Occupational Therapy

Your child might benefit from OT if they have:
· Poor coordination
· Decreased balance, the “clumsy child”
· Delayed motor skill development
· Low muscle tone or strength
· Difficulty with handwriting
· Been diagnosed with a learning disability: dyslexia, dysgraphia
· Difficulty completing tasks that seem easily attained by peers
· Behavioral or social skill issues
· Decreased attention or ability to participate in age appropriate activities
· Decreased self esteem and self concept
· Decreased visual skills including visual perceptual skills and ocular motor skills
· Difficulties with feeding, is a picky eater or a messy eater

If you think your child may benefit from Occupational Therapy, download this checklist for parents & teachers.

What is Occupational Therapy?

Speech Therapy

Your child might benefit from Speech Therapy if they have:
· Decreased ability to communicate
· Limited vocabulary for their age
· Poor articulation and enunciation
· Stuttering and fluency issues
· Difficulty understanding what is said to them, difficulty following directions
· Poor verbal or written expression
· Difficulty listening in noisy environments
· Immature sentence structure, immature language, or uses nonspecific words frequently
· Decreased executive functions or memory
· Poor social skills, pragmatics
· Difficulty with feeding: low oral motor tone, drools, is a picky eater
· Decreased attention, difficulty functioning in a group setting
· Difficulty with reading, spelling, writing- dyslexia

If you think your child may benefit from Speech Therapy, download theSpeech & Language Developmental Checklist

Physical Therapy

Your child might benefit from Physical Therapy if they have:
· Gait problems
· Poor range of motion
· Delayed gross motor skills
· Low muscle tone

Neurofeedback

WHAT IS NEUROFEEDBACK?

Neurofeedback is biofeedback for the brain. It exercises and helps “strengthen” the brain, calms it, and improves its stability and flexibility. Neurofeedback training is a sensory stimulating intervention that is safe and non-invasive process whereby the client learns to self regulate his or her own brain waves through operant conditioning.

We’ve all seen someone go dejected and depressed (the other team just scored) to wild elation (your team just scored and took the lead) in seconds. State flexibility is inherent in the brain. A lack of state flexibility (being stuck in a particular state) causes problems- from impulsivity, to ADD, to anger, to OCD. Neurofeedback increases state flexibility.

Using computerized feedback, the brain learns to increase certain brainwaves that are helpful for improved function. The brain can decrease excessive fast or slow brainwaves that interfere with good function. Over time, the result is a healthier and better regulated brain.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

You control the process.

You sit in front of a computer and play a video game. Your brainwaves, not your hands, make the video game work. Anyone can do it. There are sensors attached to your head. They read your brainwaves and send them to the computer where they are displayed for the therapist. The computer reflects your brain’s activity and gives you instantaneous feedback about how you are progressing in the brainwave training.

HOW MUCH TRAINING DOES IT TAKE?

Every person’s situation is unique. Noticeable results typically occur after 10-20 training sessions while others may require longer training programs. Therapists generally recommend a minimum of 30-40 sessions.
The brain is learning to make adjustments. Neurofeedback is a profound process which can take the brain time to learn.

WHAT PROBLEMS CAN BE HELPED WITH NEUROFEEDBACK?

Common problems addressed by clinicians using Neurofeedback are: ADD/ADHD, Anxiety, Sensory Integration (SPD), Learning Disabilities, Bipolar Disorder, Conduct Disorders, Traumatic Brain Injury.
Neurofeedback is not a treatment that “fixes” these problems. All of these problems relate, in part, to some type of brain dysregulation. Neurofeedback helps improve brain regulation.

CAN NEUROFEEDBACK BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH MEDICATION OR OTHER TREATMENT?

Neurofeedback is complementary to other treatment approaches, and may help them be more effective. If you are taking medication, it is important to work with your medical doctor. As the neurofeedback training changes the EEG, changes in medications necessary.

CALM THE BRAIN – REACH THE MIND

Neurotherapy is well researched and has been shown to be effective in the management of attention , affect, mood, and behavior. (1,2)

1.Monastra, V.J. Electroencephalographic biofeedback (neurotherapy) as a treatement for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a rationale and empirical foundation. Child &Adolesc Psychiatric Clinics of North American 2005 Jan: 14 (1): 55-82.
2. Hammond D.C. (2005) Neurofeedback with anxiety and affective disorders. Child &Adolesc Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 14(1): 105-123

Neurotherapy allows the psychologist to target any emotional and behavioral disorders quite generally without resort drugs. (5)

5. Masterpasqua, F., & Healey, K.N. (2003). Neurofeedback in Psychological Practice. Prof Psycology: Research and Practice, 24: 652-656.

Today we are on the cutting edge of exciting developments in the field of neuroscience. We continue to learn more about the incredible role the brain plays in our lives and how we function.
The validity of technologies such as Neurofeedback becomes more accepted as our knowledge increases.

For more information on Neurofeedback:
www.eegspectrum.com
www.isnr.org