Parents-Frequently Asked Questions

 

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What is Play Attention?

What would it be like if you could see your attention right now?

View this short 2 minute Play Attention video to see how it works. 
Play Attention can be used in the comfort of home or in  child’s classroom.  It is a  high tech learning tool that employs a sophisticated helmet to measure brain signals indicative of focus or concentration. These brain waves control the computer games. Your child’s mind replaces the mouse or joystick! These games not only teach the child to improve focus, but also to ignore distractions, develop memory skills, complete tasks, and  improve organization skills, along with ability to inhibit impulses.  These skills, in turn, result in  improved self esteem and improved school work.

 

How do I use Play Attention?

You'll need a personal computer - we'll supply everything else. You'll receive free live telephone training from a Master's level educator who becomes your personal support advisor. Your support advisor will guide you every step of the way toward success. We give you the software, the sensor-lined helmet, interface box, cables, power supply, behavior shaping charts - everything you need to do the program with no surprises!

 

Can I see a live demonstration?

Every week, Unique Logic and Technology offers a free online webinars; The company’s  CEO and founder, Peter Freer, conducts a lively and informative presentation and encourages the  you as a member of his online audience to interact freely during the discussion.  This  your opportunity to see Play Attention live on your desktop PC, and to get answers to your most difficult questions from an ADHD expert.

How does Play Attention work?

 

NCLB and IDEA require that schools employ scientific research based methodologies.  Play Attention meets this requirement in the area of attention training.  Scientific research has demonstrated that the brain  can adapt and learn throughout life hroughout  as a result of  neuroplasticity.

Play Attention allows the child to view the attentive state in real-time. Over time, through consistnet, deliberate practice, Play Attention users  learn to increase focus and concentration. Effective practice entails setting goals to improve skill performance. The interactive exercises also challenge Play Attention students to improve memory, finishing tasks, visual tracking, and filtering out distractions. Gradually, the student can retain the skills necessary to be successful in the classroom, work, and home.

 

When will we start seeing results?

Typically within the first 30 days, minor changes will appear. These may include better listening skills, beginning homework on one's own, or staying more organized. It is important to understand that these are significant positive leaps forward for ADHD students and must be rewarded/reinforced so that they are likely to be repeated.

 

Is it neurofeedback or biofeedback?

Play Attention is not clinical neuro or bio feedback. Neurofeedback is based on the theory that ADHD persons have abnormal brainwave patterns. Neurofeedback practitioners contend that normalizing these abnormal brainwave patterns can eliminate ADHD symptoms. Play Attention does not strive to change brainwave patterns. Changing brainwave patterns does not insure that one can become more organized, have better short-term memory, ignore distractions, or even balance one's check book in a normal amount of time. These are skills that must be learned and do not readily appear after neurofeedback training. Play Attention teaches these skills and insures transfer to the workplace and classroom.

 

Can I take my child off medication?

You decided to place your child on medication with a healthcare provider. Continued use of medication is a medical decision and must be decided under advisement of your healthcare provider. It is important to realize that medication does not teach skills or behaviors.   Moreover, once your child has learned attention skills and behaviors, there may not be the need for the same amountof medication or for medication at all. But, this is a decision you and the child’s prescriber will make together. 

Will Play Attention help my child make friends?

Parents intuit that ADHD behaviors impair achild's ability to make and nuture friendships. Poor social skills are closely intertwined with attention and impulse problems. By increasing attention to social cues, increasing impulse control and  and increasing self-esteem, Play Attention serves as a great tool to help cultivate friendships.

 

How will Play Attention help me at work or school?

It is estimated that , 5% to 15% of all children have some form of attentional problems.   Roughly 60% to 70% of those children will carry those difficulties into adulthood. The inability to remember multiple steps, to stay focused on the critical information, to  finish assignments, to stay organized, to hold concepts in memory long enough to analyze them, follow children into adulthood where it's estimated billions of dollars are lost due to these problems. Play Attention can teach organization, improve memory, train task completion, and decrease distractibility.    These skills are critical skills for independent functioning in school, at home, on the job and in the broader community.

Free Demo CD

To receive a FREE demonstration CD, please phone 1-863-385-4357  Monday through Friday between 9 AM and 9 PM Eastern Time Zone (−5 GMT). If you cannot call during these hours, please leave your telephone number and a time that would be convenient for us to contact you.

 

Play Attention and Neurofeedback

Imagine how your child would feel if he could move things with his mind  Harry Potter® or Luke Skywalker in Star Wars®. With Play Attention, your  child’s mind replaces the mouse or joystick while playing computer games that teach attention skills and improved behavior The  games make learning these crucial skills easy. Practicing two or three days a week for 30 to 45 minutes can produce significant  long-term improvements.

Play Attention is an advancement of neurofeedback designed specifically for ease of use and effectiveness in teaching the attention skills a child needs for school.   Play Attention's advancement of biofeedback feedback technology has propelled Unique Logic  to the forefront of educational attention training. Play Attention is used in more than 450 school districts in the US alone, as well as in thousands of homes, offices, schools, and hosptitals around the world.  Although an outgrown of neurofeedback research, Play Attention is not clinical neurofeedback. It  is an educational tool that focuses on teaching attention skills...

 

What Is Neurofeedback?

Our brains are comprises  of billions of individual  brain cells or neurons that communicate with one another  through electrical discharges over networks analogous to the internet.   The firing of all these electrical pulses produces fields of electricity that we can measure with a computerized electroencephalograph (EEG).  In neurofeedback the patterns of this activity or brainwaves are sent to the computer then reflected back to the individual in either a visual or auditory format.  These displays permit the individual to see or hear when they are focusing effectively..  A typical clinical session of neurofeedback training involves pasting electrodes to the head with conductive gel. Wires from these electrodes are connected to an EEG which amplifies the small signal obtained from the electrodes.  The therapist in this case sets parameters for reinforcement to gradually shape brainwaves to move in the desired direction.

 

Play Attention, EEG and Neurofeedback

Unlike clinical EEG, Play Attention uses a non-clinical brain energy monitor that cannot be altered like a clincial  EEG monitor.   Play Attetnion employs  a sensor lined helmet that's fun and lightweight. The picks up or reads the brainwave patterns. 

 

Play Attention's Educational Basis vs. Neurofeedback Theory

Neurofeedback's theoretical basis presumes that the human brain has regulated or normal patterns of brainwaves. Neurofeedback is based on the research findings showing  that  imbalanced or dysregulated brainwaves create disorders like ADHD, autism, anxiety, etc. A neurofeedback clinician  trains the patient to regulate these brainwave patterns in order to create the capacity for the brain to fucntion more normally.

 

While Play Attention monitors brain signal to assess when the child is attending,  brainwave change is not its objective. Observable, performance based outcomes are the focus of Play Attention training. the program focuses on teaching the child to finish tasks such as homework,  to attend long enough to consider outcomes of possible choices, to persevere even when a task if boring,  and to be able to complete multiple step tasks improve  and other skills that are a function of improved attentional control.  . These outcomes are vitally important to success at school, home, and the workplace.

 

Children with a syndrome such as  ADHD typically have more problems than impaired attention.  They may have trouble with immediate recall, they may be distractible, they may may not be able to complete work, they may not be able to process multiple step instructions, and may not be able to inhibit impulses until they have considered alternatives.   As a result, they may experience a variety of educational and social difficulties.  But, research has shown that these skills can be learned and Play Attention facilitates this learning by making attention skills concrete and visible.   

 

Play Attention Practice vs. Neurofeedback Practice

We teach you to work with your child at home or if you area a teacher  we can train you to work with your students in the classroom t. When you first receive your equipment, Play Attention staff offer  live, telephone tutorials lasting about two hours to insure that you correctly use Play Attention. Your data will be forward it to Dr. Crum  monthly  so the doctor can work with you on any necessary modifications in your program as well as in promoting a generalization of the learned skills.  Your role is that of a coach, redirecting and encouraging the child, and cuing the child to transfer and generalize skills learned.  You, acting as coach work with Dr. Crum to  set cognitive and behavioral objectives for the chiild in a fun, rewarding session.
Harry Potter characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of and © Warner Brothers Entertainment.
Star Wars is a trademark and © 2008 Lucasfilm Ltd.

 

Free Demo CD

To receive a FREE demonstration CD, please phone1-863-385-4357 Monday through Friday between 9 AM and 9 PM Eastern Time Zone (−5 GMT). If you cannot call during these hours, please leave your telephone number and a time that would be convenient for us to contact you. 

More Questions:  As Dr. Crum your questions right by clicking on this chat button.

 

Educators- Frequently Asked Questions

Play Attention and Cognitive Educational Psychology
We now understand that the brain communicates to its various component parts via networks. You may imagine them as being similar to the network that connects your computer to all other computers on the Internet. However, instead of metal wires, the brain's wiring is done by cells with long branches that reach out to other cells forming a chain that links to other portions of the brain. This "wiring" allows the brain to function. Among many other activities, neural networks allow us to be able to see, think, hear, and pay attention.
Attention Is A Skill
Attention can be thought of as the synchrony of brain cells and the networks they form all working together in harmony. Attention, then, is like the conductor of an orchestra. According to Northwestern University researcher, Yee Joon Kim, "The individual players are just playing their own tune, but once the conductor stands in front of the orchestra members, they start playing together. Each individual player in this case is a neuron in the brain."
According to psychology Prof. Satoru Suzuki, attention not only synchronizes neurons, but also makes them function more precisely. "Attention seems to coordinate this whole bunch of neurons so they more precisely follow the changes in the environment," Suzuki said.
The skill needed to control attention is lacking in AD/HD individuals. Their conductor has a difficult time leading his orchestra.
AD/HD Defined
AD/HD is a misnomer of sorts. Persons with Attention Deficit Disorder do not actually have a lack or deficit of attention. AD/HD people actually have a lack of control over attention. This causes their attention to be diffused or scattered over a wide field of stimuli. In other words, their conductor has a difficult time leading his orchestra.
How Play Attention Works
To understand how Play Attention works, it is important to understand how new neural networks are formed during the learning process.
Current research clearly demonstrates that the brain is always changing (adjusting our neural networks) due to learning and our environment. This process is termed neuroplasticity. Simply put, the brain constantly changes when we learn something new. The brain is an amazing instrument that also has the ability to compensate when it's not fully functioning.
Play Attention students actually train themselves to control the conductor that controls attention! The brain will change if we instruct it to. This is the foundation of all teaching and learning from pre-school to post graduate. Heretofore, attention was nearly impossible to teach because it is not tangible - not something that is concrete like a pencil. Play Attention students can see their attention in real-time by controlling the computer screen with their attention alone. Now, attention is concrete and controllable.
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Play Attention allows students to practice attention until they master it. Play Attention also teaches them skills they don't have because of attention difficulties. Problems with organization, finishing tasks, filtering out distractions, watching the teacher, and memory are also addressed in Play Attention.
The brain can learn the skill of attention even if it has severe attention challenges. And it learns the skill of attention just like learning any other skill. But, it takes time, practice, and consistency. We are the experts in this field. We know the cognitive science behind attention. We know how to master the skill.
Play Attention gives you the tools to learn to pay attention and much, much more.
Answers: Computer System Requirements
What are the system requirements?
Play Attention v4.x Minimum System Requirements

PC:

 

• Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista
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• 300 MHz Intel or AMD (500 MHz recommended)
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• 256 MB RAM (minimum)- If shared Video RAM, minimum RAM is 384 MB
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• ~250 MB Free Hard Drive Space
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• Sound Card and Speakers
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• CD-ROM Drive
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• Free Serial (COM) Port *
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Mac

 

• OS 10.3 (and later)
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• G3, G4, or iMac
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• 256 MB RAM
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• ~250 MB Free Hard Drive Space
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• CD-ROM Drive
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• Free USB Port*
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* Note: If you do not have a nine-pin serial port, USB adapters are available for Macintosh and legacy free PC users.

 

Answers: Software Questions

 

What about upgrades?

 

You will receive 1 year of software upgrades for free.

 

Does it work with Macs?

 

Yes. Mac users must have an iMac, Power Macintosh G3 or G4 with 256 MB of RAM, OS 10.3 or later, a CD-ROM drive, SVGA video card, and an open COM port. Macintosh systems which do not have the 9 pin COM port will need a USB adapter. See the system requirements for more information.

 

Can I get additional games?

 

Yes additional modules will be available this year and will address other learning areas than those currently in Play Attention.

 

Do you provide tech support?

 

Yes, we provide lifetime professional, educational, family and tech support for the original purchaser. Tech support may be reached at (800) 788-6786 between the hours of 9:00 and 6:00 Eastern Time (-5GMT). We also provide a live personal customer account representative to assist you in using Play Attention and to answer questions.

 

Answers: Ordering Questions

What does each package include?

Professional: The helmet, interface box, all necessary cables, spray bottle, software, all behavioral management materials, free and unlimited technical & educational support, a full introductory tutorial over the phone, an interactive manual with audio and video clips, and an unlimited user-license -- everything you need to begin using Play Attention quickly.

Home: The helmet, interface box, all necessary cables, spray bottle, software, all behavioral management materials, free and unlimited technical & educational support, a full introductory tutorial over the phone, an interactive manual with audio and video clips, and a two user-license -- everything you need to begin using Play Attention quickly.

A user license simply indicates the number of legal users of the system. The standard professional system comes with an unlimited user license. The home version is shipped with a 2 user license. Additional home users may be purchased separately.

How do I purchase?

You may telephone Unique Logic & Technology at 1-800-788-6786, send a purchase order to Unique Logic & Technology, PO Box 2147, Skyland, NC 28776; or fax your order to 866-506-2756. Credit approval may be required for some institutions wishing to use a purchase order.

How much does Play Attention cost?

Full featured, professionally supported home programs begin as low as $100 a month or less than $5 a day. A professional teacher will work with you to insure you get the most out of Play Attention.

Play Attention has a variety of flexible pricing and payment options. Please call 1-800-788-6786 regarding Play Attention pricing information. Prices vary for professional use (open site license) and personal use (2 user license). Office hours are 8 AM to 6 PM (UTC/GMT -5 hours) Eastern Time Monday through Friday.

For those who want Dr. Crum to consult regarding development and management of a behavioral intervention plan to help generalize the benefits of Play Attention training, please contact Dr. Crum directly regarding this service at

able2learn@embarqmail.com. Generally, however, the rates are $80.00 for one hour of special needs coaching per month.

 

Foreign orders may be subject to higher user license fees due to tariffs, shipping, etc. Contact your distributor to receive a price quote for your country.

Is there funding available?

Federal employees, Department of Defense employees and schools including the military, are eligible for assistive technology funding via CAP.