BY LAJU ARENYEKA

Written off as dim-witted, lazy or even bewitched, Nigerian children with learning disabilities have over the years endured failure, and have been largely misunderstood especially by those closest to them. Understanding such special children, and helping them understand, has been the language of Cogniskills, a learning enhancement centre that has helped many of such special children sharpen their cognitive skills.

With a first degree in Philosophy, and a Master’s in Managerial Psychology coupled with years of international experience in the field, the Chief Executive Officer of the company, and mother of four, Mrs. Anayo Ezennia in a chat with Vanguard Learning, shares her challenges and experiences.

What is Cogniskills Learning Enhancement Centre all about?
Cogniskills Learning Enhancement Centre is a learning enhancement and improvement resource facility, which provides cognitive skills training that target the underlying mental and reading skills of its clients that are vital for easy, fast and effective learning. This is done through intense, challenging procedures that significantly impact mental abilities positively.

Our programmes are based on scientific learning and reading principles that have been researched and developed in the United States and South Africa by a multi-disciplinary team of professionals, to quickly and significantly build those underlying mental skills which are responsible for effective learning. We address the root causes of learning difficulties, not the symptoms.

How did you get into the business of training children with learning difficulties?
In 2005, a friend of mine came back from the United States and told me about it. We worked together to set up a learning centre and in 2009, she returned to the United States. I decided to travel to South Africa for further training and certification. When I came back to Nigeria, I registered Cogniskills Ltd. and here I am.

Ezennia conducting a cognitive training exercise with some pupils in Lagos

How do cognitive skills affect a child’s learning?
If attention skills are weak, the ability to stay on a task for long periods of time or ignore distractions would limit the ability of other mental skills. If memory skills are weak, the individual will be unable to retain information long enough to properly handle that information and learning suffers. Processing speed is the speed at which the brain processes information. If the brain is slow, information held in working memory may be lost before it can be used, requiring to start all over again.

Visual Perception is the skill that requires processing and making use of visual images. If this is weak, those tasks that require seeing in your head or creating mental pictures (math word problems, and comprehension, etc.) will suffer. Auditory processing is the ability of the brain to process sounds. It is the basic skill needed to read and spell and also helps with speech defects. Logical reasoning is the ability to reason, think and plan. If these abilities are poor, then problem-solving, math and comprehension will be poor.

How do you identify and help children with learning disabilities?We conduct an assessment to determine to what degree the child possesses the vital cognitive skills necessary for strong academic performance. Then we provide specific on-line, one-on-one and group cognitive skills enhancement programmes to those students with weak learning skills, to help develop and strengthen these skills, and also to those who want to record stronger academic performance.

We also help students get better organised and develop good study skills. Our programmes are not only for children with learning challenges. Children who are average and high academic achievers enjoy easier, faster and better academic performance at the highest level after undergoing cognitive training.  Generally, both programmes are very effective in achieving results.

If the programme only runs for about three months, isn’t it possible for training to be lost on the students after a period of time?

It is not possible for the training to be lost on the students. Our programmes are not subject-based. They are designed like video games. Children enjoy it because they think they are playing games meanwhile they are learning. Whatever the child has learnt remains there for life. By practice, repetitions, immediate feedback and positive reinforcement, even a child that is struggling will succeed eventually. For example, there is this group of students I saw last in 2009. In 2012, after just about two or three sessions, they could perform all the exercises up to the levels where they stopped in 2009.

 Tell us about your success rate?
I have never had reason to feel discouraged since I started working with children. Every weak learning skill can be enhanced no matter the severity of the learning challenge. My students have recorded tremendous improvement and outstanding results. This encourages us to go the extra mile to provide solution to struggling learners. There is the case of an eight- year-old girl with learning disability. During her 5th week on the programme, her mum informed us that the principal was interested and would like to meet with us.

She explained that they carried out mid-term exams at school and this little girl had scored 95 per cent overall. The teachers thought she cheated in the exams. So they referred her to the principal who told them to set new questions for her. When that was done, she was separated from other students as she took the test and she scored 92 per cent. The school management was so amazed that we were invited to make a presentation at a seminar held for international schools at their school. We always get satisfactory reports from parents of children that we have trained.