Who is a good candidate for home training?
The ideal candidate for home training would be where the trainer is reasonablly computer literate and is able to communicate on a consistent and responsible way with us. Situations where home training is less desirable would include children who are very resistant to their parents and for individuals who require that treatment protocols be switched or adjusted frequently. Individuals with very significant neurobiological difficulties such as Autism, Tourette’s Disorder and early Dementia may require very long-term training and a home training model could be the most appropriate approach following some office training.
What is the process?
Any potential candidate for neurofeedback is seen for the same assessment process whether the model will be for office training, supervised home training, or a combination of the two. Following the assessment and assuming the individual is a good candidate for neurofeedback training, we would generally proceed with some in-office training in an effort to assess for sensitivity and effectiveness of the initial treatment protocols.
If home training seems appropriate, we will begin to do the in-office training on the machine that will be utilized at home, with the trainer learning to make appropriate electrode hookups, and learning to utilize the software. At the point where the trainer is competent in being able to independently run a session in the office under my supervision, they would be sent home with the unit to conduct sessions at home. Treatment data will be e-mailed or brought back to me for ongoing analysis. There will be continued communication about progress so that we can make any protocol adjustments that are necessary. There will be a need for intermittent office visits, more so in the very beginning, to assure that high quality work is being done at home.
Most individuals will do better by leasing a unit for a month to see if a home training unit is beneficial for them. Depending upon the goals of training most individuals will train for approximately 40-60 sessions. These sessions can be done daily or as infrequently as twice per week. Individuals with very significant neurobiological difficulties such as Autism, Tourette’s Disorder, severe Chronic Pain and early Dementia may require very long-term training and it may be preferable to purchase a unit.
Which home training unit?
There are a number of home training neurofeedback devices on the market and also a variety of neurofeedback approaches. The technology keeps improving and I am continually on the lookout for the best product for affordable home training. I am currently using the Atlantis unit for Home Training (www.brainmaster.com). There are advantages and disadvantages to leasing vs. purchasing a unit dependent upon your needs and we offer both options. The cost of leasing a two channel unit is $250 per month and supervision via email and phone is $140 per month. There are separate charges for any office visits that may be necessary.
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