RE: Home-Based Training Discussion

May 25, 2004

> Hi Pete:

I am a willing participant for your home training discussion since I have

a program that involves equipment leasing for in home and time share in my

office lab. I work with both Lights and NFT. Let me hear from you with the

details of what you have in mind. Thanks, Tom Boone, Ph.D.

> From: Van Deusen <pvdtlc@...>

> Date: 2004/05/25 Tue AM 08:44:40 EDT

> < >

> Subject: Home-Based Training Discussion

>

As we get closer to bringing up the BrainTrainer website, I'd like to see if we can get a discussion going about the topic of home-based training.

This is open to those of you who are training at home with yourselves or your families/friends/others.

It is open to professionals who are working with and supporting trainers at home or even those who are interested in doing so but not yet comfortable with it.

It's even open to group members who think home-based training is a bad idea, based on experience or philosophy.

I'm interested in what kind of hardware and software you are using, what kinds of problems you've worked with, what kinds of results you've seen and what you've learned about what to do and not to do.

Pete

May 26, 2004

I agree with Lynn that I'm not as enamored with the idea as I once was. I

only have three client families doing home training, but they seem to slack

off if I don't keep in weekly contact with them. I agree that a program of

starting at the office and eventually moving home would work best, with

weekly check-ins and office visits pretty frequently at first.

The " Lab " idea is a good one, if the distance is not an issue.

I have all my home trainers using WaveRiderJr with BioExplorer. None of

my hometrainers at this point are doing sessions without me actually there,

but when they do, I plan to have them email me their session file.

The BioExplorer Workshop that I just finished with Pete was essential!!

I had taught myself BE with the aid of the tutorials and Pete's designs, but

there were alot of gaps in my understanding. Pete, I strongly support the

idea of a tutorial CD, once the final version is released. You do such a

good job!!

May 26, 2004

Hi Pete,

I'm definitely interested in participating. Thanks for all your good work and sharing!

Warm regards,

Lynda

==============================================================Lynda Kirk, MA, LPC, BCIA Sr. Fellow, BCIA-EEG Fellow, QEEG-Diplomate

Past President, AAPB Past President, ISNRClinical Director - Austin Biofeedback Center/Optimal Performance Center3624 North Hills Drive, Suite B-205, Austin, TX 78731www.austinbiofeedback.com 512-794-WELL (9355) "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." --Winston Churchill==============================================================

May 26, 2004

Okay, so I didn't do a very good job of communicating. Sorry about that!

I was intending that, since there are nearly 500 members in BrainTrainer, and we have a good cross-section of clinicians and home-users, the list itself would be a great place for such a discussion. and Lynn, among others, kicked the ball off very nicely. I'm pleased that so many of you have an interest in the topic, which I think is a crucial one for the coming years as hardware and software options continue to make the technical end of the process more accessible and affordable

May 26, 2004

Pete,

I've been using the BrainMaster for home-based training for the past year. I agree with Lynn that it is a great system for that purpose because it allows the clinician to maintain control over the protocols. Also, session files can be e-mailed back and forth, which allows me to view session results, get feedback via telephone or e-mail about training effects, then make any necessary protocol adjustments and e-mail the next lot of sessions.

I'm charging a flat monthly fee for supervision, which I think helps with motivation. I tell folks that they can greatly reduce the cost per session by doing more of them per month. I live at a seaside tourist destination, so people sometimes fly in for a family vacation for a week or two, and during that time I do my initial assessments and then see them for neurofeedback sessions every day (or even twice per day).

During that time I'm making any necessary protocol adjustments and also training the family members about electrode placement, site preparation, getting a good signal, etc, so that over the last few sessions they are actually running the sessions under my observation. Then when they get home there is no big transition.

I do sometimes see a tapering off of "sessions per week" (eg, from 10 per week back down to about 2-3 per week over time), but that is no big deal. Motivation is usually pretty good.

I'm also using BrainMaster's remote units in a school setting. I have trained teachers how to act as technicians and run sessions, but they still e-mail results to me and we have teachers and parents filling out weekly forms to monitor progress and make any necessary protocol adjustments.

That program is working very well. The kids just need to step out of their classroom for half an hour, do a session, then go back to class. No big deal. They are six autistic kids in a special school setting and are each doing three neurofeedback sessions per week. We are getting great results, including the two functionally non-verbal kids starting to speak in short sentences and the two epileptic kids have both stopped having seizures.

We have just heard that this program has won a regional Showcase Award for Excellence in Innovation with the state Education Department. The finals in July carry a $20,000 prize for the winning school, so we are looking forward to that.

I really do think that remote training can work well with the right people and the right supports in place.

Mark Darling

Sunshine Coast, Australia

May 26, 2004

I am very

new at neurofeedback and am beginning to see some successes which is

exciting. I am very interested in

doing home-training and my clients seem to welcome that option. It would be very good to be part of a

discussion about what works and what doesn’t.

-----Original

Message-----

From: Van Deusen

[mailto:pvdtlc@...]

Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2004 8:35

AM

Subject: Re:

Home-Based Training Discussion

Okay, so I

didn't do a very good job of communicating. Sorry about that!

I was

intending that, since there are nearly 500 members in BrainTrainer,

and we have a good cross-section of clinicians and home-users, the list itself

would be a great place for such a discussion. and Lynn, among

others, kicked the ball off very nicely. I'm pleased that so many of you

have an interest in the topic, which I think is a crucial one for the coming

years as hardware and software options continue to make the technical end of

the process more accessible and affordable.

From 1997 to

about 2001, we operated a significant home-based training program from

Attention Development Programs in Atlanta using BrainMasters and

WaveRiders. I know it can be done (and I also know it can be a

disaster). We developed an approach to making it work that resulted in

success rates about equivalent to those we were seeing in the offices.

I'm confident that, like Stephan, some of you have discovered ways to make the

system work to the benefit of all parties. I'd like to hear how you are

doing that.

We also have

in our midst an excellent model for the kind of home support network that can

help make the training successful: and the group in Virginia.

I've been so impressed by their work, enthusiasm and organization that we'll be

using our website (I'll announce it as soon as it's fully up and

running--hopefully within a month) as a resource center for home trainers.

I believe we can help them find each other and find supportive clinicians who

have the systems in place to make it work, hook them up with the VA group for

some mentoring and support in getting their own groups off the ground.

And we have

manufacturers: Tom Collura has made a significant commitment to changing the

way BrainMaster software provides support, control and communication for the

home training process; Bruce McMillan's Pocket Neurobics wireless unit helps

make the process more consumer-friendly. I hope they will feel free to

share their philosophies and approaches as well as plans.

I look

forward to learning from you.

Maybe the

best way to start the discussion would be to ask that each of us who

participate provide a little background on your experience, as I suggested

before, and then that we focus on the initial question:

Can

home-based training work? What is your experience? How many of

you have had the frustrating experience of the sorts Lynn and

described? How many have had success? What's the difference in

approach between the two?

Pete

Van Deusen

BrainTrainer ()

16246 SW 92nd Ave, Miami, FL 33157

305/321-1595

-----

Original Message -----

From: Lynda

Kirk

Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2004

8:39 AM

Subject: Re:

Home-Based Training Discussion

Hi Pete,

I'm definitely interested in participating. Thanks for

all your good work and sharing!

Warm regards,

Lynda

==============================================================

Lynda Kirk, MA, LPC, BCIA Sr. Fellow, BCIA-EEG Fellow,

QEEG-Diplomate

Past President, AAPB Past President, ISNR

Clinical Director - Austin Biofeedback Center/Optimal Performance

Center

3624 North Hills Drive, Suite B-205, Austin, TX 78731

www.austinbiofeedback.com

512-794-WELL (9355)

" We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we

give. "

--Winston Churchill

==============================================================

May 27, 2004

Pete~

As you know....We have a very strongly committed group of hometrainers in the DC, MD VA metro area. We all do hometraining because we want to be the ones responsible for the process, take full responsibility for learning all we can so that we can do the best for our family and friends. Some of the most important aspects, I feel, to being a hometrainer is to have the flexibility to work it into our hectic lives, sometimes train often and sometimes not , and to understand why and what we are training and working on instead of just doing protocols that someone else prescribed. If there is more of an understanding of the process then I think there is more commitment. Any people we meet and discuss hometraining to is encouraged to take workshops and learn all they can as part of the process. Pete, your TLC assess is so incredibly important to understanding what and why we are training. We (the hometrainers) meet to go over concepts that are confusing us, assessments we have done and share understandings of what they mean, do assessments on each other, share new info, articles and or recent postings on lists, and help with walk throughs with confusions in the software over the phone, and so much more as part of the learning /training process. Understanding what we are doing makes us better and more motivated hometrainers. It is all very exciting, motivating and intoxicating to be a part of this wonder called neurofeedback.

~

Re: Home-Based Training Discussion

Hi, Pete. I have to say I'm not as enthusiastic about home training as I once was. It's probably more accurate to say that I have learn from experience to be much more conservative. For example, one M.D. mother insisted on home training her very ADHD son at home and the results have not been good. It's obvious to me that SHE is ADHD and does not create a good training environment at home and was very reluctant to educate herself about the broader aspects of the disorder (how to change her parenting style, household set up, etc). Some have frustrations with applying the electrodes, machine problems, etc. The main conclusion I've come to is that I should provide several training sessions, then supervise them setting themselves up in my office a few times, and have a weekly or bi-weekly check in routine established. Of course, from the beginning the individual should be carefully evaluated for the appropriateness of home training for them.

All this may be well understood by professional doing longer than I. I have opted for a NFB Lab. I have equipment set up in a room at the office, train the client to hook himself up and do his own training there at the lab. My assistant is available to help with any problems if I'm not. The clients pay a reduced fee, but they seem to take it more seriously; i.e., they keep their appointments and expect me to look at their computer files. I use the Brainmaster home training units in the lab, so I have total control over the protocol settings.

I still think its a great idea for very motivated people who live too far from a practioner to go to the office regularly.

That's my 2 cents.

Lynn Rutherford Van Deusen <pvdtlc@...> wrote:

As we get closer to bringing up the BrainTrainer website, I'd like to see if we can get a discussion going about the topic of home-based training.This is open to those of you who are training at home with yourselves or your families/friends/others.It is open to professionals who are working with and supporting trainers at home or even those who are interested in doing so but not yet comfortable with it.It's even open to group members who think home-based training is a bad idea, based on experience or philosophy.I'm interested in what kind of hardware and software you are using, what kinds of problems you've worked with, what kinds of results you've seen and what you've learned about what to do and not to do.Pete

May 27, 2004

,

I heartily agree with all that you said. In response to Lynn R.'s

comments, I do think that the responsibility for setting the tone of

the training environment is VERY important and should be a careful

consideration when thinking about home training...

Anne B.>

>

> --------------------------------------------------------------------

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>

May 27, 2004

Mark,

Congratulations on the award and the excellent programs!

Pete

Van DeusenBrainTrainer ()16246 SW 92nd Ave, Miami, FL 33157305/321-1595