How can Neurofeedback help with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?
First of all, we would like to clarify that this is not a “treatment,” but rather a “training” for the brain. The reason neurofeedback can help with ASD, and so many other conditions lies in the simple fact that all behaviour is connected to brain functioning. Often these problems can be seen as a result of different “timing” and/or regulation issues in the electrical circuitry of the brain. With neurofeedback training, the source and frequency of the neurological inefficiency is identified and then the brain is assisted in healing and repairing itself via the feedback it receives. As a result of this process, the symptom (s) can be significantly reduced.
Neurofeedback brain training has the end effect of calming the central nervous system so any condition is more predictably addressed. In the area of autism, for these individuals to access specific areas of the brain for cognition they must be relaxed and calm, otherwise the higher function domains, such as language, reasoning and deduction are not accessible.
Neurofeedback Recognition
Neurofeedback is beginning to be recognized as a useful intervention for ASD. In fact, in the province of British Columbia, if your child has a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, upon approval, The Autism Funding Unit will pay for neurofeedback training in children over the age of 6 years old. The reason that we mention this is to show that this type of brain training can help with ASD, and it is being recognized by major organizations.
Please view our Research page for studies investigating how neurofeedback can help with ASD.