 My son is 12 years old and diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. He is verbal at home but does not speak anywhere else. He works on Brainware Safari 2 or 3 times a week for 30 to 40 minutes. He is only able to work on each section for 5 minutes at a time because it is overstimulating if he doesn't do well. We can see an improvment in his performance at the games. We watch him concentrate and "overcome" the tough stuff. He's only been using it for a few weeks but we can tell it will be helpful. I sit with him and encourage him through most of it, but it's time well spent. He enjoys the games and is glad to do it. Just be aware that if your child is overstimulated easily they might not function very well for a time after finishing the session. It has been the most helpful therapy he has ever gotten because Brainware Safari focuses on new thinking patterns NOT teaching my son how to to simply behave like his typical peers. Highly Recommend!!!” Rhonda Hart, Co-op Member |
My kids all like this program. I think it's a great way to enhance cognitive thinking skills and the discount through Homeschool Buyers Co-op makes it so affordable.”Ruth W, Co-op Member |
My gifted 6.5 yr daughter loves this product. I love that I can provide her a "game" that is mentally beneficial.”Beth Evans, Co-op Member |
My 12-year old daughter loves the Brainware activities. Brainware supports areas of growth where she needs to build strength. I was unable to add another user so my younger daughter is quite disappointed to not be able to use Brainware as well. I am thankful that Brainware had designed this multifaceted software to build skill and confidence in a way that engages (and leaves those without an account jealous!).”Kathy K, Co-op Member |
This is the one and only educational item that my daughter always wants to use. We both love it!”LaShaune, Co-op Member |
Brainware Safari has been wonderful for my son! He's 14 and has really struggled with attention deficit, auditory processing, and thinking and concentration issues. It has been amazing to see his improvement as a result of this program. I am absolutely convinced that Brainware Safari has improved not only his ability to stay focused on school work, but has definitely improved his overall achievement. So much so that he's zooming through his regular school assignments now and I'm having to supplement with more challenging work to keep him engaged. Their customer service has also been excellent. Thank you so much for this outstanding software!”Mary O'Brien, Co-op Member |
There are times when I'm busy with one or more children and need an educational, high-quality activity the other children can do in the meantime. It's a huge relief to know that during those periods my kids are improving cognitive function with Brainware rather than wasting time.”Val Marsh, Co-op Member |
My son is enjoying this software. It is challenging and engaging. There is a lot of creative variety to the program.”Jocelyn M., Co-op Member |
I am so glad I purchased Brainware-Safari! Although my boys, 13, 10 and 8 have used it only a handful of times due to our busy summer schedule, I can already see its value.
They can each work at their own pace, challenging themselves to do better at each level! It is helping one son with his attention span, another with patience and diligence, and yet another with his focus and attention to detail. What a great thing to have one product that can help all three of my very individual sons! And by the way, although my oldest has not yet admitted to having fun, I find him smiling while working on the program!”Lisa M., Co-op Member |
The Brainware-Safari software is excellent in that it hits all the major areas of sequential processing both in the visual and auditory areas with forward and reverse sequences using letters, numbers, and objects and also focuses on improving processing speed. With 20 different activities, some kids will fly through multiple levels in some activities, but will cap out early in others. Those hard activities require more efficient use of working memory which is a big problem area for many children with special learning needs. Chunking of letters, digits, and symbols is a common strategy used by many to remember things. There are many activities in the software that make it very difficult to use that strategy, which is good since many of the sequence are limited to under seven units in length. Two excellent activities that use both visual and auditory integration are Sky Scanning and Rhythym Ribbet.
It is very important that a parent work side by side with a child when they hit those "walls" in various activities as the frustration level can build very quickly. On some activities, if left alone, a child could easily cheat to pass the level. If a child experiences ongoing difficulties in various acitivites, the parents should observe those difficulties and then help the child figure out strategies to address those challenges.
I would not recommend this program for a child with visual impairments, because of the font size on many of the activities. A parent should go to the Brainware Safari website and view the demo BEFORE purchasing to determine if the font size is appropriate to meet their child's needs.
The logic and reasoning sections of the program are refreshing and offer a nice break for the child. They help expose them to the more abstract concepts.
I do not like the fact that the "home user" version of this software does not allow a parent to print a progress report. I hope that in the future this may be made available. This is very important especially for a homeschool parent who is using an "at home" IEP and is trying to document their child's progress.
When compared to other sequential processing software programs on the market, it is competitive in the price area, and has more activites than most. When looking at the overall challenge level (maximum length of sequences), there are other softwares out on the market that go above the maximum level provided in Brainware Safari, but one must remember that Brainware Safari is aimed at the elementary and middle school age population.”Mary Fratianni, NYS LEAH Special Needs Coordinator, Chapter Leader PICC LEAH, Certified TLP Provider |
I have worked with my adopted kids for 7 years to strengthen cognitive processing skills through special exercises, lessons and games. We have recently added Brainware-Safari software to our program. It is an outstanding, fun way for our whole family to develop our unused potential and overcome learning weaknesses. I highly recommend this product to anyone at any age, especially those struggling with learning challenges!”Mrs. R. Pendakur, Co-op Member |
My daughter, who is 8 years old, really enjoys Brainware-Safari. She has Sensory Processing Disorder, her vision and auditory system are impacted by this. The games do a great job targeting these areas with different skills that she needs improvement on. What we've found very interesting is some of the games are similiar to some of the exercises her vision therapist was having her do. The one exception though is Brainware Safari does it in a way that's more fun. We have shared the information with our vision therapist and others.
Thank you for offering this to us at a discounted price, we appreciate the savings!
As a parent, I enjoy watching her play the games and find them challenging for myself.”J. Detweiler, Co-op Member |
This is dynamite! This is what I have been looking to find for quite some time now! This is the best!!! My son is Dyslexic and he is having doing well with Brainware-Safari. It is an excellent tool to have in your homeschool environment.”Michelle Harrington, Co-op Member |
Our children (14, 12, 9, 7) have been using Brainware Safari since January of this year. We used it regularly during second semester of school, 30-45 minutes a day. I noticed that their memory and attention abilities were dynamically increased. We live abroad, and my children go to school in the host language. I feel that this program is significant in bolstering their ability to understand and problem solve, most particularly in difficult foreign-language learning situations. My children love the program. They each zoomed forward at each game until reaching their learning levels and then it became challenging for them to rally themselves to continue. At this point I asked them to try to beat their previous success level. It is at this point you can tell where their strengths and weaknesses are. I plan to use other materials (from Critical Thinking Company, see HSBC link) to help them in these weak areas, not because Brainware Safari is insufficient, but because it can be additional success for them in their weak areas.
Before I got this, I was very curious about exactly what I was getting into, if it would be interesting or appealing to my children. I can assure you that the activities stimulate their brains. The activities themselves draw them back--they want to master that activity, as opposed to other games where they just want to finish a storyline, and where the story itself is pulling them. In this 'game', they recognize they are stretching their mind, and that becomes the motivation. I like to see them learning-to-learn. I also bought an account for myself, and love challenging myself in this area as well.
I highly recommend this.”Darlene B, Co-op Member |
First I just want to say WOW! I was concerned because I am entering my first year of homeschooling and am not sure what to buy and concerned about how much I am spending. This is definitely money well spent. I got the software link almost immediately and the download on an old laptop was so easy! There was a little mix up with the username and when I called the Brainware company I got a live person within seconds. Karen was so nice and helpful and cleared things up in seconds! When my child saw the animals she was so excited to choose 1 and get started. The other reason I was hesitant to purchase this is because I know my child is "bright" and was not sure if she needed this - well I was wrong. She was challenged by the very first exercise. Luckily I read that even if it was hard for her it would be beneficial and after coaching her a little she was able to succeed on her own within a few minutes. THANK YOU SO MUCH!”Shawna M., Co-op Member |
My 8 yo. daughter loves it and I see how it has helped. She looks forward to it daily and has become a bit "competitive" with herself. This is good as she was never competitive. Would highly recommend.”Kris, Co-op Member |
My 11 year old son has been using the software for about a month. He is an average reader and we hope that this will increase his visual skills some and as a consequence his reading speed. For the most part he has enjoyed the games and doesn't complain about doing them. (He generally hates all schoolwork.) Some games he finds easy, others difficult. He doesn't have a diagnosable problem so it is difficult to know how much it will help until we are done. Then I'll test his reading speed again. I ended up buying another copy for my 9 year old daughter, not because she needs it, but she wanted to play the games and her brother kept trying to let her do them for him. After two days, she is halfway caught up with him and loves it. But she can read a grade or two ahead of her level already.
I do think the games are well designed to appeal to kids from 8-12 and in many cases will help children with various skills. But I wouldn't recommend it for kids under 8 - I think the games quickly become too hard for a child who was struggling with these skills already.”A Wilson, Co-op Member |
My daughter enjoys this program and gets very excited when she passes a level.”Rebecca, Co-op Member |
Love your product. I used it with my oldest daughter and her test scores soared while her frustration with school diminished. - Thank you”Paula L., Co-op Member |
Brainware-Safari has been a great investment for my family. My son uses this program 3-4 a week for 30 minutes each session. It was helped him improve his visual processing and visual memory based on testing reevaluations performed by his neuropsychologist. This used in conjuction with occupational therapy has been very beneficial to him. When I showed this program to his OT, she loved it. In fact, she was trying to get a site license for the clinic that she worked in. I would highly recommend it for anyone struggling with processing problems.
We will continue to utilize this program as a part of his therapy to overcome his processing delays.”Melanie A., Co-op Member |
We have used Safari for over 4 months now and are seeing a difference in my daughter's processing ability. We noticed her thinking through problems, rather than just giving up. The games are fun but challenging. I highly recommend it for anyone-whether you have children with learning challenges or if they are gifted. Processing and critical thinking are important skills that aren't address in typical curriculum.”K. Gerndt, Co-op Member |
I am a Brain Integration Therapist for children and adults with learning issues. In generally, I do not like programs with exercises. This one is an exception. Although it is very hard at times, there are enough easy exercises to give you a break. Although it works on many areas of the brain, the biggest improvement I saw is in the improvement of the working memory. This part of the brain is like a scratchpad to keep information on temporarily, while you process it. Most people with learning problems have issues with the working memory.
The exercises can be very hard and frustrating to do. However, just practicing without getting up a level, has benefits. The more you practice, the more you get out of it. I recommend 20 minutes at least 2 times per week. Do not get frustrated if you do not get it right away. Keep at it. If kids do not want to do it, have them do the fun easy ones for a bit and then one or two hard ones for 5 minutes.”Brain Integration, LLC, Co-op Member |
My son loves Brainware Safari. It is the first thing he wants to do each morning, and persists for around an hour a session if I let him. Now he has passed the initial levels is it taking more time to progress, but he is certainly motivated to try.”Michelle L., Co-op Member |
I bought 3 copies of Brainware Safari this summer for my 3 children (ages 7,11,and 13) They loved it and could not get enough of it. They loved the challenges and the rewards after each section. We have recommended it to friends and their kids also enjoyed the variety of games. This progam was suggested to us by our Developmental and Behavioral Optometrist.”Susan K., Co-op Member |
Short of doing a clinical study, it would be hard to say any product instantly improves IQ or attention, but given the plasticity of the brain it's a safe assumption that the benefits are positive. That means it comes down to the quality of the product, and Brainware Safari succeeds very well. The challenges are varied, and, well, challenging. In fact the last problems on certain levels will be challenging for adults as well, so be prepared to scratch your head.
If I could recommend any improvement, it would be the ability to review problems. Unless you are constantly supervising your child, it's possible they could guess answers on certain challenges and advance that way. My son was all excited that he finished the last problem on a level that had been quite challenging, but when I asked him his thought process, he didn't have one. He fessed up that he had guessed, but fortunately I remembered the gist of the problem and we went through it on paper. For this reason it would be great to be able to go back.
Overall though I would recommend the product as it will challenge your child in many different cognitive dimensions.”Pete R, Co-op Member |
My children (9,8) found Brainware Safari enjoyable and challenging. To them, it seemed like a game. To me, it promoted persistence, memory, logic, etc. Highly recommended.”J Leeds, Co-op Member |
Even my teenagers are having fun and finding challenges. Everyone is good in different areas and has to work harder and take longer in other areas. We encourage each other and groan and laugh together. We are committed to finishing the programs. I just wish there was a second stage to go to after this.”Lynn K., Co-op Member |
This is a wonderful program. I have two children using it and they both love it. It has pushed my daughter in areas that we had not been able to help her with by any other means.”C. Webb, Co-op Member |
My son has been using Brainware-Safari for about 60 days. He has issues associated with ADHD and small motor skill development delays. This software is the only one that we have found that helps him increase his ability to focus and remember. At the higher levels it is very challenging and he has had some frustrations. But, we know when he completes a level that he has really accomplished something. We do recommend it..especially to little people that need assistance with focus, cognative learning skills and memory.”Sandy M., Co-op Member |
My son with mild autism has been doing this program for almost a month now. He has done similar exercises before but not on a computer. The computer aspect of Brain Safari makes it much more appealing to my son and the cost (compared to similar therapy programs that we've done) is such a great deal! Even though the exercises aren't always easy, we keep at it and he is making progress with it. I think it's too soon to say how much it's helping but we have noticed that in the past two weeks, he's been willing to try new foods and has also shown improvement in P.E. (listening to directions and physically being able to do certain exercises correctly). His tolerance socially with other kids has also improved. I have already told at least 4 other families about this program and the great price at Homeschool Buyers Co-op! Thanks!”M.G., Co-op Member |
Our vision therapist recomended Brainware Safari to us to help with my son's double vision, cognative brain connections, and reading and math skills. Her office wanted to charge me $280 for the program. I have been a member of Homeschool Buyers Co-op for a couple of years and I spotted the program on the site. I am pretty sure there was a God-incidence going on...so long story short...my son has concluded the program and is doing very well. I heartily recomend Brainware Safari to anyone with students that struggle with reading skills, visual processing, auditory processing, memory, or sensory intigration. This program is great and so is Homeschool Buyers Coop for enabling us to purchase the program on a budget.”Laurie Halvorson, Co-op Member |
My daughter loved this at the beginning and her brothers were jealous they didn't get to do it. I had to limit her doing it, but she wanted to keep going and pass another level because it was so satisfying. It did get harder though, which is the point, and she got frustrated and didn't enjoy it much the last few weeks. It is still supposed to be helping her even if it gets too hard to pass a level,but she just wanted to pass a level. However, I called Brainware safari and every time they were super helpful. In this case, they really worked with me to help her get through it. I did also notice she seemed more confident and less teary in school while doing this. The smile on her face when her animal grew up and her joy of accomplishing a hard task was worth every penny.”jennifer, Co-op Member |
My son feels that he is helping his friend grow as he learns and trains his mind. His focus is better and reading has improved dramatically. He goes to Brainware Safari before his other games.”Kathryn M, Co-op Member |
I only wish we had found Brainware Safari sooner. This program has been very helpful for my 11yr old daughter - she is highly gifted but has always had issues with visual processing, persistence, and retention of certain skills. She has made great strides in all these areas since completing Brainware Safari. I must admit, I was a bit put off by the 'infomercial' and almost didn't purchase - I would love to see a less cutesy version for older users. I would also prefer to be able to revisit activities rather than only having once through the program. All in all, very worthwhile and I recommend it to others often.”Wendi, Co-op Member |
What a wonderful program. I've seen increases in short and long term memory, concepts, and vision since utilizing the program with my children. Frustration has hit when they've had to work through some difficult areas but the excitement when achieved is fantastic. We have taken a break then gone back to the program and they're excited about their advancements.”Gail H., Co-op Member |
My children love Brainware-Safari! We play it as a family and it is challenging to all of us. When my children progress to another level, they hop up and down and we applaud madly. It has helped them to stretch their concentration and improve their memory. The effects of the exercises expand to their other practice in math and reading.”Wendy Thomas, Co-op Member |
My son has ADHD and visual-spatial processing problems. Prior to Brainware Safari, I would have to sit next to him the whole time he worked on his math, just to keep him on task. About 3 weeks into solid work on Brainware Safari, he was able to do complete math assignments on his own! Researchers in ADHD are beginning to theorize that it's problems with working memory that cause the inattention characteristic of ADHD, rather than the other way around. I think that the Brainware exercises definitely improved my son's working memory.
In addition, I could see the progress he was making with his visual processing skills on the program. He got to levels that I would not have been able to do.
Yes, I did need to sit with him to cheer him on. The exercises are challenging! But, he did generally enjoy it and the results have been all that we would have hoped for.
On a message board I frequent, I recommend Brainware Safari to everyone whose kids are struggling with the kinds of cognitive issues that Brainware addresses. It's a wonderful program and the price is unbeatable.”Laurie N., Co-op Member |
We received our software about 3 wks ago and already we are seeing big improvements in our son's concentration and learning skills. This program was recomended by our vision threapist as an addition to the work she was already doing. We are pleased and look forward to more improvements as he continues to work through the program. He is enjoying the games and is happy to get started every morning. Thanks for helping kids with learning issues!!”Laurie Halvorson, Co-op Member |
