First, I believe it to be a good option for treatment. This is based on my ten years of personal experience as a provider of this option in my practice. I have treated over 300 ADHD kids and adults using excellent equipment from EEG Spectrum in Encino, CA. I have found that about 70% of my clients have received either "good" or "excellent" results from the training.

I am often surprised by the results, and sometimes disappointed by the results. For example, I am just completing treatment with a 20 year old college student with ADD (space-cadet type) who is very bright and highly motivated. His brother had been through treatment in the past and had done remarkably well, as had his step-sister. Yet he has had only fair improvement at best. He has received most of his benefit from taking the nutraceutical Attend on a regular basis, and at much less cost.

Yet I am also treating a 13 year old girl with ADHD, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and HUGE temper tantrums. This young person has been on several medications with little or no benefit. We have done only three sessions and there have been zero tantrums (used to be one per day on average) and the parents are so excited they can hardly contain themselves. I cannot explain why some do so well, and sometimes quickly, while others barely benefit. But I also cannot explain why some benefit from medications, diet, Attend, therapy, essential fatty acids, pycnogenol, or whatever, and others do not.

Treatment: Following diagnosis and baseline testing. Typically the subject wears one or two electrodes on the scalp to monitor the EEG activity of the brain. The brainwaves are amplified and displayed on the therapist*s computer screen, both in raw wave-form and broken into various frequency bands. The subject sees a representation of this electrical activity in the form of animation on his computer monitor. The training involves learning to increase the activity in specific frequency bands and decreasing the activity in other specific frequency bands. Various computer animation and games are used for the feedback to the subject. Yes, subjects can learn to change and control their brainwave activity.

Realistic Expectations for treatment: If your child has never been on medication, you might be able to get good enough results to never have to use meds. If your child is currently using medications, you might be able to discontinue meds altogether. Maybe. Mostly what we see, however, is that kids will use both the training and a small dose of medication. I am usually happy if we can cut the dosage of the medication by half or more and still get the same level of performance from the child.

Controversy: The mainline ADDers tend to be opposed to EEG training on the grounds that there are only clinical studies, no -double-blind- studies on the effectiveness of the treatment. Yes, this is true. And there will not be any either.

Why? Because a double-blind study means that the subject does not know whether he is using the experimental treatment or just a placebo treatment which is assumed to have no effect on the subject. Double-blind studies are great when you are talking about pills, but they are not useful for much of anything else. For example think of weight-lifting.

Could you prove that weight- lifting made subject stronger with a double-blind study? Never. Could you prove that reading a book increased the reader's knowledge with a double-blind study. Never.

Most things cannot be tested with double-blind studies because the subject has to participate in the treatment actively. So the criticism about biofeedback lacking double-blind studies is a hallow argument, and they know it, but the press always prints it without question and many people assume it is a valid criticism.

Are there clinical studies? Yes, dozens, maybe hundreds at this point. EEG Spectrum has collected data on over 2,000 subject to date. That is just one provider. There are about 800 providers in the USA at this time. However, choose only providers who know what they are doing. There is no substitute for experience or for good equipment. Slow feedback from the equipment is not helpful. Typically the more expensive the equipment the better, because the software is able to deliver the feedback to the subject very very quickly. Ask around for a good provider. And avoid people who treat this like a religion. It is a very good tool, but there are several good tools available. For more information visit the ADHD Information Library at http://www.newideas.net.

Parents, here are some good questions that you might ask the school to ensure optimal management of your child with ADHD.

1) Know the difference between big things and little things.

2) Know the difference between incompetence and rebelliousness. If you child does something out of incompetence, then take the time to teach your child how to do it right. If your child acts out of rebellion toward your authority as a parent, then this behavior needs to be disciplined or punished, but cannot be tolerated or accepted.

3) The word "discipline" means "to teach, to shape, to mold, or to perfect." Remember this.

4) Be firm, be consistent, and build a personal relationship with your child.

5) Be careful not to become overly performance oriented with your children. They are more than just homework, reports, and chores. There is a real person there who has hopes, dreams, fears, likes and dislikes. Get to personally know your child.

6) Quality time is no substitute for quantity time. The average father in America spends only 47 seconds a day in conversation with his children. But I am sure that it is quality time.

7) Be a positive person, and a positive role model for your child. The best predictor of how your child will be when he is 30-40 years old is how YOU are as a person today. Be a positive influence on your child socially, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

8) Make the effort to catch your child doing something right every day.

9) Teach your child how to be successful. First, take the time to figure out in your own life what it means to be "successful." Is it just having more money or stuff? Or is there more to your life than that?

10) Teach your child self-control and respect for others.

With a Doctorate in Psychology, and a Master of Science degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, doctor Cowan has worked with over 1,000 children and their families with ADHD or related conditions as a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, researcher, and author.