Home-Based Training Discussion

[Guest guest]

Pete,

I have come to similar conclusions to that of Lynn Rutherford regarding using Home Training Units.

Initially, I used the Lexicor NRS-2D units with computers and then purchased a few Lexicor PODs. The PODs were too difficult to manage especially at a distance. I asked representatives of the company to make some minor changes in the software code that were already in the NRS-2D but they would not help to make the changes. Finally, I had the PODs upgraded to NRS-2Ds and used these systems for several years. Even the NRS-2Ds did not offer the ease of file sharing over the internet as does the BrainMaster system. So during this last year, I have sold off four of my NRS-2Ds and I am in the process of changing to BrainMaster units, but I have also been looking to use other units as well.

During the last semester, I have been running a school program pro bono using the BrainMaster hardware and software (one unit) with seven students. I would have the school media person collect the session folders (files) weekly and send them as an e-mail attachment the day before the school would call for student/staff interviews using the Quick Assessment Form (QA), which I would be happy to share with the group if there is interest. The session folders are easy to send via an e-mail attachment. The media person or in the case of a home-trainer the parent would simply select the folder currently used for training and in the same window (Select Trainee/Study Folder) select the Session Librarian and choose to put the file on a 3 1/2 inch floppy disc or send it e-mail if the computer was hooked to the internet. Since, the school unit was not hooked up to the internet, usually 2-4 student session folders could be put on a floppy. The floppy was taken to a computer that was hooked up to the internet and the files were sent via e-mail attachments. Normally we were using 3-4 floppies each week for the seven students. The day before collecting and sending the folders for each student, I would send an e-mail to the media person and request the files I was interested in. Sometimes, I would request two session folders (files) if a student was between programs. Sending program updates were equally as easy. I would create a new folder for the student, go to the Session Librarian, copy the folder (file) to the floppy and then take it to my internet computer and send it to the school as an e-mail attachment for an update. They would then just put the floppy from the e-mail attachment and place in the training computer, go to the floppy drive and double click on each file name and it would automatically place the file into the BrainMaster program ready for use. It may sound a little complex, but it is an easy process and Tom Collora has made it quick and easy to use without a lot computer expertise being needed.

I tried calling at a specified time for each student, but found it best to have the teacher, or teacher's assistanct call me when they were ready. We did have a general time scheduled when they would call and I would be available. I got in the habit of using a cell phone and they could call me any time if they had problems. It has been a very workable program.

Best Regards,

JD Elder

[Guest guest]

Hello:

I am getting ready to start with my first home training individual.

I have a background in doing a lot of home based work in mental

health areas and so it seems like a natural.

I am plan to assess and do training in the home and be present for

the first three sesssions. I am planning then to be in touch by

phone as needed with weekly or biweekly visits to the home.

I am reading the messages of others with interest and am interested

in the discussion.

As in all theraputic ventures the relationship, trust, commitment,

and good working relationship between therapist and client seem

soooo important with areas of potential misunderstanding talked

through as much as possible in the educational period.

Thanks for all of your input!

Dave

> As we get closer to bringing up the BrainTrainer website, I'd like

to see if we can get a discussion going about the topic of home-

based training.

>

> This is open to those of you who are training at home with

yourselves or your families/friends/others.

>

> It is open to professionals who are working with and supporting

trainers at home or even those who are interested in doing so but

not yet comfortable with it.

>

> It's even open to group members who think home-based training is a

bad idea, based on experience or philosophy.

>

> I'm interested in what kind of hardware and software you are

using, what kinds of problems you've worked with, what kinds of

results you've seen and what you've learned about what to do and not

to do.

>

> Pete

[Guest guest]

hello group,

sorry, i was not able to post earlier again. thanks very much for sharing

your experiences with home-training. much has been said already, so i try to

keep it brief:

procedure: after the first interview and a nf-demo for the client, i do an

assessment in the 2nd session, using eduardo rocattis qeeg data switch.

after having evaluated the results and having made a training plan, we try

to find the best training for that particular client within the next 3-5

session. then, the parents and the child get an 75 minutes introduction into

applying the electrodes and using the pocket-neurobics a-1 for their

home-training. so i set up all for training, then i take off all electrodes,

and then the parents start out from the scratch again. we stay in close

e-mail- or phone contact during one week and then meet again to see how

everything went.after that, i usually see the kid once a week for

kinesiology work and get reports about the training at home, problems,

success, etc. trainings are held at least three times a week at home, though

i would prefer them to train daily or 5 days a week or so. after every 10-15

home-training session, we make the same training here and i can watch the

child to notice any changes in behaviour, see how the values are, etc.

if we find that values did change quite a bit and behaviour changed also (or

the opposite, if nothing appeared to have happened at all, which,

unfortunately is also sometimes the case), then we do another full or

partial assessment to see, what also did change on other sites, or to have a

new idea wherelse to train.

initially i did this procedure with all clients. after having encountered

motivational problems with parents who were either ad(h)d themselves or had

major problems to get their (also odd-) children to get to train, i started

suggesting with these kids to do all the trainings in my office - even

though the cost factor was significantly higher then.

at the moment i am using the a-1's as standalone devices for hometraining,

which is quite boring for many of the kids. quite often, reward-systems have

to be built up to keep the motivation going. so, at the moment i am thinking

about renting them out together with bioexplorer and animations. but then,

there is the whole story with computer-problems and the costs for the

parents get higher, too.

what do others experience concerning supervision of home-based trainings and

computer problems at home? hmm, forgot to mention that there are quite some

people around my parts who don't own computers or if they have one it is

quite old....

best

stephan odermatt, switzerland

[Guest guest]

JD Elder

I am interested in the Quick Assessment Form you

mentioned. Would you share it to us?

Jo Sato

-----Original

Message-----

From: J. D. Elder

[mailto:elder@...]

Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2004

8:39 PM

Subject: Home-Based

Training Discussion

Pete,

I have come to similar conclusions to that of Lynn Rutherford regarding using

Home Training Units.

Initially, I used the Lexicor NRS-2D units with computers and then purchased a

few Lexicor PODs. The PODs were too difficult to manage especially at a

distance. I asked representatives of the company to make some minor changes in

the software code that were already in the NRS-2D but they would not help to

make the changes. Finally, I had the PODs upgraded to NRS-2Ds and used these

systems for several years. Even the NRS-2Ds did not offer the ease of file

sharing over the internet as does the BrainMaster system. So during this last

year, I have sold off four of my NRS-2Ds and I am in the process of changing to

BrainMaster units, but I have also been looking to use other units as well.

During the last semester, I have been running a school program pro bono using

the BrainMaster hardware and software (one unit) with seven students. I would

have the school media person collect the session folders (files) weekly and

send them as an e-mail attachment the day before the school would call for

student/staff interviews using the Quick Assessment Form (QA), which I would be

happy to share with the group if there is interest. The session

folders are easy to send via an e-mail attachment. The media person or in the

case of a home-trainer the parent would simply select the folder currently used

for training and in the same window (Select Trainee/Study Folder) select the

Session Librarian and choose to put the file on a 3 1/2 inch floppy disc or

send it e-mail if the computer was hooked to the internet. Since, the school

unit was not hooked up to the internet, usually 2-4 student session folders

could be put on a floppy. The floppy was taken to a computer that was

hooked up to the internet and the files were sent via e-mail attachments.

Normally we were using 3-4 floppies each week for the seven students. The day

before collecting and sending the folders for each student, I would send an

e-mail to the media person and request the files I was interested in.

Sometimes, I would request two session folders (files) if a student was

between programs. Sending program updates were equally as easy. I would

create a new folder for the student, go to the Session Librarian, copy the

folder (file) to the floppy and then take it to my internet computer and send

it to the school as an e-mail attachment for an update. They would then just

put the floppy from the e-mail attachment and place in the training computer,

go to the floppy drive and double click on each file name and it would

automatically place the file into the BrainMaster program ready for use. It may

sound a little complex, but it is an easy process and Tom Collora has made

it quick and easy to use without a lot computer expertise being needed.

I tried calling at a specified time for each student, but found it best to have

the teacher, or teacher's assistanct call me when they were ready. We did have

a general time scheduled when they would call and I would be available. I

got in the habit of using a cell phone and they could call me any time if they

had problems. It has been a very workable program.

Best Regards,

JD Elder