What’s the difference between brain training and play therapy? You’ve probably hear of both “brain training” and “play therapy,” but you may not fully understand the difference between the two. Both can be incredibly beneficial to children, but they’re actually very different. Play therapy Similar to counseling for adults, play therapy helps children 3 to 12 process their emotions and/or express any problems to parents or trained mental health professionals. Sometimes, trained therapists can gain insights into a child’s issues simply by observing the child playing. In some cases, play therapy can help children learn to redirect inappropriate or unhealthy behaviors or learn new ways to cope. There are a variety of trained professionals who practice play therapy, including occupational and physical therapists, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists and behavioral therapists. Some instances in which play therapy can be beneficial to the child and/or helpful to the parent or therapist observing: • problems in school • learning disabilities • developmental delays • anxiety/depression • grief • trauma/neglect/abuse • chronic illness or upcoming medical procedure • aggression/anger • eating or toileting disorders • ADHD • ASD 1-on-1 brain training Personal brain training is designed to improve weak cognitive skills to enhance learning abilities. It’s particularly helpful for children who struggle with reading comprehension or in multiple classes at school. Sometimes parents simply notice that their child needs to work harder or longer than their peers to achieve good grades. Other times, the child has received tutoring in subjects but continues to struggle month after month. So, why does brain training work? f a child isn’t grasping information the first time it’s presented, presenting that content over and over might eventually get a kid through an assignment or class, but it’s not addressing the root cause of the problem: weak cognitive skills. In other words, if a child isn’t grasping information because a cognitive skill—such as attention, auditory processing (the skill that allows the brain to analyze, blend, and segment sounds), logic, memory, or processing speed—is weak, why reteach the material over and over when instead, you can uncover the root cause of the problem and successfully strengthen that weak skill? At LearningRx, all our 1-on-1 brain training programs start with a one-hour Brain Skills Assessment that helps determine the root of the problems. If the test shows one or more weak cognitive skills, we can help design a plan that will target and strengthen those skills. With strong brain skills, learning is easier (and faster) no matter what the subject! To learn more or to set up your Brain Skills Assessment, visit www.learningrx.com.