FAQs - Working with Long Distance Clients
I'm long distance from the closest Center, but I'm really interested in your program. How do you generally work with long distance Clients? We have a rapidly growing number of long distance clients, coming from states such as Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, New Jersey, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia besides distant parts of Oregon and Washington. The Sharper Minds program has proven very effective for long distance clients and distance should not be a drawback to starting the program. All long distance clients are seen at our Portland, Oregon area headquarters office where we have the best facilities, and it is easier to make hotel and travel arrangements. Generally, by the time a client family comes in, they have done their due diligence and are ready for the in-depth evaluation and to begin the program. They should plan on 2 days (generally Thursday and Friday) of concentrated work including the evaluation process. While we attempt to be flexible and work around each family’s scheduling needs, here is a typical scenario. FIRST VISIT: Usually the family flies or drives in on a Wednesday afternoon/evening. We encourage you to make a vacation of your trip and allow a day for rest and to do a little sight seeing either before or afterwards. Thursday morning, we meet at 9:00 a.m. and after some time for rapport building, start with the testing. After testing and some education of how the program works, we take a break and enjoy lunch together (our treat). After the lunch break, we process the paperwork for the program, and then begin several hours of intense work (1:00-3:00). That’s usually enough for the first day. The second day (Friday), we again start at 9:00 and go to about 3:00, again with a break for lunch (this time on your own). We provide the family with detailed instructional materials including manual, videos, audio cassettes and CDs, charts, forms, digital files and the necessary equipment. Near the end of this time, a time is set for the weekly phone appointments, generally early afternoon, depending on the time zone that the client family is in (for example 5:00 p.m. EST = 2:00 PST p.m.). The family can then fly out that late afternoon/evening or stay on through the weekend for some sight seeing. The manuals will assist the family with getting their home set up for training, and for the first few exercises. Prior to the weekly appointment, the client family faxes in to the Center their daily/weekly worksheets via our toll-free fax line (each client family will need easy access to a fax machine - an inexpensive one will suffice as it will be used primarily for outbound faxes). Their assigned trainer then oversees the training process by phone (usually about 20-25 minutes) every week at a given time. This weekly report-in maintains the accountability on the part of the parents to actually work with their child doing the exercises required for successful nerve growth. Generally after the phone call, the trainer fills in the assignment sheet, scans it into Acrobat Reader pdf format and e-mails it to the family. If the family does not have e-mail, but does have a fax machine, it can be sent by fax as well. FOLLOW-UP VISITS: Depending on the progress being made, and/or the need to return for face to face guidance, the family may return to the Center for a day or so of concentrated work. Again these sessions generally run from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. with a break for lunch. At the end of the program, the family may return (at their option) for a final evaluation. The before and after comparison can be rather striking. Do one or more parents need to be present during each visit? If the child's parents are married, we strongly recommend that both be present during the first visit. If the concerned parent is single, they are asked to bring a trusted friend or one of the child's grandparents with them. This is important so that there is familial support for doing the program. What are the fees for the testing and program? Most dyslexia related programs run between $17,000 to $25,000 and many continue to focus on medications while they teach the student compensatory behaviors. Our program is designed to be affordable and deals at the neural level to resolve most underlying issues. Around 70% of those taking or contemplating meds are able to discontinue them within 8-12 weeks. Around 90% are able to discontinue them within 6-12 months. About 10% may be kept on meds for various reasons (a study done in 2006 showed 100% were able to discontinue meds). For a child of average or above average intelligence who progresses fairly normally through the program, it usually takes about 12-14 months to complete the program. Older kids and adults may complete it sooner, often within 11 or fewer months. Those who are struggling with more severe issues, oppositional kids or the younger ones (6-8 years old) may take longer. We have made changes in our fee structure to make the program more affordable for families. See fee schedule for the latest details. For the convenience of both parties, the monthly fee MUST BE BILLED TO A MAJOR CREDIT CARD, OR AUTOMATED BANK ACCOUNT DRAFT. The initial fee includes the 12-15 hours at our office for the first visit, an evaluation for one child or adult, the equipment for the program (which you will take home with you - bring a large suitcase) and the licensing fees we must pay per family. The training fee covers the 1 to 2 children or adults plus the coach (the primary person working with the kids) and is NOT a per person fee. Adding in lodging, meal, car rental, flight and miscellaneous expenses, you may wish to plan on setting aside ~$8,000 to cover the entire cost of the program and related travel expenses (for 2 people). While to the uninitiated, the fees may seem high, they are very competitive compared to other programs that claim that they address the mental wiring issues. I understand that Intermountain Hospital, a former mental hospital in Idaho which uses an inpatient type program, charges anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000 a month for their program and it takes about a year. The family is not intimately involved. Another program in Utah (I met a therapist who worked for them) charges around $10,000 a month for their program. One of our long distance clients spent $20,000 for a 2-week program back east that failed do anything for his 19-year old son. I've talked to a number of psychologists who were surprised that we could offer a program at this price-point. They asked if we were government subsidized. The answer (with a smile for the taxpayers) is no. To the best of our knowledge, the Sharper Minds program has the greatest success rate of any program addressing learning disabilities, ADD, ADHD and dyslexia in the USA today. Consider that the true cost of something is the price of doing it MINUS the price of not doing it. And there’s nothing as expensive as the price for failure and preventable struggle. How do we pay for the program? See fee schedule for the latest details. *Cashier’s checks or certified checks are preferred by our bank for out-of-state clients, but personal checks, major credit cards (Visa, MC, AmEx and Discover) and cash are okay, too. For those needing smaller payments, we recommend financing through a third party such as a bank or credit union. Payments can usually be less than $200 a month over a few years. Getting a signature line of credit, or refinancing a car seem to be the simplest way of getting fairly low interest financing. Refinancing a house may take some time, though the interest may be tax deductible. Grandparents often are willing to help some with the fees. If a plan needs to be customized to meet the needs of a more severe situation, alternative fees and payment plans can be arranged. Please see the other Frequently Asked Questions sections for more answers to the most commonly asked questions. If you would like to speak to someone regarding your unique situation, please feel free to call us toll free at 1-866-HELP-A.D.D. [1-866-435-7233]. You will find us caring, knowledgeable and willing to listen. You can enter your own address information online. If you are long distance, we encourage you to download our brochures and flyers. Otherwise, we do encourage you to call for a more personal experience. What airlines fly into Portland? Most major airlines fly into it, including:
plus many of the international carriers. The most notable exception is U.S. Airways. They do fly into Seattle which is about a 3 hour drive away. Flights into the Portland, Oregon area are competitively priced and one visitor commented that the newly remodeled airport was the most beautiful and efficient one he'd seen in a long while. How can we minimize flight costs? Check out www.expedia.com for a way to quickly find the least inexpensive fare. Whether you chose to book through them, the airlines or a travel agent is up to you. Check out Southwest Airlines specials (Southwest doesn't participate in Expedia). Sometimes they offer coast-to-coast (wherever they fly) specials for $198 + tax roundtrip. Make sure you sign up for a frequent flyer program. Most programs offer free flights in the 48 contiguous states for 25,000 miles. If you fly from the east coast, that's ~7,000 miles round trip. 3 trips will get you pretty close to a 4th free trip. Use a credit card that offers frequent flyer miles for purchases. We recommend First USA’s United Airlines card. Between booking the flights and other purchases using the credit card and your actual flight miles, you should qualify for at least one free ticket per person. And any leftover miles can be used to fly free to other destinations. See if the hotel you stay at or the car rental agency you use also offers frequent flyer miles. What is there to see and do in the Portland area? Click here for things to see and do in Portland and a map to our main office location. How do I set up an appointment to get started? Call toll free 1-866-HELP-A.D.D. [1-866-435-7233] to talk to someone at our headquarters office. You should plan on calling 3-4 weeks in advance of the time you’d like to come out to ensure that the time you desire is available, and to minimize the cost of your plane tickets. Why not take advantage of breaks from school (such as the summer or Christmas holidays) to make a difference in your child's life? The changes will be worth it! Can I download your brochures and information? Click here for brochure, click here for video/radio interview |
|
Home | Overview
| Info Video | Testimonials | Testing
| Training | Parents Terms of UseQuestions or comments about this web site?
Copyright © 2002-2005
Sharper Mind Centers, Inc.
|