The Drake Institute now offers remote treatment for ADHD, autism, and other brain-based disorders. With the help of our trained clinicians, you can get the help you need from the comfort of your home.
Learn More >>The Drake Institute now offers remote treatment for ADHD, autism, and other brain-based disorders. With the help of our trained clinicians, you can get the help you need from the comfort of your home.
Learn More >>Raising a child with ADHD can have many more challenges than raising a neurotypical child. ADHD symptoms like inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity can disrupt daily routines and create frustration for both children and their parents. Unfortunately, many families struggle to access ADHD treatment options due to time constraints, long commutes to specialists, or difficulty taking time off work.
For these parents, the Drake Institute now offers remote treatment for ADHD. With this treatment, parents are provided with user-friendly brain mapping-neurofeedback instruments for use during live, individualized online treatment sessions. The treatment process is the same as our in-clinic treatment, as our staff runs the treatment sessions remotely through TeamViewer.
For several decades, the Drake Institute has used advanced treatment technologies to create customized treatment protocols for patients with ADHD and other brain-based conditions. Brain map-guided neurofeedback and neurostimulation help our ADHD patients reduce their symptoms and lead better lives.
In addition to clinical neurofeedback treatment, there are several ways to approach ADHD treatment at home. While these methods are not a formal treatment for a child with ADHD, they may help reduce some of the symptoms and decrease the stress at home caused by the extra challenges of parenting a child with special needs.
To learn more about the Drake Institute’s remote neurofeedback treatment or how to treat an ADHD child at home, fill out the consultation form or call us at 800-700-4233.
ADHD, or Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder, is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that affects both adults and children. Individuals with the disorder primarily struggle to sustain attention. Some also have difficulty controlling impulses and may exhibit hyperactivity. The severity of symptoms depends on the individual. These symptoms can present challenges at work or school and in social settings.
Studies indicate that the presence of ADHD has a strong genetic component.[i] Environmental factors and complications during pregnancy and/or labor and delivery may also play a role. For instance, prenatal exposure to alcohol or tobacco, premature birth, and low birth weight have been linked to an increased risk of developing ADHD.
There is no known cure for ADHD and untreated individuals may continue to have persistent ADHD symptoms in adulthood.[ii] However, with proper treatment, individuals with ADHD can improve their attention, reduce hyperactivity and impulsivity, and develop successful lives.
There are various approaches to treating ADHD. Traditional treatments often include medication and adjunctive counseling. Skills training and education can be useful in learning techniques to minimize the impact of symptoms. Lifestyle changes including healthy nutrition, exercise, good sleep, and minimizing screen time for children and adolescents can also be beneficial.[iii]
While many doctors and physicians opt for stimulant medication as a first approach to treating ADHD, at the Drake Institute, we believe there is a better way. Stimulant medications commonly used to treat ADHD can cause several unwanted side effects such as loss of appetite, slowed growth, mood swings as the medication wears off, and trouble sleeping.[iv] At the Drake Institute, we’ve developed a highly successful non-drug treatment approach using brain map-guided neurofeedback that can provide effective clinical improvement with minimal risk of side effects.
Over the last 40 years, the Drake Institute has clinically pioneered the use of advanced treatment technologies to treat a variety of brain-based medical or psychiatric disorders such as ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, PTSD, anxiety, panic disorder, depression, insomnia, migraine headaches, hypertension, irritable bowel syndrome, and more. Using a combination of biofeedback, brain map-guided neurofeedback and sometimes neurostimulation, our Medical Director creates customized treatment protocols to address each patient's needs.
We first complete a qEEG brain map analysis for each patient to develop our individualized treatment plans. Brain mapping helps us identify which specific regions or networks of the brain are dysregulated linked to symptoms.
To collect this data, 19 sensors are placed around the scalp in areas of the brain responsible for language, focus, memory, executive functioning, social/emotional understanding and behavioral/emotional regulation. The 19 sensors measure and record brainwave activity that is processed through a normative database of neurotypical individuals.
When we compare the patient's results with those of neurotypical individuals, we can identify regions or networks of the brain that are dysregulated and causing symptoms. This information also allows us to determine how these areas are dysregulated so that we can develop specific treatment protocols that help improve brain functioning and reduce symptoms.
During neurofeedback training/treatment, sensors are once again placed on the scalp. The sensors record and display instantaneous brainwave activity visually in real-time on a computer screen with simultaneous auditory feedback as well.
During neurofeedback sessions, the patient is seeing the results of how their brain is working and with this information, they learn to improve their brainwave activity by guiding it toward healthier, more appropriately functional brainwave patterns.
We do not administer any drugs or perform invasive procedures during this process. Instead, the patient is improving their own brain functioning, guided by visual and auditory feedback.
As an adjunct to neurofeedback, we may also use neurostimulation guided by qEEG brain map findings to gently stimulate the brain into healthier functional patterns. In our experience, some patients may benefit even more from neurofeedback if we also use neurostimulation. We have found this particularly helpful for lower-functioning children on the Autism Spectrum.
Remote ADHD home treatment from the Drake Institute offers several benefits for families struggling with ADHD. It eliminates the need for long commutes and transportation expenses, reducing stress and frustration with having to be in the car for extended periods of time, and allows the child to be more receptive for treatment because they’re not fatigued after sitting through a long and draining drive. Our remote neurofeedback treatment uses the same clinically proven techniques and provides the same level of customized care as our in-clinic programs.
In addition to clinical neurofeedback treatment, parents can utilize the following suggestions to maximize symptom reduction. These additional suggestions to support at-home treatments for ADHD include:
Certain dietary changes and supplements may help to further improve focus and reduce hyperactivity. Consider removing high-sugar and processed foods that include artificial coloring and flavorings. Always speak to your doctor to see which changes or supplements might be right for your child.[v]
Regular physical activity can help further improve focus, reduce impulsivity, and promote better sleep in children with ADHD. Adding daily exercise can also encourage the forming and maintenance of healthy routines.[vi]
Another suggestion for supporting home treatment of ADHD is to practice mindfulness. Mindfulness exercises and meditation can help children with ADHD learn to focus their attention and manage emotions. Mindfulness is a practice that trains the brain to focus on the moment instead of wandering. One study found that individuals with ADHD who practiced mindfulness each week were able to stay focused on tasks and experienced less depression and anxiety.[vii]
Getting a good night’s rest isn’t always easy for children with ADHD, but improving sleep hygiene can help. Sleep hygiene includes all aspects of getting to and falling asleep. The room should be comfortable, dark, and quiet to foster rest and relaxation. A bedtime routine can help with the transition from daytime activities to a restful sleep.[viii] Distracting electronic devices should be removed from the room well before it’s time to go to sleep.
CBT is a type of therapy that centers on how our thoughts and behaviors interact. It focuses on thoughts and behaviors and aims to disrupt negative thinking patterns. To further support clinical treatment, this therapy helps the patient to recognize and modify dysfunctional thoughts and patterns.[ix]
In the last forty years, Drake has helped thousands of patients with various disorders such as autism, ADHD, PTSD, anxiety, panic disorder, depression, insomnia, migraine headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, and hypertension reduce or resolve their symptoms and thereby achieve a better quality of life. Call us at 1-800-700-4233 or fill out the free consultation form to get started.
[i] https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/adhd-causes
[ii] https://psychcentral.com/adhd/can-adhd-be-cured
[iii] https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-lifestyle-changes-food-sleep-exercise-genes-environment/
[iv] https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/adhd-medication-chart
[v] https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/adhd-diets
[vi] https://chadd.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/ATTN_06_12_Exercise.pdf
[vii] https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/adhd-mindfulness-meditation-yoga
[viii] https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-sleep-disturbances-symptoms/
[ix] https://www.additudemag.com/slideshows/cognitive-behavioral-therapy-techniques-for-adhd/
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Interview with Dr. David Velkoff
Seth's Story
Interview with Dr. David Velkoff
Spanish News Feature
“David F. Velkoff, M.D., our Medical Director and co-founder, supervises all evaluation procedures and treatment programs. He is recognized as a physician pioneer in using biofeedback, qEEG brain mapping, neurofeedback, and neuromodulation in the treatment of ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and stress related illnesses including anxiety, depression, insomnia, and high blood pressure. Dr. David Velkoff earned his Master’s degree in Psychology from the California State University at Los Angeles in 1975, and his Doctor of Medicine degree from Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta in 1976. This was followed by Dr. Velkoff completing his internship in Obstetrics and Gynecology with an elective in Neurology at the University of California Medical Center in Irvine. He then shifted his specialty to Neurophysical Medicine and received his initial training in biofeedback/neurofeedback in Neurophysical Medicine from the leading doctors in the world in biofeedback at the renown Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas. In 1980, he co-founded the Drake Institute of Neurophysical Medicine. Seeking to better understand the link between illness and the mind, Dr. Velkoff served as the clinical director of an international research study on psychoneuroimmunology with the UCLA School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and the Pasteur Institute in Paris. This was a follow-up study to an earlier clinical collaborative effort with UCLA School of Medicine demonstrating how the Drake Institute's stress treatment resulted in improved immune functioning of natural killer cell activity. Dr. Velkoff served as one of the founding associate editors of the scientific publication, Journal of Neurotherapy. He has been an invited guest lecturer at Los Angeles Children's Hospital, UCLA, Cedars Sinai Medical Center-Thalians Mental Health Center, St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California, and CHADD. He has been a medical consultant in Neurophysical Medicine to CNN, National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel, Univision, and PBS.”
