Learning Difficulties
Increasing performance in key areas for learning with
Neurofeedback training.
Help to Regulate Various Mental States
Learning disorders involve difficulty learning and using academic skills, this includes: Difficulty reading; difficulty understanding the meaning of what is read; difficulty with spelling; difficulties with written expression; Difficulty mastering number sense, number facts or calculation; difficulties with mathematical reasoning; These difficulties can be rated as mild, moderate or severe (DSM-V, APA 2013).
With learning disabilities and learning performance, neurofeedback training has been able to achieve improvements in performance on tasks assessing, visual motor integration, reading, arithmetic, spelling, semantic working memory, reading comprehension and creative thinking.
Neurofeedback can help the central nervous system more adaptively regulate its states of alertness, arousal, and emotional control (Othmer et al., 1999)
Treating learning difficulties by focused brain area activation
Using neurofeedback training to assist with learning difficulties.
Neurofeedback has demonstrated it can improve IQ scores, and “helps children with learning disabilities reverse neurological and/or physiological processes” (Tansey 1991). A review of work with learning disabilities from 1984 to May 1998 concluded, “…functional imaging and EEG-biofeedback may yield near-term breakthroughs in the remediation of various specific learning disabilities that have been relatively intractable to date.” (Othmer et al.,1999)
Kaiser (1997) demonstrated the efficacy of neurofeedback in treating adults with attentional deficits, his results were very impressive as his subjects had all tried numerous prior treatments including stimulant medication with little or no success for over 20 to 30 years.
Other Factors
Often when people present with a particular issue e.g. learning difficulties, there may be many other factors or issues that are present such as mood, anxiety, attention, social or other deficits that all impact on functioning for that person, young or old.
Focusing on Areas
“Specific learning problems can be treated by generally activating the brain location associated with the specific problem.” (Chapin & Russell-Chapin, 2014, p.148). For example, dyslexia, an information processing problem, can be trained by focusing on specific brain areas and rewarding and inhibiting the appropriate frequencies.
Neurotherapy Case Studies
Case Study 1:
A 15 year old boy who had significant impairments in his functioning both at school and at home, which had necessitated psychiatric hospitalisations and placement in a specialised school for children with emotional handicaps. His diagnoses included ADHD, pervasive developmental disorder, bipolar disorder, and learning disabilities in reading, math, spelling, and writing. He received 40 neurofeedback sessions. By the end of treatment he was attending the public school in his community and doing well academically. His emotions and behaviour were under good control. His relationships with other family members had become much more harmonious and positive. His violent ideation and inappropriate verbalisations were greatly decreased. Improvements were also noted in the areas of his specific learning deficits. (Jacobs, 2008, p.57)
Case Study 2:
A 10 year old boy had serious deficits with attention, organisation, social functioning, and spatial processing, as well as anxiety, these deficits impaired his functioning at home, at school, and with peers. His diagnoses included ADHD, nonverbal learning disability, and anxiety disorder. He received 39 neurofeedback sessions. He showed improvements in his social interaction, social acceptability, control over anger, attention to task at home and at school, and ability to interact with others without undue stress. His grades in school had improved. His functioning at school, at home and with peers had substantially improved, and both he and his father expressed great satisfaction with the changes. (Jacobs, 2008, p.56)
Contact Us
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How to make contact
Please feel free to call for a friendly chat about your current situation and learn how we can help.
We offer a private one on one consultation service at our practice located in Rockhampton, Central Queensland.
Brainwaves
Psychology & Neurotherapy Services
15 Norman Street,
Rockhampton, Queensland 4700