Chermaine (Eight-year-old girl)

 

Chermaine is an eight-year-old girl who is studying in the third grade. She was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) when she was four years old.

 

After Chermaine received neurofeedback (brainwave) training for two months, she calmed down and stablized. Her overall expression, emotions, attitude, and tone of voice softened. She was no longer so unstable with respect to people and things. She started to make friends and enjoyed her time playing with them. 

 

Chermaine is a smart and straightforward little girl. She likes to study and read. She especially likes books such as "Ten Thousand Questions?" and "Hundred Thousand Questions?". She is inquisitive about things in her surrounding environment, and she very much wants to play with other children, and to have friends to talk with. When we first met Chermaine, right after introducing her name, she immediately told us: "I don’t have a friend, not even one. All my classmates fool me. They said that they will play with me after lunch, but they did not. They just left and played on their own without me.” These few words succinctly speak of Chermaine's loneliness as well as her defeated feelings and difficulties in social relationship situations. This also reflects her sadness and anger that her classmates have repeatedly rejected her.

 

Besides difficulties related to relationships and social situations, it was difficult for Chermaine to remain calm. She had challenges in controlling and managing her emotions. Too often neither her mother nor her teacher were able to calm down her temper tantrums. When playing games with other children, she easily got angry and became bossy. She always thought that she was right and was very rigid with others demanding that they follow her ways. She would throw a temper tantrum and refused to play more after losing in a game. It followed that her playmates would become afraid of Chermaine and that they would not welcome her participation. 

 

After frequent and repeated rejections, Chermaine's views of people become rather extreme and negative. She felt that almost everyone (including teachers and all of her classmates) were "bad". She gradually came to hate everyone around her. She would quarrel with her mother or the family maid every one or two days. She often scolded her younger brother.

 

All these made Chermaine's mother sad. She became very concerned that Chermine would grow up as a bitter person, feeling dejected in life and have no friends. She also feared that if Chermaine’s temper, anger, and bias towards other people remained unchanged, she would not be able to work with others nor function in society when she grew up.

 

Chermaine’s mother is now very interested in neurofeedback because her mother understands that it is a way to treat ASD without the use of drugs with their possible undesirable side effects. Neurofeedback easily complements other therapeutic modalities (such as behavioral therapy). After two months of neurofeedback training, Chermaine's mother told us that her temperament has dampened down. Her usual attitude towards others has shifted with her expression and voice having softened. Her whole person is more cheerful, lively and lovely.

 

More importantly, Chermaine's social skills have significantly improved. She is more receptive to the opinions of others, less bossy when playing games, and it is easier for her to accept the result of losing a game. Chermaine has also enjoyed for the first time the fun and interactions that come with chit-chatting and playing games with her peers. 

 

Chermaine is now calmer, more comfortable, more flexible and happier at both school and at home compared to before. She is more motivated in learning and managing her emotions because she now understands and feels that she can also be accepted and welcome by her peers. 

 

Hi Cheramine, you are doing well. Come on girl, continue to move towards the goal of health and happiness!! We are cheering for you all the way!!!