Neurotherapy at Alternatives Helps Children with ADD and Other Behavioral Disorders

Neurotherapy at Alternatives Helps Children with ADD and Other Behavioral Disorders

From Alternatives Newsletter Summer 2009

When Mackenzie had problems staying on track in kindergarten, her mother hoped that these issues were a passing phase.  By third grade, however, Mackenzie – an asthmatic – couldn’t stay focused or follow directions, her mom said.  As a result, school was becoming much more difficult.

“She had a lot of homework after school and, socially, I was seeing a decline; it was starting to affect her self-esteem.  I didn’t want to medicate her for Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), which is what a doctor had suggested,” she added.  Dr. Patricia Ryan, founder of Alternatives: A Center for Conscious Health, set Mackenzie and her family on a new path.  “Mackenzie tested positive for yeast and food allergies,” her mother said.  “Dr. Ryan told us about neurotherapy and said we could try that as well as a diet designed to avoid sugar, processed grains and other substances that feed the yeast.  My husband and I discussed it and not only did we start Mackenzie on the gluten-free diet, we decided to jump right into the neurotherapy.”

Three times a week, Mackenzie visits the Alternatives clinic and has sessions on the NeuroIntegration System administered by Jamie Moore, a Registered Nurse and Neurofeedback Clinician at Alternatives.

The system incorporates photic stimulation and music to help normalize brain activity.   Here’s how it works:  First, sensors are placed on the head of the patient and connected to a computer system, which recreates that individual’s brain patterns for a technician to monitor and read.  The patient then wears glasses that display different colors of lights in various patterns.  These “photic” cues, which are transmitted through the glasses, can guide the brain to the frequency it needs to learn.  “Patients watch a video or listen to music and the brain will learn what it needs to do to keep the video going,” Dr. Ryan explained.

At least 60 different programs address various conditions from overeating to insomnia to ADD.  “Jamie is great – he interacts with kids really well,” Mackenzie’s mother said.  “After 20 sessions, we have seen quite a bit of change,” she said.  “Mackenzie smiles more, her vocabulary is much clearer and she acts more age appropriate.  I took the neurotherapy schedule to Mackenzie’s teacher and she was very interested.  Her teacher even sat in on one of the sessions and she was amazed.  She has seen Mackenzie become more responsible for her homework and interact better with her class.”

Mackenzie often does her homework during the sessions.  “What blew me away was that my 5-year-old and I sat and talked with Jamie during a session and Mackenzie still got her homework done.  Before, if someone in the room had made a sound, it would have distracted her.  She absolutely feels better on the diet and the biofeedback has helped her concentration,” she said.

The NeuroIntegration System has helped patients with a variety of problems, but children with ADD like Mackenzie have shown remarkable results, Dr. Ryan said. “This neurofeedback system produces long-lasting results that are chemical free,” Dr. Ryan said.  “It is so rewarding to watch children improve and see the relief on their parent's faces.”

For more information about the NeuroIntegration System, contact Alternatives at 827-9450.