Hello. I have a daughter who is 7 y.o. with Down Syndrome, whom I homeschool. I just found out about these programs, and they look good - what I have been trying, not successfully, to do on my own. Does anyone have any experience or insight into using these products with an older child, since they are designed for babies?
Any thoughts appreciated!
Meredith
I don’t have any personal experience to share with you, but I wanted to say WELCOME and we’re so glad you found us!
Little Reader incorporates some fast-paced flash lessons that teach to the “right brain,” as well as some slower mufti-sensory lessons. I know that in children with special needs the right brain dominant “window of opportunity” tends to stay open a bit longer. So, Little Reader might work out well for your daughter, but there’s only one way to find out! I recommend downloading the free two week trial to see how she responds. You can download our e-books as well from the BRILLBABY tab above.
Remember to keep it fun and lively! You can always hook a laptop up to a big TV too and make the font even bigger. It;'s not necessary but some kids prefer it. Good luck & happy teaching. 
My daughter is now 5 but we started when she was 4 with Little Reader and she is doing great. She doesn’t have Down’s syndrome but I do know there are a few moms here who have children with DS.
I also use Little Reader with my 7yr old to help with her reading and she really likes it and its has helped as well. Not sure if she just wants to do what little sis is doing or what? LOL
I say give it a go. Its worth trying that’s for sure.
If you have read Glenn Doman’s What to do about your brain injured and (a bunch of labels) and Down Syndrome child you may understand the concept behind doing these flash programs with hurt children of any age. According to Doman, these children’s chronological age does not match their neurological age (that is why they are developmentally delayed) and that they are stuck at a neurological age of, for instance a 2 yr old. Therefore, their openness to this type of input is as high as a normally developing 2 yr old. I have confidence that the flash programs will help your child develop a strong intellectual foundation upon which all future learning will occur much easier than perhaps otherwise. I have a daughter with Williams Syndrome and we have been using the flash programs for about 2 years. My now 4 year old still does not speak, but I know she has a great foundation of knowledge and especially with math - will be able to build upon concepts introduced by flash. I have not purchased the LR/LM but can download many slideshows parents have posted on this website and have taught her hundreds of BIT cards. If you have PowerPoint you can begin by trying some slideshows before investing in LR/LM to see how your child likes the presentation.
Thank you all for your replies! I definitely want to try the program, but realized yesterday that it doesn’t run on a Mac. javascript:void(0)
We have a PC that isn’t working, so I am going to see if it can be fixed. I will also try to see if I can download the slideshows on Powerpoint on the Mac.
Thanks, again!
Meredith
Hi Meredith!
My daughter also has Down syndrome, although she is a little younger at 4 years of age. I also believe that it would work for a 7 year old, or even older child if they weren’t reading yet. We were fortunate to find this program when my K was just a baby, & she is already reading at a 2nd grade level. I still use Little Reader to further her knowledge & have no plans to retire it any time soon.Because there are such a wide variety of files, I am sure you will be able to find enough different material to keep your daughter interested. Good Luck!
I have a 6 yr old son who also has DS. Because 6 is the compulsory school attendance age in our state, I had to get serious about home schooling him, this year. Before this, he has pretty much been free to play all day. Now, they say play is a child’s work, and he learned quite a bit in his first 6 years. He has known the letters and their sounds since he was 3 1/2, he can count to 10 and recognize the numbers to 10, and he has known about 30 sight words for the past year or so. But he is not the easiest child to get to sit down and work on flashcards or any type of work with pencil and paper. Little Reader has been a huge part of the answer for us, this school year. He has always liked computer toys and “real” computers, so he is very willing to sit on my lap and do the lessons in Little Reader. And I just love it! I usually repeat a lesson for 2 or 3 days to make sure he is learning the words before moving him on to a new lesson which will retire a word or two in each category and add a new word or two in each category. We are currently on Lesson 11, and he has already learned about 30 new words! And he can already read the book Animal Sounds and is well on his way to being able to read Colors Everywhere! 
I am so pleased with his progress! I haven’t begun the Little Math program, yet, because I am still trying to get him used to the new routine of work first before free play time. We are using Handwriting without Tears, and fine motor skills are his biggest challenge, so he isn’t real excited. He keeps trying to escape and go play. Also, my computer probably needs some space freed up before downloading the Little Math program. But I am sure I will love it just as much. These programs are brilliant! What a great way to keep our kids engaged! Best wishes!Justin’s Mom
My little man with Ds is 6. We are looking into Brillkids again. I know he is ready. We are also homeschooling.
I have a son with ds. He is 8 and I too am looking into this. He has verbal apraxia. I hope this will work. Oh and we homeschool.
I had been wondering about LR/LM with my 3 and 4 yr olds. I found out about the programs while searching for something for my 11 month old son with ds. I plan on getting it soon and was wondering if my older kids could get some good out of it too. We homeschool our oldest child (almost 7) and plan to homeschool them all. Thanks for all the comments. I am really getting excited about being able to use it for more than one child, now.