What is Cogmed? Is Cogmed Worth the Money?

What is Cogmed, and is it worth the money? We get asked this question an awful lot!

Cogmed is a clinical software program, worked on at home, on the computer. Raviv Practice London has been using this program since it arrived in the United Kingdom in 2008. We are the leaders in terms of experience and have a track record of working directly with Cogmed (the makers of Cogmed) and then with Pearson Clinical (distributors of Cogmed). At Raviv Practice London, Cogmed is part of a more extensive therapeutic intervention for 90% of our students. 

Cogmed is research-based - validated by clinical neuropsychological testing and published in scientific peer-review papers. The program is proven to boost concentration and attention.   

Cogmed aims to increase the amount of information you can hold and manipulate. By storing and manipulating information at one time, you, in effect, increase your capacity to concentrate. 

What is Cogmed as a therapy? 

Cogmed is designed to improve an individual’s working memory which is the ability to store and manipulate information in the brain for short bursts (see What is Working Memory, and why is it so important?)  Working memory also helps retrieve long-term facts and connects them to thinking processes we do moment to moment.  

How do we measure Working Memory? You can go to a psychologist and have various tests done, or you can do a self-assessment questionnaire.  

What is the Cogmed Working Memory training process? 

There are two types of Cogmed Working Memory Training available. 'Cogmed Light' is for young children and individuals with limited language capabilities. 'Cogmed Standard' is for any individual age eight and above. 

Both Cogmed Light and Cogmed Standard have an option of adding buildings on ‘The Cogmed Island.’ This building is a fun activity that is done as a reward after the training.  

 More serious adult users, and those doing their yearly Working Memory Boost, can opt to do the Cogmed Focus; it is the same training but without ‘The Cogmed Island.´ 

Both Cogmed Light and Cogmed Standard have a series of exercises. These exercises are set to challenge the participant to hold an increasingly larger number of information.  

The exercises fall into various sub-categories: 

• Visual 

• Visual-spatial 

• Visual auditory 

• Forward sequencing

• Reverse sequencing 

• Critical skills challenge 

• Phoneme discrimination 

All the exercises involve sequencing at different levels. This ordering of the brain is critical for those with weak working memory, which can only focus on any one thought at a time and do not link things outside that current thought activity.

What does Cogmed Cost? Is it worth the money? 

To find out the current price of Cogmed, please go to this link. When done correctly, it is worth the money.  

With over a decade and a half of experience in understanding if the Cogmed program is suitable, we carefully screen all clients for suitability, before enrolling them on the program. 

Cogmed is a normal part and parcel of a more extensive therapy program for most individuals coming to us. We understand how Working Memory can be affected by many factors. We support those factors and ensure you work to the clinical protocols set out by the scientists, not allowing individuals to deviate from Cogmed’s working protocol.  

Most importantly, however, if we feel Cogmed is not the right solution, we discourage you from enrolling your child. All the variables need to be observed for successful training. 

What is considered a successful Cogmed training? 

Cogmed creates a baseline score for each training candidate. This baseline score must improve by 25 points or more for the training to be considered successful. An increase of 25points is equal to two years improvement in working memory.  

An increase of 25 points is difficult, but we understand the brain’s potential. We know how to combine all the right training factors to reach the necessary score. We offer a range of neurocognitive therapy. Cogmed is part of the jigsaw puzzle that is critical for children and adults to have successful outcomes at home and academically. 

What should I look for in a Cogmed UK provider or a Cogmed Remote provider? 

Raviv Practice London boasts one of the best results for Cogmed Europe-wide. We have the following attributes which can be compared to others you may consider 

• 100% of our students complete the program to the end 

• 95% make the necessary two-year jump in progress 

• 5% increase their increase by over two years 

• Our gains do not fall after a year of repeating Cogmed for the brain boost program 

Do you want your child to improve by two years in 5 or 8 weeks of Cogmed training?

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