Rewarding children for positive behaviours can have the same benefits as medication for children with ADHD.  This is according to a recent study at Nottingham University. (BBC news report)

Whilst this study is positive, it really isn’t anything new.  However it does reinforce the benefits of brain training; be that your own or helping your children.

For instance, neurofeedback training is a growing field of brain training which has been proved to have great benefit is assisting those with ADD/HD.  neurofeedback is based on providing positive reward for improved behaviour.  For example if you are trying to train someone’s brain to pay attention better, using neurofeedback you might reward low-beta brainwave activity and perhaps inhibit with theta activity.

This is typically done with  a computer game – perhaps the spaceship flies faster when you concentrate, which is a rewards.

This research from Nottingham University is interesting as it could be interpreted as encouraging reward for a wider range of behaviours.  This is perhaps something which parents know instinctively – reward for good behaviour and inhibit for poor behaviour.  But it is always nice to know that science agrees with our instinctive behaviours.  It is particularly good to know that we all have an option to train our brains beyond taking medication.

This is the message at the heart of what The Brain Training Company is providing.