What people should know about child neurodevelopment

Human development is a wonderful thing. It surpasses any stretch of the imagination and each step in human growth is characterized by a promise of greater things to come. Perhaps one of the most fascinating stages in a person’s life is childhood, wherein neurodevelopment is at its most important.

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Despite the fact that everybody is unique, everyone has some growth processes that are almost identical. Take the development of the nervous system. It develops in the same order every time. This means neurodevelopment can be predicted, which only makes the process more important.

Another characteristic of neurodevelopment that people should pay a lot of attention to is that the brain’s organization is hierarchical in nature. The way it functions ranges from the simple to the more complex. The simpler functions need to develop for the complex one to thrive, which is why the old adage of learning to walk before you run is of absolute truth (well, at least in child neurodevelopment).

And for children to maximize their neurodevelopment, they have to use the functions they already have. If they can talk, they need to talk more. If they start walking, they have to keep on walking. This is how their brains develop more and more functions. This part of neurodevelopment is what makes childhood so fascinating. In doing, children learn more and grow quicker.

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Dr. Curtis Cripe’s work with the NTL Group in neuroengineering targets many ailments, including neurodevelopmental delays in children. Check out this website to learn more about Dr. Cripe and his work.

Executive functioning and how it affects people

Issues that involve executive functioning is a huge problem for children. For starters, executive functioning can be compared to the main control room of the brain. It oversees the transition from planning to actually getting the job done. While this analogy seems like an oversimplification, it is anything but simple when children have issues with executive functioning. When they cannot seem to plan, organize, remember, and manage their time, it can get incredibly taxing and frustrating.

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First, parents with children dealing with executive functioning issues have to understand that the issues aren’t a disability on their own. The correct approach should be identifying them as weaknesses in sets of mental skills, which means several different treatments will be needed. 

For example, treatments needed for children who have a problem keeping track of time will be slightly different from children who fail to make sure their work is done on time. The same goes for children who have problems with making plans and those who have difficulties analyzing problems. That said though, it is often the case that executive functioning issues overlap. 

Fortunately, many researchers and therapists have developed several umbrella treatments that target many issues at once. The first step is always to identify the problems. 

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Dr. Curtis Cripe heads the research and development at the NTL Group, which uses neuroengineering to treat addiction, head injury (TBI), depression, anxiety, memory disorders, and neurodevelopmental delays in children with learning disorders. For more on Dr. Cripe’s work at NTL Group, click here.

Important tips on helping a drug addict through recovery

Addiction recovery is a very sensitive time for a patient. There could be healing processes that demand to be followed in the strictest sense. It’s very easy for the recovering addict to have a disastrous relapse if people stray from the given guidelines. Luckily, there are countless individuals willing to pitch in and do their part to help patients recover. 

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Recovery will go a lot smoother if those around the patient, whether people tasked to care of him, or his next-of-kin, or his loved ones, all follow the rules. 

Support is integral to addiction recovery. It is a long road and people recovering from addiction will tell you that the struggle lasts a lifetime. People who care for these patients should not allow prejudice and stigma to affect the recovery process. 

Anything and everything that reminds a person of addiction should also be hidden or better yet, thrown away. It’s not difficult for recovering addicts to relapse once they feel the sudden rush. The psychophysiological effect is very real. And this doesn’t just include paraphernalia. Even empty bottles of liquor or old tobacco pipes should be set aside. 

As mentioned earlier, recovering addicts are perpetually in a very fragile state during the first few months (sometimes, even years). But once they learn they can overcome any urge and stand on their own, they and their loved ones can only expect brighter days ahead. 

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NTL Group specializes in neuroengineering programs diagnosing and treating neurological disorders, as well as addiction recovery. Curtis Cripe, Ph.D. is the head of the research and development team. For more on Dr. Cripe and the NTL Group, visit this website.

Dysgraphia and How to Manage It

Dysgraphia is a learning disorder that affects writing ability and motor skills. A person with dysgraphia can be identified by his illegible handwriting, inconsistent spacing, and poor to no spatial planning while writing on a piece of paper. He may also exhibit much difficulty in composing when writing.

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Whether he writes in print or cursive, the handwriting of a person with dysgraphia is very difficult to understand. Sometimes, the inconsistencies even involve mixing print and cursive handwriting as well as capitalization and lower case writing. He may also have a lot of unfinished words in his compositions.
As far as the writing itself goes, he may write in a weird and awkward position with regard to his body and the paper. Even his grip on the pen or pencil seems highly uncomfortable.
To help people with dysgraphia, medical and psych experts have suggested using a word processor. To learn more, they have also been recommended tape recorders or note takers when listening to lectures. Some teachers also forgo written exams for these individuals, creating specialized oral exams.
For the instruments being used, people with dysgraphia are suggested to utilize wide rule and graphing paper. Pens with specially-designed grips have also proven helpful.

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Curtis Cripe, Ph.D. is the director of research and development of NTL Group -- a neuroengineering services provider specializing in technology that diagnoses and repairs brain dysfunction, including learning disorders in both children and adults. Learn more about the NTL Group by checking out this website.

First eight years of life critical in preventing substance abuse

Studies suggest that the vast majority of people who become addicted to alcohol, tobacco, and drug usually had their first taste of the bad stuff when they were young – in fact very, very young. In recent decades, substance abuse has even become more prevalent among pre-teen children, showing the sad reality that no child is safe from an epidemic of addiction. 

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Now it appears that different factors affect a child’s self-control and overall mental health from pregnancy through the eighth year of life, according to an online guide on early childhood interventions launched by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in March 2016. While substance abuse usually begins during teenage years, it has existing biological, psychological, social, as well as environmental roots that start even prior to birth. 

“We now know that early intervention can set the stage for more positive self-regulation as children prepare for their school years,” said NIDA director Dr. Nora D. Volkow in a media release announcing the launch of “Principles of Substance Abuse Prevention for Early Childhood,” which tackles major influences on early development issues such as lacking school readiness skills and uncontrolled aggression. 

It is deemed crucial to understand what draws kids to drugs, and be armed with basic information about the substances that currently prevail in their neighborhood. It is also important to be cognizant of the signs that a drug problem might be taking root in the home. 

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Dr. Curtis Cripe was the founder of the Crossroads Institute, which formulated neuroengineering programs to diagnose and treat a wide array of neurological dysfunctions, including addiction and learning disorders. Learn more on this page.

What a Child With Nonverbal Learning Disorder Goes Through

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If a child has difficulty with trying to make sense or understanding or interpreting nonverbal cues such as body language or even facial expressions, there’s a chance that they have nonverbal learning disorder or NVD. Children with this disorder may also exhibit poor coordination. NVD usually manifests itself through a high discrepancy between strong verbal skills and weak motor/visual-spatial/social skills.

Aside from difficulty with nonverbal cues, children with NVD are also clumsy, as they bump into people and objects quite often. They have a hard time tying shoes, writing, or doing anything related to fine motor function. They also cannot interpret certain things that happen without proper labels. Children with NVD also have problems coping with routine changes and following instruction with over a single step. As far as translations to nonverbal cues go, they are very literal.

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Therapists often recommend constant rehearsal for children with NVD to help them move more easily. It’s also more prudent that children with NVD be given more verbal cues than normal, as well as more in-depth and repetitive instructions. And since they tend to ask more questions than other children, it is important that adults or anyone handling children with NVD answer their questions as often as possible.

Dr. Curtis Cripe’s work is one the foundations of the NTL Group's neuroengineering technologies for treating neurodevelopmental delays such as learning disorders. Visit this website for more about Dr. Cripe and his work.

Dyslexia: A Common Learning Disorder

There are times when people with dyslexia don’t even know they have the reading disorder. Like many learning disabilities, dyslexia is a confusing disorder which affects people of normal intelligence. Dyslexic people have difficulty with spelling, writing, and pronouncing sometimes even the simplest words, and reading and understanding basic text. Many of the people afflicted with this disorder notice it first in school, and it greatly affects their learning progress.

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People believe that dyslexia is caused by genetic and environmental factors. Oftentimes, dyslexia arises when one has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. And the disorder also extends beyond letters and words, into the realm of numbers.  Sometimes, dyslexia could manifest later in life, into adulthood, when one experiences traumatic brain injury.  

The diagnosis of dyslexia depends on the results of numerous tests on memory, vision, spelling, and reading, which are all needed to rule out other factors of learning difficulties.

As for the treatment, the main course of action is to adjust and personalize methods of teaching. Though it has to be noted that doing this isn’t a cure, but rather a way to alleviate symptoms. It is also important to note that it is not a vision problem. Curing vision problems doesn’t cure dyslexia.  

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 Dr. Curtis Cripe's work has been instrumental in the development of the treatment programs used by NTLgroup®, which specializes in the rehabilitation of neurological functions and treatment of neurocognitive disabilities.  For more information about Dr. Cripe and the work he does, visit his company's official website.

Busting a Few Persistent Misconceptions About The Brain

The brain is a complex and dynamic organ.  Because much of it had been (and still is) poorly understood, many myths shared as fact by laypersons have sprung.

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One of the most persistent myths about the human brain is that its component cells, the neurons, do not divide.People are born with all the brain cells they would even have in their lifetimes.The same was thought to be true for neurons present in nerves, with the exception being the olfactory neurons in the nose.


Today, however, it is now known that not only does neurogenesis take place in key regions of the brain but also that the brain’s ability to produce new neurons is intrinsically linked to mental stimulation and engagement.

Indeed, neurogenesis, together with mental plasticity, plays a key role in maintaining the resilience of the brain.  Mental stimulation in the limbic system, which includes such disparate mentally engaging activities such as video games and sports, encourages the continued production of cells, while constant activity and engagement stimulates the creation of newer, denser, and stronger connections among neurons.


However dynamic the brain is, it would not necessarily show in its convolutions, contrary to a widely-held belief that one gets new wrinkles as the brain develops.The brain receives all its wrinkles throughout fetal development. This is not the only myth surrounding the brain’s appearance; merely being bigger does not mean that a brain would be more intelligent.

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Finally, the most persistent of these myths is the notion that all brain damage is irreversible.  Thanks to its natural resilience, it is possible with some effort and guidance to repair damaged connections, eventually restoring impaired and even lost functions within the brain.


Dr. Curtis Cripe’s work in neuroengineering and brain plasticity lies at the heart of the NTL Group’s programs for cognitive repair. Learn more of its applications from this website.

How Brain Injuries Should Be Handled

Brain injuries happen when the brain itself experiences trauma or a brain-damaging illness. People with brain injuries are affected in all sorts of ways. The event can have a devastating effect on how they move, feel, think, or function. Over five million people in the country are trying to cope with some sort of brain injury.

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People can sustain brain injuries in a variety of ways. The type of brain injury—-whether or not it is classified as traumatic—- is determined by the circumstances. Situations that can cause traumatic brain injuries can range from car crashes to slips or falls, from sports accidents to violent attacks from other people, from wartime experiences such as bomb blasts to repeated concussions in a full contact sport.

As for non-traumatic brain injuries, a simple lack of oxygen will be enough to damage the brain. Other causes include tumors and infections. Although the most common non-traumatic brain injury is stroke.

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When a person suffers a brain injury, his or her loved ones should be prepared for the symptoms, which can include headaches, poor vision, inability to communicate, insomnia, and more serious problems like seizures and gradual decline of motor skills. People taking care of loved ones who’ve suffered brain injuries should above all understand that the injury changes them.

NTL Group specializes in neuroengineering programs diagnosing and treating neurological disorders connected to head injuries, among other physical problems. Curtis Cripe, Ph.D. is the head of the research and development team. For more on Dr. Cripe and the NTL Group, check out this website.

The Widely Believed Causes Of ADD/ADHD

Attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD) has varying causes that medical experts have not yet scientifically isolated. There is no medical exam or blood test that can diagnose the causes of these disorders – scientific behavioral assessments, neuro-imaging techniques, and cognitive abilities evaluation, however, aid in the diagnosis of ADD or ADHD.

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ADD/ADHD is commonly attributed to is genes. Studies show that if a parent has ADD/ADHD, the likelihood that the child will have it, too, is 50 percent. Furthermore, an individual who suffers from ADD/ADHD is four times as likely to have had a relative with the same issue.

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Currently, various researches on different genes are ongoing. These notably involve the brain chemical dopamine, which is responsible for the transmission of signals between nerves in the brain, and imbalances in the fatty acids, which are important for brain development and function.

Pregnancy complications are also seen as potential causes of ADD/ADHD. Children who were born under difficult circumstances, for instance, premature birth and low birth weight, have a higher risk of having ADD/ADHD. Exposure to toxins caused by cigarette smoke, alcohol, drugs, lead, PCBs, or pesticides during pregnancy could also hinder the baby’s brain development.

Curtis Cripe, Ph.D. is the director of research and development of NTL Group, a neuroengineering services provider specializing in technology that diagnoses and repairs brain dysfunction, including neurodevelopmental delays in children with learning disorders. Visit this website for more information about the company.