The PACE Story
In 1985 an informal symposium was held in Appleton Wisconsin, that
has changed the way we look at learning difficulties. Specialists
in special education, clinical and cognitive psychology, occupational
therapy, central auditory processing, visual processing, learning
disabilities and memory research from a number of universities and
professional clinics met to ask and answer one question:
"How can we best help individuals experiencing
learning difficulties so that they can learn easier and faster?"
Led by Dr. Ken Gibson, a specialist in pediatric visual processing
and his brother, Keith Gibson, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist, the
symposium reviewed the existing research on brain and memory function,
visual processing, and learning theory.
For over 15 years, the two brothers had been gathering clinical
experience with both children and adults. They had observed that
some patients seemed to attend better and recall important facts
more easily when they were given short but intense periods of training.
They now asked the question, what kind of learning has the greatest
impact in the shortest possible time?
The Gibson brothers developed a series of exercises which rapidly
improved concentration and recall abilities. Soon they were ready
for the first test.
It was important to thoroughly assess each student before and after
the training to see how effective the procedures were. The initial
results were outstanding. Not only did the initial 35 cases register
almost three years improvement in about three months, but a year
later, 98.7% of the test findings were at or above the post-program
level.
As in learning to ride a bicycle or play the piano, the ability
had been reconfirmed by use and was an active part of their mental
tool kit. In addition, the grade scores of the children confirmed
that the training had translated into superior academic performance.
Once the fundamental principles had been established, the program
underwent 10 years of review and experimentation. Other educational,
psychological and medical specialists were brought in and modifications
were made as new research became available. It was soon discovered
that students with attention problems (ADD), dyslexia,
memory deficits, and other learning disabilities were benefiting.
Unlike other specific
learning disability programs that focus on behavior management
or specific academic skills, PACE seemed to improve the brain's
processing ability. For the first time in educational history, a
complete program had been developed that would do for mental abilities
what exercise does for the body.
By 1995, all the effective components were in place. The program
was dubbed PACE for Processing and Cognitive Enhancement. It has
rapidly become the leading cognitive training program in the USA.
Over 700 professionals in more than 350 schools, clinics, hospitals,
and training locations have participated in the development, testing,
and clinical use of the PACE program to date. PACE continues to
collect data from offices across the country and critically reviews
the results to maintain quality control.
The purpose of the intense PACE program is to produce significant
changes quickly so that the student sees the changes and stays motivated
to learn. The program is now distributed world-wide by licensed
therapists and educators and is available for both adults and children.
Please contact Brett Gibson for more information:
Brett Gibson
Call toll free: 1-800-535-5441
Email: brett@learningrx.com
PACE Program
5085 List Drive - Suite 200
Colorado Springs, CO 80919
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