ACE Clinics Offers Specialized Programs for Adult ADHD

Bob Gottfried ACE Clinics Adult ADHDThe medical community’s insight into the mechanics and treatment of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) has deepened dramatically in the last decade. Fortunately, this expansions of knowledge has inspired the development and improvement of therapies to support children in school struggling with the impact ADHD can have on learning processes, academic performance, and confidence. Of all the kids who are affected by ADHD, as many as 80% do not experience a meaningful reduction in psychotherapies when they enter their teenage years. Once adulthood begins, half of these individuals continue to live with significant psychopathologies.

These numbers may well be underreported. As adults, the challenges inherent to living with ADHD are at times less overt. Many people have at this point lived with the condition their whole lives and so have effectively adapted to suppress a certain amount of trouble they have with things like impulsiveness, inattention, or hyperactivity. However, the difficulties to function at the highest possible level do remain. If you had ADHD as a child, you are very likely to continue having it as a grownup. This means an increased likelihood to find concentrating, following instructions, respecting deadlines, or even remembering simple information difficult. As a result, serious emotional distress can become commonplace. Social interactions and even career success are often jeopardized.

Compounding all these problems in adulthood is the fact that people who struggle with ADHD enjoy normal or even above average IQs. As such, they deal with the uniquely frustrating experience of regularly being misunderstood, as well as remaining fully cognizant of their problems reaching their full potential. A common consequence of this difficult dynamic is that these individuals can turn to high-risk behaviors (like substance abuse). Depression can also be a common occurrence, as failing to live up to their expectations and those of their loved ones or peers weighs heavily on their shoulders.

Since ADHD is a neuro-cognitive disorder, a neuro-cognitive strategy can alleviate some or all of its symptoms. The proper therapy and training can yield phenomenal results with real and lasting improvements in the lives of people struggling with attention deficit disorders and learning disabilities. ACE Clinics betters brain regulation by training core skills such as visual processing, auditory processing, divided attention, multitasking, and working memory. Improving the performance of the frontal lobes through a specialized program sharpens general attention and executive functions. Permanent gains in cognitive performance absolutely have the potential to transform lives, especially for adults struggling to finally improve their cognitive function.

What is Auditory Processing Disorder?

Bob Gottfried Auditory Processing DisorderNational estimates of the number of school-aged boys and girls who contend with auditory processing disorder (ADP) hover a high as 5%. Children who suffer from this condition are working hard to engage in traditional learning processes, but struggle with what essentially amounts to neurological wiring issue in the brain. This creates serious trouble with both speech and language. The mind and the ears do not properly communicate, resulting in words that are misheard or misunderstood frequently. To be clear, the issue is not hearing – people afflicted with this condition understand things in quiet room without issue. However, when background noise is to some extent present (as it almost always is), the brain is unable to single out the appropriate stimuli and thus misunderstands what the ears hear.

The scientific community has yet to reach a consensus in terms of the conditions or events that might cause ADP. Head trauma, chemical exposure, and/or chronic ear infections might all play a part in its development. There is also a theory that the disorder is hereditary.

The small but crucial difference between an inability to hear and an inability to effectively listen makes auditory processing disorder particularly tricky to recognize. These kids have ears that seem to work just fine, but are incapable of effectively or efficiently processing the incoming auditory information. As a result, it is not uncommon for ADP to be misdiagnosed as ADHD. However, although it is possible to have both ADHD and ADP, ADP is a learning disability entirely on its own sort of attention to remedy. Children who have ADP are easily startled by loud noises, experience significantly more difficulty concentrating on tasks when in a noisier environment, and have trouble following what might seem to be an otherwise simple and straightforward conversation. They also may find reading and writing challenging in social situations.

For a long time, the most widespread course of treatment involved visiting an audiologist or speech pathologist to work on improving language and listening skills. However, neuro-cognitive training has since supplanted these older methods and become widely lauded as the most effective way to address the challenges inherent to living with ADP. Neuro-cognitive training instructs the mind in terms of how to focus and interpret auditory information in both regular and problematically loud situations. It also helps reform the mind’s ability to pay attention and process auditory input the second it enters the ear, then is sorted, and then made available for retrieval. To learn more about neuro-cognitive training programs, like those innovated by ACE Clinics, can help you or a loved one with ADP improve their lives, visit http://ACEClinics.com.

What Neuro Cognitive Programs Can Do for You

Struggling with a learning or memory disorder can be exceedingly challenging. Fortunately, there are a number of treatments you can investigate which can empower you to live a more confident, functional, and successful life. One of the treatment methods which enjoys the greatest rate of positive results is neuro cognitive training. Based on research completed with EEG technology, the neuro cognitive programs developed by ACE Clinics provides results-oriented training while allowing patients to complete the largest part of the work in the comfort and convenience of their own home under clinical supervision. This accomplishes two things – it significantly improves frontal lobe function while teaching the brain how to develop and enhance a varied assortment of other cognitive functions.

The program improves ((The)) brain wave activity which improves, after effective neuro cognitive training benefits, three different attentional levels. The first is that it calms the mind, which means you will be more relaxed and thus better prepared to engage in mental tasks as they arise. This state of calmness or serenity also enables you to more productively plan and contemplate. This equates to the brain activity’s Alpha state. The second enhanced level is an increase in focus. When you are able to place all of your attention on a single task at a time, you block out distractions and get more done. This is the same as the Beta1 state. The third is alertness, which speaks to the speed of your response when a fast reaction is needed. This is the Beta2 state.

The other cognitive functions you stand to gain involved cognitive function in terms of divided attention, processing speed, working memory, multitasking, visual/auditory processing, and improved coordination. However, the benefits extend even further. You stand to grow in terms of higher level executive skills such as organization, prioritizing, and making decisions (reasoning skills). Traditionally, Neurofeedback protocols are unable to so positively influence these sorts of life skills. This shortcoming is also often paired with the fact that a paid clinician must usually be the one to administer it. In contrast, ACE Clinic’s neuro cognitive programs eschew a dependence on extremely expensive equipment like an EEG (making it cheaper) and put the power to seize a more focused tomorrow directly in your hands.

For individuals who are apprehensive about blindly joining the world of the over-medicated and underserved when it comes to attention deficit-related treatments, neuro cognitive training is an innovation which stands to transform your life. Visit AceClinics.com to learn more about how our treatment can help you achieve better concentration and more focus affordably, without any unwanted side effects.

Memory and Learning

What is memory?

Memory can be defined as the process of storing, sorting and retrieving information.  Margaret W. Matlin, a cognitive psychologist simplified the definition of memory by describing it as the “process of retaining information over time.”

Understanding the way memory works and why it sometimes doesn’t, is the first step in understanding how we can improve our memory capacity in order to learn more efficiently. This article seeks to explore many aspects of memory, including how it works, the different types of memory, how memory affects learning, why we forget things, and the effects that aging and stress have on memory.

How Does Memory Work?

While in the past this process was thought to be simple enough to be compared to a file cabinet of stored information, recent studies have revealed that creating and recalling memories is quite a complex process, and it involves  many areas  of the brain. Memory begins with perception. When you experience something, the hypothalamus and parts of the frontal lobe collect information. From there, your brain decides what perceived items are significant enough to be remembered and stores them effectively.

Your memory is actually made up entirely of electrical signals, all fired in a particular order by neurons, which constantly change. When the neurons are consistently fired in the same order, you will remember something much better. This is particularly true when working on memorizing something such as a piece of music. Repeated practices will make the music easier to play because the neurons remember the order. However, if you don’t practice for a while, the pathway is forgotten as well as the musical piece.

Different Types of Memory

There are a number of different types of memory, many of which work together to form memories.

Short-term memory. This is considered to be anything that has occurred very recently and  is readily available for recall. People who have problems with short-term memory may not remember what they had for breakfast, but they may easily be able to remember their favorite elementary school teacher.

Working memory. This is a system that temporarily stores information necessary to perform different cognitive tasks such as learning, reasoning, and comprehension.

Implicit memory. This is the ability to use your past experiences to unconsciously remember various things. A subset of this type of memory is procedural memory. Athletes and artists are said to have strong procedural memories as they are easily able to perform a number of different motor skills without having to consciously think about them.

Explicit or declarative memory. This is the ability to recall specific information about something, which usually involves some conscious effort. An example of this would be remembering when your best friend’s birthday is.

Episodic memory. This type of memory is what allows you to remember where you were, who you were with, and how you felt during specific events in your life. The most memorable of these events are the ones that are emotionally-charged.

How Does Memory Affect Learning?

While your eyes and ears may take in every single thing as you are learning, your brain will filter through what it believes to be most important. In regards to learning, that means that not every bit of information will be learned. Because not all information will be stored, it is important to take steps in order to be certain that you remember everything that you need to remember by working with the different types of memory, depending on what you are learning. It is also important to note that everyone learns differently. Some learn and remember best with visual input, others with audible input, and others have to be physically involved to remember something. Effective learning usually involves more than one sense, for instance, visual, auditory and kinesthetic. By seeing, hearing and when relevant touching (or it could be writing), the brain further cements data related to the topic learned.

Why Do We Forget Things?

As indicated earlier, memories are formed with the firing of certain paths in the brain. A disconnection or interruption in these neuropathways can cause you to forget something in the short term. The information may not have been stored properly in the first place, or else another memory or thought process is blocking your ability to pull up specific information.

Another reason that we forget things is that the brain is always changing. That means that the neuropathways actually change every time we recall a memory. Sometimes, this causes memories to change over time based on what we are thinking or feeling at the time of recalling that memory. If a certain memory is not accessed regularly, the pathways may change so much that the memory cannot be readily accessed.

What Effects Does Aging Have on Memory?

As we age, the connections that were once strong and vibrant begin to falter. There is also a natural shrinkage of the brain that occurs and a steady loss of brain cells in important parts of the brain. This process begins in your 20s and will continue throughout your life. The faltering of these brain cells can adversely affect short-term memory, as well as lessen the ability to bring up episodic memories or explicit memories. The good news is that while memory does decline over time, studies have shown that many people in their 70s perform equally as well as those in their 20s when it comes to various cognitive tests.

The Effect of Stress on Memory

Stress also plays a role in short-term memory loss. This is because things that cause stress in our life occupy a great deal of our brain and don’t allow much room for concentrating on processing and remembering things. Stress can block short-term memory by not allowing the brain to properly remember the received information in the first place. Long-term memories  can also be blocked in a moment of stress, like not remembering your own phone number when you are extremely anxious.

Learning and applying sound stress management techniques can help in improving memory and learning.

Can memory be improved?

Absolutely, and at any age. There are numerous memory improvement exercises and games that can improve memory to a certain degree.  One of the best memory enhancement programs to significantly enhance focus, attention and memory was developed at the ACEclinics in Toronto, Canada. While the program was developed mainly for individuals suffering from Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD, ADHD), Learning disabilities (LD), and head/brain injuries, it has been successfully used by ordinary individuals who just wanted to improve their memory capacity, in general. It is a scientific,  innovative method that will dramatically improve the ability to remember names, to-do lists, numbers, abstract information both short and long term, as well as improve working memory – a cognitive capacity essential  in processing information. The program works on improving both visual and auditory based memory processing. More information can be obtained here:  www.ACEclinics.com

Conclusion

Understanding the way memory works is the first step to improving your memory and ability to recall information. Some factors involved in the process of storing and recalling information  include age,  drug or alcohol use, genetics, diet, sleep and exercise. By finding out what works best for you, you can begin to combat the things that have negatively affected your memory and work to improve it at any age.

Be the Sharpest Tool In the Shed: Three Powerful Habits that Improve and Encourage Focusing Successfully on the Task at Hand

Mental health can often seem either ambiguous or inaccessible to many people. This is truly unfortunate, given that your mental wellbeing is just as critical, if not more so, as any other part of your body. Indeed, the same way you can train your body to be stronger, you can similarly train your brain. To set yourself up for success, here are five simple steps to encourage meaningful growth in your ability to focus.

Set the Right Kind of Scene

It is important you are able to work with, rather than against, your environment. Far too often, people take for granted their ability to improve their surroundings. There is almost a sense of inertia when it comes to grappling with small but regular external distractions in places like the classroom or office. It is common for individuals to feel as though the onus is on them to work through a distracting situation, regardless of the way in which it costs them productivity or even general enjoyment of the task at hand. Make creating a positive environment for yourself a priority.
To accomplish this, it is important you also take time to get to know yourself and the way you work best. Do not assume what works for other people should or would work for you! For example, dead silence can be even more distracting for certain individuals with conditions like ADD or ADHD. That such instances, exploring the ambient noises which have the most calming effect on you is an absolute must.

Take a Breather

Many individuals with learning disorders of all kinds find it difficult to keep sustained, unbroken focus on a specific task unbroken for extended periods of time. Do not worry! The honest truth is that this is challenging to some extent for everyone! If boredom begins to poison your productivity, one the quickest solutions is to take a quick break and allow your brain time to recuperate. A brief walk, stretch, or cold drink of water can be enough to re-focus and get back to work with fresh eyes and renewed enthusiasm. You should be comfortable permitting yourself that opportunity to recharge a little bit. Just be disciplined about holding yourself accountable and not letting a quick break deteriorate into an extended amount of time off-task. It may be a little bit of a challenge at first, but building that skillset, where you can step away and come back to a task as needed, is invaluable. Consider setting a timer so that there is never any question about what you should be doing at any given moment. Learning how to “chunk” your time up efficiently can result in vast improvements in performance.

Treat Yourself Like a Champion

It helps to know you are working towards something great. A figurative light at the end of the tunnel can make the challenge of staying on task more manageable and enjoyable overall. Often, the fruits of our labor can seem so disconnected from the nitty-gritty reality of the work itself. You may know your work matters in the abstract sense (e.g. studying now will help you pass a test with flying colors in two weeks), but sometimes staying confident that the payoff is worth the current discomfort is difficult. The solution, then, is to give yourself a reward that is just as immediate and tangible as the work currently being accomplished. Great incentives can even be small. Arrange dinner with a friend at your favorite restaurant as a treat for making it through an especially long day at work, take a scenic stroll at a park you love after you finish all your homework, or splurge on something small that makes you happy but does not often warrant your indulgement.

These three tips may seem simple, but mastery of each can absolutely transform your ability to stay focused and achieve your goals. Great routines take time to settle into ingrained habits, so take it slow and allow yourself the opportunity to take it one step at a time. Eventually, if you stay patient and committed, you will find yourself enjoying the excellent results that come from consistency.