Facts about Comprehensive Brain Testing and qEEG
What are some limitations of just using the standard testing services?
At best, they provide a diagnosis and/or a glimpse into how your child is currently functioning, and in some cases, can offer instructional suggestions. At worst, they don’t suggest effective treatment options for the symptoms of that diagnosis.
This can lead to a trial and error approach. You may be left wondering if medication is really needed or whether the diagnosis is accurate.
We have found some children on medication for ADHD, have brain maps indicating a different kind of problem. Without the qEEG component of the diagnosis, your child might be prescribed powerful medications for ADHD even though they are dealing with a different issue, like a processing problem. In this case, the meds won’t help and even worse, they might cause unwanted side effects.
A qEEG helps your physician have a better idea whether a stimulant medication – or any other medication, for that matter – is appropriate or not.
How does adding a qEEG to the testing help?
With a qEEG we can determine where the problem lies.
For instance, maybe everyone, including you, thought your child had ADD when, in fact, the brain map revealed that he has a processing problem.
The single-point-of-contact advantage
Most psychologists, even those who offer neuropsychological testing, don’t offer qEEG or neurofeedback services in their offices. Most neurofeedback providers do not offer qEEG services or neuropsychological testing.
Furthermore, only certain health professionals are permitted by law to administer and interpret neuropsychological tests. Thus, many must rely on third parties for these pieces of the puzzle.
While this method works well, having it all done in one location has the following advantages:
- It’s more convenient for you.
- You benefit from having a single practitioner administer, interpret, diagnose and treat your child (except for medication, which must be prescribed by a medical doctor), thus enhancing consistency and continuity.
- Because we are providing several services, we are able to offer you a package price for less money than you would pay for these services from individual providers.
Why the qEEG and not some other brain scan?
The qEEG is much less expensive than other brain imaging techniques and it identifies better than other tests the subtle electrical timing problems that interfere with brain function. It is also safe and non-invasive.