I've researched how to get around my disability and it says play brain games like cards,puzzles,word search . What is ur take on that. ? And my bf even recommends brain games 2. And he said "still study You won't be tested on the games. The games are just to help get a specific part of your brain working. Your brain is a muscles, just like muscles you need to exercise them for them to work and be strong. Different things stimulate and exercise different parts of your brain." So does it really work?
Yes and no. You are right that specific parts of the brain can be strengthened, however I think the problem with standard "brain-training games" is that after a period your brain has mastered them and the benefits seem to plateau. Its like anything, you have to keep exercise (physical and mental) dynamic and continually increasing in difficulty. I personally tried Lumosity as well as the DS brain training games", and found it great for the first two months but then got bored . I no longer found it difficult, instead finding it a repetitive chore and my "scores" peaked and stayed put. I think there are far better ways to train your brain using that time. Anything involving strategy or prior planning (be it cards games, chess, RPG video games), learning a language, learning a musical instrument, challenging video games, reading. A really excellent (and scientifically proven way of helping your brain) is juggling - I remember reading it acts like meditation and boosts certain areas of the brain. I'd imagine similar games of "skill" would have similar effects (hula hooping, shooting basketballs, bowling) although maybe to a lesser degree. Saying all that I do think Sudoku is great for pattern recognition, although it would be wise to keep increasing the difficulty to give your brain a challenge.
Is that dyscalculia? I don't have much knowledge on that I'm afraid but reading wiki I have struggled with a few of the symptoms (I've struggled reading clocks up until recently and find it hard to mentally subtract numbers). I do have synesthesia so my visualizing of numbers has always been messed up! I'm guessing you would have to target the specific area of the brain that handles numbers. I'm sure there must be software for this out there (these list a few: www.aboutdyscalculia.org and Best Tools - Dyscalculia.org). Now the only reason I said I was against brain training games was I think their benefits to people with already healthy brains (no impairment or underdeveloped areas) are overstated. However if you do have a part of the brain that is needing development they may help with this, so perhaps it is worth a try with your disability. They certainly won't do you any harm! I think Lumosity has a free month trial. You can always try that for a month and cancel if you aren't seeing an improvement?
Even though I absolutely detest repeated reinforcement and repetition, I would suggest it for those that have any type of learning disability. The following is an excerpt from a paper done in two of my classes. I've presented this paper (and the topic) both times and people have found it interesting.
I'm also disabled albeit in a very different way. I have schizoaffective disorder, which is a mixture of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. I think that there is no disability you can't overcome if you have a strong enough will. I used to help out in my previous school with a dyslexic girl. It would take her about half an hour to read a page, but she didn't give up, and she started getting better over time. With my disability i was completely incapacitated just a year ago, but I'm almost completely rehabilitated now.
