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 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).
Posted on September 28 2009
Our daughter started neurofeedback when she was 8 years old going into 4th grade. We noticed she was having a hard time with everyday tasks such as getting dressed, eating breakfast, brushing her teeth…etc. She basically didn’t know what to do next. Her school work was also a struggle for her, especially math. She told us that the numbers were all mixed up in her head. She also had very bad migraine headaches that she was on medication for to help prevent them. She was also moody, somewhat depressed because she felt stupid because of her schoolwork. We suspected ADD.
I had never heard of neurofeedback before. I am a pharmacist and the treatment was medication. I never knew that there was this alternative. Our family doctor knows Brad Oostindie and suggested that we try this instead of putting her on medication right away. I was so happy because I see the side effects of these medications in kids everyday and I did not want my daughter to have to go through that.
It took a while before we actually saw results. I was getting a little frustrated, but Brad told me to hang in there. It was probably about 9 weeks at 2 half-hour sessions per week when we saw the results. It was amazing. One day she was the moody, frustrated girl and the next she was happy, ready to go to school and start learning.
We had about 15 weeks of therapy. We have the home version and refresh in the summertime. The equipment is easy to use and convenient. I also put my other daughter on it just because even though she does not have ADD.
Our daughter is off her migraine medication and the headaches are almost non-existent. She never had to be put on ADD medication and is doing great. She is going into 7th grade and last year she had all “A’s” and one “B+”. She loves school and cannot wait to start this fall. It has been a slow road to basically “catch her up” and relearn some things, but it has been worth the hard work. We are so proud of her!
Posted on August 21 2009
During my elementary years, particularly 3rd through 5th, my teachers seriously impacted how I viewed myself. For years I struggled with feelings of inadequacy with the deep-seated lie that I was actually dumb and stupid. Over the years through God’s grace I have found healing and restoration from a destroyed self-esteem. But there was one more piece to the puzzle – something I hadn’t considered – how those childhood years affected my ability to learn.
You see, I love to learn, but reading a book meant going back to read what I had just read, conversation with a friend meant asking questions that had already been answered, listening to a lecture found me leaving class with my head spinning, studying for an exam meant many laborious hours. The question wasn’t how long I stuck with something, because I was diligent to persevere through whatever. The question was how much I absorbed and retained from that book, conversation, lecture, or review. It all came about while I was working on finishing a college degree last year. Studying for an exam or writing a paper triggered the same panic and anxiousness I had struggled with throughout all my school years.
The Ready to Focus option was something I had to explore. I had no idea what that meant, but I was willing to give it a try. After my initial testing to see how my brain waves were working during focus, it was discovered that my brain would work really hard to focus (at an anxiety level), but then give up and jump over to a zoned out state even while I tried to remain focused. I couldn’t believe how well Brad’s description fit what I experienced every time I read a book, studied for an exam, etc. No wonder I was having trouble - jumping from anxiety to zoned out - a pattern, Brad says, that I probably developed as a grade-schooler. I just always thought that was how it worked for me. I always figured I had some sort of learning disability that I would never be able to overcome, of course, proving my teachers correct.
After 32 half-hour sessions of neurofeedback I have retrained my brain waves to function at the healthy ideal levels my brain was made to function all along. Experientially, I could tell I was improving, but the real clincher was when I saw the before and after graphs that showed my improvement.
I am both amazed and grateful that God would bring healing down to the very core of my brain waves—my God-given cognitive potential. My brain waves are fixed and I am a bona fide student and learner without the panic and anxiety I experienced for so many years!
Gwen
Michigan