Learning disabilities (LDs) are a range of neurologically-based disorders, steming from a root problem with brain function. Around 1 in 10 children are affected by a LD. They are extremely common, in people of all ages, and impact a person’s ability to learn, process information, and perform certain cognitive tasks. The top five most frequent learning disabilities are dyslexia, ADHD, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and dyspraxia. We’ve covered some of these more in-depth separately on this site.
It’s important to note that having a LD is not a reflection of a person’s intelligence. A child or adult with a LD can be highly intelligent and have challenges processing sensory information they see or hear. Their brains just operate differently. How the brain is wired physically and functionally determines how someone processes information and how effectively and systemically the parts of their brain work together to coordinate learning.
Neurofeedback brain training is a superior option for improving learning disorders because it teaches the brain better operation, including optimizing brain wave amplitudes, enhancing connectivity between different parts of the brain, and adjusting the level of activity and responsiveness of specific brain regions. An initial qEEG brain map shows exactly where the brain is not functioning optimally, and our Grey Matters brain advocates customize a training plan specifically to address the problems affecting that individual’s brain.
Learning disabilities are very treatable with early intervention. Because the brain is very changeable, or neuroplastic, in childhood, the brain can be taught new ways to function which reduce or alleviate learning challenges. Even older brains can show great improvement. In one study using neurofeedback on people with LDs, researchers determined:
“We found improved academic performance and self-concept in children with LDs who received NFB treatment. This study is an important exploratory step in studying a relevant treatment that seems to ameliorate symptoms of LDs such as anxiety and low self-concept.”¹
In other research, scientists checked in with people who had had undergone neurofeedback training two years earlier for LDs, and the study concluded:
“In a control paired group, treated with placebo, behavioral changes were not observed and the smaller maturational EEG changes observed were easily explained by increased age. Two years later, the EEG maturational lag in Control Group children increased, reaching abnormally high theta Relative Power values; the absence of positive behavioral changes continued and the neurological diagnosis remained LD. In contrast, after two years EEG maturation did continue in children who belonged to the Experimental Group with previous neurofeedback training; this was accompanied by positive behavioral changes, which were reflected in remission of LD symptoms.” ²
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Sources:
1. Martínez-Briones BJ, Flores-Gallegos R, Cárdenas SY, Barrera-Díaz BE, Fernández T, Silva-Pereyra J. Effects of neurofeedback on the self-concept of children with learning disorders. Front Psychol. 2023 May 15;14:1167961. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1167961. PMID: 37255511; PMCID: PMC10225657.
2. Becerra J, Fernández T, Harmony T, Caballero MI, García F, Fernández-Bouzas A, Santiago-Rodríguez E, Prado-Alcalá RA. Follow-up study of learning-disabled children treated with neurofeedback or placebo. Clin EEG Neurosci. 2006 Jul;37(3):198-203. doi: 10.1177/155005940603700307. PMID: 16929704.
