The
ADHD Condition
ADHD has become one of the most frequently
diagnosed conditions among schoolchildren today. A child may have trouble paying attention, remaining
still, or he/she may experience both sets of challenges.
Teachers are trained to notice this
in their students, convey their impressions to concerned parents and often urge
a consult with a physician in the hopes of receiving that diagnosis and the
subsequent trials of medication.
Parents are often puzzled, as well, by
a child’s apparent inability to focus on everyday things like doing homework, remembering
to bring assignments home or carrying out simple tasks without frequent
reminders.
General
Diagnosis and Treatment
The diagnosis of ADHD, while often
accompanied by paper-and-pencil assessments conducted by teachers and/or
parents frequently rests on a simple test; if the prescribed medication reduces
hyperactivity and improves attention, then the child has
ADHD.
Medication for this condition provides
symptomatic relief, but does nothing to change the actual functioning of the
brain - remove the medication and the
condition returns. There is research indicating
that treatment of ADHD with medication is no better than no treatment after
three years of treatment.
A
Different Approach
Parents looking for another approach
will be happy to know that Neurofeedback offers an effective alternative. While many people may not have not heard
about Neurofeedback, it has been available as a treatment protocol for ADHD
since the 1970’s.
The basic thinking about ADHD from a
Neurofeedback perspective is quite simple: if the neurons are firing too
slowly, that is, the brain is under-aroused, then let’s find a way to lessen
the impact of those neurons and increase the availability of the frequency used
to pay attention. Simple and effective.
Our Board Certified experts on
Neurofeedback treatment, Dan Meyer, PhD, BCB-N,
and his business partner Barbara L.
Monaco, LCSW-R BCN of The
Hudson Valley Center for Neurofeedback, located in Poughkeepsie, NY provide
both Neurofeedback assessment and Neurofeedback treatment for ADHD.
What
is Neurofeedback?
Neurofeedback, a method that retrains the brain has been found to be
helpful for a wide range of conditions including ADHD, Anxiety, Depression,
Traumatic Brain Injury, Autism Spectrum Disorder, sleep issues and problems with
Peak Performance.
Dr. Dan and Barbara begin with a
recording of the electrical activity of the brain, submit that information to a
database for comparison with a normative sample, and then receive a product
called a brain map. The brain map indicates those areas that are firing too
slowly and firing insufficiently to promote attention.
A treatment protocol is then designed specifically
for the patient to regulate the firing patterns of the neurons back to the
norm. With repeated treatments, these
firing patterns regulate and the child with ADHD becomes more attentive, less
hyperactive and more compliant to everyday expectations.
Roberto:
A Case History
Roberto was an 11-year-old boy who had
been treated for ADHD for five years with medication when he came to the
Center. His parents had seen little change over that time, and were
discouraged. His grades were barely acceptable, and the complaints from his
teachers seemed to be never ending. He was generally unhappy with his day to
day life.
Following his assessment, known as a QEEG, they developed several treatment protocols which were
applied over time. Within a fairly short period, his brain began to show the
proper firing patterns. As this improved, his grades improved, and his medications
were dramatically reduced. A follow up one year later revealed continued progress
both in school and in his social life.
Visit HVCNF.COM
for additional
information including a video. Or call the Center at (845) 473-4939 to set
up an appointment for a free informational consultation.