Jason (Seven-year-old boy)

 

Jason’s parents came to us in the hope of finding a new way to treat their son’s autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Their son, Jason, was seven years old at the time, and he was diagnosed with ASD at the age of three-and-a-half.

​

When Jason was in kindergarten, his teacher took special care of him and with such help he was able to adjust to the classroom routine. But after Jason started primary one, he could no longer cope with the increased complexity of interactions, rules, and changes in routine that were required. Jason became very withdrawn and completely isolated. He also showed frequent erratic behavior (e.g., running around the classroom, rushing to the front and cleaning the blackboard, mumbling as if he was talking with someone, etc.). In addition he was noticeably distracted. In class, Jason could not comply with the classroom rules, such as following his teacher’s instructions, putting school bags inside the desk drawer, copying notes into his notebook, submitting parental notices, or participating in various classroom activities. As such, Jason’s mother often received complaints from his teacher. This caused his mom to be distressed and to worry for Jason. Even though his mom spent a lot of time in helping Jason with his studies, his test scores hovered between zero and around ten points. Jason’s mom and dad really did not know how to help him or to face his teacher’s complaints.

​

Jason’s mom and dad discussed and considered for some time the doctor’s recommendation to treat his hyperactivity through drug therapy. Out of desperation, they finally accepted. However when this was attempted, Jason’s response to the drug was not good. Although there were no more symptoms of hyperactivity in class, Jason became very sluggish. It was as if he had entered a state of complete disengagement with the outside world. After returning home from school, when the effect of the drug wore off, Jason’s mood would become restless and irritable. At that point he would often lose his temper and cry over small things. In addition, his appetite got worse resulting in him losing weight in an unhealthy way. Jason also experienced new difficulties in falling asleep. Every night it took him two or three hours to barely fall asleep and he was not able experience deep sleep.

​

Understandably his mom and dad were concerned seeing all of these developments in Jason. Although they very much wanted to stop Jason’s medication, they worried that Jason’s problematic hyperactivity in the classroom would reappear causing his teacher to complain again. They were torn, exhausted, and did not know how else to help their son.

Later, Jason’s mom learned from her friend about our therapy with neurofeedback and how it had helped her own son to improve with the problems associated with his Attention Deficit and Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). At that point Jason’s mom and dad decided to try neurofeedback in the hope that the new treatment may help him.

​

From the beginning, Jason responded well to neurofeedback training. In the second week after neurofeedback training began, his parents decided to stop the drug used to control his symptoms. After 6 weeks of neurofeedback training, Jason’s concentration, behavior control, and social performance, as well as his language and communication had improved significantly. At the same time, his teacher no longer complained to his parents about impulsive behaviors or lack of focus. In addition, with better focus, Jason’s test scores in various subjects rose to between thirty and forty.

​

One day after Jason’s training, his mother was so excited about his progress that she shared a story with us. The family was celebrating his dad’s birthday at home. Everyone sat or stood around the cake to take pictures. Suddenly Jason put his arm around his dad’s neck and gave him a kiss. Then he looked at his dad and said, “Daddy, happy birthday.” Unexpecting, his dad was surprised and in for a bit of a shock. When he realized what Jason just did, he heard Jason’s happy voice saying, “Take picture, take picture! Daddy, mommy, let us take lots of pictures.” Both Jason’s dad and mom were very happy and moved. His father turned to his wife exclaiming, “I’ve never seen Jason act like this before. I can actually feel his affection for me. I’m so happy. Jason hugged me, looked into my eyes, he laughed and talked to me, he said happy birthday to me. This made me very happy.” This was the first time, since Jason was born seven years ago, that his dad finally was able to feel connected to his son. He now has hope for Jason. This was Jason’s real birthday present to his dad.

​

Jason is eight-and-a-half years old now. He not only can obey the rules of the classroom but at times his teacher has even praised him as the best, most rule-abiding student in class. Jason and one of his classmates have become good friends. During recess, they play games, chitchat and have fun together.

​

Jason is a primary two student and this year he won the school’s best progress award and scholarship because his English test scores jumped 60 points. It rose up from 32 points last year to 93 points this year. Jason not only got excellent results, he also demonstrated the fastest progress in the whole school.

​

Hats off to you, Jason. You have accomplished and grown a lot, it’s not just your grades. We are happy and honored to have participated in your journey. We have confidence in you. We cheer for your continuous growth and development! Bravo Jason, bravo!!!