Week 11 of Neuro-feedback

It's week 11 and we are exhausted....but oh, so encouraged.

It's been weeks since our last update on how the Neuro-Feedback sessions are going for several reasons.  First of all we are just tired.  The schedule of early morning appointments an hour away in Salt Lake City, combined with Matt's work pressures and the normal demands of young children and schoolagers with homework, has stretched our family's energy levels.

Additionally, as Dr. Hammond explained to us, sometimes the therapy can exacerbate symptoms.... and it has.  The anxiety from everything from schoolwork to appearance to peers.  The paranoia about safety even in our own home with the dad home, doors locked and alarm on.  The waking in the middle of the night and not being able to go back to sleep.  The increased moodiness to the extreme.  We've had to think once or twice...."Is this working?!!"

BUT, here we are starting week 11 and we are so thrilled to report that the anxiety is down, the mood recovers are faster, and the paranoia hasn't been mentioned in 2 weeks.  The night time wakings are still there, but the fatigue levels are not too dibilitating.  There are now reports of good dreams, waking up rested and happy- literally popping out of bed instead of crawling or being pulled for 30 minutes.  We also are hearing much more laughing and giggling.  Just fun, light hearted behavior which is so very exciting to us!

The disappointing part of the week was when Matt called me 15 mintues after the Monday morning session started explaining that they were headed back towards Alpine because Dr. Hammond had accidentally double booked, which sadly meant one extra unnecessary early morning this week.  So sad but still so worth it.

Five Fav Parenting & Child Development Books

Here's a list of my top five parenting or child development books....in no particular order.

1.  Raising Your Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka-  Whether or not you feel you have a "spirit" child (but in my experience almost every family has at least one...I just happen to have 4!) this book has sound child development practices.  Seriously, if I had to just give one suggested read, this would be it.

2.  Siblings Without Rilvary by Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish-  Read this in grad school & then had teh chance to attend a conference seminar given by Adele Faber.  Practical, brilliant parenting advice!  I think I need to read it again for my boys.....

3.  The Five Love Languages of Children by Chapman & Campbell-  Took good principles from his The Five Love Languages for adults.  You can not apply the principles in the same way to children.  Excellent read on finding you and your child's ways of giving and receiving love.

4.  Three Steps to a Strong Family by Linda & Richard Eyre-  Took a lot of guidance from the Eyres on family traditions & how to teach children about economic responsibility.

5.  Touchpoints by T. Berry Brazelton-  Basic Children Devlopement reference guide.

The above list are the must reads for parents.  The following books are on the as it applies list.

6.  Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems by Richard Ferber-  Especially helpful with babies and toddlers.

7.  Teaching Children Joy by Linda & Richard Eyre-  Enjoy their Joy School Program with my youngest.

8.  Quirky Kids  by Perri Klass & Eileen Costello-  When to worry and when not to.

9.  The Perfect Parent (as taught in the scriptures) by Gary Taylor-  Excellent!  Don't let the title scare you!

10.  Is This Your Child? by Doris Rapp-  Excellent introduction to allergies in children & adults.

I do have another list....this one is specific to the special needs of my children.  I'll share this list on another day.

Do you have a favorite child development or parenting book recommendation?  Do share!

Measuring Sticks

Wise parents understand that we should not "compare" one child to another.  However, wise parents also watch, listen and learn from other wise parents and sometimes we can fall into a trap.  Sometimes we can take the measuring stick that others use for their children to measure our own children.  

I've been caught in this trap.  

While there are important child rearing principles which should be taught to all children:  honesty, obedience, respect, hard work, kindness;  we must be careful to appropriately choose the expectations we set upon each child.  When inappropriate expectations are placed upon a child, both the child and the parent will become discouraged.  This is especially true for children with unique or "special" needs.  I've seen this at home with my children, and in working with other children through teaching in school and church settings.

-When I see my friend's child come the first time she is called.....and I have to give a 5 minute, 3 minute, and 1 minute warning to transition to dinner or bedtime or the grocery store.....;  I sometimes wonder, "What am I doing wrong?" "Why does my child not respond like other children?"


-When I hear my friend's child accept correction without responding with a self loathing rage;  I sometimes wonder, "Why can't my child be teachable?" OR "Am I not building my child's self esteem enough?"


-When I children easily wear socks, puts their shoes and church clothes on happily and gets in the car for church without crying; I sometimes wonder "Why do we have the same battle week after week and how does this child end up walking the church halls barefoot?"

Finding the appropriate measuring stick becomes particularly tricky when you have more than one child.  I remember telling my mom that it was not fair that she punished me differently than my brother.  My mom was wise.  She tried to teach my brothers and me the same lessons of life, but she realize that she needed to apply a different measuring stick to each of us.  My brothers and I are different people.  We have different strengths and have had different experiences in our adult years, but as children we each felt loved and valued for the child we were, because my parents worked hard to set individual expectations for each of us.


So, how do we set our own measuring sticks?


Parents with special needs children need to abandon the idea that their child should be measured against typical developing children.  Most often, a parent of a special needs child will find more comfort and validation (as well as strategies for working with that child) from the pages of a book specifically addressing their child's needs, than from talking to a neighbor they may admire as a parent....unless that neighbor has a child with similar struggles.  I have found trusted recommendations for such books from the websites of support foundations for my children's disorders.


And when you realize that your child and your life will never look or be typical then you will cry tears, dry them, and resolve to find appropriate expectations which will challenge but not frustrate your child and yourself.

How does it work?

This morning was another Neuro-Feedback appointment.

Matt walked in and said, "Dr. Hammond, we have just one question on our minds.....how does it work?"  How does Neuro-Feedback really work?  We know about what he does, but we want to know the HOW.

Dr. Hammond's response:  "We do not know.  We just know the results we get."  And then he proceeded to give more examples of children who have benefitted from Neuro-Feedback.

That's enough for us.....

The Brain Scan Results & The First Two Treatments

It's taken us a few days to process and begin to understand just a fraction of the brain scan results we recieved on Monday.  Above is a picture of just one page of the results.

As you look at this photo you will several different colors.  The colors indicate overactive (red), underactive (blue) and normal (green).  Light green is the middle between blue & green.  Yellow is the middle between green and red--so there are concerns in this areas, but not at great.

It's as if Dr. Hammond painted a picture to the smallest detail of our child without having a personal relationship with our child. For example, by analyzing the brain scan data, Dr. Hammond would say: "it appears that your child is worrying and dwelling on things which I assume is adding to and creating anxiety, because I am seeing a very high level of brain activity between the areas of the brain that control both long and short term memory" or "see this area in 'red,' this is the area controlling physical sensitivities it is also overactive which would lead to your child feeling uncomfortable with how things feel against their body, and this overactivity is requiring your child's brain to overprocess these sensory inputs, which is affecting other areas in the brain--as shown in the correlation between several other areas of the brain being acted upon by this area that controls processing physical sensitivities."

Can anyone make sense of any of that?!

To simplify, this is what we have taken away so far.  Our child's most significant concerns are:

1.  Over sensitivity to sensory inputs recieved through the skin.
2.  The "worry" areas of the brain are rings of fire--over active.
3.  The memory areas of the brain are being greatly affected.

Everything that comes into our child's brain is being processes at least 2 to 4 times--which causes worry, "over thinking" and slow processing.  In other words I've been emotional to realize just how hard our child is working to learn and to function in life.

Dr. Hammond explained that after reviewing the brain scan for our child, these are our child's most important points to focus on first and then we will move to the next areas of concern.

This morning our child completed the second day of Neuro-feedback treatment.  Dr. Hammond targeted the areas of sensory, worry and memory.  An eletrode was placed on the ear and one on the specific point of the brain.  He looked at that area and for simplicity's sake he said something like, "Oh, this area is suppossed to be running at 40 mega hertz per second and it is running at 20 mega hertz."  He would then apply the smallest amount of electricity (less than my cell phone) to that spot to bring the brain waves to 40 mega hertz and hold it there for 5 seconds.  Over time this is to re-pattern the brain impulses in that area to a "normal" more typical pattern.

We are to watch for headaches, fatique or a sudden increase of energy or agitation and report these to Dr. Hammond.  On the first day of treatment our child demonstrated an uncharacteristic goofiness, and playfulness which is uncommon.

We are all trying to settle into a new schedule to accomodate treatment as this requires very early mornings and a total disruption to our family schedule.  It is so worth it, because it means everything just to have hope.

The Brain Scan

This is the electrode cap worn during the scan.

Tuesday was a the big day for the QEEG of my beautiful child's brain.

I quote, "This was the worst thing that has been done to my body."

It's not an easy test.  We washed hair 3 times with a special anti-residue shampoo.  Twenty-seven electrodes place on the head with a thick gel on each to help increase the connection to the electrical firings of the brainwaves.  (Imagine how an already sensitive child deals with 27 spots of goo on their head, in their hair and on their ears.)  A dull needle pressed against the forehead in multiple places to ensure the electrodes make contact with the skin.  One must sit perfectly still,  as the slightest movement of a finger or an eye will add additional brainwaves which will have to be "cleaned up" or removed from the scan for accuracy and yet avoid falling asleep in such a relaxed position.  The hardest part was the firm pressure which was placed on closed eyes to prevent the eyeballs from moving (twitching, or random eye movements or flutters).

The aftermath:  fatigue, a splitting headache, discomfort from the gel and two scabs on the forehead where the blunt needle was pushed repeatedly.

The wonderful perspective, even from my child is that the worst is over.  The Neuro-Feedback visits, which begin tomorrow, should only include one electrode on the ear and one on the scalp somewhere above the forwhead (no more goo necessary) sending out very, very small electrical currents which should not be felt on the scalp.

We know we are in good hands as Dr. Hammond is the leading Neuro-Feedback specialist in the country.  We are so grateful to live within an hours drive of the University of Utah Hospital.

We are so very anxious to speak with the doctor about the results.....but will have to be patient until Monday.

Interruptions or Stumbling Blocks

I am frequently asked, even as recent as this morning, "When is it time to seek help or intervention" for my child who is struggling in a particular way.

Here is my rule of thumb.

As parents we often use the terms, "It's just a phase," or "He's getting better," or "It's just part of her quirky personality."  These phrases can be true.....but when the particular behavior or concerns become so pervasive that they hinder or impair the daily routine of life, it is time.

CHILD DEVELPMENT TRUTH #1:  Early intervention is key--in any illness, disorder, learning impairment, or developmental delay.

Years of research tells us in the Child Development world that when a child's needs are identified early--and early depends on the particular disorder or delay and when it is manifested--when intervention and treatment happens early, many gaps can be filled.

Picture a ladder which is missing rungs and the child can not climb any hire than the lowest missing rung.  The child becomes "stuck" in his development.  If through intervention with the right doctor, therapist, or other specialist the missing rung can be taught or developed or enabled through medication, the child can continue on his development path, sometimes without even a hint of what the initial concern was.  Or sometimes the development continues until he hits the next missing rung and the work to intervene continues.

The brain is amazingly adaptable.  We now know through speech, physical, occupation or emotional therapies the brain can be re-trained.  The body can even develop new nerve pathways to communicate properly.

The concern with ignoring or putting off intervention is that unhealthly coping strategies WILL develop just to help the child function throught the daily routine of the day.  So, instead of the child's struggle being an interruption in life it can become a huge stumbling block.

I have witnessed many, many children, who with early intervention, successfully continue climbing their ladder of development.  I have also witnessed children who have not recieved this intervention and developed negative, unhealthly coping strategies just to try to navigate and survive their daily routine.

As parents we must have the courage to seek the necessary early intervention turning out child's struggles into mere interruptions rather than life altering stumbling blocks.

Neuro-Feedback, What?!

Neuro-Feedback

Once the QEEG, the brain map has been completed, treatment goals can be established which guide the Neuro-Feedback treatments.

There are several different types of Neuro-Feedback. 

In the traditional Neuro-Feedback treatment, two electrodes are placed on the scalp and one or more on the earlobes during the neurothrerapy training sessions.  The “trainee” in this case my child then watches a display on the computer screen and listens to audio tones, sometimes while completing a simple task like reading.  With continued feedback, coaching and practice it is possible to learn to reproduce the desired brainwaves. 

So simply put, Neuro-Feedback is a workout for the brain targeting those “weak” areas.  Just as we work out to strengthen certain muscles, through Neuro Feedback we can build weak muscles in the brain.

One of the things they will have my child do is to watch a computer screen while  electrodes on her head are connected to a computer showing two bar graphs.  The task is to keep the bar graphs even/balanced just by controlling the focus of your brain, which influences the type of brainwave activity.

Another excersise they do is to watch a dvd movie which will get fuzzy as certain brainwaves enter.  The patient must learn to focus in such a way that the brainwaves will create a clear picture on the tv screen.

The Low Energy Neuro-Feedback System or LENS approach differs from other forms of neurofeedback in that it introduces a very, very tiny electromagnetic signal which is only about the intensity of the output coming from a watch battery.  The feedback stimulus is so small that if you hold a regular cell phone to your ear for 1 second, it is 400 times stronger.  This very low intensity feedback stimulus is introduced down the electrode wires for a few seconds.  LENS is unique in that it does not require the patient to “work” during neurofeedback, but to simply remain relatively still for less than a minute at a time.  This will open up the way for very young or severely disabled patients to receive treatment.

I don’t know how it all works, but the mind, which is anxious, fearful, depressed, irritable, angry or otherwise out of balance is somehow trained to become balanced without the assistance of medication.   Research shows that with Neuro-Feedback medications for such disorders can be reduced if not eliminated completely. 

One of the most agonizing decisions for me as a parent has been to put my child on medications.  To have options which have been proven through research gives  great hope.

What completely amazes me is the fact that since the late 70’s Neuro-Feedback has been researched, refined and tested as it relates to ADD/ADHD.  I went to years of school to study such things….and never have I heard of such treatments.  It’s exciting yet perplexing to me.

As one of my child’s other doctor said to me today, the brain is the “last frontier in the medical field, because it is so complex and we can’t take it out of the skull while someone is living to study and watch, yet this research will change the way we approach the practice of medicine.  (Yes, we went to another, actually two additional appointments today for the same child with two different doctors!  I’ve added up that within 6 days, two of those being Saturday & Sunday, I will have spent 17 hours traveling to and from and in doctor’s appointments.  Such an investment with the hopes and prayers for gigantic rewards of healthy, happy, stable children.)

The appointments thus far have been purely educational as we have decided whether we should move forward with such treatment.  We have decided that we must move forward.  The brain mapping will take place on Tuesday morning with the results coming later in the week.  Treatments will begin the last day of January.  The treatments will be twice a week for 15 weeks.  I will share more about our journey on Tuesday.

QEEG, What?!

New Year's Resolution #1-  Become a quasi-expert in my children's health issues.

I spent the morning at the University of Utah with Dr. Cory Hammond, an expert in Neuro-feedback.  This form of treatment has been around since the 70's and 80's.  Just five weeks ago I had never heard of Neuro-Feedback and now it may change two of my children's lives.

The complexity of the brain is facinating.

In my field of Child Development I often get asked the question:  "Why 'all of the sudden' are there so many ADD or ADHD or Anxiety or Mood Disorder or Austism diagnosises?"  It's good question.  We read about it in the newspaper.  Hear about it on television and radio shows.  So what it really going on inside the heads of these people.  Is it for "real" or is it just an excuse for poor parenting or poor lifestyles or totally over-diagnosed?

I professionally wonder if the diagnosises were less "subjective" would parents be so hesitant or even in denial if they could "see" what was actualy going on inside their child's head.

This morning I was offered a chance to see inside of one of my own children's brains.  It's called QEEG or Brain Mapping for those of us without medical degrees.

Brainwaves occur at various frequencies.  Some are fast and some are quite slow.

Beta- brainwaves are small, faster brainwaves linked with a state of mental intellectual activity and outwardly focused concentration.  This is basically at state of bright-eyed alertness.

Alpha- brainwaves are slower and larger.  They are associated with a state of relacation and basically represent the brain shifting into idling gear, relaxed and disengaged waiting to respond when needed.  Fascinatingly, if we close our minds and picture something beautiful and peaceful in less than 30 seconds our alpha waves increase.

Theta-  brainwaves bring a profoundly calm, serene state that occurs just before we fall asleep.

Delta- brainwaves are the slowest, highest amplitude brainwaves, and are experienced when we are asleep.

If we are drowsy there are more delta and theta brainwaves creeping in and if we are inattentive to external things and daydreamy there is more theta present.  If we are exceptionally anxious and tence, an excessive high frequency of beta waves are often present.  People with ADD or ADHD, learning disabilities, anxiety, Aspergers, autisim, depression or mood disorders, strokes or even addiction, chronic fatigue syndrome just to name a few have excessive slow waves present.  When an excessive amount of slow waves are present in the frontal parts of the brain it becomes difficult to control attention, behavior, and/or emotions.

With electrodes placed in just the right spots on the scalp these brainwaves can be measured and mapped for an individual and then run through a data base of thousands of brainscans of "normal" people of the same age to determine the special needs of that individual.

So here it is.  Proof.  These diagnosises are not just excuses for poor functioning or behavior.  There is a tangible picture to show what is actually going on inside these unique brains.  To hold a map in your hand which explains "why" is both validating and comforting, mostly because with that map a treatment can be designed and hope is given.

Tomorrow I will share more about Neuro-Feedback, which uses the brain mapping to guide treatment.