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ADHD, How Neurofeedback Can Help

I had a meeting at a school last week for an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) and one of the concerns brought up by a member of the team was that the child we were meeting about was “lazy”. In my career as a licensed psychotherapist and neurotherapist I have heard this parroted many times. I am aware that many myths surround the disorder of ADHD and thought this was a great opportunity to dispel the most common myths I run into. In our clinic we treat children and adults for ADHD. Symptoms of ADHD include inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and difficulty with executive functioning. These are NOT ADHD. They are the effects of ADHD. These behaviors that are observable are the expression of the disorder. They are not the disorder. The mechanism of the disorder is neurophysiological and neurochemical.

10 Myths of ADHD

I had a meeting at a school last week for an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) and one of the concerns brought up by a member of the team was that the child we were meeting about was “lazy”. In my career as a licensed psychotherapist and neurotherapist I have heard this parroted many times. I am aware that many myths surround the disorder of ADHD and thought this was a great opportunity to dispel the most common myths I run into. In our clinic we treat children and adults for ADHD. Symptoms of ADHD include inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and difficulty with executive functioning. These are NOT ADHD. They are the effects of ADHD. These behaviors that are observable are the expression of the disorder. They are not the disorder. The mechanism of the disorder is neurophysiological and neurochemical.

  1. ADHD is not a real medical disorder. ADHD is recognized as a disorder by major medical, psychological, and educational organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Education. The American Psychological Association and The American Psychiatric Society recognize ADHD as a disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders. ADHD is a real disorder and not made up to explain behavioral difficulties.

 

  1. Kids outgrow ADHD. It is estimated that up to 80% of kids that are diagnosed as ADHD as children will continue to have it in adulthood. The majority of adults with ADHD remain undiagnosed and only one in four adults seeks treatment. This is a chronic disorder with severe consequences. Without treatment, adults with ADHD are vulnerable to anxiety, depression and substance abuse. They also experience difficulties within their careers, finances and relationships.

 

  1. Someone can’t have ADHD and also have depression, anxiety and other disorders. ADHD is co-morbid with learning disabilities 1/3 of the time and Oppositional Defiant disorder 50% of the time. ODD is more likely to develop when a child’s life is disrupted by frequent caregivers. Children and adults may also have depression, anxiety and other disorders. The brain is complex and symptoms can present in many different ways. If you suspect your child is struggling, intervene.

 

  1. ADHD affects only boys. More boys are diagnosed with ADHD. In fact, girls with inattentive ADHD are the most under diagnosed. However, ADHD affects boys and girls equally. Gender makes no difference in the symptoms caused by this disorder.

 

  1. ADHD is the result of bad food choices and bad parenting. This could not be further from the truth. ADHD’s etiology is neurophysiological and neurochemical resulting in disregulation in the central and frontal lobes affecting executive functioning. When a child expresses symptoms of impulsivity (blurting things out in class), inattention and/or hyperactivity it is not because parents are not disciplining and teaching their child. In fact, overly strict parenting can make ADHD symptoms worse, impact the connection and relationship between the parent and child and impact the child’s self esteem in a negative manner. In the same vein, good parenting is paramount.

 

  1. People who have ADHD are lazy. This is not true. A parent or teacher may not understand why the child not paying attention but the root is not laziness. Often, kids with ADHD are working much harder than their peers to get through the school day. There are many hardworking, intelligent people with ADHD that went on to lead successful lives including Mozart, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, George Bernard Shaw, and Salvador Dali. Current day top executives such as David Neelman (founder of JetBlue Airways), and Paul Orfalea (founder of Kinko’s) are high achieving adults with ADHD.

 

  1. ADHD is over-diagnosed. It is difficult to find evidence that shows that ADHD is over diagnosed and that many of the children that are diagnosed with ADHD do not in fact have it. Research by Jansen (1999) suggests that in “some cases ADHD may be undiagnosed and/or untreated.” (p.798) Prevalence rates of ADHD range from 2-9%.

 

  1. Medication is the only treatment option for ADHD. Many people believe that medication is the only treatment that works for ADHD. The American Academy of Pediatrics names neurofeedback level 1, best support for ADHD equal to medication and behavioral therapy. Neurofeedback, also known as EEG – biofeedback is brain wave training that utilizes operant and classical conditioning techniques to teach someone how to regulate what is disregulated in the electrical activity of their brain. Non-invasive, pain free, longitudinal research from Dr. Monastra and Dr. Lubar show that results are long lasting. Medication alone is not recognized as an effective treatment option when it is not combined with behavioral therapy.

9. There is no research that backs up neurofeedback as a treatment for ADHD.

ADHD and neurofeedback has been studied since the early 1970’s.

ADHD studies show

  • Decreased impulsiveness/hyperactivity
  • Increased mood stability
  • Improved sleep patterns
  • Increased attention span and concentration
  • Improved academic performance
  • Increased retention and memory

ADHD kids who had weekly sessions of traditional biofeedback therapy for a year were able to reduce or eliminate their medication – and maintained the same level of improvement in focus and concentration as when they had been on drug therapy.  A study published in Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback (12/02.)

10. Brain patterns develop at birth and in childhood and can’t be changed. The brain has an incredible amount of plasticity.  We now know that this plasticity continues throughout a lifetime.

“Our bodies tend to do what they are told if we know how to tell them.” Elmer Green, Founder, Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback (AAPB)

“The therapy most promising by recent clinical trials appears to be EEG Biofeedback.” Katie Campbell Daley, MD on ADHD Treatment Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School

Brains are amazing! To learn more, go to amazingbrains.com.Join us October 23, 2014 at 6 PM VLI basecamp in Avon, CO. Healing ADHD through Neurofeedback. RSVP to 970-343-2709.