ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) also called Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is a neurologically-based disorder which can be observed in a person's brain wave pattern. This pattern usually shows over activity or under activity.  By training the person's brain waves to form a more organized pattern, symptons of inattention and behavior improve.  ADD/ADHD symptoms are usually observed before age 7 and diagnosed in childhood.  ADD/ADHD is believed to affect about 3% to 8% of school age children impairing their learning, relationships, emotional development and well being.  Without changing the brain's activity, symptoms persist into adulthood, impairing the person's relationships, career, and ability to reach full potential.

The primary symptom is the inability to focus and sustain attention.  Hyperactivity may be part of the symptom pattern. The hyperactive person may feel "on the go" or seem to be "driven by a motor."  Difficulty organizing tasks, keeping track of things necessary for an activity, and following through on activities are frequent experiences for people with ADD/ADHD.

"EEG biofeedback meets the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry criteria for clinical guideline (CG) for the treatment of ADHD, seizure disorders, anxiety (OCD, GAD, PTSD, phobias), depression, reading disabilities, and addictive disorders.  This suggests that EEG biofeedback should always be considered as an intervention for these disorders by the clinician." as reported in Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America (January 2005) in a special issue devoted to emerging interventions that affect brain functioning.


AUTISTIC SPECTRUM DISORDERS

The Autistic Spectrum Disorders are neurologically-based disorders which can be observed in an individual's brain wave pattern. Autistic Disorder is characterised  by a markedly impaired development in social interaction and communication with significantly restricted interests and activities.  There are repetitive and sterotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and abilities.  The onset of autistic disorder is usually before age 3.  Asperger's Disorder is characterized by a significant and sustained impairent in social interaction with the development of restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests and activities.


STRESS

Stress is the physical, emotional, and mental response to daily life challenges.  Even seemingly small events (traffic, weather, too many tasks to do) are experienced as stressful.  Stress is an emotional response that activates your sympathetic nervous system triggering over 1,400 different biochemical reactions.  These biochemical changes affect your emotions and perceptions. Changes in stress hormones and neurotransmitters depress mood, increase tension and frustration, and compromise ability to handle daily challenges.  Stress is at the source of many personal, family, work, and health problems and may become habitual and even start to feel as though it's normal.  The Institute of Stress reports that up to 90% of all health problems are related to stress.  Many medical conditions are associated with chronic stress, such as hypertension, diabetes, coronary disease, and sleep disorders.



POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that may be triggered after exposure to an extreme traumatic stressor, such as combat, physical or sexual assault, or a natural disaster.  This trauma involves your direct personal experience of actual or threatened death or serious injury or when you witnesss a traumatic event happening to another person. These events may cause intense fear, helplessness, and even horror.  Symptoms of PTSD include recurrent and intrusive distressing recollections of the trauma, recurrent dreams of the trauma and feeling as though one is reliving the event.  A person experiencing PTSD can feel hyper aroused, have poor sleep, difficulty concentrating, feel irritable and be quick to startle.



                                                   *****


                                APPROACH TO INTERVENTION

Scientific research has long demonstrated that psychological functioning is the product of a complex interaction of biological makeup (such as brain functioning, genetics, and nutrition) and experience.  For that reason a multi-modal approach is essential to understanding the problems that people face and offering interventions to best help people meet their needs.  Treatment plans are designed after an interview and evaluation and may include neurofeedback or biofeedback with various forms of therapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, cognitive rehabilitation exercises, Thought Field Therapy, hypnosis, family intervention, or behavioral therapy.



                                                   *****

                                              INITIAL VISIT

On your initial visit you will have a comprehensive interview and evaluation to understand your concerns and determine the appropriate intervention for you.  You will be requested to bring relevant medical records with you.  If neurofeedback is recommended for you, a second session will be scheduled to evaluate your brain activity.  Psychological/cognitive testing may be recommended as part of the evaluation procedure.  Results of the evaluation will be discussed with you and an intervention plan will be developed with you along with a schedule of sessions.



                                                     *****