ADD and ADHD treatments that help with concentration
Children are subject to a wide range of distractions and stimuli that can have an adverse effect on their concentration. This can happen at home and at school, and for those with ADD and ADHD, the effects of these distractions can be severe. It can affect your ability to form relationships and it can certainly affect your educational potential. While eliminating distractions can help, children with ADD and ADHD require additional skills to help them stay focused. The best way to provide these skills is by participating in programs that are designed to foster focus and therefore give people with ADD and ADHD the skills they need to be successful.
Helping them, helping themselves
There are two main treatments for ADD and ADHD that have been shown to help increase concentration in people with ADD and ADHD. Both interactive metronome therapy and neurofeedback therapy have a proven track record of helping people with ADD and ADHD maintain higher levels of concentration long after treatments have stopped. What these treatments do is provide people with ADD and ADHD with the necessary brain training to help them maintain concentration and focus and therefore also improve their personal well-being as they are able to focus on their own. While it is not a cure, it is a way for people with ADD and ADHD to manage their symptoms to help them in other areas of their lives and therefore improve their ability to succeed.
Interactive metronome therapy
Interactive Metronome Therapy (IMT) uses movements of the hands and feet to coincide with a computer-generated pitch. The repetitive movements of the tone provide immediate feedback and a score is tabulated allowing the participant the opportunity to improve their reaction time score. As more and more correct times are made, the score improves. This trains the mind to develop the skills related to concentration, and as more and more sessions are done, the corresponding skill level also increases. Interactive metronome therapy has been shown to work with both children and adults and peer-reviewed research has shown that the skills are long-lasting. Also, a recent 2016 article in Brain and Language titled “Feedback Incorporation During Beat Synchronization Is an Index of Neural Maturation and Reading Abilities” Carr, Fitzroy, Tierney, White-Scwoch, Kraus; indicates that IMT can also be used to address language-based learning problems.
Neurofeedback Therapy
Similar in some ways to IMT, Neurofeedback addresses the development of concentration skills using visual and auditory cues. Using a computer, the participant receives visual and auditory stimuli that generate a brainwave response, and as this response is monitored, the participant is rewarded each time their brainwave patterns remain in the optimized training patterns, providing thus a higher level of concentration. While the exact methodology may vary from provider to provider, the end results of higher levels of concentration and focus are identical. Neurofeedback therapy is supported by more than twenty-five independent peer-reviewed studies published in scientific journals, including a recent article in the journal Nature, titled “Closed-Loop Brain Training: The Science of Neurofeedback” which also discusses the feasibility long-term view of this ADHD treatment and the science behind it.
Finding the right treatments for ADD and ADHD can seem like a challenge, but there are highly-skilled providers who can help you achieve the skills you or someone you know with ADHD need to be successful. Both interactive metronome therapy and neurofeedback therapy are proven treatments for ADHD that improve concentration and focus. This leads to a better outcome for those dealing with ADD and ADHD and a greater opportunity for a bright future. If you’re looking for a way to help you or someone you know manage ADD or ADHD, contact a provider today.