This video is in 3 parts. Please start at the first part below. It is mainly visual with very little sound.
Thanks Jason.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Anyone Can Improve Their Handwriting pt 1
This is an excerpt from the CD ROM "Anyone Can Improve Their Handwriting " . The movie is a session with Jason Alster helping you improve your handwriting. Excellent for people with illegible handwriting , ADHD , Dyslexia , Dysgraphia, hyperactivity. Excellent resource for teachers who are teaching handwriting improvement. With Amazon.com.
Friday, November 09, 2007
GSR technology used to advance communication between computers and living things
Destin Naturopath Announces Addition of ZYTO Biotechnology to Improve Health Care Services (ZYTC.pk)
Published on: November 8th, 2007 07:53pm by: zytocorp
(0) Print This Release | Tell a Friend | Discuss This Press Release
(OPENPRESS) Nov. 8, 2007 -- Destin, FL – Dr. Leesa Haire ND, RPh. has announced the addition of ZYTO (tm) biotechnology to the alternative health care and naturopath services offered at Natural Health Consultants.
Natural Health Consultants is associated with Lifetree Health and Herb at 34904 Emerald Coast Pwy, Suite 140 in Destin, and can be contacted at 850-654-6055.
Haire has a doctorate of naturopathy and is a registered pharmacist. She provides natural therapies, health and wellness consulting, and has now added ZYTO technology to improve those services. The use of ZYTO technology reduces trial and error in the process of deciding on the best nutraceutical and nutritional supplements to get people on the road to better health.
“My goal is to help people discover and intergrate natural therapies into their health care and daily lives using whatever method their body dictates either natural or pharmaceutical. The recommendation I make is selected by the client's test results from the ZYTO technology,” explained Haire.
ZYTO Corp. is a biotechnology company specializing in bio-information and bio-communication. Using the principles of biology, quantum science, galvanic skin response (GSR), and the science of information, ZYTO technology can facilitate meaningful communication between computers and living things, according to ZYTO Corp. founder and C.E.O. Dr. Vaughn R. Cook, OMD.
“We are excited about the addition of ZYTO technology to the services we offer,” said Haire. “We are now able to perform a health scan and health assessment of the body and obtain the information we need to make the best recommendation to improve health. It is quick, easy to administer, and very effective.”
There are people who have traveled several hundred miles to be treated through the ZYTO technology, according to Haire.
“Using the ZYTO technology helps us to make a more accurate recommendation to our patients. This enables us to help them improve their health quickly, and do it in a way that keeps health care costs down,” said Haire .
The process is simple to administer with just one brief office visit. Clients simply place their hand on a sensor that is connected to a computer. In just a few minutes the results can be seen on a computer screen, and an assessment can be made, according to Haire.
ZYTO Corp. has a web site at http://www.ZYTO.com
Press Contact:
Leesa Haire
850-654-6055
###
Professional Free Press Release News Wire
Published on: November 8th, 2007 07:53pm by: zytocorp
(0) Print This Release | Tell a Friend | Discuss This Press Release
(OPENPRESS) Nov. 8, 2007 -- Destin, FL – Dr. Leesa Haire ND, RPh. has announced the addition of ZYTO (tm) biotechnology to the alternative health care and naturopath services offered at Natural Health Consultants.
Natural Health Consultants is associated with Lifetree Health and Herb at 34904 Emerald Coast Pwy, Suite 140 in Destin, and can be contacted at 850-654-6055.
Haire has a doctorate of naturopathy and is a registered pharmacist. She provides natural therapies, health and wellness consulting, and has now added ZYTO technology to improve those services. The use of ZYTO technology reduces trial and error in the process of deciding on the best nutraceutical and nutritional supplements to get people on the road to better health.
“My goal is to help people discover and intergrate natural therapies into their health care and daily lives using whatever method their body dictates either natural or pharmaceutical. The recommendation I make is selected by the client's test results from the ZYTO technology,” explained Haire.
ZYTO Corp. is a biotechnology company specializing in bio-information and bio-communication. Using the principles of biology, quantum science, galvanic skin response (GSR), and the science of information, ZYTO technology can facilitate meaningful communication between computers and living things, according to ZYTO Corp. founder and C.E.O. Dr. Vaughn R. Cook, OMD.
“We are excited about the addition of ZYTO technology to the services we offer,” said Haire. “We are now able to perform a health scan and health assessment of the body and obtain the information we need to make the best recommendation to improve health. It is quick, easy to administer, and very effective.”
There are people who have traveled several hundred miles to be treated through the ZYTO technology, according to Haire.
“Using the ZYTO technology helps us to make a more accurate recommendation to our patients. This enables us to help them improve their health quickly, and do it in a way that keeps health care costs down,” said Haire .
The process is simple to administer with just one brief office visit. Clients simply place their hand on a sensor that is connected to a computer. In just a few minutes the results can be seen on a computer screen, and an assessment can be made, according to Haire.
ZYTO Corp. has a web site at http://www.ZYTO.com
Press Contact:
Leesa Haire
850-654-6055
###
Professional Free Press Release News Wire
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Story behind Integrative Biofeedbacl
http://jasonalster.googlepages.com/home
Being In Control: Natural Techniques For Increasing Your Potential and Creativity For Success in School. and CD kit BEING IN CONTROL: NATURAL SOLUTIONS FOR ADHD DYSLEXIA AND TEST ANXIETY
I began treating children with ADD quite unexpectedly in 1991. I had been a biofeedback therapist as part of an anxiety clinic in a mental day care setting in Tel Aviv, Israel. I had absolutely no experience in treating children but was doing quite well with adults suffering from stress disorders and teenagers who had test anxiety and social phobias. The biofeedback clinic had just opened and each type of patient was a new experience. With my medical- technological training in neuro-electrodiagnostics and sleep/wake disorders, I was more into the neurological and psycho- physiological disorders while a child psychologist working with me wanted to try biofeedback on ADD. Then he had said that there was no treatment for this poorly understood syndrome and the only remedy was Ritalin although reports about EEG (electroencephalogram) biofeedback and Joel Lubar's research with Neurofeedback were just coming out.
After starting to treat a handful of children with biofeedback the psychologist had to leave the unit and I had to take over his patients. All I knew then about ADD was from a television program showing a hyperactive child literally jump off the walls and I worried about what this child would do to my biofeedback equipment. I had absolutely no knowledge of learning disorders either. I mention this lack of knowledge for a reason. I had to begin treating ADD without a prior predisposition to what was written in the literature. I had to see for myself what works, and fast.
On my very first ADD patient I performed a regular biofeedback stress baseline for anxiety. That is, I hooked the child up to galvanic skin resistance (GSR) sensors, muscle and peripheral temperature monitors, but not EEG. I had to start to treat ADD with what I knew and that is how to treat stress and anxiety. And I lucked out. My very first patient's baseline EMG (electromyogram or muscle activity potential good for measuring stress) showed that the more she sat quietly the EMG gained in amplitude. That is, sitting quietly was stressful for her. With relaxation training she had improved her baseline in just 6 sessions and began to do better at home and in school. This was not supposed to happen. Biofeedback in ADD was supposed to be a stubborn neurological problem that takes 60 sessions to treat.
ADD is not supposed to be a stress disorder - but is it?
One of the problems in dealing with ADD has to do with when the diagnosis was made. Could the ADD be superimposed by anxiety, stress, and emotional problems? How can one separate the ADD from an emotional picture? Am I treating the anxiety in the child or the ADD? I lucked out again. One of my next patients was also a pretty 12 year old young girl with ADD and a learning disorder as well as a behavioral problem to boot. She was being expelled from school 20 days a month. That is almost every day. Her mother approached me because she had wanted a behavioral treatment before trying medication for the ADD. I sat her down for a stress baseline too and this time she showed that the GSR skin response increased in intensity the longer she sat quietly. The same result in an ADD patient, with a different physiological measure.
This was not supposed to happen. ADD is not supposed to be a stress disorder. However, this patient had a diagnosis of ADD with hypersensitivity, by a respected neurologist, since age 1. That is, this was a true ADD patient. She also responded to relaxation treatment in just 8 sessions. She was no longer being expelled from school anymore. I was onto something here. I began to ask myself, why am I successful in treating ADD so quickly and others are not? Why is ADD supposed to be impossible to treat while there are successes for other more serious chronic medical disorders like cancer and hypertension?
I asked my patients what about the biofeedback worked, and they mentioned the relaxation effect. But ADD is an attention deficit disorder not a stress disorder- or is it? A closer look then at the histories of my patients began to show that up to 75% of the ADD children had other medical problems accompanying the ADD. These could be ear, nose, and throat problems, sleep problems, and respiratory problems, skin problems, and digestive problems as well as school anxiety issues. Could these associative medical problems exacerbate the ADD? If so, then relaxation assisted biofeedback would be a better treatment than medication. That is: ADD rarely stands alone.
Like in the story of the Hobbit, the quest was on and my life’s work had been sealed in fate. I felt that I had the magic bullet and a treasure map. What I had stumbled onto, without fully understanding at the time, was an objective physiological measure of concentration in ADD. The first ever. The other measure used in ADD to evaluate Ritalin was the TOVA (test of variance) and this is not a physiological measure and is open to subjective interpretation. With this physiological objective measure, the GSR, I could also determine what interventions worked for ADD. I could search every possible treatment used for relaxation and focusing and measure the usefulness of each. The race was on.
When I began to take a look at the literature I found that very few articles had been written at the time on the treatment of ADD with Biofeedback. The few written mentioned that EMG biofeedback was not successful in ADD and that just EEG biofeedback had shown some results but the protocol had to be 60 biofeedback sessions. The work suggested that ADD is a neurological disorder and therefore EEG biofeedback would work by regulating EEG brain waves. With this idea, sympathetic and peripheral biofeedback should be of no significance in treating ADD children.
In my readings at the time, a number of avenues were being pursued in the treatment of ADD. Some of these were nutrition, and sensory integration, guided imagery, art therapy, natural meditation, yoga, Bach flower remedies, homeopathy, chiropractor, and aromatic oils. In biofeedback, animated computer games were being introduced. I could use each method and observe its effectiveness. I could develop an integrated and holistic approach. I could match the method to each child individually.
One of the first things that I found that causes the GSR to become stable in ADD children and adults is holding a soft or smooth stone in your hand. Who would ever expect that this piece of nature could compete with Ritalin. But it does. I got this idea from the worry stones and beads of the Middle East.
In sensory integration one is supposed to work on all the senses - sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Listening to the sound of the waves within a seashell is relaxing for a sense of sound. As is the sound of the metronome and so are the relaxing sounds of nature. For touch, I use the soft stones especially egg shaped ones or stones from a stream or the ocean. The best are the soap stones and marble ones. A four-legged wooden massager is also good. For sight - staring at a fish tank, a scenic view, a water wheel. The water wheels and colorful sand clocks are great because they can time a relaxation period to two to three minutes. It turns out that the secret to training in ADD is short relaxation exercises of about two to four minutes each day for a period of about 2 months. For smell and taste, the aromatic oils turned out to be great. I let the child choose up to three oils that he can combine into one. The combined oil has a better aroma to the client than the 3 oils separately. Children like mainly citrus oils and these are relaxing, uplifting, and also help concentration. It turns out that all the relaxation and focusing exercises have the ability to cause the GSR to be stable.
Body Armor
To work on the body armor and let the child relax his muscles even in the classroom where he cannot do a relaxation exercise or meditation, the seated yoga exercises work well. Some I picked and chose from different sources like Tai chi, seated yoga, airline stretching exercises, Jacobson progressive muscle relaxation, and even Reiki. In the class, the child will often show the teacher the book BEING IN CONTROL and arrange that when needed, the teacher will help the child choose an exercise to do instead of just saying "be quiet" which doesn’t work with ADD children.
The relaxation and concentration exercises in children were really helping and their physiological measures of concentration were improved as well as their associated medical problems. These could be a reduction in sleep problems, improved breathing, more strength for sports and activities. The self, home, social, and behavioral situation really improved.
Accelerated Learning Techniques
But - what about grades in school? Some children still did not succeed after biofeedback. What could be expected, if a child had poor learning skills developed over the years due to the ADD? I concluded that if I was to help these children succeed I would literally have to go back to school myself to find out how to teach these children. What I discovered was that to empower children behind in their learning, I could teach them accelerated learning techniques. These included associative memory techniques for instance. Using associations between ideas and pictures to help memory, I found that even people with poor memory could compensate. If a child remembered only 6 out of 8 items he could increase this to 15 out of 15 with associative memory. Then I used speed-reading techniques. Children who read 60 words a minute, and barely remembered what they read the minute before, could now read up to 250 words per minute. And remember. To help children organize their thoughts and copy the material during lectures I taught mind mapping. To improve their cursive handwriting they were taught the rules of handwriting. This was important to let the child’s work look more organized.
Children were asked to keep exams with marks that were determined to be non-passing so that their performance could be evaluated. It turns out that many children do not keep their exams and thus never know what the right answer is so that they can make the same mistakes over again. The other main problem that in many instances the child knew the answer but did directly answer the question being asked, this especially when a question was made up of a couple of parts. Children were told to circle the main ideas of the question to help them better SEE the actual parts of the question. What turned out was that each issue could be taught during an hour session combined with a period of biofeedback practice and relaxation mixed in. Problems that were there for years were being given a solution within a short time. Parents were also involved in each session to then also help at home if needed or at least to recognize the problems and be supportive.
Visual Learners
With all the talk about learning having to be fun and that many children with ADD are visual learners, add the increased role of graphics in our cyber world, and I came to having each one of the exercises shown in a graphic format. I had fun with this as I like painting and photography myself and had an opportunity to add all my resources into it. Furthermore, the graphic artists were great, one had dyslexia herself, and really understood the idea. As I had problems in cursive handwriting and math (I probably have some math phobia myself) it was a real challenge to discover the roots of correcting these two problems and condense these skills into one graphic page, one least common denominator.
Handwriting
It turns out that either you know the rules or you don’t. Follow the rules and the handwriting will improve. For instance, keep all letters on the bottom line. Simple, but not always done. In math, imagery skills, breaking problems down to their smaller parts, attacking problems from different angles, and estimation skills are needed to help succeed in all math.
Creativity
Finally, if I was asked my opinion about what is the major difference between the new millennium and the previous one, I would say it is a higher level of thinking. That is, increases in creativity and thinking skills are here even for the youngsters. Therefore, I added a page dedicated to creativity. The bottom line there is don’t be afraid to ask questions (be curious), be spontaneous, appreciate diversity, let yourself be inspired, and knowing that today, everyone has the ability to create. The book CD kit is a step in the right direction.
So to conclude, the best response I have received about the book is from the children, they just love it. It speaks to them. From the parents, it lets them be a part of the picture too, and from the professionals – "these exercises are what I have been practicing and preaching for years."
Being In Control: Natural Techniques For Increasing Your Potential and Creativity For Success in School. and CD kit BEING IN CONTROL: NATURAL SOLUTIONS FOR ADHD DYSLEXIA AND TEST ANXIETY
I began treating children with ADD quite unexpectedly in 1991. I had been a biofeedback therapist as part of an anxiety clinic in a mental day care setting in Tel Aviv, Israel. I had absolutely no experience in treating children but was doing quite well with adults suffering from stress disorders and teenagers who had test anxiety and social phobias. The biofeedback clinic had just opened and each type of patient was a new experience. With my medical- technological training in neuro-electrodiagnostics and sleep/wake disorders, I was more into the neurological and psycho- physiological disorders while a child psychologist working with me wanted to try biofeedback on ADD. Then he had said that there was no treatment for this poorly understood syndrome and the only remedy was Ritalin although reports about EEG (electroencephalogram) biofeedback and Joel Lubar's research with Neurofeedback were just coming out.
After starting to treat a handful of children with biofeedback the psychologist had to leave the unit and I had to take over his patients. All I knew then about ADD was from a television program showing a hyperactive child literally jump off the walls and I worried about what this child would do to my biofeedback equipment. I had absolutely no knowledge of learning disorders either. I mention this lack of knowledge for a reason. I had to begin treating ADD without a prior predisposition to what was written in the literature. I had to see for myself what works, and fast.
On my very first ADD patient I performed a regular biofeedback stress baseline for anxiety. That is, I hooked the child up to galvanic skin resistance (GSR) sensors, muscle and peripheral temperature monitors, but not EEG. I had to start to treat ADD with what I knew and that is how to treat stress and anxiety. And I lucked out. My very first patient's baseline EMG (electromyogram or muscle activity potential good for measuring stress) showed that the more she sat quietly the EMG gained in amplitude. That is, sitting quietly was stressful for her. With relaxation training she had improved her baseline in just 6 sessions and began to do better at home and in school. This was not supposed to happen. Biofeedback in ADD was supposed to be a stubborn neurological problem that takes 60 sessions to treat.
ADD is not supposed to be a stress disorder - but is it?
One of the problems in dealing with ADD has to do with when the diagnosis was made. Could the ADD be superimposed by anxiety, stress, and emotional problems? How can one separate the ADD from an emotional picture? Am I treating the anxiety in the child or the ADD? I lucked out again. One of my next patients was also a pretty 12 year old young girl with ADD and a learning disorder as well as a behavioral problem to boot. She was being expelled from school 20 days a month. That is almost every day. Her mother approached me because she had wanted a behavioral treatment before trying medication for the ADD. I sat her down for a stress baseline too and this time she showed that the GSR skin response increased in intensity the longer she sat quietly. The same result in an ADD patient, with a different physiological measure.
This was not supposed to happen. ADD is not supposed to be a stress disorder. However, this patient had a diagnosis of ADD with hypersensitivity, by a respected neurologist, since age 1. That is, this was a true ADD patient. She also responded to relaxation treatment in just 8 sessions. She was no longer being expelled from school anymore. I was onto something here. I began to ask myself, why am I successful in treating ADD so quickly and others are not? Why is ADD supposed to be impossible to treat while there are successes for other more serious chronic medical disorders like cancer and hypertension?
I asked my patients what about the biofeedback worked, and they mentioned the relaxation effect. But ADD is an attention deficit disorder not a stress disorder- or is it? A closer look then at the histories of my patients began to show that up to 75% of the ADD children had other medical problems accompanying the ADD. These could be ear, nose, and throat problems, sleep problems, and respiratory problems, skin problems, and digestive problems as well as school anxiety issues. Could these associative medical problems exacerbate the ADD? If so, then relaxation assisted biofeedback would be a better treatment than medication. That is: ADD rarely stands alone.
Like in the story of the Hobbit, the quest was on and my life’s work had been sealed in fate. I felt that I had the magic bullet and a treasure map. What I had stumbled onto, without fully understanding at the time, was an objective physiological measure of concentration in ADD. The first ever. The other measure used in ADD to evaluate Ritalin was the TOVA (test of variance) and this is not a physiological measure and is open to subjective interpretation. With this physiological objective measure, the GSR, I could also determine what interventions worked for ADD. I could search every possible treatment used for relaxation and focusing and measure the usefulness of each. The race was on.
When I began to take a look at the literature I found that very few articles had been written at the time on the treatment of ADD with Biofeedback. The few written mentioned that EMG biofeedback was not successful in ADD and that just EEG biofeedback had shown some results but the protocol had to be 60 biofeedback sessions. The work suggested that ADD is a neurological disorder and therefore EEG biofeedback would work by regulating EEG brain waves. With this idea, sympathetic and peripheral biofeedback should be of no significance in treating ADD children.
In my readings at the time, a number of avenues were being pursued in the treatment of ADD. Some of these were nutrition, and sensory integration, guided imagery, art therapy, natural meditation, yoga, Bach flower remedies, homeopathy, chiropractor, and aromatic oils. In biofeedback, animated computer games were being introduced. I could use each method and observe its effectiveness. I could develop an integrated and holistic approach. I could match the method to each child individually.
One of the first things that I found that causes the GSR to become stable in ADD children and adults is holding a soft or smooth stone in your hand. Who would ever expect that this piece of nature could compete with Ritalin. But it does. I got this idea from the worry stones and beads of the Middle East.
In sensory integration one is supposed to work on all the senses - sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Listening to the sound of the waves within a seashell is relaxing for a sense of sound. As is the sound of the metronome and so are the relaxing sounds of nature. For touch, I use the soft stones especially egg shaped ones or stones from a stream or the ocean. The best are the soap stones and marble ones. A four-legged wooden massager is also good. For sight - staring at a fish tank, a scenic view, a water wheel. The water wheels and colorful sand clocks are great because they can time a relaxation period to two to three minutes. It turns out that the secret to training in ADD is short relaxation exercises of about two to four minutes each day for a period of about 2 months. For smell and taste, the aromatic oils turned out to be great. I let the child choose up to three oils that he can combine into one. The combined oil has a better aroma to the client than the 3 oils separately. Children like mainly citrus oils and these are relaxing, uplifting, and also help concentration. It turns out that all the relaxation and focusing exercises have the ability to cause the GSR to be stable.
Body Armor
To work on the body armor and let the child relax his muscles even in the classroom where he cannot do a relaxation exercise or meditation, the seated yoga exercises work well. Some I picked and chose from different sources like Tai chi, seated yoga, airline stretching exercises, Jacobson progressive muscle relaxation, and even Reiki. In the class, the child will often show the teacher the book BEING IN CONTROL and arrange that when needed, the teacher will help the child choose an exercise to do instead of just saying "be quiet" which doesn’t work with ADD children.
The relaxation and concentration exercises in children were really helping and their physiological measures of concentration were improved as well as their associated medical problems. These could be a reduction in sleep problems, improved breathing, more strength for sports and activities. The self, home, social, and behavioral situation really improved.
Accelerated Learning Techniques
But - what about grades in school? Some children still did not succeed after biofeedback. What could be expected, if a child had poor learning skills developed over the years due to the ADD? I concluded that if I was to help these children succeed I would literally have to go back to school myself to find out how to teach these children. What I discovered was that to empower children behind in their learning, I could teach them accelerated learning techniques. These included associative memory techniques for instance. Using associations between ideas and pictures to help memory, I found that even people with poor memory could compensate. If a child remembered only 6 out of 8 items he could increase this to 15 out of 15 with associative memory. Then I used speed-reading techniques. Children who read 60 words a minute, and barely remembered what they read the minute before, could now read up to 250 words per minute. And remember. To help children organize their thoughts and copy the material during lectures I taught mind mapping. To improve their cursive handwriting they were taught the rules of handwriting. This was important to let the child’s work look more organized.
Children were asked to keep exams with marks that were determined to be non-passing so that their performance could be evaluated. It turns out that many children do not keep their exams and thus never know what the right answer is so that they can make the same mistakes over again. The other main problem that in many instances the child knew the answer but did directly answer the question being asked, this especially when a question was made up of a couple of parts. Children were told to circle the main ideas of the question to help them better SEE the actual parts of the question. What turned out was that each issue could be taught during an hour session combined with a period of biofeedback practice and relaxation mixed in. Problems that were there for years were being given a solution within a short time. Parents were also involved in each session to then also help at home if needed or at least to recognize the problems and be supportive.
Visual Learners
With all the talk about learning having to be fun and that many children with ADD are visual learners, add the increased role of graphics in our cyber world, and I came to having each one of the exercises shown in a graphic format. I had fun with this as I like painting and photography myself and had an opportunity to add all my resources into it. Furthermore, the graphic artists were great, one had dyslexia herself, and really understood the idea. As I had problems in cursive handwriting and math (I probably have some math phobia myself) it was a real challenge to discover the roots of correcting these two problems and condense these skills into one graphic page, one least common denominator.
Handwriting
It turns out that either you know the rules or you don’t. Follow the rules and the handwriting will improve. For instance, keep all letters on the bottom line. Simple, but not always done. In math, imagery skills, breaking problems down to their smaller parts, attacking problems from different angles, and estimation skills are needed to help succeed in all math.
Creativity
Finally, if I was asked my opinion about what is the major difference between the new millennium and the previous one, I would say it is a higher level of thinking. That is, increases in creativity and thinking skills are here even for the youngsters. Therefore, I added a page dedicated to creativity. The bottom line there is don’t be afraid to ask questions (be curious), be spontaneous, appreciate diversity, let yourself be inspired, and knowing that today, everyone has the ability to create. The book CD kit is a step in the right direction.
So to conclude, the best response I have received about the book is from the children, they just love it. It speaks to them. From the parents, it lets them be a part of the picture too, and from the professionals – "these exercises are what I have been practicing and preaching for years."
GSR Diagnostic study.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Diagnosis Validation Study:
Attention Testing Combined with Skin Conductance Response
http://www.svsu.edu/~smnagel/research/PsychDiagnosticStudy.html
Attention Testing Combined with Skin Conductance Response
http://www.svsu.edu/~smnagel/research/PsychDiagnosticStudy.html
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
New research on GSR is hopping
In this BLOG I would like to bring to the readers attention the latest in GSR- galvanic skin response or EDR electro dermal activity research. It's relation to ADHD as a proposed physiological objective measure of relaxed concentration will be strengthened as new findings are showing the importance the GSR has in behavioral medicine.
The GSR in mapping emotions
http://theothermother.typepad.com/bigwindow/2007/10/mapping-emotion.html
GSR biofeedback helps ADHD
http://www.smarterway.com/Pages/21st_century.htm
Galvanic Skin Response Theory made simple
http://bio-medical.com/news_display.cfm?mode=GSR&newsid=6
GSR is used in a recent research on ADHD as an objective physiological measure of calm.
http://www.rehab.queensu.ca/cats/PDFs/14.pdf
GSR found abnormal in ADHD
http://www.truehope.com/research/adhd/adhd_1_03.asp
The GSR in mapping emotions
http://theothermother.typepad.com/bigwindow/2007/10/mapping-emotion.html
GSR biofeedback helps ADHD
http://www.smarterway.com/Pages/21st_century.htm
Galvanic Skin Response Theory made simple
http://bio-medical.com/news_display.cfm?mode=GSR&newsid=6
GSR is used in a recent research on ADHD as an objective physiological measure of calm.
http://www.rehab.queensu.ca/cats/PDFs/14.pdf
GSR found abnormal in ADHD
http://www.truehope.com/research/adhd/adhd_1_03.asp
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Two podcasts on ADHD with Integrated Biofeedback
www.theadhdspecialist.com/gsraudio.html (pod-cast)
www.theadhdspecialist.com/gsraudio2.html
www.theadhdspecialist.com/gsraudio2.html
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Ten natural tips for helping ADHD
Over the years, I have been working on ways to help ADHD naturally. This even before it was a fad. Even before Ritalin and other medications for ADHD were found as to be " not innocent". The reason I have been working on natural techniques for helping ADHD is for one it was a business. Yes, as a biofeedback therapist and not a physician, my job was to find ways that were behavioral or natural because that is what my clients wanted. Furthermore, I noticed that when I opened a private practice, adults and especially parents were more willing to bring their children for help than seek help themselves. So, I had no choice really- natural was in, and ADHD was what brought the parents to bring their children- that is succeeding in school. But then I had a small medical operation that was suppose to be " routine" because I developed a serious case of sinusitis. well, unfortunately, as they say- the operation succeeded, I was able to breathe better- but the patient got sick- me. To this day i do not know what went wrong, but I got really sick. Yet, that is not the story here- ADHD is. I had to try to help myself and ran into the book Spontaneous Healing by Andrew Weil. One of the most important books of the 1990's in my opinion. Because it translated all the alternative medicine treatments for the first time into words a layman could understand. Yet, one conclusion of Dr. Weil who studied cancer patients and how they survived- was that you have to be-friend your illness and thus I decided to turn a negative into a positive. This brought me into the world of natural remedies and techniques which I would then try some of them on ADHD and myself. Well moving along- so what are the major things I have found help ADD ADHD? Here are 10 of the main ones I used, but there are many more.1- Aromatic oils- mix three of you favorite smelling oils together. You will get a solution of the whole greater than the parts. Let your body tell you what you need. Most children with ADHD like the following oils: Grapefruit, orange, eucalyptus, lemon, bergamot, rose, mandarin, - adults like the popular lavender more than kids. 2. Seated yoga exercises like what is done on airplanes. These can be done before exams.
3. Animated biofeedback games. These help the ADD child receive a sensation of relaxation and concentration in a fun way through a game. also as the level of the game is more difficult requiring more concentration and relaxation- relaxed concentration, the child feels he is bettering himself and gains confidence. The feeling of relaxation to someone with ADD might be unique and might feel really good. Thus, the feeling of ADD is not a good feeling to someone with poor concentration as they might feel agitated or hyper.
4. A relaxed breathing technique. Some ADD children I have found to breathe over 20 breathes per minute. this is allot. You can learn to reduce your sitting breathing rate to 8-10 per minute. This is more efficient and relaxing. It will also help concentration in a sports event.
5. 100% natural nutrition. These are the 5 no- No's that can be easily reduced. Added salt, added fat, added chemicals, processed food, and aged un-fresh food.
6. Looking at a liquid or sand timer for 2 minutes -watch the bubbles-- gives a feeling of focus.
7. Listening to a sea shell- a feeling of auditory focus.
8. Smiling - get a troll doll.
9. affirmations. Saying 10 positive statements a day - it really works.
10. Accelerated learning techniques go a long way to make life for the ADHD student easier. Speed reading , associative memory techniques, mind mapping, brain storming for ideas. Below are photos of the exercises I tried with about 300 ADD and test anxiety children and they work really well. Each child has to do what works for him / her. Like having it your own way. These are from the video Being In Control : Natural Solutions For ADHD Dyslexia and Test Anxiety.
Monday, October 01, 2007
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Exotic Images for Relaxed Concentration
and Relaxing Sights And Sounds Of Natural Israel ( CD video)
Product Description
A specially made CD ROM movie of beautiful and relaxing sights and sounds filmed in exotic parts of Israel. The film is especially made for relaxation and wandering thoughts. The movie includes clips of running water, fauna, as well as many of the birds in Israel around fish ponds and parks. The movie can be especially used for relaxation for people complaining of insomnia, ADHD, anxiety and stress. The CD movie may be played on Windows Media player. A sure help in relieving everyday worrisome thoughts from a beautiful country located on the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
Product Description
A specially made CD ROM movie of beautiful and relaxing sights and sounds filmed in exotic parts of Israel. The film is especially made for relaxation and wandering thoughts. The movie includes clips of running water, fauna, as well as many of the birds in Israel around fish ponds and parks. The movie can be especially used for relaxation for people complaining of insomnia, ADHD, anxiety and stress. The CD movie may be played on Windows Media player. A sure help in relieving everyday worrisome thoughts from a beautiful country located on the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
BEING In CONTROL : Natural self Help for ADHD- the book
A small and easy to read picture colorful guide to help children do better at school.
The book is of a high graphic content and in a pictorial format so that children will find the exercises in the book to be easy to comprehend as well as fun to do. The book is very artistic and great just to look at. Each separate page is an exercise. The book is light weight so that children may take the book to school with them and do exercises like relaxation and focusing exercises in the class room.
The book is packed with simple but powerful relaxation, focusing, seated yoga, and creativity exercises to help increase the potential of the child to make learning fun and to "learn how to learn". This book if for children of all school ages including teenagers. The book is sensitive to the needs of children with ADHD and dyslexia and test anxiety , however, the book is for all school children. In the book are relaxation exercises, focusing exercises, seated yoga, and social skills. There are also accelerated learning exercise in speed reading and associative memory techniques. Study skills like how to pass exams, make a mind map, and time management. How to improve handwriting, and how to be creative are also in the book. The book is full of natural techniques for relaxation and concentration as well as having an integrative approach There are also exercises for sensory integration.
Review
Being in Control, by Jason Alster, teaches readers how to use natural techniques to increase concentration, learning potential and creativity.
In his brightly designed, colorful and easy-to-read book, Alster teaches techniques to help children and adults overcome learning and concentration problems, relax and look on the bright side of life and to reach their greatest performance level. As a neuro-physiologist who treats children with ADD/ADHD and dyslexia, Alster uses the methods he developed to treat and almost cure the disability. In his treatment program which is based on techniques of biofeedback, he presents a four-part guide to gaining self-control.
Potential issues that child may encounter
Self-help guide
Tips and concentration tools
Suggestions and learning strategies on learning how to cope in school. When I met Alster, I quickly realized that he is a well-rounded individual and that he has a terrific ability to assimilate a variety of academic disciplines as well as life experiences. Based on those, he was able to devise that which he identifies as the only cure and the best natural behavioral treatment to date for ADD with better than medication results for most.Using biofeedback, Alster developed a method to teach children natural techniques to increase potential, creativity and success in school, while at the same time helping learning and concentration. Sitting and listening to Alster, one begins to understand how children would be able to trust him and take the leap of faith that is necessary to relax enough to be able to concentrate.
Using the Multimodality Integrated Holistic Biofeedback Method devised by Alster, he sees actual results in his patients. When he works with kids in his clinic, Alster makes a contract with the patient that they will practice the exercises as he teaches. While the total treatment takes approximately 15-20 sessions with the goal to overcome ADD/ADHD; the therapy begins to show results after six sessions. The program integrates different therapies.In both the book as well as in therapy, patients learn how to do the exercises which take up to two minutes. They learn how to relax and concentrate using their strengths such as kinesthetic, visual and auditory learning. According to Alster, he needed to become a specialist in education, psychology, biofeedback and more. He needed to integrate all of these disciplines into one program and to look at it with a holistic approach.In therapy, the kids learn a new biofeedback technique each session like combining a mantra with a biofeedback graph. One accelerated learning technique is brain mapping. This helps the kids learn techniques to take and pass exams. According to Alster, people are better at solving problems today than they were 20 years ago. ``The ability to think today is much better than it was; instead of rote learning the emphasis today is on learning how to learn.''
Alster actually proves this theory with the second book that he wrote and published, Creative Painting for the Young Artist. This too is a self-help guide. Like the first book, Alster takes the reader through a step-by-step process giving the tools and confidence to begin to paint. He breaks down the creative process so that rather than being an overwhelming project, painting becomes an orderly means of self-expression. In the introduction Alster writes, ``Throughout my own journey of creative and artistic discovery, I have yearned to share what I have learned over the years with anyone who does not think of himself as a true artist.''I would extend this statement further. Talking with Alster one understands that he is a man of many talents who shares his knowledge with others.
The book is of a high graphic content and in a pictorial format so that children will find the exercises in the book to be easy to comprehend as well as fun to do. The book is very artistic and great just to look at. Each separate page is an exercise. The book is light weight so that children may take the book to school with them and do exercises like relaxation and focusing exercises in the class room.
The book is packed with simple but powerful relaxation, focusing, seated yoga, and creativity exercises to help increase the potential of the child to make learning fun and to "learn how to learn". This book if for children of all school ages including teenagers. The book is sensitive to the needs of children with ADHD and dyslexia and test anxiety , however, the book is for all school children. In the book are relaxation exercises, focusing exercises, seated yoga, and social skills. There are also accelerated learning exercise in speed reading and associative memory techniques. Study skills like how to pass exams, make a mind map, and time management. How to improve handwriting, and how to be creative are also in the book. The book is full of natural techniques for relaxation and concentration as well as having an integrative approach There are also exercises for sensory integration.
Review
Being in Control, by Jason Alster, teaches readers how to use natural techniques to increase concentration, learning potential and creativity.
In his brightly designed, colorful and easy-to-read book, Alster teaches techniques to help children and adults overcome learning and concentration problems, relax and look on the bright side of life and to reach their greatest performance level. As a neuro-physiologist who treats children with ADD/ADHD and dyslexia, Alster uses the methods he developed to treat and almost cure the disability. In his treatment program which is based on techniques of biofeedback, he presents a four-part guide to gaining self-control.
Potential issues that child may encounter
Self-help guide
Tips and concentration tools
Suggestions and learning strategies on learning how to cope in school. When I met Alster, I quickly realized that he is a well-rounded individual and that he has a terrific ability to assimilate a variety of academic disciplines as well as life experiences. Based on those, he was able to devise that which he identifies as the only cure and the best natural behavioral treatment to date for ADD with better than medication results for most.Using biofeedback, Alster developed a method to teach children natural techniques to increase potential, creativity and success in school, while at the same time helping learning and concentration. Sitting and listening to Alster, one begins to understand how children would be able to trust him and take the leap of faith that is necessary to relax enough to be able to concentrate.
Using the Multimodality Integrated Holistic Biofeedback Method devised by Alster, he sees actual results in his patients. When he works with kids in his clinic, Alster makes a contract with the patient that they will practice the exercises as he teaches. While the total treatment takes approximately 15-20 sessions with the goal to overcome ADD/ADHD; the therapy begins to show results after six sessions. The program integrates different therapies.In both the book as well as in therapy, patients learn how to do the exercises which take up to two minutes. They learn how to relax and concentrate using their strengths such as kinesthetic, visual and auditory learning. According to Alster, he needed to become a specialist in education, psychology, biofeedback and more. He needed to integrate all of these disciplines into one program and to look at it with a holistic approach.In therapy, the kids learn a new biofeedback technique each session like combining a mantra with a biofeedback graph. One accelerated learning technique is brain mapping. This helps the kids learn techniques to take and pass exams. According to Alster, people are better at solving problems today than they were 20 years ago. ``The ability to think today is much better than it was; instead of rote learning the emphasis today is on learning how to learn.''
Alster actually proves this theory with the second book that he wrote and published, Creative Painting for the Young Artist. This too is a self-help guide. Like the first book, Alster takes the reader through a step-by-step process giving the tools and confidence to begin to paint. He breaks down the creative process so that rather than being an overwhelming project, painting becomes an orderly means of self-expression. In the introduction Alster writes, ``Throughout my own journey of creative and artistic discovery, I have yearned to share what I have learned over the years with anyone who does not think of himself as a true artist.''I would extend this statement further. Talking with Alster one understands that he is a man of many talents who shares his knowledge with others.
Jason is Now Back In The USA and resides in CT.
Text and interview by M. Kaplan Green
Custom Search
Learning To Think Like A Creative Artist
A colorful unique self help support book for the young person who wants to choose art as a subject or the youngster who thinks art is not for him. This book shows the steps one needs to be a creative artist early on. It includes how to get over the fear of failure, develop and artist statement, how to choose a subject to paint, focal point, color, develop ideas, develop an artist's mode of seeing, develop a composition, relaxation concetration exercises for the young artist, art self critique and self promotion for success as an artist. This book is also excelent for dysgraphic people who want to develop an artistic eye.
With Amazon.com and eBayExamples of pages from the book are below.
Paperback: 40 pages
Publisher: Rainbow Cloud (January 1, 2003)
ISBN-10: 9659025122
ISBN-13: 978-9659025121
Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.4 x 0.1 inches
Review
With Amazon.com and eBayExamples of pages from the book are below.
Paperback: 40 pages
Publisher: Rainbow Cloud (January 1, 2003)
ISBN-10: 9659025122
ISBN-13: 978-9659025121
Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.4 x 0.1 inches
Review
Saturday, April 28, 2007
New CD - Anyone Can Improve Their Handwriting
Product Description: For helping with poor handwriting , for dysgraphic handwriting
Handwriting is a tool for transfer of knowledge and must comply with acquired rules in order to understand what we read. The CD ROM deals handwriting problems, rules, tips, and exercises. From students who have lower grades and self esteem to physicians who by law have to improve their writing- this CD can help. Based on 10 years experiance helping ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia - Jason knows what works to improve your handwriting. Simple techniques, demonstrations - a new way of helping people of all ages improve their handwriting and be proud of their own " work of art"
Product Details http://jasonalster.googlepages.com/home or
Product Details http://jasonalster.googlepages.com/home or
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/9659025173/
CD-ROM: 40 pages
Publisher: Rainbow Cloud (July 20, 2006)
ISBN-10: 9659025173
ISBN-13: 978-9659025176
CD-ROM: 40 pages
Publisher: Rainbow Cloud (July 20, 2006)
ISBN-10: 9659025173
ISBN-13: 978-9659025176
With Amazon.com and on my eBay store
Friday, April 27, 2007
How Integrative multimodality biofeedback helps ADHD
Being In Control: Natural Techniques For Increasing Your Potential and Creativity For Success in School. Also for improving concentration and learning in children with ADHD and Dyslexia. BEING IN CONTROL: Natural Solutions for ADHD Dyslexia and Test Anxiety ( video)Guide to GSR Biofeedback for the Natural ADHD Practitioner ( video) I began treating children with ADD quite unexpectedly in 1991. I had been a biofeedback therapist as part of an anxiety clinic in a mental day care setting in Tel Aviv, Israel. I had absolutely no experience in treating children but was doing quite well with adults suffering from stress disorders and teenagers who had test anxiety and social phobias. The biofeedback clinic had just opened and each type of patient was a new experience. With my medical- technological training in neuro-electrodiagnostics and sleep/wake disorders, I was more into the neurological and psycho- physiological disorders while a child psychologist working with me wanted to try biofeedback on ADD. Then he had said that there was no treatment for this poorly understood syndrome and the only remedy was Ritalin although reports about EEG (electroencephalogram) biofeedback and Joel Lubar's research with Neurofeedback were just coming out. After starting to treat a handful of children with biofeedback the psychologist had to leave the unit and I had to take over his patients. All I knew then about ADD was from a television program showing a hyperactive child literally jump off the walls and I worried about what this child would do to my biofeedback equipment. I had absolutely no knowledge of learning disorders either. I mention this lack of knowledge for a reason. I had to begin treating ADD without a prior predisposition to what was written in the literature. I had to see for myself what works, and fast. On my very first ADD patient I performed a regular biofeedback stress baseline for anxiety. That is, I hooked the child up to galvanic skin resistance (GSR) sensors, muscle and peripheral temperature monitors, but not EEG. I had to start to treat ADD with what I knew and that is how to treat stress and anxiety. And I lucked out. My very first patients baseline EMG (electromyogram or muscle activity potential good for measuring stress) showed that the more she sat quietly the EMG gained in amplitude. That is, sitting quietly was stressful for her. With relaxation training she had improved her baseline in just 6 sessions and began to do better at home and in school. This was not supposed to happen. Biofeedback in ADD was supposed to be a stubborn neurological problem that takes 60 sessions to treat. ADD is not supposed to be a stress disorder - but is it? One of the problems in dealing with ADD has to do with when the diagnosis was made. Could the ADD be superimposed by anxiety, stress, and emotional problems? How can one separate the ADD from an emotional picture? Am I treating the anxiety in the child or the ADD? I lucked out again. One of my next patients was also a pretty 12 year old young girl with ADD and a learning disorder as well as a behavioral problem to boot. She was being expelled from school 20 days a month. That is almost every day. Her mother approached me because she had wanted a behavioral treatment before trying medication for the ADD. I sat her down for a stress baseline too and this time she showed that the GSR skin response increased in intensity the longer she sat quietly. The same result in an ADD patient, with a different physiological measure. This was not supposed to happen. ADD is not supposed to be a stress disorder. However, this patient had a diagnosis of ADD with hypersensitivity, by a respected neurologist, since age 1. That is, this was a true ADD patient. She also responded to relaxation treatment in just 8 sessions. She was no longer being expelled from school anymore. I was onto something here. I began to ask myself, why am I successful in treating ADD so quickly and others are not? Why is ADD supposed to be impossible to treat while there are successes for other more serious chronic medical disorders like cancer and hypertension? I asked my patients what about the biofeedback worked, and they mentioned the relaxation effect. But ADD is an attention deficit disorder not a stress disorder- or is it? A closer look then at the histories of my patients began to show that up to 75% of the ADD children had other medical problems accompanying the ADD. These could be ear, nose, and throat problems, sleep problems, and respiratory problems, skin problems, and digestive problems as well as school anxiety issues. Could these associative medical problems exacerbate the ADD? If so, then relaxation assisted biofeedback would be a better treatment than medication. That is: ADD rarely stands alone. Like in the story of the Hobbit, the quest was on and my life’s work had been sealed in fate. I felt that I had the magic bullet and a treasure map. What I had stumbled onto, without fully understanding at the time, was an objective physiological measure of concentration in ADD. The first ever. The other measure used in ADD to evaluate Ritalin was the TOVA (test of variance) and this is not a physiological measure and is open to subjective interpretation. With this physiological objective measure, the GSR, I could also determine what interventions worked for ADD. I could search every possible treatment used for relaxation and focusing and measure the usefulness of each. The race was on. When I began to take a look at the literature I found that very few articles had been written at the time on the treatment of ADD with Biofeedback. The few written mentioned that EMG biofeedback was not successful in ADD and that just EEG biofeedback had shown some results but the protocol had to be 60 biofeedback sessions. The work suggested that ADD is a neurological disorder and therefore EEG biofeedback would work by regulating EEG brain waves. With this idea, sympathetic and peripheral biofeedback should be of no significance in treating ADD children. In my readings at the time, a number of avenues were being pursued in the treatment of ADD. Some of these were nutrition, and sensory integration, guided imagery, art therapy, natural meditation, yoga, Bach flower remedies, homeopathy, chiropractor, and aromatic oils. In biofeedback, animated computer games were being introduced. I could use each method and observe its effectiveness. I could develop an integrated and holistic approach. I could match the method to each child individually. One of the first things that I found that causes the GSR to become stable in ADD children and adults is holding a soft or smooth stone in your hand. Who would ever expect that this piece of nature could compete with Ritalin. But it does. I got this idea from the worry stones and beads of the Middle East. In sensory integration one is supposed to work on all the senses - sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Listening to the sound of the waves within a seashell is relaxing for a sense of sound. As is the sound of the metronome and so are the relaxing sounds of nature. For touch, I use the soft stones especially egg shaped ones or stones from a stream or the ocean. The best are the soap stones and marble ones. A four-legged wooden mas-sager is also good. For sight - staring at a fish tank, a scenic view, a water wheel. The water wheels and colorful sand clocks are great because they can time a relaxation period to two to three minutes. It turns out that the secret to training in ADD is short relaxation exercises of about two to four minutes each day for a period of about 2 months. For smell and taste, the aromatic oils turned out to be great. I let the child choose up to three oils that he can combine into one. The combined oil has a better aroma to the client than the 3 oils separately. Children like mainly citrus oils and these are relaxing, uplifting, and also help concentration. It turns out that all the relaxation and focusing exercises have the ability to cause the GSR to be stable. Body Armor To work on the body armor and let the child relax his muscles even in the classroom where he cannot do a relaxation exercise or meditation, the seated yoga exercises work well. Some I picked and chose from different sources like Tai chi, seated yoga, airline stretching exercises, Jacobson progressive muscle relaxation, and even Reiki. In the class, the child will often show the teacher the book BEING IN CONTROL and arrange that when needed, the teacher will help the child choose an exercise to do instead of just saying "be quiet" which doesn’t work with ADD children. The relaxation and concentration exercises in children were really helping and their physiological measures of concentration were improved as well as their associated medical problems. These could be a reduction in sleep problems, improved breathing, more strength for sports and activities. The self, home, social, and behavioral situation really improved. Accelerated Learning Techniques But - what about grades in school? Some children still did not succeed after biofeedback. What could be expected, if a child had poor learning skills developed over the years due to the ADD? I concluded that if I was to help these children succeed I would literally have to go back to school myself to find out how to teach these children. What I discovered was that to empower children behind in their learning, I could teach them accelerated learning techniques. These included associative memory techniques for instance. Using associations between ideas and pictures to help memory, I found that even people with poor memory could compensate. If a child remembered only 6 out of 8 items he could increase this to 15 out of 15 with associative memory. Then I used speed-reading techniques. Children who read 60 words a minute, and barely remembered what they read the minute before, could now read up to 250 words per minute. And remember. To help children organize their thoughts and copy the material during lectures I taught mind mapping. To improve their cursive handwriting they were taught the rules of handwriting. This was important to let the child’s work look more organized. Children were asked to keep exams with marks that were determined to be non-passing so that their performance could be evaluated. It turns out that many children do not keep their exams and thus never know what the right answer is so that they can make the same mistakes over again. The other main problem that in many instances the child knew the answer but did directly answer the question being asked, this especially when a question was made up of a couple of parts. Children were told to circle the main ideas of the question to help them better SEE the actual parts of the question. What turned out was that each issue could be taught during an hour session combined with a period of biofeedback practice and relaxation mixed in. Problems that were there for years were being given a solution within a short time. Parents were also involved in each session to then also help at home if needed or at least to recognize the problems and be supportive. Visual Learners With all the talk about learning having to be fun and that many children with ADD are visual learners, add the increased role of graphics in our cyber world, and I came to having each one of the exercises shown in a graphic format. I had fun with this as I like painting and photography myself and had an opportunity to add all my resources into it. Furthermore, the graphic artists were great, one had dyslexia herself, and really understood the idea. As I had problems in cursive handwriting and math (I probably have some math phobia myself) it was a real challenge to discover the roots of correcting these two problems and condense these skills into one graphic page, one least common denominator. Handwriting It turns out that either you know the rules or you don’t. Follow the rules and the handwriting will improve. For instance, keep all letters on the bottom line. Simple, but not always done. In math, imagery skills, breaking problems down to their smaller parts, attacking problems from different angles, and estimation skills are needed to help succeed in all math. Creativity Finally, if I was asked my opinion about what is the major difference between the new millennium and the previous one, I would say it is a higher level of thinking. That is, increases in creativity and thinking skills are here even for the youngsters. Therefore, I added a page dedicated to creativity. The bottom line there is don’t be afraid to ask questions (be curious), be spontaneous, appreciate diversity, let yourself be inspired, and knowing that today, everyone has the ability to create. My book is a step in the right direction. So to conclude, the best response I have received about the book is from the children, they just love it. It speaks to them. From the parents, it lets them be a part of the picture too, and from the professionals – "these exercises are what I have been practicing and preaching for years."
New Concept In Testing and Helping ADHD using integrated GSR Biofeedback
OpEdNews.comOriginal Article at http://www.opednews.com/articles/life_a_jasonmar_060608_new_concept_in_testi.html
June 8, 2006
New Concept in Testing and Helping ADHD using GSR Biofeedback
By Jason AlsterI would like to bring to your attention a new concept in ADD testing. An objective physiological measure of ADHD has been elusive. However, research by Jason Alster MSc has shown that when ADD persons try to sit still, do a boring task, or concentrate- they actually enter stress as measured by labile electro - dermal activity (EDA , GSR ). Whereas the GSR was traditionally used to teach relaxation it was overlooked as a tool to teach relaxed concentration being dwarfed by the popular and successful neurofeedback. Measuring electron flow in a circuit the body operates largely by a series of electrical impulses which have been shown to follow certain pathways and measure changes in the electrical resistance or the ability of the tissue to conduct electricity. The GSR activity marker is positive in the majority of ADD clients tested. Once tested, then the GSR biofeedback may be used to improve the stress result with different techniques. A protocol using this valid objective physiological marker has just been published in a video- "Guide for GSR Biofeedback Techniques for the Natural ADHD Practitioner" (Amazon.com). Using the GSR protocol only takes 10 minutes to perform. The test is valid for children as well as adults and helps parents determine if their ADHD children need intervention. The measure may then be used to match a personal technique protocol to the client depending on what type of technique helps improve the GSR from lability to stability during rest. The GSR is measured as labile and steadily increases in amplitude when the ADHD child tries to sit quietly for 2 minutes. The GSR is then increasingly more labile during an eyes closed condition. This is in contrast to the GSR in anxiety where there is usually a decrease during a relaxing eyes closed baseline condition. In some instances- the GSR in ADHD is stable - however, will not return to baseline after prompted with a mild stimulus like noise. This shows that a symptom of ADHD when trying to sit quietly and concentrate -is acting like a stress-or for him her. This is not unlike the "disorientation" experienced in dyslexics when trying to read. Many ADHD clients- upon producing a stable GSR after a biofeedback assisted relaxed concentration technique - will claim when asked-that this is the first time ever they felt what relaxation /concentration is. This may be compared to someone not having ever tasted a tasty food like an orange. You can't describe it to them. However, once they taste it- they know what it feels like. So too, it turns out, with the sense of relaxation, focus in ADHD. When asked to compare this sensation with the sensation of an ADHD medication- the majority of ADHD people will say that the natural biofeedback induced sensation is better than medication- and medication does not "feel well" even though it does help them concentrate. This shows that medication like Ritalin has a different mode of action working to help ADHD than natural and behavioral methods. The relaxation and relaxed concentration response is natural and seems to be lacking in many people with ADHD. These responses might have been lacking at birth or were compromised with an unbalancing childhood medical problem (Ears nose and throat, asthma,-sleep disorder-medical operation). However, once re-learned or acquired - the ADHD person can re-produce this "sensation" upon need. Like learning art or music- some are born with it- but all can learn to be artists or musicians with the proper instruction. This objective physiological test is easy to replicate only with the most sensitive /graphic GSR biofeedback equipment(like Thought Stream or Mindlife for example). My hope is that this simple and valid measure will be used as a future screening test in ADHD clinics and schools as well as by biofeedback practitioners helping ADHD.A bit of the history in how this method was developed. I began treating children with ADD quite unexpectedly in 1991. As a biofeedback practitioner and part of an anxiety clinic in Tel Aviv, Israel, I had absolutely no experience in treating children but was doing quite well with adults suffering from stress disorders and teenagers who had test anxiety and social phobias. The biofeedback clinic had just opened and each type of patient was a new experience. With medical- technological training in neuro-electrodiagnostics and sleep/wake disorders, I was more into the neurological and psycho- physiological disorders. A child psychologist working with me wanted to try biofeedback on ADD. Then he had said that there was no treatment and no objective test for this poorly understood syndrome. The only remedy at the time was Ritalin although reports about EEG (electroencephalogram) neuro - biofeedback and Joel Lubar's research with Neurofeedback were just coming out (1991) demonstrating that ADHD can respond to a behavioral method. At first I found that EMG (testing muscle tension)was increased in ADHD and there was already a study showing that EMG biofeedback did not help in ADHD. However, I found that found that GSR ( electrodermal resistance) was better and easier to use in ADHD than EMG. At the time there were no studies of GSR biofeedback for ADD- so I had to go it alone. After starting to treat a handful of children with biofeedback, the psychologist I was working with had to leave the unit and I had to suddenly take over his patients. All I knew then about ADD was from a television program showing a hyperactive child literally jump off the walls and I worried about what this child would do to the biofeedback equipment! I had absolutely no knowledge of learning disorders either. I mention this lack of knowledge for a reason. I had to begin treating ADD without a prior predisposition to what was written in the literature and had to see for myself what worked and fast. On my very first ADD client I performed a regular biofeedback stress baseline for anxiety. That is, I hooked the child up to galvanic skin resistance (GSR) sensors, muscle and peripheral temperature monitors, but not EEG. I had to start to treat ADD with what I knew and that is how to treat stress and anxiety. I was lucky. My very first patient's baseline EMG (electromyogram or muscle activity potential) showed that the more she sat quietly the EMG gained in amplitude over time. That is, sitting quietly was tense for her. I tried relaxation training and she improved her baseline in just 6 sessions and began to do better both at home and in school. This was not supposed to happen. Biofeedback in ADD was supposed to be a stubborn neurological problem that takes 40- 60 EEG biofeedback sessions to treat. Wanting to find an effective, alternative method to offer those young people and especially parents who wouldn't, or didn't want to use medication for ADHD. At least these children wouldn't be left untreated. In my readings at the time, a number of avenues were being pursued in the treatment of ADD. Some of these were nutritional, sensory integration, guided imagery, art therapy, natural meditation, yoga, Bach flower remedies, homeopathy, chiropractic, and the use of aromatic oils. In biofeedback, animated computer games were just being introduced like Mindlife/Ultramind and Thought Stream. I decided I could use each method and observe its effectiveness. I could try and develop an integrated and holistic approach matching the method to each child individually and determining the results by the GSR. One of the first things that I found that can cause the GSR to become stable in ADD children and adults is holding a soft or smooth stone in your hand and studying a liquid water timer or sand clock. Other techniques include using the senses to relax like self massage, abdominal breathing, seated yoga, listening to a metronome, listening to a sea shell, guided imagery, smelling aromatic oils, and more. Later, I found that by integrating accelerated learning techniques and study strategies such as speed reading, associative memory, mind mapping , and time management - children with ADHD and test anxiety began to reach their full potential and receive very high grades in school. Included in the CD ROM video kit are the book BEING IN CONTROL, and the video
BEING IN CONTROL:NATURAL SOLUTIONS FOR ADHD DYSLEXIA AND TEST ANXIETY. The videos play on Windows Media Player.
Authors Website: http://jasonalster.googlepages.com/home
Authors Bio: Psychophysiologist,ADHD coach, learning specialist-electroneurodiagnostics, sleep wake research. Developed an efficient method (BEING IN CONTROL) of helping ADHD and test anxiety naturally using Multimodality Integrative Biofeedback, developed, a protocol for using and testing ADHD using GSR biofeedback. A biofeedback practitioner in Israel since 1990.
BA-psycho/biology, Yeshiva University, NY, NY. 1997, MSc Technion Institute Of Technology 1990, Medical Sciences, Neurophysiology. Jason is now back in the USA.
Resources For Test Anxiety and school stress.
Resources For Test Anxiety.
Test anxiety is stress directly related to testing situations, for many, testing is stressful and can unchecked - can even make you ill. Because exam results can determine whether you pass or fail a class, earn a scholarship, get admitted to a desired program, or even earn entry into a professional school, graduate program, job or career, it is natural to feel some anxiety when you take a test. Test anxiety can develop for a number of reasons. There may be some prior negative experience with test taking that serves as the activating event. Students who have experienced, or have a fear of, blanking out on tests or the inability to perform in testing situations can develop anticipatory anxiety. Worrying about how anxiety will affect you can be as debilitating as the anxiety itself. This kind of anxiety can build as the testing situation approaches, and can interfere with the student’s ability to prepare adequately. Also, having a medical problem like asthma, sleep wake disorder, insomnia, attention deficits, obesity, or dyslexia can exacerbate the stress during the test situation. Symptoms of test anxiety can be both emotional and psychophysiological.Emotional symptoms can be anger, low self esteem, embarrassment, crying, frustration, negative ruminating thoughts. Math phobia is an extreme example where people are afraid of math because it is hard for them. In younger children- disturbing a class in order to avoid taking a test is better than admitting to " being stupid" for having low grades. Psychosophysiological symptoms are feelings of panic, confusion, disorientation, loss of memory, depression, rapid heart beat, nausea, shakiness, tight muscles, headaches, stomach aches, excessive sweating, flushing or feeling cold.Dealing with Test AnxietyKeep things in perspective. Be satisfied and give yourself credit for your hard work. Resist the temptation to blame your circumstances and outcomes on situations and people you can't control.• Develop a sense for your role in your outcomes. Remember that grades are not a measure of self-worth. Instead- turn a negative into a positive. Tell yourself that solving your own "test anxiety" is a project that you will take up and succeed in.Improve concentration and attention. Improve, listening skills in the class room. Fight the urge to become preoccupied and distracted by thoughts and concerns unrelated to exam content. Learn to recognize negative self-talk and combat it with positive, self-supportive statements (affirmations) such as "I am prepared and understand the material. I am happy today." "Life is fun." I am lucky to be in school getting an education." Get a book with jokes- smiling will loosen you up before an exam and help memory too.Learn and use relaxation techniques like progressive muscle relaxation, controlled breathing, visualization, seated yoga. Buy a relaxation tape or video with relaxation exercises. There are natural exercises to improve concentration like holding a smooth stone while staring at a liquid timer for a few minutes. If your stress is high and you also have a concentration problem, you might want to try out a home biofeedback system. Alternatively, you might go to a biofeedback specialist. Other natural thinks that help anxiety during exams. Bach Flower Remedy- Rescue Remedy. Use a combination of aromatic oils for relaxed concentration like lavender, bergamot, grapefruit, lemon. Familiarize yourself with study strategies skills like being able to anticipate what the exam will cover.Before the exam :1) Get a good night's sleep before hand --- DONT CRAM!2) Eat a healthy breakfast every day so you'll be energized and able to think clearly.3) As you take the exam, breathe slowly and evenly to relax and increase blood flow to the brain. 4) Do some seated yoga exercises like those stretching exercises shown in air flights. 5) Dress up, you will feel more confident.6) Close your eyes and visualize answering questions and worse case scenarios. Then you will be prepared for anything. What can you do to control test anxiety?• If you feel very anxious in the exam, take a few minutes to calm yourself down. Stretch your arms and legs and then relax them again. Do this a couple of times. Take a few slow deep breaths. Do some positive internal self-talk; say to yourself, "I will be OK, I can do this." Then direct your focus on questions; link questions to their corresponding lecture and/or chapter. • If the exam is more difficult than you anticipated, try to focus and just do your best. It might be enough to get you through, even with a reasonable grade! Remember- you can get points for guessing a correct answer. • When the exam is over, treat yourself. Go to a movie, restaurant, or outing.Break down any problem into smaller problems so that you do not not get overwhelmed • Reviewing your past performance on teststo improve and learn from experience Test preparation to reduce anxiety:• Use whatever strategies you can to personalize success: vizualization, logic, talking to your self, practice, team work, journaling, etc.View the exam as an opportunity to show how much you've studied and to receive a reward for the studying you've done • • Don't go to the exam with an empty stomachFresh fruits and vegetables are often recommended to reduce stress.Stressful foods can include processed foods, artificial sweeteners, carbonated soft drinks, chocolate, eggs, fried foods, junk foods, sugar, white flour products, fried foods or oily foods, foods containing preservatives or heavy spices and MSG. • Take a small snack, or some other nourishment.During the test: • Read the directions carefully • Budget your test taking time • If you go blank, skip the question and go on • If you're taking an essay testand you go blank on the whole test, pick a question and start writing. It may trigger the answer in your mind• There's no reward for being the first done Mind mappingTony BuzonBach Flower remedyAromatic oils.Speed readingAssociative memory techniques Seated Yoga Attention skills Study strategies skills – how to listen and take notesBiofeedback to improve concentration Keep your exams and make sure you know why you did not get the question correct- even ask the teacher. People have a tendency to repeat mistakes. So look to see if there is a pattern to your mistakes.
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