Why Neurofeedback should be first choice for treatment with ADHD

If you’re a parent of a child with ADHD—or you’ve struggled with ADHD yourself—you’re probably all too familiar with the typical path: a diagnosis, a prescription for stimulant medication, maybe a referral to behavioral therapy, and a sincere hope that something will finally click. Neurofeedback, a non-invasive, drug-free treatment that uses real-time monitoring of brainwave activity to teach self-regulation, is a promising alternative to these traditional approaches.

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For many families, this hopeful journey often turns into a frustrating one. Medications work—until they don’t. Therapy helps, but it doesn’t last. And the challenges at school, at home, and in relationships continue, leaving you feeling like you're back at square one.

So the question becomes: What actually works—long-term?

Let’s talk about that. And let’s talk about Neurofeedback.

The Problem with First-Line Treatments (Yes, Even the “Gold Standard” Ones)

The most extensive ADHD study ever funded by the National Institute of Mental Health—called the MTA study—set out to compare the most common ADHD treatments: stimulant medication, behavior therapy, a combination of both, and standard community care.

This wasn’t a small study. It cost $21 million and followed 579 children with ADHD. The researchers went all-in to ensure that the medication was perfectly managed and the behavioral therapy was delivered at an elite level—daily summer camps, school aides, teacher consultations, and more.

What they found was surprising—and for some, deeply disappointing.

• Behavior therapy (BT) failed to outperform community care, a result that was not only surprising but for some, deeply disappointing. The kids who received weeks of intensive behavior training didn’t fare any better than those who were simply referred to “usual care” in their community, leaving many feeling let down by the system.Medication showed short-term improvements—mostly on unblinded parent and teacher ratings. However, there were no meaningful differences in the blinded, objective measures (the ones less likely to be biased).

• Long-term benefits disappeared. At follow-ups 10 months, 2 years, and even 6 years later, the initial benefits from medication or combined treatment vanished. Even more troubling, the children who remained on medication often did worse than those who didn’t.

In fact, one of the follow-up papers reported that medication use was associated with worse symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and oppositional behaviors. By year three, many of these kids had been prescribed additional psychiatric medications—antipsychotics, SSRIs, and others—despite a lack of evidence for long-term benefit.

Let me be blunt: If any other treatment had these kinds of results, it wouldn’t be considered a first-line option. And yet, that’s exactly where we are with ADHD care.

Neurofeedback: A Safer, More Sustainable Option. Unlike medication, Neurofeedback doesn't come with side effects like insomnia, appetite suppression, mood swings, or increased blood pressure. It's a safe and sustainable alternative that can bring lasting improvements.

Neurofeedback isn’t new. It’s been around for more than 50 years. And it’s built on two solid scientific foundations: operant conditioning (learning through feedback and reward, similar to how we train animals or learn to ride a bike) and neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to rewire itself, which means it can learn and change throughout life).

Here’s how it works in simple terms:

During a neurofeedback session, sensors are placed on the scalp to monitor brainwave activity in real-time. The brain receives feedback (usually in the form of a video game, movie, or animation) that rewards it for producing healthier patterns. Over time, the brain learns to self-regulate more effectively—just like learning to ride a bike or play an instrument.

And the evidence? It’s impressive.

More than 60 published studies have examined the effectiveness of Neurofeedback for ADHD. When we look at these studies, the results are clear:

• Parents reported significant improvements in core ADHD symptoms (inattention, impulsivity, hyperactivity).

• Teachers saw the same improvements, even though they weren’t involved in the treatment process.

• Objective measures of attention and impulse control improved, including computerized testing and neuropsychological assessments.

• Brainwave patterns changed—and those changes persisted months and even years after treatment ended.

In one long-term study, 80% of kids who received Neurofeedback reduced or eliminated their medication use within three years—and still showed lasting improvements in focus and behavior.

Head-to-Head: Neurofeedback vs. Medication

A number of studies have compared Neurofeedback directly to stimulant medication. What they found is noteworthy:

• Neurofeedback often produced results equal to medication in improving attention and reducing hyperactivity and impulsivity.

• Academic performance improved more with Neurofeedback than medication in at least one study.

• Most importantly, the gains lasted longer—often for months or years after training ended, while medication effects stopped when the pills stopped.

And unlike medication, Neurofeedback doesn’t come with side effects like insomnia, appetite suppression, mood swings, or increased blood pressure.

So Why Isn’t This Common Knowledge?

That’s the million-dollar question.

Part of the reason is inertia in the medical system. Guidelines are slow to change. Insurance companies want fast fixes. And many clinicians are simply unaware of the robust evidence base behind Neurofeedback.

But as the data mounts, that’s starting to shift.

In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics rated Neurofeedback a “Level 1—Best Support” treatment for ADHD back in 2012, placing it in the same category as medication and behavior therapy.

Real-Life Changes: What We See in Our Practice

At Capital District Neurofeedback, we’ve seen firsthand how Neurofeedback transforms lives. Children who couldn’t sit still in class are now focused and calm. Teens who struggle with impulsivity and anxiety begin making thoughtful, grounded choices. Parents who were overwhelmed and burned out begin to breathe again.  Violent and impulsive behavior dissipates at home and at school.

The process isn’t magic—it’s training, or perhaps better understood as retraining.  Retraining the brain is really what Neurofeedback is all about.  But it is a change process working with the brain at the source of the problem, not just trying to suppress symptoms.

We work with each child’s unique brain patterns, often combining Neurofeedback with coaching on sleep, nutrition, and home structure. The results speak for themselves: better behavior, improved focus, reduced anxiety—and often, a much happier family dynamic.

And why do we often, almost always, get better results than the literature suggests?  It’s actually quite simple.  The literature is built upon retraining ADHD with a single protocol. ONE protocol.  In practice, we often have our clients re-training the brain with a series of 6-10 proctocols over 3-6 months.  This is a game changer, and we see it… over and over.  

Your destiny.  Your child’s destiny…. The future can be better than you ever imagined… without drugs and without a life of endless therapy sessions. 

Final Thoughts: What You Deserve to Know

If you’ve been down the road of therapy appointments, medication trials, and behavioral plans that don’t stick… it’s not your fault. You’re not alone. And your child isn’t broken.

But you do have options.

Neurofeedback offers a science-based, safe, and sustainable way to help your child’s brain—and your family—thrive. It’s not a quick fix, but it is a lasting one.

So whether you’ve just received a diagnosis or you’ve been battling ADHD for years, I encourage you to explore Neurofeedback. Ask questions. Do your research. And know that real change is possible.

You and your child deserve that. Please reach out to us. I am certain we can help.  https://capitaldistrictneurofeedback.com