Return of School Problems for ADHD Children?

I was speaking with the mother of several school age children recently (one with ADHD), and she gave voice to a feeling I suspect many mothers have. “The kids are back in school, Thank God; I love my kids-but I need a little time at home alone to regroup…….. The kids are back in school. Oh my God! We’re going to start having all those school struggles with Alex again!” Does this sound familiar?

Many parents may have felt optimistic that with summer school, some tutoring, or because it’s a new year and the child is older, that this year would be an entirely new experience. Unfortunately, for most kids with ADHD, this is not the case. Individuals with ADHD have a unique handicap. It is a neurological disorder that, if untreated, will usually persist throughout life, typically creating significant difficulties in school, the workplace, and in relationships.

The classroom environment- with its particular emphasis on organization, schedules, and assignments, long periods of desk work, and emphasis on writing and math- are usually places where children with ADHD have significant difficulty. Furthermore, they take longer to complete in-class and homework assignments. They can quickly become overwhelmed, rebellious, and discouraged, and can “turn off” to the idea of learning.

Some children with ADHD also have behavior difficulties and/or may become isolated, or have difficulty forming friendships. These problems, combined with the aforementioned performance difficulties, often add up to the child developing a self-image of being “not to smart” (tragically incorrect, most people with ADHD have a higher than average intelligence), and/or being a “trouble-maker”. Unfortunately, as we all tend to live out our self-images, the longer this is allowed to exist, the stronger and greater the problems become. It is therefore critical to correct this situation immediately.

Solution:

The solution to this problem is to correct the disorder.Many parents, unfortunately, deny the existence of the disorder, or choose to not get help for their child because they fear the side effects, and rigors of medication (life-long treatment).There is, however, an alternative to this scenario.Neurofeedback is a highly effective, drug free, safe, non-invasive and painless procedure in which the student learns to correct the problem.Once training is complete, no further treatment is necessary.

Dr. Stephen A. Ferrari

Alta Neuro-Imaging Neurofeedback

1075 Yorba Place

Suite 105

Placentia, CA 92870

714.990.6536

Website: www.ocbiofeedback.com

“Next Year Will Be Better”- Using Summertime to make that come true for children with ADD/ADHD

If you have a child (or an adult) in your family who has, or you suspect may have this disorder, the conflict, chaos, and frustration that it generates can be so disrupting to family harmony that you may sometimes wonder if it will ever get any better! Helping the individual with this disorder not only can turn the world around for them, but can work wonders for the whole family.

Children have a natural sense of optimism and innocence about them that allows them to genuinely feel that problems will naturally get better (even when there is no real reason to believe so) on their own. This optimism can be heard when they say “Things will be better next year”, or “I’ll get off to a good start next school year”.

There are few things more magical for a child’s self confidence than when something actually does happen to change the circumstances and bring that about. An actual increase in their abilities to concentrate and/or improve their behavior, combined with the then evident validation of their optimism, “Look, see I was right, I am doing better, I am smart!”, brings about a surge of confidence that is wonderful to see. A child in this situation can really take off and soar!

Not only is summertime the pause between the old and the (better?) New Year, it is a relatively less hectic time of the year. Schedules (vacations notwithstanding) are more flexible, the pressures of school and homework are loosened, and it is a time to more easily accomplish a special project.

The way to actually change the ADD child’s circumstances or abilities is to take this time to correct the disorder. This can be done in this space of time through Neurofeedback Training. Neurofeedback is a safe, effective, non-drug procedure that corrects the underlying imbalances which bring about ADD. Once the training is complete, no further treatment is necessary, and you know what?….your child actually was right to believe in themselves, next year actually is better.

Neurofeedback is an effective, drug-free, painless procedure in which the child learns to re-train the attention mechanisms of the brain, alleviating the condition. Once training is completed, no further treatment is necessary.

Dr. Stephen A. Ferrari

Alta Neuro-Imaging Neurofeedback

1075 Yorba Place

Suite 105

Placentia, CA 92870

714.990.6536

Website: www.ocbiofeedback.com

Medication or Neurofeedback- Comparing the two most common forms of treatment for ADD/ADHD

Medication and Neurofeedback (EEG-biofeedback) are the two most common forms of treatment for ADD/ADHD. Both are successful in treating these disorders in a large majority of cases. There are, however, significant differences in the ways these treatments work, the potential side effects of their use, and the length of treatment necessary.

Some of the most commonly prescribed medications for ADD/ADHD are derived from some form of stimulant or antidepressant. Most of these medications carry the FDA’S “Black Box Warning” Labels, and should be used with caution. These warnings refer to the possibility of serious cardiovascular side effects, as well as the possible suppression of children’s growth, and heightened risk for psychosis, bi-polar illness, and aggression.

In addition to these problems, this class of medications is also associated with potential side effects as weight loss in children, over-stimulation of the central nervous system, dizziness, difficulty sleeping, tremors, headaches, and tics or Tourettes Syndrome.

Now, let’s take a look at how these different treatments work. The medications contain artificial chemicals which increase neurotransmitter levels in the brain. This allows the brain to function better, thus treating the condition. As these chemicals are artificial, they may cause unfavorable reactions in the brain, and therefore, bring about the aforementioned negative side effects.

Neurofeedback trains the brain to function faster through a highly specialized type of exercise. As the brain learns to function faster, it naturally increases its production of neurotransmitters and the brain functions better, thus treating the condition. The end result is the same in both forms of treatment… with one very big difference. Neurofeedback does not introduce anything unnatural into the brain, but rather trains the brain to function better through its own natural mechanisms, so it produces no side effects. As vulnerable as children are, the last thing we want to do is expose them to these unnecessary dangers.

Finally, length of treatment is another big difference. Medication is only effective while it’s in the bloodstream. Therefore, no amount of medication will ever produce a lasting effect. The medication must be continually taken to treat the condition, and this is often a lifelong process, with the continuing potential for these side effects.

Once neurofeedback treatment is completed, no further treatment is necessary. With neurofeedback, there are no side effects, and the treatment is a one-time process. Neurofeedback is an effective, drug free, painless procedure in which the child learns to retrain the attention mechanisms of their brain, alleviating the condition.

Dr. Stephen A. Ferrari

Alta Neuro-Imaging Neurofeedback

1075 Yorba Place

Suite 105

Placentia, CA 92870

714.990.6536

Website: www.ocbiofeedback.com