Over the past year, Little Friends has been investing in our business with a desired goal to add new services that add to the quality programs we currently utilize and offer to families and individuals we serve. One new service that will be coming to our Center for Autism will be Neurofeedback training (NFT). Provided by Dr. Bradford Czochara, our Clinical Director for the Center for Autism, NFT is an empirical and data-based clinical practice with its origins in basic and applied neuroscience. The process utilizes behavioral, cognitive, and subjective aspects of an individual as well as their brain activity create new habits for the brain.
I realize that this description doesn’t adequately explain what we will be offering, and additional details are warranted. So here goes…Typically individuals who participate in the neurofeedback training not only find the experience to be interesting but useful as individuals are able to use the games played during NFT to reinforce brain activities and literally train the brain.
Why do this? Research demonstrates that NFT is an effective intervention for ADHD and Epilepsy. Ongoing research on other disorders including Autism, headaches, insomnia, anxiety, pain disorders, and substance abuse is very promising. There is research that shows that NFT used in conjunction with other therapies for Autism, ADHD, and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is beneficial.
How does it work? NFT does not involve either surgery or medication and is neither painful nor embarrassing. There are no needles, invasive methods, or physical manipulation. Sensors and gels are used, but no wave transmissions are pumped into the brain.
What do we hope to accomplish? The goal of the training is on focusing and relaxing the brain and while the sensors help to reinforce new brain activity. As to what the expected outcomes are from this training, as the electrical patterns are repeated in an individual’s brain, they become habit and the pattern shown holds for a longer period. After a while, the feedback is no longer needed for the brain to repeat the state it was taught.
What is next? While we expect the equipment to arrive in the next few weeks, we are excited with the idea that we can provide a new service that can help individuals in a fun and effective way deal with some significant challenges that may be difficult to overcome. Be on the lookout for additional information as this new offering rolls out in the coming weeks!
