Stanley, not his real name, is a businessman who struggled with managing the details of his business. His ideas and his follow through were not always in balance, resulting in missed opportunities. Even though he was trying to study for an advanced program, his mind was not always in attendance and he was losing valuable time. It was difficult to keep focused, manage appointments, business contacts, or the details of his paperwork. He felt like he was always playing catch-up. If he was to be successful, he would have to be more mentally efficient.
Diagnosing brain activity in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is essential in developing interventions, meaningful treatments and positive outcomes. This has been made easier with information from research using electroencephalograms (EEGs), a recording of the brain’s electrical signals. Research, lead by Sophie Molkolm at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, identifies processing deficits as part of the problem with the ‘autistic brain.’ Malcolm’s studies have established a relationship between the severity of a child’s autism and deficits in processing of sensory information.
Louise (not her real name), an 8-year-old child from Bordentown, had difficulty with aggression, anxiety and interacting poorly with others. She was unable to live at home with her siblings because of her extreme difficulty with behavioral and impulse controls. Being diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder, associated with early childhood trauma, there were significant behavioral concerns. Some of the behaviors she displayed include being easily distracted and fidgeting, lacking patience, getting in trouble frequently, having tantrums, defying rules, being excessively stubborn, angry, resentful, initiating fights, pushing others around and being physically cruel to others.
Noel (not her real name), an adult woman suffered from depression “all her life,” as she described it. Over the years, she had been under medical care with trials of many medications with little success. During her first visit, her mood was low, and she could barely describe her situation without crying. Despite all the medication she was taking, she felt anxious, depressed, spacy, and vulnerable. Her inability to focus and follow through satisfactorily with responsibilities gave her great concern for her job and possible demotion. Home life was another struggle with school age children needing the motherly attention that her limited mental energy could not allow. Her reservoir of energy had been on empty for such a long time, and she was feeling much less resilient.
Paulie (not his real name), a 6th grader, struggled with school work, homework and on-task behaviors. Additionally, he was a challenge for his teachers and parents, with hyperactivity, oppositionality and impulsivity as part of their behavioral concerns.
Alan, not his real name, a high school student from Lawrenceville, began neurofeedback as a troubled and depressed student. At that time, thoughts of self-harm were disturbing him. Moodiness and withdrawal from the family were a concern to his mother. He lost interest in many activities, friends, and family, while experiencing difficulty with communicating his feelings.
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