The Feuerstein Method – Who teaches us how to learn?
As early as primary school, and even earlier, we receive information that we as individuals need to assimilate in order to learn how to manage independently in life. But what about how we can assimilate them more efficiently, more quickly, without forgetting the information until the next day? Who teaches us how to learn?
Regardless of age, whether we’re talking about children who want to learn the right way or adults who want to learn new information more easily, the Feuerstein method is designed to make learning easier.
Better late than never!
What is the Feuerstein method?
The Feuerstein Method – a long-established educational method with extraordinary proven results – is a cognitive process approach that s focuses on developing one’s own learning ability.
The Feuerstein Method aims to develop your intellectual abilities through a series of tests and exercises to make learning easier.
Who is the Feuerstein method for?
The Feuerstein Method can benefit anyone interested in acquiring new thinking, learning and other skills.
Why use this method?
Feuerstein method helps children to integrate into social environments, helps them to acquire the prerequisites for going to school, develops their social skills and trains them in logical reasoning, both neurotypical and diagnosed.
In the age range 9-18 years the method helps teenagers and pre-teens(with or without diagnosis) develop harmonious relationshipswith their family and in social environments, to optimise the way they think and the way they make decisions. A big plus of this method, especially in this age group, is increased self-esteem, self-confidence and courage.
In young adult life we are not told how we should make decisions, how to make the most of what we have and what we know, so the method comes to our aid and teaches us how to solve the problem, how to ask the right questions, how to trust that what we do and what we know how to do is good for us and we can demonstrate this to others.
How does a meeting go?
Following the assessment, once we have established the needs of your little ones and/or yourself, we start the actual therapy. In therapy, the first tool used is the Point Organisation, which is suitable for all age groups. Later, other tools are added to develop and help you.
For children aged 5-9, tools are used to help improve mathematical reasoning, spatial orientation, empathy and questioning skills.
For people over 9 years old and even adults, tools are used to improve analytical perception, relationships with family and others, problem-solving skills and alternative solutions.
Regardless of age, these tools trigger discussion topics and we can see people’s perception of life, family, relationships, discussions that create closeness and openness. Discussions from which we learn that our opinions matter,that people can differ from us and we can respect and love people, even if we don’t all share the same worldview.
What materials does the method use?
In terms of resources, the Feuerstein method is quite simple using the concept of paper-creion. The real value of this method lies in the tools specifically designed for each age group, leading to the proposed objectives.
Feuerstein in the classroom
The Feuerstein Method is used in schools around the world, teaching educators to become more effective mediators for their students. Benefiting both teachers by helping them to become better professionals, and students who benefit from a better learning process and help them to learn more easily.
Clinical use
The method can be customized for your specific needs and abilities, including autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, vision impairment and blindness, brain injury, Down syndrome, and the list goes on.
Mediated learning involves a strong interaction between the learner and the mediator, who interprets external stimuli and the response to those stimuli. The method focuses on process rather than content, so in the clinical setting, the student learns how to learn.
Many of the Feuerstein method’s beneficiaries may later be integrated into the mainstream education system. This benefit should be mentioned because those with a higher degree of impairment are often not integrated into the traditional, mainstream system. This method therefore helps us to get closer to what we call normality, even when we tend to feel hopeless.
Feuerstein method – help with autism spectrum disorder
Using this method to treat children with autism is very effective. Intensive assessments seek to discover the mindset of people with this diagnosis and give mediators a window into their world.
As we already know, people with autism are people who have a hard time coping with therapy sessions, because they usually avoid socialization and human interaction. Often, in therapy, the biggest difficulty in working with people with autism is the involuntary physiological manifestations (stereotypies), which are first noticed in these people even by people who have not interacted with them. Stereotypes are a challenge for all therapists, even the best, because these behaviours are involuntary and a refuge for people with this diagnosis, autism. However, the Feuerstein method succeeds in capturing attention and decreasing stereotypical behaviours, in addition to teaching social and cognitive skills.
Benefits observed following Feuerstein therapy in autism spectrum disorder
- 😊Decreasing stereotyping
- 😊Developing autonomy
- 😊Developing independence
- 😊Developing social-emotional skills
- 😊Improving concentration and attention span
- 😊Language development
- 😊Training memory capacity
- 😊Increasing cognitive ability
- 😊Remediating aggressive behaviour
The Feuerstein Method – help for people with Down Syndrome
Most children with Down syndrome have an average of severe learning and physical problems, motor and speech development are slower than for other children. All the shortcomings outlined above are covered by the intervention plan. Mediated learning works for people with Down Syndrome because they learn and develop the list of benefits below. Applying the Feuerstein method to people with Down Syndrome is beneficial at any age.
People with Down syndrome are known as very sociable and affectionate people, compliments or physical contact are their greatest joy. Difficulties in therapy arise because of learning and language problems. That’s why the Feuerstein method comes as a novelty in terms of developing learning and language skills through the approach and tools it provides.
Benefits observed in people with Down syndrome following therapy with the Feuerstein method
- 😊Increasing cognitive ability
- 😊Developing autonomy
- 😊Developing independence
- 😊Developing social-emotional skills
- 😊Improving concentration and attention span
- 😊Developing learning skills
- 😊Developing school performance
- 😊Developing the capacity for intrinsic motivation
- 😊Language development
- 😊Training memory capacity
- 😊Remediating aggressive behaviour
Feuerstein method – help for people with brain injuries
Millions of people around the world suffer from brain damage caused by car accidents, military service or heart attacks. For many people with such difficulties, getting to know each other, interacting socially and moving around are difficult activities.
After the accidents that cause these brain injuries, the person concerned often suffers a lot of cognitive, language, social, emotional and physical losses. Therapy after such an event involves many resources on the part of people with this diagnosis. This involves rehabilitating cognition and cognitive systems, relearning language (where appropriate), even memory suffers, with some people forgetting much of their lives. The Feuerstein method in this case comes as an exercise in regaining neural structures and cognitive skills, memory and language.
Recent research has shown that the regenerative properties of the brain are remarkable and this method gives us the chance to rebuild our lives even after brain damage.
Benefits of Feuerstein therapy for brain injury
- 😊Brain flexibility
- 😊Brain rehabilitation
- 😊Training memory capacity
- 😊Increasing cognitive ability
- 😊Improving concentration and attention span
- 😊Developing independence
How long before the results are visible?
Significant results are seen, on average, after 6 months of working with the Feuerstein method at a frequency of twice a week. Of course, the first changes happen much faster, but significant results take time and perseverance.
The Feuerstein Method is a method that can help everyone, regardless of their needs. As a simple method, it becomes instantly loved by everyone who uses it. Children like it because they feel listened to, share, observe and have fun.
Author: Psih. Mădălina Savin – Clinical psychologist specialized in working with children and adolescents
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