"Fast ForWord" / Brainspark Anyone?

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furrowed
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Joined: 14 Jul 2008
Gender: Male
Posts: 3

15 Feb 2010, 1:08 pm

Hi guys -

Anyone ever used the FastForWord (or it's online, at home companion Brainspark) before?

I have read some good things about its ability to help expressive and receptive abilties in ASD kids, but wanted to see if anyone had ever used it, either at home or through school. It was not originally designed for ASD kids.

I think there's a version to help kids improve reading skills (not designed for ASD) and one to focus on language, for younger kids.


Thanks everyone!



workingonit
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Joined: 17 Jun 2010
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18 Jun 2010, 1:48 pm

Hi,
My daughter used this program last year. She is High Functioning Autism, but at the time we thought it was an Auditory Processing Disorder. Auditory processing is just a part of it, and I do believe it helped her. Especially the language structure section, where they work on 'before', 'after', 'in between'. She was about to go into grade one and took the Fast Forword Language to Reading v.2. It is supposed to be done without a break, but we had plans to visit relatives, and I actually think the break helped the information to sink in better. Her long term memory skills are better than her short term memory.
We have been debating about doing the another one, Reading level 2 or 3. It is expensive though. There is a cheaper one that you can order online called 'Earobics'. My daughter liked the Fast ForWord better though. She found Earobics discouraging. But then she was only 5 at the time. We used a sticker awards as incentive for doing Fast ForWord and after she put the stickers on a big piece of bristol board we would take turns making up stories about the sticker characters.
Mostly though, I think that the Speech Pathologist she sees twice a week makes the biggest difference.
I realize that you wrote your question a couple years ago, but I hope this helps whoever.