ADDitude Magazine Publishes New Review of ADHD Tool for Kids & Adults

July 3, 2012 - PRLog -- ADDitude, the premier ADHD magazine for parents, teachers, and other adults, has published an independent product review of the Reading Focus Cards (U.S. Patent 7,565,759), solutions for struggling readers of all ages, in its Summer 2012 issue.  

The customizable Reading Focus Cards, which have visual and tactile features appealing to sensory learners, promote proper left-to-right eye progression, isolate lines of text, and block out more surrounding text than any other tool available.  The result is that they can help individuals to better focus, concentrate, comprehend, and retain what is read.  

These research-based Reading Focus Cards can be especially helpful to children and adults challenged with AD/HD, dyslexia, autism, low vision, stroke recovery, TBIs and other conditions that affect reading ability.  They can also help new readers, encouraging focus and proper word attack skill development.  In addition, the Reading Focus Cards can even promote more focus when used with e-tablets such as iPads, etc. or e-readers such as Kindles, Nooks, etc.  The company recommends a protective film for the tech devices’ screens with this application.

With three different colored filters recommended by a developmental optometric group from which to choose (and included with each tool), the reading aids can also diminish visual stress from white page backgrounds and provide more reading comfort or emphasis for the individual reader as needed.

So that readers will be ready for any printed format, all components needed for two sizes of the tool are included in every Combo Pack.  Model #001 of the Reading Focus Card is best used with regular paperbacks or with large books having two columns of printed text per page.  This model also helps with math work, promoting accuracy in column addition, long division, or other placeholder work.  Model #002 is best used for larger books with longer lines of text, documents, worksheets and spreadsheets for more accurate bookkeeping and accounting work.  

The company’s founder and CEO, Joan Brennan, an experienced educator and inventor of the Reading Focus Cards, says the tools were developed over a period of several years with the first prototype actually having been created during a remedial reading session with a young student.  

Research-Based Reading Tools

A 2007 focus study of the Reading Focus Cards conducted in a St. Louis elementary school found that in the general school population (with no known or diagnosed learning disabilities), approximately 10% of the students using the Reading Focus Cards improved their focus and overall reading experience.  However, in the case of children officially diagnosed with learning disabilities , the study found that more than 90% of these students demonstrated significant improvement in their reading focus and comprehension using the Reading Focus Cards.  The school’s special education resource teacher was impressed with the immediate results achieved for AD/HD-challenged students who used the tool.  In 2011, a second focus study conducted in a Central Missouri high school by an independent reading specialist, showed similar results using standard educational assessment tools and measurements.
   
Non-invasive and inexpensive, the Reading Focus Cards may not work with all readers, but very little is lost when they are very reasonably priced.   The inventor has used the tool successfully with many students, especially with those who sometimes have "forgotten" to take their attention medications before coming to school.  In addition, the Reading Focus Card Combo Packs have been selected by some Kumon and Sylvan Learning Centers in the U.S. for their students who need them.

ADDitude's published product review for the Reading Focus Cards can be accessed by visiting http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/launch.aspx?r...= for the current Summer 2012 digital issue of ADDItude Magazine and turning to page 15, bottom of page.

The Reading Focus Card Combo Packs are available for individual purchase or in larger quantities for schools/organizations from Brennan Innovators, LLC, in St. Louis, MO.  For more information, please visit  http://www.FocusandRead.com. For a demonstration video of the Reading Focus Cards, one can also visit http://youtu.be/LWpjTTPt0_g.  Interested parties may also call Brennan Innovators at (314) 892-3897 for consultation with the teacher who invented the Reading Focus Cards for her struggling readers.