When we see our kids struggling in school, it's normal for us parents to feel a mix of frustration, concern, and even helplessness. We want to step in and fix things right away, but it can be hard to know where to start or what will truly help, especially if our kids are diagnosed with ADHD. Their challenges with focus, attention, and organization can make everyday tasks feel like battles, and it’s easy to feel like nothing we try is working.
However, there are ways to support them effectively, and understanding their unique needs is the first step toward finding the right solution. In this episode, we'll talk about whether or not neurofeedback can help children with ADHD do better in school. We’ll explore how this brain-training technology works, its potential long-term benefits, and how it specifically addresses the common challenges kids with ADHD face.
Challenges Faced by Children with ADHD
ADHD children often face several key challenges that significantly impact their school experience. One of their major struggles is maintaining attention, especially when tasks are not stimulating. The ADHD brain thrives on novelty and excitement, so activities that lack immediate interest or appeal can feel like kryptonite. This often leads to incomplete understanding of instructions, missed details, and difficulty staying engaged during lessons. In contrast, when the subject is something they are passionate about, they may hyper-focus to the exclusion of everything else, including social or safety cues.
Some children also struggle with executive functioning, which includes skills like planning, organizing, prioritizing, and following through on tasks. This makes it difficult for them to think ahead, manage long-term projects, or keep track of deadlines. Even though executive functioning can be developed with practice, children with ADHD often find it hard to initiate tasks, sustain effort, and complete assignments, especially when the task is complex or requires multiple steps.
Starting a task can feel overwhelming for a child with ADHD, especially when the task seems boring or daunting. Children with ADHD often struggle with starting and finishing tasks, particularly in areas like reading comprehension and writing, which require slowing down and organizing thoughts. Writing is especially difficult because it engages multiple layers of executive functioning, from persistence to information processing. The ADHD brain, which often moves fast and craves stimulation, may struggle to slow down enough to meet the demands of these types of tasks. These struggles can lead to frustration and impact both academic and social development.
Introduction to Neurofeedback
Neurofeedback is a form of brain training that helps the brain process more efficiently, improving focus, attention, and calmness. It aims to address the above discussed challenges by helping the brain become more organized and better equipped to regulate focus and executive functions over the long term.
This brain-training technology, neurofeedback, has been around since the 1960s. It helps the brain produce a healthy combination of brain waves by providing real-time reinforcement through visual and auditory stimuli. When the brain generates the right combination of brain waves, the technology gives positive reinforcement, encouraging the brain to keep repeating that pattern. This process helps improve focus, attention, and emotional regulation, which can be particularly beneficial for children with ADHD.
This non-invasive process involves being hooked up to a computer. The feedback method used is EEG neurofeedback, which is designed to guide the brain toward more balanced and efficient functioning over time. As the brain receives positive reinforcement through visual and auditory cues, it learns to regulate itself better. Over time, this retraining can lead to lasting improvements in focus, attention, and emotional control, especially for children with ADHD.
Benefits of Neurofeedback for ADHD
My experience with neurofeedback has been transformative for many, having conducted over 10,000 brain maps. This extensive work has allowed me to develop a comprehensive approach, integrating not just neurofeedback but also dietary adjustments, supplements, and parenting strategies, to create lasting change.
By using QEEG brain mapping to assess brain function, I can tailor protocols depending on each client. Neurofeedback helps the brain regulate itself by reinforcing healthy brainwave patterns. Clients typically undergo two to three sessions per week, often remotely, with about 40 sessions in a full program.
Research supports neurofeedback’s effectiveness, particularly for ADHD, with thousands of peer-reviewed studies showing improvements in cognitive functioning, attention, impulse control, hyperactive behaviors, memory, and processing speed. Neurofeedback often leads to notable academic improvement, particularly in reading and math comprehension.
Long-Term Benefits and Social and Emotional Improvements
Neurofeedback offers long-term benefits by helping children achieve a self-regulated nervous system, moving from states of dysregulation to balanced regulation. This shift leads to improved emotional control, fewer meltdowns, and decreased intensity, frequency, and duration of emotional outbursts. As children become less reactive and more attentive, their social-emotional development improves, resulting in better peer relationships and communication.
One of the most rewarding outcomes I’ve witnessed is the increase in self-esteem and confidence. When children feel more in control and capable, everything in their lives improves. That’s why I’m so passionate about neurofeedback. In fact, it’s part of our Brain Behavior Reset Program, and it’s a powerful, evidence-based, non-medication approach that can make a huge difference for ADHD and neurodivergent kids.
Not sure where to start? We'll help you find the right solution tailored to your needs. Visit https://drroseann.com/help/ today and take our FREE Brain and Behavior Solutions Matcher.
Related Podcasts:
Increasing Focus Without ADHD Meds
Neurofeedback FAQ
How to Help My Child or Teen Start a Task
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