Welcome to Incredible Horizons ADD/ADHD Pages
Links to more info on ADD/ADHD are at bottom of page
Welcome to Incredible Horizons ADD/ADHD Pages
Links to more info on ADD/ADHD are at bottom of page
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Home Based & Drug Free Program Suggestions for ADHD/ADD
Links for other needs/diagnosis
Treating Attention Difficulties
Frequently individuals with ADD / ADHD have attention difficulties and various forms of learning
disabilities such as: reading and language disorders and cognitive,
auditory and visual processing difficulties. The proper neurofeedback program can
be effective in the treating of attention, as well being effective in
improving processing difficulties in learning. This is of great interest to
those children with learning disabilities because although medication is
effective in controlling behavior, medication
is not helpful in remediating learning disabilities. Our
cognitive training programs at Incredible Horizons are designed to help in this
situation. LINK TO COGNITIVE
TRAINING
In
treating attention difficulties, it is often best to first rule out some of
the most common disorders that can mimic the symptoms. Unfortunately, diagnosing
ADHD is often conducted through general observation of the child and/or
subjective feedback from the family and /or teachers and supervisors. A
neuro-psychiatrist specifically trained to distinguish the subtle differences in
similar conditions is a better place to start. Depression and processing
disorders are often present in the attentionally challenged.
Studies
show that stimulant medication reduces impulsiveness, inattention, and over
activity anywhere from 60% of the time. It simply represses the symptoms, and at
a great risk to one’s health. A compilation of all the
review studies published over the last twenty years on the effects of stimulant
medication for ADD/ADHD showed that the medications only temporarily managed the
symptoms of over activity, inattention and impulsivity, as well as increased
compliance, effort, and academic productivity, decreased aggression and negative
behaviors. Published research has found the long-term value of Ritalin
disappointing. Studies beginning in the 1960s showed that children who took
stimulants for hyperactivity (the name for ADD at the time) over several years
did just as poorly in later life as the group of hyperactive children who took
no medication. It has been said that it disrupts growth hormone production,
disrupts neurotransmitter systems and that studies show there is a risk of long
term and permanent changes in the chemistry of the brain.
There are less
harmful medications on the market now. There are low risk hypertensive medications that are seen as very safe.
Clonidine (Catapres) or Guanfacine (Tenex) worst side effect is a dry mouth.
These medications can help all of the symptoms of AD/HD but may have a weaker
effect on attention and more of an effect on impulsivity, irritability and motor
hyperactivity. The tricyclic antidepressants, such as desipramine (Norpramine)
imipramine (Tofranil) and nortryptiline (Pamelor) have been shown to effectively
treating AD/HD. They can provide 24-hour coverage, and may not create the sleep
difficulties sometimes associated with the stimulants. However, they have
a number of potential drawbacks. Tricyclics can cause dry mouth, blurred vision,
constipation, dizziness and sedation. When there are other coexisting conditions
to be considered, there are other medications that are also considered. All
medications have positives and negatives and the choice on which to take is
highly personal. Just as the choice
to try alternatives first is highly personal. I
personally think that if you are choosing to use medication that one should
start with the medication that will have the least negative affects on your
health. When discussing this matter with a health professional one must
remember that doctors
do not make any money recommending alternatives. However,
pharmaceutical companies do offer
incentives and promotional items to doctors for promoting their
products.
Medication by
itself is not as efficient as it is when combined with other treatments. There
is a substantial amount of research showing that a multi modal approach always
increases the likelihood of success in helping the attentionally challenged.
Attention
training is a viable safe option that can be used in conjunction with medication
and/or nutritional supplements. For the
past 25 years, professionals in the scientific and educational communities have
compiled quantitative neurological evidence suggesting feedback-driven attention
training as a natural and effective option in improving a range of
attention-related difficulties, from the mildest inattentive tendencies to
specific diagnoses, such as ADHD. In 1971, researchers first recognized that
people with attention-related difficulties have slower EEG activity in the area
of the brain that controls attention and concentration. Subsequently,
numerous follow-up studies have indicated that, through attention training with
feedback and monitoring, individuals could learn to improve brainwave activity
in the portion of the brain that corresponds to improved attention.
Researchers have found that the incorporation of video games in treating attention
to be as effective as traditional feedback systems, which do not
incorporate video games. Additionally, the
inclusion of the games resulted in higher retention rates and overall interest
among children. We have found a way to package this training in an
enjoyable and inherently motivating activity.
Efficacy
Over the past
25 years, studies of attention training consistently have yielded positive
results. These studies cover a variety of demographics and varied
degrees of attention-related disorders, and demonstrate that feedback-driven
attention training is effective in treating/reducing inattention, hyperactivity, and the
symptoms of learning disabilities. Researchers point to an overwhelmingly
positive record of long-term, beneficial results. Every researcher stressed the
need for extensive application and acceptance of this approach in helping
children overcome attention-related academic and behavioral problems.
Research From an Expert
The most recent, and likely most important, research study on the subject of
feedback-driven attention training -- "The Effects of Stimulant Therapy,
EEG Biofeedback & Parenting Style on the primary symptoms of
ADHD" (Monastra et. al.) -- represents a significant step forward for the
widespread acceptance of attention training with EEG feedback.
Participants in this study were 100 children (83 boys and 17 girls) with an
average age of 10 (range 6-19), each of which had been diagnosed with a specific
attention disorder. After each child/teen was diagnosed, his or her parents were
informed of a comprehensive treatment approach that included stimulant
medication, parent counseling, school consultation to establish and monitor a
program of academic support, and EEG feedback. Approximately half of the
participants (n=51) opted to include the feedback training as part of treating their
child's attention.
The results of this study prompted the researchers
to conclude that adding feedback training to a multi-modal approach for
improving attention-related difficulties can yield important benefits.
As discussed above, only the participants who received attention training via
feedback showed behavioral improvement upon follow up, and these benefits were
evident even after medication was discontinued. These children were doing
substantially better -- according to both parents and teachers -- than
participants who had not received feedback training. In addition, the pattern of
cortical slowing that is found in many individuals with attention difficulties,
and which is specifically targeted by feedback training, was no longer evident.
This suggests that the gains associated with feedback training cannot be
attributed to the placebo effect, but instead reflect meaningful changes in EEG
activity in the areas of the brain corresponding to improved attention and
concentration.
(Note - The preceding is excerpted/paraphrased from the review of a recent study
of a neurofeedback in the treatment of attention-related difficulties, written
by Dr. David Rabiner, a senior research scientist at Duke University.)
Healthy solutions provided By Incredible Horizons
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Info and Questions on our system and EEG Feedback in general
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What can you expect The Listening Program TM to do?
Improvement
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Incredible care has been taken to use expertise from the best minds in the field
to create an auditory therapy program that is easy to do at home, is immensely
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abilities. Here is a program that can benefit anyone, but
especially individuals who have difficulties in the areas of auditory
perception, processing, and memory.
The Listening ProgramTM has helped individuals make improvements in many areas, including the following:
The Listening ProgramTM was designed to help balance, strengthen, and/or restore our ability to listen to and process sounds across the full auditory spectrum, from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. This can result in striking improvements across the human continuum, from academic performance to emotional balance.
Using The Listening Program TM literally exercises and tones tiny muscles in the ear and helps build stronger multi-sensory pathways in the brain. The brain receives especially rich auditory stimulation, and its ability to process sound improves.
The Listening ProgramTM may help with:
Incredible Horizons strives to offer cutting edge
technologies for
treating /
improving the life of individuals with
attention difficulties. Please look at the coaching programs and home services
that we provide
on the home page.
Attention Coaching
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link below
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Hemi-Sync Music
MUSIC FOR THE BRAIN
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