What is involved in doing Cogmed Working Memory Training? 

This program combines individual coaching with a software program.  An initial assessment is done before beginning the program.  Cogmed spent an extra year or two before going to market with this program to develop an effective coaching program to support the use of the software because people with attention deficits tend to not finish what they start.  Your Cogmed coach and your training aid (the person who sits in the room with the trainee when he is doing the program) are essential for the program's success. This combination supports those using the program and holds them accountable as well.  As a result in the United States 92% of the people who start the program finish it.

Cogmed RM (Children), Cogmed QM (adults) and Cogmed JM (preschoolers) are software programs that are done in your home. They use different exercises over a period of five weeks to train working memory in 25 training sessions. (You can also choose to do 30 sessions).  Training is cumulative and follows the user in a way that makes things simpler when an exercise gets too difficult. When the user advances, the exercises automatically get more difficult. A lot of the training is about repeating different sequences over and over again.  This is what builds your working memory, similar to doing a workout to build your muscles.  

A good training environment and motivation are critical. The training aid helps to facilitate this through discussions with the Cogmed Coach.  The Cogmed Coach will be in contact with you weekly for 20 minute coaching calls to motivate, give you feedback on how you are proceeding in the program and to strategize how to manage the training.  Then you complete a wrap-up session at the end of the program as well as a later follow up session.  Before beginning the program rating scales are completed which will be completed again at the end of the program.  All the training data is synchronized over the internet so your Cogmed coach knows how many sessions you completed, what time of day you trained, and what items you got correct within each activity.  This helps the Cogmed coach to do his job.  

 What you need at home to do the program: 

Do you have Internet access in your home?

Do you have a PC with Microsoft Windows 2000, XP or Vista?

Does your computer have a well functioning mouse?

Can you manage a mouse?

How do you cope when playing computer or videogames?

Training is about 30-45 minutes per day, preferably 5 days a week for 5 weeks. Plan an hour to accommodate set up and breaks. Can you set a side an hour per day, 5 days per week for 5 weeks?

Training environment needs to be a quiet, private room with a computer. Do you have the possibility to create a good training environment?

Once you do an initial assessment and you are approved to do the program you move forward with your 5 weeks of training 5 days a week (or 6 weeks for the bold).  

That's it. Simple as that.

However, remember no pain no gain.  The activities have to get harder for you to make your "working memory" stronger.  This is where the support of the Cogmed coach and training aid make all the difference.  It is not easy, but it does the job well!  This is one thing that is very different than taking a pill.  You have to do the work.  

Sincerely, 

Dr. Charles Shinaver

Located in Carmel, Indiana near Indianapolis, Noblesville, Fishers, Zionsville, and Westfield.

 Host of                                        And provider of

 Clarity4Health.com               Cogmed Working Memory Training^TM

Coaching you through web and phone: No matter where you are. 

371-641-7794, clarity4health@gmail.com