is elaborated and send to the parents.

The training protocols allow (most of the time) to see, what the children have accomplished and whether or not the training was successful or should be followed by more training sessions.