Picture a weekday afternoon in term time. The homework should take twenty minutes, but it is nearly supper and your child is under the table looking for a pencil that was in their hand a moment ago. There is another note in the homework diary about fidgeting, and you are both close to tears.
If that scene is familiar, you have not failed as a parent, and your child is not lazy or naughty. A brain with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) works differently, and understanding that difference is the kindest place to start.
What is happening inside a busy brain
Your brain produces tiny electrical rhythms all day long, called brainwaves. Slower rhythms belong to drifting and daydreaming. Faster rhythms show up when you are alert and working something out.
One of the slower rhythms is called theta, the dreamy, half-there pattern you slip into when staring out of a window. One of the faster ones is beta, the busy, thinking rhythm. Some research has linked ADHD in some children, though not all, with more theta and less beta at the front of the brain during tasks that need concentration, although the findings are mixed. This is the area that handles planning, waiting and holding an instruction in mind.
In plain terms, the part of the brain that should be switching on for the task may be sliding towards daydream mode. Your child is not choosing this. One idea is that the wriggling, tapping and chair-rocking are the body's way of keeping an under-alert brain awake.
Why "just try harder" does not work
Children with ADHD often try very hard. They may have to spend far more effort than their classmates to get the same result, and that effort can run out as the day goes on. By the time homework starts, the tank may be empty.
Often the bigger worry is not the marks. It is what the child starts to believe about themselves. After enough red pen and enough "sit still", a bright, funny child can quietly decide that they are stupid or bad. Protecting that self-belief matters as much as any spelling test.
You may recognise some of these:
- Instructions with more than one step get lost halfway
- Work is started with enthusiasm and left unfinished
- Stationery, jerseys and lunchboxes go missing every week
- Small frustrations bring big feelings, especially late in the day
- Focus is sharp for things they love, which can make the struggle elsewhere look like a choice
How neurofeedback trains attention
Neurofeedback lets the brain practise a calmer, more focused pattern and rewards it when it gets there. Small sensors rest on the scalp and read your child's brain activity. They only listen. Nothing is sent into the brain.
Your child sits and watches a game or video. When their brain shifts towards a steadier, more attentive rhythm, the picture and sound respond. When it drifts, the feedback fades. The aim is that, over many repetitions, the brain starts to recognise the focused state and may find it more easily, much as a child learns to balance on a bicycle without being able to explain how.
At Fix Your Brain every child starts with a 19-channel brain map, which takes about an hour and a half. It looks at your own child's brain activity, because no two children with ADHD are the same. Training sessions last 45 to 60 minutes and begin with a short check-in. You can read more on our what to expect page.
ADHD is one of the most studied uses of neurofeedback, and the results so far are mixed to encouraging. It may help some children with attention and impulse control. Results vary from child to child.
A child who cannot sit still is not refusing to learn. Their brain is working hard to stay switched on.
Where it fits with medication and school support
Neurofeedback is a complementary approach. It works alongside the care your child already has, not in place of it. ADHD medication helps a great many children, and for some families it is what makes a school day manageable. If your child takes medication, keep giving it exactly as prescribed. Any change to it should only ever be made with the prescribing doctor.
If your child has not been assessed yet, start with your GP, paediatrician or an educational psychologist. Poor sleep, hearing or vision problems, anxiety and learning difficulties can all look like inattention, and they deserve to be checked properly. Some children also battle with processing sound in a noisy classroom, which is easily mistaken for not listening.
Small things that help at home
Break homework into short blocks with a few minutes of movement in between. Give one instruction at a time and ask your child to say it back. Let them stand, kneel on the chair or squeeze something while they work if it helps them think.
Protect sleep, because a tired brain drifts faster. Keep an eye on evening screen time too, which we cover in our article on screens and the dopamine trap. Most of all, catch your child doing something right every single day, and tell them.
Common questions
Does neurofeedback replace ADHD medication?
No. Neurofeedback is a complementary approach that works alongside your child's existing care, and the two can be used together. Medication helps a great many children with ADHD. Any decision to change or stop it belongs with the prescribing doctor. It is a good idea to tell your child's doctor about the training.
Will neurofeedback change my child's personality?
That is not the aim. The training encourages the brain to hold a steady, attentive state more easily. It does not set out to make a child less curious, funny or energetic. The hope is that the same child may feel less frustrated and cope better with boring or difficult tasks, though results vary.
How soon might we notice a difference?
It differs for every child, so nobody can promise a timeline. The brain learns through repetition, so training takes regular sessions over time. Some children may change sooner, others more slowly, and some may change very little.
Your child's energy and curiosity are worth protecting. If you would like to talk through whether brain training could suit your family, you are welcome to get in touch with Irine.
- adhd
- children
- parenting
- focus
- school
