Testimonials

“My son has experienced dramatic results from working with BrainTrain’s software. We had tried many other methods and spent a tremendous amount of money trying to help our child. Finally, he achieved great results from these programs. As a parent of a child with special needs, I tried desperately to find anything that would help. Once you start seeing results with this program, it just gets better and better. You can see your child make the “connections” and his new abilities will be noticed by everyone in your child’s life. My son quickly made more social connections, his impulsivity reduced dramatically, mood changed (he is a much happier kid), and he has gained the motivation to do well. His anger has reduced, his ability to think before acting improved, he has clearer thinking and probably more benefits to him than we are aware. The software is fun and engaging and we did not have trouble “keeping up with the program. By using this program you will begin to see the child you knew you had, who was hiding somewhere, just waiting to be found.  Highly recommended.” - A happy parent

“My son has a severe brain injury and has been using BrainTrain software for a few years now.  The BrainTrain computer programs have increased his attention span and short term memory greatly.  I would recommend this software to everyone that wants to improve their brain power, especially if you have a learning disability.” - Mother

“I started using the SmartDriver program in my clinic during March of 2003, because it looked like a fun real world tool for therapy. Most people want to drive a car (both children and adults). They both need some fun in the therapy setting. Since that time I have successfully guided many children and adult patients through the developmental levels of the program, and it has taught me the importance of combining attention and motor skills in therapy tasks. SmartDriver does all the work, and I’m just a ‘loud’ backseat driver. Most of my patients love it so much that I can use it as a motivational and reinforcement tool as well as a therapy tool. When I told a little language impaired girl that she must be patient on SmartDriver, she went and told her mother that she should be a patient driver while bringing her to speech-language therapy.” - Arnell A. Brady, CCC-SLP/L Chicago, IL

“I have used the Captain’s Log System to train individual’s showing a marked split between the WISC-IV VIQ and PIQ in favor of the VIQ.  In four cases, the PIQ increased by approximately 20 points from the Average range to the Superior range of functioning.” - Irna Wolf, Ph.D. Phoenix, AZ

“The young man had been a community college student who was bright but did not have the concentration and focus to get the grades that he wanted to achieve. After finishing college, he had applied to medical school. His MCat scores were not adequate to enter medical school in the US. He applied to numerous medical school programs outside of the country and was admitted into a foreign medical school. In the middle of his first year of medical school, he came to us, as he was not getting passing grades, and the school was suggesting that maybe being a doctor wasn’t the best idea. We did an assessment and diagnosed him as ADHD combined type; he also had specific problems with auditory processing. We introduced him to the Captain’s Log and neurofeedback. He did neurofeedback and Captain’s Log for six sessions over a period of two weeks. Then he promised to use the Captain’s Log program on his own 30 minutes per day for 6 months. After 2 months, he reported back to us that he was now getting between 88 and 92 on his tests in medical school. His teachers didn’t think that it was really his work, and they didn’t believe that he could really change his performance in such a significant manner. We had to write a letter to the medical school to document the cognitive training. He finished his promised 6 months of Captain’s Log training, has continued to average between 88 and 94 on all of his medical school exams, and is very happy.” - Michael Mark, Psy.D. Psychological Fitness Centers, Los Angeles, CA.

Dear BrainTrain, I’ve been using your “Mental Power Gym” in our Sparks of Genius Program for several years now and would like to share something with your readers. This versatile combination of software programs increases learning achievements in our students, who typically range in age from 6-16. Of course, as great as this “high-tech” software is, we all know the “high touch” part to helping these children is very important. But frankly, I don’t know where these children would be without what I fondly call MPG. It fits perfectly into our Learning Coach model. We measure success two ways: transfer of computerized cognitive training to the “real world” and sustainability of training. We find that MPG performance does indeed move from the computer to the real world of school, home, friends, athletic and creative accomplishments. And it lasts, at least it has lasted for a year or two since our students successfully completed training. Because our students also strengthen organizational skills, personal responsibility, and self-esteem, I believe in most cases their progress will continue to last for many, many years. - Dr. Rohn Kessler, President Thinking Pays, Inc., Boca Raton, FL

“My greatest joy has come from experiencing the success high school seniors with ADHD have shared with me. They worked with the Captain’s Log diligently for 4-6 months before college. Out of 8 I have worked with, 7 have later informed me that they were able to attain a grade point average of B or better within their first year of college.” - Dr. M. James Grosenbach Lapeer, MI

“My pediatric clients have made significant gains in a short period of time while having fun with the computer games. The visual and verbal feedback combined with the display of score achieved after each task motivates them to take on greater challenges.” - Jennifer Fleming, OTR/L, BCP ABC Pediatric Therapy Miami Shores, FL

“During the 2003-2004 school year, we had 30 students complete the Captain’s Log Cognitive Training program…23 of them showed a decline of at least 1/2 standard deviation on the attention problems scale of the Conners’ Rating Scale…The academic performance of these students has shown evidence of improvement as well. We have found that the Captain’s Log program is easy to implement in our schools and that most students enjoy participating in the program.” - Kathryn A. Gewont, Ed.S., School Psychologist Lake Region Special Education, Devils Lake, ND

“Both adults and children who have used the Captain’s Log in our district are very impressed with the format and design of the program and find that it is easy to use. That is definitely a bonus for New York State teachers, where so much is demanded. The children have worked hard to be successful and feel very challenged by the activities. Anything that motivates our children is golden.” - Patricia Markus, M.Ed. Special Education Consultant Rochester City School District, Rochester, NY

“My child first started seeing Dr. S about 2 years ago when he was first diagnosed with ADHD. We discontinued because he was doing well in the second grade. Then within three weeks of starting the third grade, his third grade teacher approached his second grade teacher and us, and asked why he was passed to the third grade, because there was no way he could pass it. On his first 9-weeks report card, he made mostly Cs, Ds, and Fs, and in his parent teacher conference, the teacher said his behavior was unsatisfactory. About this time, we started working with him on the BrainTrain software – Captain’s Log, SoundSmart, and SmartDriver – every night for 30 minutes. On his second 9-weeks report card, he made almost all As and Bs, plus he won an award for excellent conduct. The teacher couldn’t believe it! When Dr. S first spoke with my wife and me about the software, I didn’t feel that computer games would help my son in any way whatsoever. He already had a lot of video games at home. My wife insisted, so I agreed to give it a try. I would recommend these programs for the educational needs of any child. The important thing is to be sure the child works every day consistently and to be there for him.” - Roger, a parent

“After using the Captain’s Log program, my husband has returned to his job and is doing quite well. The Captain’s Log program was worth the money to help him recover from his TBI.” - Spouse of TBI Individual

“My son, Robert, was originally diagnosed as mildly autistic by a developmental pediatrician at Children’s Hospital. When my son was 4 years old, Dr. Sandford developed a treatment program using SoundSmart, Captain’s Log and SmartDriver. He met with Robert weekly and I tried the techniques at home on a regular basis for about 6 months. Both my husband and I saw a dramatic improvement in behavior. Recently, my son’s school tested his IQ (he is 6 years old now) and his score was 98–Average! My son has been transformed. Working with these computer programs has given Robert better confidence and improved focus on his work. His teachers are very pleased with his progress, and he is now one of the best readers in his kindergarten class. Although my son takes medication, the cognitive training exercises definitely improved his memory and this helped lead to his improvement with reading. Originally, the doctors stated that my son would require special living arrangements as an adult or would need to live with us forever. No one had any idea that cognitive training would help change Robert’s life so miraculously.” - Deborah, a parent

“I’ve been practicing BrainTrain’s Mental Power Gym for about six months now and have seen incredible improvements in my memory. I used to have a hard time remembering the conversations that I had earlier in the day, but now I can recall them weeks later. Also, my grades in school have improved by at least a full grade letter. ” “Socially Improved” (ADHD High School Student) “My daughter is a sophomore in high school who just brought home the best report card we have seen in a long time. She has spent over forty hours diligently working with BrainTrain’s Mental Power Gym System this year, and we are seeing very positive results in many areas. Her grades steadily improved as she became able to tune out things which distracted her in the past. She is much more focused on her studies and completes them more accurately and thoroughly in shorter periods of time. She seems to remember more information for longer periods, does not procrastinate the way she used to, and does not get frustrated as easily. She is more relaxed and is enjoying school, despite the difficult course load this year. She has a newfound confidence and pride which has helped her social life blossom. I would highly recommend BrainTrain’s Mental Power Gym System to parents who are searching for a way to help their children achieve greater success in school, socially, and in their future. The more effort the child puts into working with the system, the greater their success will be.” - Jean S., A Very Proud Mother

“I have been using the BrainTrain cognitive rehab software for about 4 months and have seen significant impact in all my clients engaged in the therapy.  Not only are the IVA+Plus reports helpful in determining what specific cognitive areas need therapy; the Captain’s Log, Sound Smart and Smart Driver software provide an extremely accurate and targeted approach to their cognitive training. Most of my clients are students in school K-12, however one of my clients is a 91 year old gentleman who has been diagnosed with ADHD and wants to improve his visual attentional focus and attention so that he can learn to read at above his current 2nd grade reading level. He will begin his program in January.  I’m anxious to watch his progression. My objective is to help my clients improve functionality. All have noticed marked difference in their ability to stay focused and comprehend academic materials.  Clients dealing with impulsivity issues are noticing more self control as it relates to social behaviors: in the classroom, with classmates and in the home.” - Lonnie Heckinger, Director/Owner Advantage Learning Solutions Vancouver, WA

“I love helping others who have learning issues (ADHD and dyslexia) improve their performance. IVA+Plus, Captain’s Log, SoundSmart, and SmartDriver help me and my clients. Here are some of the successes I have had: “A high school student diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia used Captain’s Log through 4 years of high school. He maintained a 4.0 GPA, was a National Merit Scholarship finalist, and scored a 35 on his ACT!! “A 49-year old law student diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia was failing law school. Braintrain’s software and Optiminds brain building programs helped her graduate from law school! “An 11-year-old Downs Syndrome student, with the help of Braintrain’s software and Optiminds, is now able to sit and focus! When he first came he could not read; he is now reading phonetically at a second grade level! “BrainTrain saves my life everyday!” - Jane H. Stewart, Ph.D. Optiminds Royal Oak, MI http://www.optimindsct.com

“SoundSmart really helped my son who is now at the high end of the autism spectrum…SoundSmart directly addressed and strengthened many core cognitive skills including memory, following directions, multi-sensory processing and overall improved ability in processing spoken language. My son loved the bingo format and especially liked the funny distracting noises that played during some of the games — which strengthened his ability to concentrate even when distracted. The pictures slowly revealing themselves behind the bingo pieces provided additional stimulation through closure (the brain having to fill in the missing pieces of the picture). He always liked winning the “virtual” money for each game he completed. My son’s auditory processing has greatly improved thanks to SoundSmart. Thank you for writing such a wonderful program.” - Sue, Parent

“We have pre-tested and post-tested the efficacy of SoundSmart. It has proved to be an extremely effective intervention for improving auditory processing.” Stafford Calvin, President, Calvin Academy Mounds View, MN “My adult patients really like SoundSmart and get very engaged with it.” - Dennis Shoemaker, Ph.D., Psychologist Wernersville State Hospital Wernersville, PA

“I have gone through many levels of SmartDriver and have found it to be well thought out and very enjoyable. I often recommend it for home use, since the kids love it, and it is easy to get them to use it consistently. Parents are crediting the program for the significant academic improvements they are seeing in their children.” - George Fincher, Ed.D. Nationally Certified School Psychologist Chattanooga, TN

“I’m a mother of a child with ADHD and Aspergers. I also teach to students with learning disabilities. Our school, Incredible Horizons, utilizes BrainTrain’s software and we’ve had such great success developing cognitive skills in our students, not to mention my son!” - Roni Stockdale Parent and Teacher Melbourne, FL

“After many years of working with Brain Injury, ADD, LD, Aphasia, etc., I am pleased to see an in-depth, systematic, programmed method for approaching these populations. Thank You!” - Jill Joyce, Ph.D. Memory Loss Prevention & Recovery Margate, FL

“Dear Colleague: For the past six months here at Shasta College we have been using the Captain’s Log Cognitive Training Software System as the key component of our training program for brain injured students. Because of your interest in this field, I want to take the opportunity to share with you our excitement over the great success our students are realizing from participating in this program. This group of students includes a wide range of disabilities, from severely disabled (motor function, memory, reasoning, attention, etc., being greatly impaired) to learning disabled (with only mild impairment in one or two areas). Some of them are many years post-injury. We are seeing students from every level benefit from using Captain’s Log. When starting the program, each student is carefully evaluated, both by use of a worksheet that evaluates abilities and disabilities and through specific testing. An individual treatment plan is then made for each student to follow. This plan may involve many different things, but its main component is Captain’s Log. In just a short period of time (in some cases as little as nine weeks) we are seeing great improvement in these students’ abilities in memory, in reading and in all the other basic cognitive areas covered by Captain’s Log.Most exciting of all, we are seeing these skills generalize into daily living and improve the students’ quality of life! The individuals showing the most improvement and the biggest generalization are those who spent a minimum of one hour, three times a week working with Captain’s Log. It seems to be very important that they start at an appropriate level in each category and carefully follow their individual plan. The plan is set up to slowly increase the difficulty in each area as the student demonstrates increased proficiency by achieving at least ninety percent correct with each level of parameter settings. We highly recommend Captain’s Log for your consideration. We are excitedly looking forward to the things that are still to come for our students as they continue to use this program.” Sincerely, Bobby Roberts High Tech Center Shasta College Redding, CA 96003

“When I first brought my son to see Dr. Sandford , he was struggling with his school performance and he didn’t like to go to school. He would often space out and get off task. He was fidgety, easily bored and frequently needed redirection. After using the Captain’s Log program, my son has improved his grades and his ability to get his schoolwork done quickly. We worked at home with the Captain’s Log program and my son really loved the programs. He no longer shows signs of hyperactivity. And, most important, he no longer battles me about getting his homework done. he is able to get his work done much quicker. Recently, my son told me he had a surprise for me – He made the Honor Roll! Overall, he is a much happier kid. I would highly recommend the Captain’s Log software to other parents whose kids are struggling with academic performance and have ADHD.” - A Proud Mother

“Two of three veterans who were issued the ‘free-to-veterans’ Captain’s Log program have reported good response in the areas of attention, concentration and memory functions expressing gratitude for the program.” - Valerie Tallman VAMC Marion, IL

“BrainTrain is for the skeptical! Once you are exposed to the science of neurofeedback and brain training, you will learn how to live in the ‘Now’ and learn how to tap into your subconscious mind which is ‘the zone’!!” - Felicia Campbell Gastonia, NC

“The EEG feedback software is by far the best I’ve seen and easiest to use. The nearly infinite combinations of training levels and types allows for applications from post stroke rehabilitation to facilitating peak performance in executives and athletes. Bravo, Dr. Sandford.” - Gregory Nicosia, Ph.D. President-elect, Assoc. of Comprehensive Energy Psych. Pittsburg, PA

“I just wanted to let you know how impressed I am with the SmartMind2 software. Well done! I think I need to start a revolution here in Australia and get all clinicians to use your software!” - Trix Harvey Woronora, NSW Australia

About the IVA+Plus… “I am writing this letter of appreciation and commendation for the fine work that you are doing at BrainTrain. I have been using the IVA+Plus Continuous Performance Test for a number of years in my clinical practice. It is a superb evaluation tool and has performed year after year without flaw or failure. I have conducted numerous AD/HD evaluations over the years. Your test has aided me in the accurate diagnosis and assessment of AD/HD. It is an important part of every evaluation that I perform…The simplicity, ease and timeliness of the IVA+Plus make its use practical and enjoyable in daily use. The fact that it can be purchased with various numbers of test uses makes it an economical tool for daily use in clinical practice. Of significant importance is the excellent customer service that your firm provides. I have had a couple of computer failures and was able to get back on line easily. In thousands of hours of use, I have never had the program itself fail to perform as expected. My equipment has failed several times, but your program has not. Whenever I contact your office, your staff are all ready and willing to assist me. They are skilled in their assistance and have helped me several times. Hats off to a job well done! Thank you for developing your wonderful and effective program. The quality of your products is unsurpassed and your customer support is superb.” - John A. Garlock, Ed.D., Ph.D., LPC, LMFT, LCDC, CEAP Clinical Director The Family Resource Center, Woodlands, TX

“There are many ways to use the IVA+Plus at our office. It is an extremely elegant tool. It has been a special blessing in diagnosing Attention Deficit, Inattentive Type in gifted children and teens. Parents and schools resist such a diagnosis when a teen is getting all A’s in high honors classes. After diagnosing with the IVA+Plus and then treating one such teen, the mother said ‘Thank you for giving me back my son. He smiles and jokes – is happy again’ (He was referred to us for depression, his depression was the result of being mentally exhausted and psychologically frustrated from working so hard to get the A’s that he knew should come easy because of his innate abilities.)” - Linda Brownback, M.A., Licensed Psychologist Brownback, Mason & Associates Allentown, PA

“A solid standardized test that I have found useful in ruling out/in ADHD, types of ADHD; the confirmation helps identify the diagnoses clearly. The ability to talk to parents about a child’s strength’s & weaknesses has helped in seeing their child in a more positive light.” - Paula S. MacIan Norman, OK

“The IVA has been a valuable tool to determine objectively how students’ auditory & visual attention is measured. The in-depth analysis will help us communicate student strengths & weaknesses in a very practical manner.” - Sandra Frost, M.Ed. Grace Evaluation Services Dallas, TX

“My clients are always happy to have an objective assessment of their attention. Physicians particularly are interested in requesting these findings before medicating clients or in seeing if the psychopharmacological agents are effective in pre-post testing. Insurance companies often request notes on post accident trainings and this software has been a helpful, easy way to collect this data.” - Margaret B. Alvarez, MSCP Pomona, NY

“Teachers, parents and clinicians find the nice concrete picture of the data provided by the visual graphs in IVA to be very helpful.” - Jonathan Heeren, Ph.D. Eastern Maine Medical Center Bangor, ME

“The addition of the IVA+Plus to my assessment battery has been invaluable! Finally I have a way to document the presence or absence of impulsivity and inattention using a standardized measure that actually looks at the child or adolescent – not parent and teacher ratings. I have found the tests and reports easy to use and to integrate with my other findings.” - Wendy B. Rice, Psy.D. Tampa, FL

“I have used other CPT’s in the past, but feel that IVA+Plus is far superior due to the information it provides about both visual and auditory processing.” - Susan Y. McClure, Ph.D., L.P. Private Practice, Raleigh, NC

“I find IVA particularly helpful when a parent doesn’t want to believe there is something wrong with his or her child. In those situations where the test clearly demonstrates measurable deficiencies, the parents are able to better understand and deal with their child’s struggle.” - Byron Kocen, M.D. The SHIPS Project, Austin, TX

“I have all three CPT’s: Connor’s, TOVA, and IVA+Plus. IVA+Plus is by far the most effective and simplest to use, plus it combines both auditory and visual tests in one. The data and information are extremely comprehensive and save me endless hours of writing reports. I particularly like the summary score sheet, which helps me to evaluate training rapidly over the course of the treatment.” - Ali Hashemian, Ph.D. Walnut Creek, CA

“Since 1996, I have routinely included the IVA and IVA+Plus programs in most of my assessments of school age children. Within a half hour, I have an objective piece of data to supplement observations, subjective teacher/parent ratings and other assessment tools. The IVA+Plus demands both auditory and visual attending, requiring the child to continuously switch back and forth between the two. Of course, successful attending in the classroom demands ongoing visual-auditory shifting. This program typically supports ratings or raises concern when more overt indicators of inattention (escpecially with girls) are lacking. Thus, the IVA+Plus has also been very effective in helping to distinguish between attending deficits with or without hyperactivity. Last of all, the IVA+Plus has the computer-scoring built into the program. I administer it, get immediate results and can easily cut and paste the scores into my psychological reports. Without question, I highly recommend this assessment tool.” - John Harrison, School Psychologist Midlothian, Virginia

“The IVA+Plus Continuous Performance Test is an excellent source of data and can be used in a number of ways: Demonstrate training progress or lack thereof Justify continuing or terminating neurofeedback training Demonstrate the efficacy of your neurofeedback practice Assist in the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Evaluate clients with learning disorders, cognitive deficits, mild traumatic braining injury and dissociative disorders Determine stimulant medication effectiveness. I believe that the IVA+Plus assessment is very sensitive to changes in attentional functioning achieved through neurofeedback; it provides the critical data you need when measuring progress. It is the most useful and easy to use CPT that I have found.” - John Demos, MA, LCMHC, BCIA-EEG Neurofeeback of Southern Vermont

“It has been 15 years since I first started using the IVA-CPT in both elementary and secondary school settings. The IVA-CPT is easy to use and the manual included on the installation CD gives many possibilities for interpreting the child’s functioning. Also provided are numerous functional constructs which can be further researched as they relate to the child’s work habits and behaviors in the classroom setting. The IVA-CPT is efficient in terms of time, and has been a very nice addition to the rating scales which may be prone to respondent bias, in confirming or disavowing the presence of AD/HD. Having added the IVA-CPT data to my reports, I have found that this allows for medical personnel to make more informed and secure decisions as to whether or not to prescribe medication. Parents too understand the IVA-CPT as one part of the diagnostic process, and are more likely to follow recommendations for treatment. I would certainly recommend use of the IVA-CPT to both school psychologists as well as clinicians in private practice.” - Drew Braytenbah School Psychologist Midlothian, VA

About all of BrainTrain’s Products… “My name is James Ochoa and I’m a licensed counselor in Austin, Texas and the executive director of The Life Empowerment Center (TLEC). At TLEC we create life long strategies for success and BrainTrain software has been one of our most useful strategies since 1996. I began using the IVA CPT for my assessment and diagnosis of ADHD. This software alone has allowed me to gain insight into client attention difficulties at very in-depth levels. The IVA CPT is a regular and necessary part of my evaluations. AT TLEC we also use SmartDriver and Captain’s Log software. The SmartDriver program recently helped a 16 year old client, who had inattentive type attention problems and multiple car wrecks as a result, train her attention to help her drive safer. The software also allowed her parents to have an objective measure to see how she was progressing. The Captain’s Log software has been used effectively by TLEC as well. An older adult client who had severe inattention while attempting to concentrate on boring routine tasks at work, which were critical to his job, used the Captain’s Log to help train his ability to attend much more effectively. In fact, he increased his ability for visual focus over 2.5 standard deviations, as measured by the IVA CPT, with the regular use of Captain’s Log and the use of medication.  Even without medication, his ability to focus was almost 2 standard deviations higher!  TLEC, under my supervision, will continue to use the BrainTrain software as the center continues to expand.” - James Ochoa, LPC The Life Empowerment Center (TLEC) Austin, TX