What works? What doesn’t?
Mind Games is interested in improving how our clients function. Our motto is to “do whatever works.” What works with your child may not work with others. Below is what we have seen as the “best evidence” for efficacy of treatments.
Medication
The research indicates 75% of patients get some benefit from a carefully chosen and monitored medication strategy. Almost 250 studies have verified this over the last 20 years. Choices are usually either stimulant medication, anti-convulsants, or medications used to treat depression. Side effects do exist but are usually manageable for most patients. One significant problem with medication is compliance. The majority of patients do not tend to take their medication correctly or for a long period. Medication only works while it is in the patients system. It tends to wear off and exit the body quickly. It can be misused. Read More on Medication
Diet and Exercise
Many clients report improved attention and stamina with proper diet and exercise. This would be true even if the client didn’t have ADHD. There is no research evidence that suggests that this is a cure, but it may be a very effective way to help cope with the problems typically associated with ADHD. Mind Games recommends 30 minutes of aerobic exercise every day for our clients. Read more on Diet and Exercise
Vitamins and Supplements
A multivitamin providing 100 % of your daily allowance is good advice for all of us. Very few of us eat a balanced diet these days. There are many supplements which may increase specific amino acids and neurotransmitters which may be lacking in ADHD brains. Research them well. Use them only under the direction and supervision of your physician. Remember that anything that we put in our bodies impacts how our brain functions. Read more on vitamins and supplements
Neurofeedback
Research into NFB started in the 1960’s. Think of this treatment option as brain exercise. The purpose of the training is to be able to change your brain wave patters when you want to, giving you a new ability to regulate your own brain. This new found ability should translate into improved behavior. The process is usually a slow and gradual one but there is significant scientific evidence that suggests that the changes may last long term. One limitation is that it usually takes many sessions to begin to see some real benefit. Read More on Neurofeedback
Rhythmic Entrainment Intervention
This therapy uses auditory rhythm’s to stimulate the nervous system. Studied specifically since 1993, the scientific evidence is minimal at this writing. The idea is that the brain will change to match the rhythm of any stimuli around it. In this therapy an individually prepared CD is created based on an extensive interview of the client. The purpose of the CD is to stimulate the brain to a different state.
Auditory Integration Training
Developed in the 1950’s by French physician Dr. Alfred Tomatis, the method uses specific types of frequency that is intended to change the way you hear sound. The purpose of the treatment is to correct problems with auditory processing, which may be associated with attention problems. Most of the research with this method involved children with autism and involved very small numbers of subjects.
Vision therapy
Some problems related to attention may be related to Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome. What may happen is that for some clients, letters move and shift and wiggle and change while reading. Also called Irlen’s Syndrome, clients find reading is easier with a series of color overlays that are placed on the page. Colored lenses may also be used.
Counseling
Cognitive behavioral therapies and behavior modification approaches are the standard of care and show some benefit to ADHD clients. These approaches require significant commitment of time, effort and energy by the client and their families and only last as long as the client is motivated. Most experienced therapists would admit that counseling ADHD children and adolescents is often difficult because they lack the insight, experience, and ability to make changes that are required by these approaches. Read more on counseling
Coaching
No formal training is required to become “an ADHD coach.” Professional ADHD coaches use a variety of approaches to help a person become more successful. They will work on helping a person with ADHD get organized, set goals, stay motivated and develop management skills. While advocated by several national organizations, there are few standards in this field, no standard approaches and almost no research documenting it’s effectiveness. Coaches will vary with training, experience, and other qualifications. Contact between coaches and clients can range from daily to even monthly meetings. While advocated by several mainstream ADHD groups, there is little evidence to demonstrate how effective coaching can be.
Social Skills training
ADHD children and adolescents have clear social skills problems. They are more aggressive and impulsive, break rules, complain more often and are viewed by peers in a negative fashion. This often leads to children internalizing problems resulting in loss of self esteem, motivation and increased frustration. Much research has clearly demonstrated that there is significant and negative social impact on children with ADHD. Much of this is due to the difficulties with mood and the impulsive and often aggressive behavior of the ADHD child. Recent research has reported that three basic skills can make a huge difference with these children. Learning to follow the rules of the games that are played, exhibiting pro-social behaviors and not whining or complaining are the three critical changes that kids with ADHD need to make in order to minimize the negative impact in social situations. Social skills training is time consuming and may be difficult to generalize to school situations.
No standard approach for social skills training is recognized at present.