“…For example, one 4-year-old boy recently was diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (NOS). He had severe behavioral and emotional self-regulation problems, with episodes of extreme aggression toward his brother and parents and self-hurting behavior such as biting and head banging many times daily. He spoke in two- to three-word phrases, primarily echolalic, engaged in repetitive behavior, and showed little social engagement, even with his mother. After 3 months of twice weekly neurofeedback, aggressive behavior and tantrums were largely gone, language had markedly improved, he began to engage in play with peers, and his relatedness with his parents and brother had very significantly improved.”
“Generally, improvements are seen in attention and other aspects of executive function, in anxiety and emotional self-regulation, and in the degree to which a child is tuned in to or engaged with the world around him rather than being ‘‘in his own world.’’ It seems to be the case that neurofeedback in ASD requires many more sessions than for other disorders. Therefore, home training under the supervision of the clinician is often used.
“The rationale for use of neurofeedback for ASD is similar to that for medication for this population. Virtually all children with ASD have significant attention deficits and often impulsivity. Virtually all children with ASD also suffer from anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and mood disturbances. Neurofeedback, like medication for ASD, for these specific areas of dysfunction—attention and executive function deficits in general, anxiety and obsessive symptoms, and mood.”
