‘Biggest Loser’ couple to keynote autism forum

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Phil and Amy Parham, contestants on the NBC TV show “The Biggest Loser” in 2008, will share their experiences as parents of an autistic child when they keynote the Community Autism Resource Forum on Wednesday, Feb. 15 in The Woodlands.

Hosted by The Woodlands LearningRx and LearningRx Spring-Champions, the forum will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the South Montgomery County Family YMCA at Creekside located at 6464 Creekside Forest Dr. The public is invited to attend the forum without charge.

The Parhams, who joined NBC’s “Biggest Loser: Families” in 2008, lost a combined total of 256 pounds—the highest percentage of total weight loss for a married couple in the history of the show.

Off camera, the Parhams struggled to navigate their son’s autism diagnosis. They tried several programs, but are convinced that LearningRx helped them the most. The brain-training center uses educational assessments to customize a training program to improve cognitive skills for autistic children.

Now their son is taking regular classes, reading on grade level and doing better in math. “We’ve been really blessed with LearningRx,” Amy said.

The Woodlands LearningRx decided to host the Parhams at their event, as well as companies and organizations that provide resources for families affected by autism.

“Once a child is diagnosed with autism, parents can become overwhelmed,” Kim Bellini, director of The WoodlandsLearningRx, said. “There’s so much to consider – from diet to medicine, health insurance to finances. Most importantly, parents need to know the best way to stay informed.”

The Parhams have made it their mission to inspire dramatic change in others. They have authored three books and made several television appearances, including the “TodayShow,” “Access Hollywood,” and “Oprah.”

They have also created a website promoting healthy living and have issued the “90 Day Fitness Challenge” to churches, organizations, businesses and community groups throughout the United States.

"People will spend thousands on gym memberships, but how much more important is it to think clearly?” Amy said. “Everybody can benefit from sharpening their brain. There are all kinds of reasons to have a coach for your brain just like you have for your body.”

Creating fun ways to build cognitive skills is one of the main goals of The Woodlands LearningRx, a brain-training center that offers unique programs to transform a student’s ability to learn at a core level. The center is located at 4840 West Panther Creek, Suite 205.