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In December 2001, we spent a week in Utah for a neurofeedback intensive with attachment therapist Larry VanBloem. During that week, Super Dad and I received training in how to operate the neurofeedback equipment we would be leasing for the next year (or more) and using at home.
Neurofeedback is like brain “training”, much like having a personal trainer for fitness. It literally trains your brain to hold the brain waves to a more “normal” range.
The first, and by far the most amazing, result LuLu had from neurofeedback was her ability to sleep. At this point LuLu had been home with us 3 ½ years. Her nightly sleeping patterns were to sleep about 3-4 hours (awakening at 2 am), be up for an hour or two and sleep 2-3 hours more. She would often nap during the day, but never more than about 30 minutes or so.
Two days into the neurofeedback intensive, LuLu had received 6 sessions (three 30-minute sessions each day). We were staying at a nearby hotel. At 2 am, Super Dad and I were both wide awake, sure that LuLu would be up any minute now. Instead we saw a child sleeping peacefully in the other bed. We were amazed. She slept until we woke her the next day at 7 am. It was a miracle, and I was sure it was a fluke. Except that she did it every night we were in Utah…and then when we returned home.
Over the next 15+ months we did 300 sessions, and within the next year our grand total came to over 400. At this point in time, LuLu was 5, and had not yet been on any medications; those would eventually be needed.
By far the hugest gain was in sleeping and regulating her ability to both go to sleep and stay asleep. This happened very early, and with just the basic calming protocol. The bulk of our sessions were centered on the frontal cortex (for more attention, focus and executive functioning) and along the sensory motor strip. While we had incremental improvement in both, there were no “wow”s like the sleeping.
The other surprising improvement came when it was time to do the temporal training. First of all, LuLu’s temporal lobe that was most affected was not the temporal lobe associated with attachment issues and RAD, but the other one, associated with impaired socialization and communication. We started the training and, as was usual, Larry didn’t really give me a clue as to what improvements to expect. He wanted to see what I observed, so he wasn’t planting any ideas in my head about her improvements.
A few days into the temporal training, I reported to him that it was as if she was reading my facial expressions for the first time. BINGO! That was a huge sign this training was working.
Autism and RAD: The Combo Platter
Wow! That is amazing and what a blessing to finally be able to sleep all night! It is hard enough to deal with sn children, but blurry eyed must have been horrific.