We provide a Neurofeedback program for people with attention deficit disorders:
ADD/ADHD Neurofeedback Program
The brain of a child with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder can be likened to a radio station with static. Everyone’s brain produces electricity and the different frequencies are associated with different mental states. People with ADHD produce an abundance of slow waves and show less fast wave activity. An instance of slow (Alpha or Theta) wave activity, in the middle of a difficult task is equivalent to the individual being tuned out for that moment in time, or more static in the radio signal. On the other hand, being actively involved requires a state associated with faster brain waves (Beta), or a radio signal without static.
The life history of many creative geniuses, from Mozart to Edison and Einstein, suggest that they might have been individuals with ADHD. What makes the difference in whether a person with attention problems is a success or not? It depends on whether they learn to harness their abilities and use them to advantage. Fortunately, there is an approach to helping both children and adults learn to self-regulate their brain waves to improve their attention and concentration abilities. This educational approach is called Neurofeedback or EEG Biofeedback. On average, within 20 to 40 sessions, people can acquire the skill of producing brain wave patterns which are associated with focusing and concentrating.
Jamie, Age 11
“He has been moved from a special education math class to a gifted and talented math class.”
~Jamie's Mom
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Neurofeedback and Medication
Unlike stimulants, Neurofeedback training appears to have a direct long-term effect on increasing the child’s ability to remain focused (decreased slow wave activity) and to spend extended periods of time concentrating in a problem-solving manner (increased fast wave activity). There is a significant decrease in the phenomenon of tuning out (associated with (Alpha and/or Theta activity) when the child is expected to be carrying out an assignment or listening intently in class.
History of Neurofeedback
Dr. Joel Lubar from the University of Tennessee and other practitioners around the world have researched Neurofeedback with ADD/ADHD children since the early 1970’s. Dr. Lubar has stated that since the beginning of clinical use of Neurofeedback for treating attention disorders, over 3000 children have benefited from this approach. Outcomes have included:
| • Improved behavior and learning |
• Improved peer and sibling relationships |
| • Improvement in school grades |
• Realization of innate potential |
| • Increased self-esteem |
• Improved scores on parent/teacher rating |
| • Higher intelligence test scores |
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Our Approach to treatment
Our approach involves multiple components:
| • Intake and assessments |
• Biofeedback and Neurofeedback |
| • Family Support and Education |
• School Consultation |
The intake and assessments involve an intake interview, questionnaires, behavior checklists, and Quantitative EEG (QEEG).
The biofeedback sessions are designed to teach the child relaxation techniques and generate more self-awareness. The Neurofeedback sessions are designed to help the child gain self-regulatory control of individual brain wave states (e.g., remain relaxed, alert, and focused without fidgeting). Additionally, during these sessions, the child is taught metacognitive strategies. These strategies address areas in reading, math, listening, remembering, and study skills. Sessions last approximately 50 minutes each and a minimum of two to three per week is recommended. Usually, some benefits are noticed after 10 to 15 sessions and training usually lasts from 20 to 40 sessions, depending on various outcome measures.
Consultation is available to assist parents in helping their child improve behavior and study skills.
Program Costs
The fee for initial evaluation, including a 19-channel Quantitative EEG (QEEG) assessment is $935.00, payable at the time of testing.
Our typical professional service fee is $140.00 for a 45-minute session. A course of neurofeedback for mild – moderate ADHD generally ranges from 30-50 sessions.
The following are typical insurance/CPT codes that many be used for these services, depending on the specifics for individual clients:
90806
90876
90901
We encourage you to check with your insurance company regarding their coverage and reimbursement issues.
Understanding ADD
Parents and schools are increasingly recognizing Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) as a major difficulty, which produces academic underachievement. With at least 5% of school age children affected, you can expect almost every class to have someone with ADD or ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder). Their problems may include short attention span, distractibility, and difficulties organizing and completing their assignments. Many also have an impulsive style; they start work without checking directions, blurt out answers, and have trouble waiting their turn.
ADD is not an illness and it is not a disorder in the usual sense. It is a constellation of temperamental traits, and a style of thinking. The task of the individual who has these traits is to harness them and use them to advantage. Harnessing requires learning how to learn efficiently and effectively.
The brain of the child with ADD can be likened to a “flickering light.” Everyone’s brain produces electricity and the different frequencies of the brain waves are associated with different mental states. People with ADD produce an abundance of slow waves and show less fast wave activity. A sudden burst of slow wave activity – Alpha or Theta – in the middle of a complex task is equivalent to the individual being tuned out, for that moment in time. People with ADD can attest to the frustration of continually finding that, despite the best of intent and even despite major interest in a topic, they miss key points and sections of a lecture only minutes after it has begun. Although most people occasionally experience getting to the end of a page of reading only to realize that their mind has been somewhere else, persons with ADD who have not developed specific counter strategies do this most of the time. With ADD, one may be thinking very intently and creatively internally while ignoring what is being said by a teacher. In addition, even when the individual has not been thinking about something else internally, their mind had not, so to speak, gone into gear and become actively involved in the passage. Being actively involved requires a state associated with faster brain waves – Beta activity.
What may be very confusing to parents is that often the individual with ADD may exhibit superb concentration and focus in specific situations. This may even, at times, be superior to their peers! Children with ADD may, for example, become totally absorbed in games of Nintendo, certain TV programs, building with materials such as LEGO or Playmobile, and so on. In the 1970’s, while doing data collection for her thesis on the effects of Ritalin in hyperactive children, Lynda Thompson (now director of the ADD Centre in Mississauga) noted that a disproportionate number of the ADHD boys who were hockey players played goalie. This is a position which makes the most of inborn characteristics of many ADHD children. The goalie received individual instructions and does not therefore have to pay attention during strategy sessions in the dressing room. When on the ice, their attention can wander when the puck is at the other end of the arena withouy adversely affecting their performance. However, when the puck is in play close to them, they appear to become mentally “locked in” to it and virtually nothing distracts them, including screaming fans.
The mental hyper-focus which ADD people are capable of is very adaptive in a goal-tending situation. It can, on the other hand, irritate a parent whose repeated calls are ignored because the child is in hyper-focus in front of the TV or Nintendo! Many scholars and senior business persons who have ADD note that they can “lock in” to focus on documents that they are creating, or plans that they are developing and virtually nothing can distract them when they are in this type of activity. In our experience, most of these individuals attribute their success to the development of metacognitive strategies to deal with their difficulties in concentrating. This, in turn, may have made them better students than persons who never had to work at learning how to learn! One example of such a person is a brilliant physicist who became an expert in test-taking strategies and has published 18 books on that subject. Yet, he still has trouble sitting through a lecture without impulsively calling out a question or comment!
Neurofeedback training appears to have beneficial long-term effects on increasing a child’s ability to remain focused and maintain concentration. This is accomplished by decreasing the slow wave activity, and increasing the fast wave activity in the brain.
In addition, Neurofeedback appears to have a similar effect to stimulants in that it increases the child’s “natural guards” to inhibit or avoid impulsive actions. Children already taking medication can continue while training, however, most find that they can gradually reduce the dosage as self-regulation is mastered.
Neurofeedback training is virtually the opposite of therapy or treatment by means of medication. In Neurofeedback training children quickly recognize that no one else is in control of them; they are totally in control of themselves, responsible, empowered and working things out for themselves. This feedback is nothing more or less than a useful tool, which allows them to learn self-regulation. [1]
[1] Adapted with permission from Lynda Thompson, PhD., from the book, The A.D.D. Book: New Understandings, New Approaches to Parenting Your Child. William Sears, M.D. & Lynda Thompson. PhD., Little Brown and Company, Boston, 1998.