Brad Oostindie, MA, LLP
800 Ellis Road, Suite 245
Norton Shores, MI 49441
Toll-free: 1-800-850-0535
Appointments: info@readytofocus.com
Billing: billing@readytofocus.com
BRAD OOSTINDIE, MA, LLP
800 ELLIS ROAD SUITE 245, NORTON SHORES, MI 49441
Schedule an appointment today! 1-800-850-0535
Posted on November 2 2009
Bill and Jack (not their real names) are two brothers who completed the Ready To Focus home based neurofeedback program in the summer of 2009. Both Bill (middle school age) and Jack (late elementary age) had struggled with academics, behavior, and focus for their entire life. Attempts at intervention utilizing different types of medication and counseling had been unsuccessful. Bill (who completed approximately 35 hours of training) recently received his first progress report at school for this school year, in which 4 out of 5 classes indicated grades A or B. Teachers and caregivers had always felt Bill was intelligent and capable, but had never lived up to his potential. He is finally starting to do so! Behaviorally he is doing much better as well. Jack (who completed approximately 24 hours of training) had been doing grade work one grade below grade placement last school year. This school year he is doing grade level work (a two grade jump in this case!) and behaviorally is doing better as well. These results and the improvements that Bill and Jack experienced led to this quote from their parent, “For the first time in my life I feel like they are doing mainstream academic work!” Objectively, both Jack and Bill’s testing and re-testing in the Ready To Focus program showed significant improvement from pre neurofeedback to post. This includes increased IQ scores (a finding validated in many controlled neurofeedback studies) and increase in continuous performance testing.
Posted on October 1 2009
Written by Brad Oostindie:
Jane (not her real name), a 10 year old girl, completed the Ready To Comprehend program and the Ready To Focus program over the summer of 2009. It is a great story of positive change brought about by her hard work in these two programs.
In the Ready To Comprehend program a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment was completed to assess her level of concentration, distraction, mood and behavior, learning disorders, as well as for signs and symptoms of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.(FAS). The assessment did indicate problems related to focus and attention span, as well as problems related to anxiety. Her cognitive scores showed some deficits and areas of weakness that were likely negatively impacting her academic performance. The assessment conclusively ruled out FAS and learning disorders, and really helped us focus in on two main areas to help Jane. The type of comprehensive assessment completed was the only way to answer all of these questions.
After completing the assessment we started the Ready To Focus program (home based neurofeedback). Jane completed nearly 50 hours of training over the course of three months! This was absolutely fantastic as her parents and I had concerns about how well she would engage in the program as she could be oppositional at times. During the course of training we noticed improvement with sleep, improvements with focus and attention span, reduction of anxiety, improved mood, and improved social functioning. By the fall she was able to return to school (she had been unable to complete school the prior year due to her difficulties) and is off to a good start.
Six months after her initial neuropsychological assessment, we re-tested Jane on the neuropsychological measures. Significant improvement was observed in her Verbal, Performance, Processing Speed, and Full Scale IQ scores. Jane improved from approximately the 30th to 40th percentile rank to the 70th to 80th on some of these measures (Verbal and Performance IQ), and her overall IQ score improved to the 85th percentile! Her ability to avoid distraction improved from the 1st percentile rank to nearly the 50th percentile rank! I believe these cognitive improvements will help her greatly over the course of this new school year.
We will continue to work on her ability to sustain effort on tasks, which improved during the course of training but is not fully at the level we want it. In addition, we would like to see further progress with her level of anxiety and tension. Because of the high amount of training she completed we will be able to take a break now and return to the training later on next spring or summer. The research shows that those who complete over 20 hours of training will hold the gains they made, and will likely continue to improve even after the treatment over the next 1-3 years.
I am so happy for Jane and her family and the improvements she is experiencing.
Posted on September 28 2009
Posted by Brad Oostindie, MA, LLP - Chief Clinician and Founder of Ready To Focus
Although many studies exist showing the efficacy of Neurofeedback treatment in ADHD there have been criticisms of these studies due to their smaller sample sizes, lack of a control group, among other issues. This recent study published in the Clinical EEG and Neuroscience Journal (July 2009) addresses those issues and shows Neurofeedback as a Level 5 (efficacious and specific) treatment for ADHD. Level 5 criteria means the treatment (in this case neurofeedback) “needs to be demonstrated to be statisically superior to a credible sham therapy, pill, or bona fide treatment in at least two independent studies.” This current study, which is a meta-analysis of several studies, shows this level 5 criteria to be met. The study also addresses other issues related to Neurofeedback including long-term positive effects (such as 3 month, 6 month, and 2 year follow up studies) and issues related to pre and post QEEG studies and pre and post continuous performance testing studies. I believe this study to be the most comprehensive and conclusive in terms of addressing the issue of whether or not Neurofeedback is a scientifically “proven” treatment.
Posted on September 28 2009
By Brad Oostindie
I am so pleased to announce that the Ready to Focus program will be able to offer services either free of charge or at a significantly reduced rate to some families because of a generous gift from Spring Lake Wesleyan Church (www.slwc.org). SLWC donated the costs for purchase of one neurofeedback unit for use with families unable to afford the services. Ready To Focus will donate clinical and technical time to the families. It is likely many families per year will be positively impacted by the “Mission Unit.” In fact, the first family has already started the program! The unit is currently set up in the home of this family and is being used by a 5 year old boy. This five year old boy needs help with his sleep problems, needs to reduce or eliminate his stimulant medication prescription, needs help with improving focus, and help with other cognitive/social issues.
Ready To Focus is accepting donations to provide services to “Mission Unit” families, as well as donations for purchase of additional units to expand the program. Donors will be provided a receipt for tax-deduction purchases. Please contact Brad Oostindie at Ready To Focus for further information (brad@readytofocus.com or 1-800-850-0535).