Why is neurofeedback so important for anyone who is on the autistic spectrum developmental delays? Neurofeedback often produces more positive change in symptoms of autistic children than any other intervention. For clinicians and families who have worked with this modality, the changes can be profound.
Most people on autistic spectrum become easily overwhelmed. Sensory integration work is often very helpful. But it’s so much more efficient to train the brain itself to calm. There are specific areas of the brain that play a role in self-calming. If they don’t work well or are overwhelmed, the child (or adult) will have a very difficult time calming. By strengthening the parts of the brain that calm through training, it gives every other technique the chance to work better.
The changes that most people notice first, once training starts are: 1) improved sleep, and 2) the ability to self-calm (or self-regulate).
Most people have a hard time understanding how it is possible for an autistic spectrum child to train their brain. Yet this group responds so consistently to brain training. For most kids, changes aren’t subtle – they have a big impact on the lives of the family and the child. Why? Neurofeedback trains more organized, better regulated brain activity. The brains of children on the autistic spectrum have clear patterns of dysregulation. It is usually evident on qEEG analysis.
Often, the most disorganized brains often show the most improvement, because they have the furthest to improve. Ever subtle changes can show up as changes in the person’s behavior. The more neurofeedback training one does, the more the individual learns to self-regulate. However, it doesn’t take that many sessions for the family members to notice changes.
Other Changes
When you help improve self-regulation, and when the brain starts to calm down and become better regulated, many other symptoms start to improve. These include eye contact, attention, and becoming more interactive and engaging with other people.