Learning RX Prayed on our desperation to help our son with his learning disability Centennial Colorado

We have had a similar experience.  You can read more on our report called 
LearningRX of Short Hills NJ
Preying on families that are desperately trying to help their children in just shameful.

So glad to find this site and holding companies responsible!

I was considering using LearningRX but due to your response to the original poster and your total lack of confidentiality in the matter, I will never ever take my son to LearningRX. If the parent wants to disclose information about their child's experience that is their right. It is not your right to disclose specifics about this child's case as you have done in your posting. Not only will I never use LearningRX's services, I will ensure all of my friends are aware of how you operate.

As a licensed clinical child psychologist with extensive specialization in learning and developmental disorders, I am shocked by the company's response to this family's complaint.   The use of the family's name and personal information is incredibly unprofessional.  Basic ethical standards seem to be lacking.  I also dispute the breakdown of cost/hour and actual benefit of this type of program over any type of 1:1 tutoring.  Marketing your program as "Brain training" is distressing and willfully misleading to parents, given the lack of any empirical evidence supporting this specific program over say, a dyslexia-specific tutoring program, or a program to help a child with ADHD develop better study skills. 

In response to the previous posting, there seems to be confusion about what peer review is.

Research is considered to be reputable if it can pass the muster of peer review.  This is a process where three experts in a given field, who are members of the review board of a professional journal, comment on research that is submitted for publication.  This is true regardless of the academic credentials of the person(s) conducting the work (though most comes from university faculty and students).  The reviewers are established researchers with terminal degrees (typically Ph.D., M.D., etc.).

You might wonder if these "peers" might make it too easy.  Hardly.  The incentive is actually to do the opposite.  Any reviewer who lets people off easy, thereby lowering the journal's standards, is basically shooting him or herself in the professional foot.

I hold a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology and though the scientist in me is screaming for empirical evidence (particularly regarding the transfer/criterion validity), I can at least say that the idea behind the training is based on research in cognitive neuroscience. 

I also feel sorry for the trouble Denise experienced. This post is partially to thank her for her comments, and to share a different view for others. I do not personally know any parents who signed up a child for any of these programs, although I have met a few. I would like to pick their brains on the subject if given the chance... as long as it's somebody who doesn't work at the place and is standing right in front of me. There are so many positive advertisements and written testimonials that it all seems too good to be true. Previously, I spent three days looking for 'dirt' on LearningRx, and this is the worst I've seen so far. Read on to find out my experience with LearningRx, teaching and my two case studies.

Wouldn't we all prefer a peer-reviewed study instead? Probably, but the kind of data I really want to see will come from an independent source, a PhD candidate. If LearningRx funded a larger-scale study than the ones they have already, would it convince those of us who are still skeptical? No, much less those who feel ripped off.. We can wait for it to happen and do nothing, or test the waters. If you aren't financially secure enough to do so with LearningRx, I would suggest waiting and trying other less-expensive options. Tutoring isn't one of the less-expensive ones, however, and, depending on what it's worth to you, homeschooling may not be, either. 

Who am I?
I am a licensed special education teacher for students with learning disabilities and have been working in a private PreK-12 school for six years. I am also a fairly-well-accomplished violinist and teach music at the school. Some of the students I have worked with have other disabilities or gifts than those I was trained to teach, but at private schools, parents have other options at their disposal. I am one of their options, and frankly, my job would be easier if I wasn't sometimes.

I understand the desperation of your situation with some of my own students with Down Syndrome, PDD, Autism/Asperger's and other 'slow learners', but I was/am the option they chose. Last summer, I stumbled upon LearningRx and was intrigued--so intrigued that I thought I would just find a teacher-training workshop that will show me how to do this "brain training" technique and be on my merry way. Three days later, with no luck on that front, I had found out that...





- there are basically two programs that do anything like this (LearningRx and Lindamood-Bell, or LMB)



- I didn't feel confident about throwing money at any of the computer-based programs out there, since I didn't even know what to expect from "brain training" on a personal level. PC-based learning would be a tough sell to administrators and parents in my book.I needed to see it for myself.



- LMB offers teacher certification courses for their programs, then you are on your own to implement it as an 'independent contractor'. Anybody can do this. Many already do in my area, and I found out that have a personal contact in a teacher who has been trained in the program and speaks well of it.She even offered to let me see her materials (I haven't yet, though).



- The only unfavorable reports about LearningRx I could find were repeats from the same author on three different websites. 



- if you want to know exactly how the programs work at LearningRx, you have to either open up a franchise, or become a trainer at one of their locations. Bummer. I'm not rich and won't be taking out a huge loan any time soon, and since no centers are closer to me than 30 minutes away, getting the extra job isn't looking too friendly, either.
 
I ended up scheduling an appointment to tour one of the centers and talk with an owner to get a better understanding of what is going on there. He gave me an hour of undivided attention--even asked me if I wanted a job, which I turned down (because of the long commute). About two weeks later, some friends helped me determine to ask for the job, but the center had just finished hiring again. I went to the other location in my state and applied. Then, about six weeks later, I finally passed the oral exam (on my second try). Due to circumstances, I won't be starting until January 2010. Yes, I still feel desperate about finding out whether this thing works and want to see it for myself and learn from others who are already successful at doing it. I feel it is the best way to go at this point because I can't make any good decisions about this from the outside. I realize that not everybody is able to do that.

This whole time I have been looking for the inside scoop on whether this will actually benefit my own students. I've become the mole, and I've been allowed to practice some of the drills with my students who are hardest to teach.

SO... DOES IT WORK???

First of all, I am not allowed to copy or sell any of the materials, so students and parents can't practice most of the drills at home even if they wanted to. This also means that I can't adequately share with parents what and why I have drilled their children in certain areas, thus leaving all the support tasks to me (as would be the case if I was serving the 'pro' agreement at the center). I am limited to the time I have in class with my students, which I teach one-on-one (a good thing). Two of them are 5 days a week, and I try to do some drills everyday. I also cannot duplicate the LearningRx environment, which is a vital part of the program.

Most of these are strikes against me having success, but they also mean that I could blame any perceived failure right now on any combination of these reasons. Therefore, I cannot say with extreme confidence that it does not work.

Two Cases

boy, 16, Multiple Learning Disabilities, ADD (not medicated)
He is the main reason I am on this hunt. I actually gave him the entire WJ-III cognitive battery, which is much more than LearningRx gives at the center. His attention, visualization, and short term memory are the weakest areas, which means he has trouble with number sense, reading, remembering, writing, spelling,attention, comprehension.... a perfect storm for school failure. He also tends to quit easily after so much failure in his school life and hours of homework each night for years.

I have tried all 26 of the drills with him, but have a few mainstays I hover around. He is so stuck in poor thinking habits and often tells me that he hates the drills that are hardest for him. "It's OK... you don't have to like it... you just have to do it", I often say, then I try to give him a short goal of "three more times" when he is wearing out. He has passed a few levels on some drills, and each time he told me "I can't do this". You're talking to the wind, buddy. Nobody can do anything if they don't try or quit trying.

Many students with learning problems are just like him. The trainer becomes a critical piece of the equation because he or she needs to take all of the negative self-talk and forget about it while trying to retrain the student to realize the positives. Many parents can't do this without long discussions, and LearningRx trainers are trained to not waste time on old habits of negative talk. In fact, each student has to write a daily "improvement" before beginning each training session, if the trainers are doing it right.

I feel that he could use the 6 month program, or even the 8 month program, and I would really like to see him get the 'pro' treatment. His parents have been through too much and I don't think they could really do the job of helping him with the homework he would have to do in the way it has to be done.

I think he would certainly benefit from LearningRx. Yes, it would cost a lot, but I wouldn't suggest any other place for any similar "tutoring" program. Perhaps I'll look into LMB a bit more to see what the comparison is. I've heard it doesn't include quite as wide of an array of drills, though.

boy, 16, Down Syndrome, very limited language skills, particularly poor expressive skills

I quickly found out that very few of the drills can be done with this student. Even the easiest drills that are game-like are too hard for him, so I have invented my own versions of them while incorporating some of the techniques. He is very resistant to change with everything new I throw at him. His language skills are like playing charades at times, until he gives up trying to tell me what he wanted to say. LearningRx is certainly giving me good ideas for helping him, and it has also given me the confidence to continue with a training course even when all outward signs show that it is "not working". This student's memory is unique. He needs lots of repetition, consistent correction and encouragement, and when he finally "gets it" after three months on a relatively simple task, it's a surprise to us both! I have not tried the reading drills with this student, as we have been using another program for that (with some success when other teachers gave up), but I would if I had the opportunity that allowed him with enough time for repetition.

So far, so good with him, but I have to know when to quit pushing sometimes and go on to something more "fun" for him.

Yes, more training is better (especially if it's WITHOUT ADDED COST). Many of the drills are so difficult at their highest levels that most people don't ever reach them by the time their program is finished at the center.

The more I learn about brain training, the more I am convinced that "it" simply comes down to practice... and a good coach. Before I had a good violin teacher/coach, I spent many hours practicing--and gained many bad habits from my "good intentions". With a good coach, all the hours I spent training my body to gain and replace my skill-set enables me to play more beautiful and challenging music. There is a certain part of training that stays with you once you "get it". If you've ever challenged yourself to do anything difficult, you know what I mean. How long did it take? Many times, I'd practice and never seem to get anywhere with a technique, and then it would suddenly appear--sometimes even after taking a few-days' break from it. I don't understand it, but the thing that I am sure helped was my constant thinking about it, working at it like it's some sort of puzzle. Now, not everybody has this kind of inner motivation. This kind of activity all works together to build the mental connections that will become the new skills. You can't declare the exact timeframe that "it" will occur, but you can estimate the duration and set your "guaranteed gains" lower so that when they are exceeded, people are even more pleased. This is what LearningRx has done, in my opinion to date.

With all the problems expressed, it seems that they are very likely due to the individual customer service of the centers involved. People really need to ask all of the hard questions before signing contracts. If you got a lawyer to look into each complaint, you would quickly find out if the case has merit in a court of law. It would be pretty hard to shut down an entire franchise with so many positive testimonials from all over the country, though, and it is unfair to pass a sweeping brush of blame on the entire lot.

I had basically the same experience with the Learning Rx program in Greenwood, IN. The director tried to place the blame on us not showing up, when it was their trainer that canceled. They also offered an extension that I did refuse. Common sense tells me there is no reason to continue when they told me it would be a 12 week program, I would see amazing results, and ended up with my child failing 1st grade. Why would I continue? I didn't see the point in it. My son showed no real improvements and they continued to tell me that its slow at first, then close to the end its just like something will click and you'll see dramatic results. We went through the 12 week program they recommended, did all of the homework, paid $3500, they refused to refund anything. Learning RX did not work for my child, I would never tell anyone to use their program.

Thanks Denise for saving me thousands of dollars. I had the feeling when I meet with them to discuss our son that it was all about the sale for these people. Glad to know there is someone out the spreading the word on these people.

To the person supporting Learning RX who has responded to Denise:

Initially, I am suspicious of any program that offers a guarantee when it comes to children's learning. Guarantees are for automobiles and washing machines not for children's brains. Companies like Learning RX that offer guarantees do so for marketing purposes in order to convince parents to spend thousands of dollars on their program.

Secondly, Learning RX consistently reports that practicing cognitive skills leads to improvement in cognitive skills. So what! Given sufficient practice, people improve upon anything. What they need to show is that practice in cognitive skills leads to improvement in academic achievement; e.g reading and math.

Thirdly, despite an extensive search, I have been unable to find a single carefully controlled research study in a peer reviewed professional journal that examines the effectiveness of Learning RX. It is supported solely by anecdotal evidence, which is notoriously unreliable.

Finally, to spend as much effort as Learning RX does attempting to sell franchises, especially when they have no research base, is a questionable practice.

For Michael to respond this way is not surprising and only confirms my negative feelings for him and Learning RX. Maybe he should take a closer look as to why my son missed time, I'm sure they don't keep track of when we were called by them to cancel. I will continue to spread the word about Learning RX. As a matter of fact, I spoke to a group of parents just 2 days ago who also have kids with learning disabilities at my son's new school that he will be attending next year, you know what they say, for every 5 people I tell, they tell 5 people and so on. So I'm still more than confident that I will be helping someone save not only the money but the pain and heartache we experienced.

For Michael to come back and say this is not surprising. He should take a closer look as to why my son missed time in this program. We were nothing but dedicated and for him to suggest other wise confirms my feelings about him. I will continue to spread the work about Learning RX. In fact I just meet with a new group of parents who have kids with learning disabilities at my sons new school, you know what they say for every 5 people I tell, those people will tell 5 people and so on.

Because at LearningRx Centennial we work very hard to put our students first and we made a number of efforts to accommodate Denise and her son's needs without success, we would like to respond to the report filed on this website. (STET) enrolled at LearningRx on January 31, 2007 in our ReadRx Partner Program, a 24 week program with 6 hours a week of training. Our Partner option, which this family chose, requires 3 hours a week of training in our center with one of our certified brain trainers and 3 hours a week of home training with his parents. Another option of training, presented at the time of consultation, is our Pro program. This program includes 5 hours a week in our center with one of our certified brain trainers.

The training program Denise chose requires a high level of commitment of parents and students. Also, in our 6 month program, we work diligently to finish our program in as close to that time as possible. Their son was progressing through the program at a decent rate with some missed time. At our 6 week checkpoint we received a parent feedback form (4/14/07) with ratings all at 3s on a scale of 1 to 3, with 1 being no improvement, 2 being minimal improvement and 3 being noticeable improvement. The Lords rated the training at a noticeable improvement level as well as problems that caused them to seek our help were also at a noticeable level of improvement. In 14 different rating areas, they rated us a 3 in all of those.

Following this preliminary check-in the student continued with the program at a decent rate with some missed time. Like with any child who has learning difficulties the student experienced challenges in the rigorous cognitive training environment which he had not previously faced elsewhere.

On 6/11/08, about 16 weeks after starting, we reached the 12 week point and received from the parents a mid training feedback form. He also was just finishing school at this point and approaching summer break. Again we received all 3s (the highest possible rating) in 14 different rating areas and with the following comments from his parents: (xxx) grades have improved along with his self-esteem, motivation, and overall desire to learn. The training program has had only a positive impact on (xxx). Ryan's (our trainer) professionalism and patience is commendable and appreciated.

At this point we followed up with a face-to-face meeting which the following was shared with us as well, seeing some progress with reading and he is enjoying it better, we want to continue our focus on reading and attention, self confidence is getting better, focus was still a struggle, and they did share a concern about how much reading progress was he making.

To maintain the quality of our program and to provide accountability for parents who choose to complete part of the training at home (our Partner program), we have a home training agreement. In this signed document we share with families that some students may take up to 6 months to a year for significant gains in academic subjects or work/skill to be evident (although reading and spelling skills are developed during ReadRx training). So, to hear that he was making gains during the program was fantastic.

We see most of our improvement near the end of the program and beyond. This is in part because students with learning disabilities or students that have struggled often have poor habits which we work to help change. After this point, we had no reason to believe there was any unhappiness or that their son was not making progress through the program, he clearly was.

During the summer, this family took more time off of the program and this is where the concerns started. In August, after school started back up is when he hit a wall. There was frustration, which again is to be expected. After all, we are challenging students with our brain procedures and working with them to face the challenges and move past them.

It was at this point that we offered to do some different things to help get the student past this point and shared these opyions with his parents. It was at this point, they shared with me they were ready to give up. In response I shared with them--and still feel 100% that it was the wrong thing to do. They agreed to allow their son to work with our Director of Training, who was very aware of what was going on and had been sitting in on all of the above mentioned meetings.

Our Director of Training noticed during the hours they spent together that the student's reading ability had improved and he was reading! Even with this news, the parents were against continuing.

As part of our business practice we do offer a guarantee, and it is as stated, If, upon completion of the full ReadRx program (through all of lesson 24) you are not satisfied with the results and there is not a three (3) year gain in a deficient reading skill as determined at the initial testing, we will provide three additional weeks of training at no cost. If the gain is still not achieved and you are still not satisfied with the program, we will refund a prorated amount (two year gain = 1/3 refund; one year gain=2/3 refund) of the difference between the ReadRx and the ThinkRx fee.

We also have a policy that refunds any used portion of the program if the family decides to discontinue training after the first week of training.

In this case we offered to bring all of the training into the center at no additional cost. As the last option we offered, which I believe would have been the best thing to do, was to finish the student's training as a Pro student, meaning we would have taken all of the training and completed it at the center with one of our master level certified brain trainers. We offered this at no additional cost to the family, which was about a $3500 value to them. We stated we would honor our guarantee and make the gains, but the family turned it down, stating one of the reasons as they were unwilling to make the drive to the center everyday.

We also offered to meet with his teachers at school to see how he was responding at school and what their goals were for him, but this too was turned down. His parents shared with us he was not being challenged at school and was getting little to no homework. We felt if he would be challenged a little more, then the results he was getting here would have shown more.

We strongly wanted to finish the program with this student and were very confident that we and more importantly the student would have made continued improvements. We care deeply about all the students we have worked with and helped and the same is still true for this family.

In the end we refunded more than the unused amount of the program.

One further note. All calls and emails from this family were answered promptly, to say otherwise is untrue.

I'm sorry to hear of your disappointment. Your experience is certainly not the norm. Of the close to 4,000 students we worked with in the past year in over 60 locations, the average rating on a scale of 0 to 10 in of how likely a client would refer their friend to LearningRx is 9.3. Our NPS score (client satisfaction rating) is 72, one of the highest in the country (average US company has a NPS of 11)

Although I do not know the particulars of you son's situation and problems, I know the staff in Centennial has a great passion to help those with learning and reading problems. The 24 week program (cognitive and reading training) that you referred to, achieve average results unmatched by any other reading program. Note the following comparison of gains achieved per hour and cost per year improvement.

Tutoring: up to 80 hrs; gain 1.09
2005 Chicago Public School Study: 60,000 students; 30 tutoring programs
Average net gain: reading .09 yr; Gain/hr = .001 (best of 30 was .006)
Average cost per .06 yr gain is $833, Cost/year reading gain: $9255

Best 1-1 reading program w/o cognitive base: 150 hrs; gain 3.5 yrs
Average net gain: reading 2.5 yrs, Gain/hr = .016/hr
Average cost per 2.5 yr gain is $12,000, Cost/year reading gain: $4800

LearningRx-ReadRx w cognitive base: 72 hrs; gain 4.1
Average net gain: reading 3.6 yrs (.05/hr) Gain/hr = .05/hr
Average cost per 3.6 yr gain is $5760 Cost/year reading gain: $1600
(Plus w/o additional cost 4+ yrs average gains in seven cognitive skills)