ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a neurologic developmental disorder.

ADD was renamed ADHD in 1994. The name ADHD can be misleading because many children diagnosed with ADHD are not hyperactive, have no behavioral problems, but have significant problems with staying focused, being easily distracted, and completing tasks without being monitored.

The disorder is diagnosed more frequently in boys than in girls. Children with ADHD may continue to struggle with the "inattentive" symptoms into adulthood and are at increased risk for academic underachievement, resultant low self esteem, car accidents, alcohol/substance abuse, and relationship problems.

Core symptoms

ADHD (Inattentive type)

• Inattention
• Easily Distracted
• Difficulty finishing tasks such as homework without supervision
• Poor short term memory ( i.e. difficultly following a series of instructions)

ADHD (combined type including hyperactivity and impulsivity)

• Inattentive symptoms (as listed above)
• Impulsive (acting without thinking of the consequences)
• Hyperactive (fidgety and/or difficulty sitting still)

Proper Diagnostics Are Essential For Proper Treatment

Historically, the diagnosis of ADHD is based on a cluster of clinical symptoms without looking at brain functioning, though the symptoms are neurologically based. ADHD is not a single disorder and the diagnosis itself tells you nothing about the origin of the symptoms. Only studying brain functioning can provide those answers.

Using modern brain science the Drake Institute of Behavioral Medicine utilizes qEEG brain mapping to better pinpoint the areas/brainwaves that are causing or contributing to the ADHD symptoms.

Treatment using EEG Biofeedback (neurofeedback) is individualized based on the patient's brain map. "One size does not fit all". A brainmap for an ADHD pateint is as important as an EKG (electrocardiogram) is for a heart patient. The more information the physician has on what is causing the patient's symptoms, the more effective a treatment plan can be developed using brain map guided Neurofeedback.

As is true with any medical test, the brain map findings need to be correlated with the patient's clinical symptoms and evaluation to determine optimal EEG Biofeedback protocols.

• Underfunctioning of the frontal regions of the brain can result from too many slow brainwaves (delta or theta) or too few fast brainwaves (beta).
• Difficulty with impulsivity tends to show more frequently in right frontal lobe abnormalities
• Children with ADHD who are emotionally over reactive or excessively tantrum, typically show excessive slow brainwaves in the right temporal lobe.
• Children with ADHD who have difficulty with social cues frequently have abnormalities in the right posterior region.

If you or a family member need help, please fill out the confidential Online contact form and ADHD symptom checklist. Our Institute will contact you to arrange a telephone screening consultation with Dr. Velkoff’s staff to assess if we can help you. There is no charge for the screening consultation.

Why Can't My Child Stay Focused?

The frontal region of the brain generates energy/neural activity so you can concentrate for as long as you need to in order to complete a task. In ADHD the frontal region of the brain is typically underactivated (thus underfunctioning). As a result the child is not able to generate enough energy in the frontal area of the brain to sustain concentration on routine, mundane tasks which include academic tasks.

However, stimulating activities (video games, tv) can hold their attention for 2 hours without the frontal region of the brain being activated. Unfortunately, most academic tasks are not so stimulating, thus the ADHD child is unable to sustain concentration on them effectively. So, the ADHD child can be significantly disadvantaged in school though they may be very intelligent.

The Child's Behavioral Problems May Be Neurologically Caused and Not Psychologically Caused.

The frontal region of the brain inhibits motor activity and impulses. If this region is underactivated, then the child's motor activity may not be inhibited adequately, thus you will have a hyperactive or fidgety child.

This underactivation also causes the child to act on their impulses spontaneously (interrupting, blurting out) without thinking of the consequences. They are behaving normally for their brain, but their brain is not inhibiting their impulses. This is the only way their brain has ever worked, so they may not understand why they are being criticized. Thus, they may feel they are being criticized unfairly which can eventually lead to argumentative behavior.

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