With the end of school last year, and possibly some tutoring, summer school, or “best wishes” you may have thought that this school year would be different. For some families this may be true, but if you are starting to get “that sinking feeling” that although there may be a new teacher or maybe even a new school, the same old problems of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity (homework struggles, poor grades, behavior problems) are beginning again, you may be wondering “what in the world can I do? ”
Wouldn’t it be nice if “back to school” was a good experience that made your child more confident, happier and competent? Wouldn’t it be nice if “back to school” meant a time to for you and he or she to feel more fulfilled, and not a return more battles and struggles? Wouldn’t it be nice if “ back to school” meant a great improvement for them, for the school year and for their lifetime?
Children (and their families) with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) struggle under a unique handicap. It is a neurological disorder that, untreated, greatly disrupts family dynamics and typically persists throughout life, creating difficulties both in school and later on in the work place and in relationships.
The severity of ADD a person has typically remains the same over time, however it often seems to get worse over the years. This occurs for three important reasons. First, as each advancing school year increases in the intellectual and behavioral demands it makes on the student, the attention and /or behavior problems caused by this disorder become more and more apparent.
Secondly, each school year builds on the foundation of the preceding years. If a child’s attention and/or behavioral problems interfere with the learning of this foundational material, it becomes increasingly difficult, each year, to master the required material. Tutoring may help, however that learning is also hampered by this disorder, and it is often a catch-up effort that never quite manages to sufficiently fill the gap.
Finally, and in some ways most importantly, is the matter of self-image. The child who suffers under these deficits usually forms a self-image of being “not too smart” (the opposite is true, most children with ADD have a higher than average intelligence) and/or a “trouble-maker”. Children (as well as adults) have a tendency to “act out of“ or to fulfill their self-image. The longer they live under that self-image, the stronger it becomes, and performance and behavior often deteriorate accordingly.
Wouldn’t it be nice if this cycle could be stopped?… Well, it can be. By successfully treating this disorder, this downward cycle can be stopped and reversed.
One method of treatment is Neurofeedback, an effective, drug free, painless procedure in which the child learns to re-train the attention mechanisms of their brain, alleviating the condition. Once training is completed, no further treatment is necessary.
As all of the above-mentioned factors can make the problem worse with each passing year, it is imperative to have your child, or a child you know has or is suspected of having ADD, evaluated and/or treated as soon as possible.
“Back to school”…Back to the grind, or…Which path will you take?
To request information on the treatment of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD, ADHD), Mild to Moderate Autism Spectrum Disorders, Sleep Disorders, Chronic Depression, Chronic Anxiety, and Peak Performance Training contact:
Dr. Stephen A. Ferrari
Alta Neuro-Imaging Neurofeedback
1075 Yorba Place
Suite 105
Placentia, CA 92870
714.990.6536
Website: www.ocbiofeedback.com
