This guide is for parents, guardians, teachers, and therapists using the NeuroPlus system with children.

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Lillian Hoover
6 years ago
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1 Parents Guide

2 Introduction This guide is for parents, guardians, teachers, and therapists using the NeuroPlus system with children. We ve attempted to put together answers to the most common questions we receive. If you have any additional questions that were not covered here, please us at

3 How it works NeuroPlus is an attention training program clinically proven to help children improve both their focus and self-control. NeuroPlus combines neurofeedback, motionbiofeedback, and go/no-go cognitive training to exercise the brain and train vital attention skills. Let s get into the details of each of those aspects to understand what that means for your child.

Neurofeedback Users wear a wireless headband that measures their brain activity. This headband measures certain patterns of brain waves to detect how focused or attentive the user is.

4 Neurofeedback Users wear a wireless headband that measures their brain activity. This headband measures certain patterns of brain waves to detect how focused or attentive the user is. This information is sent to the game app either NeuroPlus: Axon or NeuroPlus: Conduit that gives the user feedback on their focus levels in a game-like environment. For example, in Axon, a player s focus controls the speed of a flying dragon, while in Conduit, it determines how far ahead in the tunnels the user can see. This process of neurofeedback helps users learn to control their focus and increase their attention over time. They strengthen their focus skills in the same way they would strengthen a muscle: consistent practice.

5 Biofeedback In addition to tracking brain activity, the headband tracks the user s movements and muscle tension. It sends this information to the NeuroPlus apps, which provide feedback to the user if they are moving too much or have too much muscle tension. In Axon and Conduit, users receive Keep Still warnings and penalties if they re moving around too much, or Relax warnings if they have too much muscle tension in their forehead, jaws, etc. Similarly to neurofeedback, this process of biofeedback helps users learn to have self-control over their bodies and can have a dramatic calming effect. With time, biofeedback can lead to lasting improvements in hyperactivity and/or impulsive behaviors.

Go/no-go training The NeuroPlus training games also include go/no-go tasks that are designed to improve attention, impulse-control, and other cognitive skills.

6 Go/no-go training The NeuroPlus training games also include go/no-go tasks that are designed to improve attention, impulse-control, and other cognitive skills. Users are given a stimulus that they will need to respond to quickly as other stimuli come their way as distractions, as they could expect in everyday life. For example, in our game Axon, one task players have to direct their dragon to breathe fire when they see red dragons, but to ignore blue dragons. On the other hand, in Conduit, they will tap their scanner when they see a certain purple wave pattern, but will ignore all other colors and waves. Go/no-go tasks require users to pay attention in order to respond quickly to the target, and to control their impulses in order to ignore non-targets. Practicing this skill improves how the brain responds to distractions and impulsive urges.

7 What else do I need to know?

% Improvement compared to treatment as usual (medications and/or therapy) Change in Conners-3 Parent Rating Scale Ina$en&on 268% Hyperac&vity & Impulsivity 275% Opposi&onal Defiance 278% Learning

8 % Improvement compared to treatment as usual (medications and/or therapy) Change in Conners-3 Parent Rating Scale Ina$en&on 268% Hyperac&vity & Impulsivity 275% Opposi&onal Defiance 278% Learning Problems 299% Execu&ve Func&oning 180% Aggression 124% NeuroPlus Treatment as Usual NeuroPlus works NeuroPlus is clinically proven to improve attention, reduce hyperactivity and impulsivity, and learning problems. We know this because a study conducted in 2016 by researchers at Duke University and Stanford University showed NeuroPlus to improve children s abilities across many areas. Children in the study used NeuroPlus for only 30 minutes, 3 times per week over 10 weeks. In addition, several randomized controlled trials have found the neurofeedback technology used in NeuroPlus to be effective at improving attention and reducing hyperactivity and impulsivity in children. The American Academy of Pediatrics rates neurofeedback a Level 1 Best Support intervention for ADHD. Of course, no product works for every family, which is why we offer a moneyback guarantee if NeuroPlus doesn t work for you!

9 How we measure focus Our apps will often ask users to focus, but what does that really mean? When we say focus we re referring to the presence of brain activity that s typical of an engaged and active state of mind. Focus does not simply mean staring at the screen, but actually thinking about and processing what you re seeing. You can think of focus as being the opposite of zoning out or daydreaming. It can be very difficult at first for users to understand exactly what it means and feels like to focus, and that s ok! As the user completes more training, the game will adjust to their abilities, and they ll begin to understand what it feels like to be focused, and develop strategies to improve focus. Over time they ll find controlling their focus both within the game and in day-to-day activities to be less of a challenge.

NeuroPlus is hard work NeuroPlus is designed to look and feel like a game, but it s really more of an exercise program for the brain. In order to make lasting improvements, we have to be challenging.

10 NeuroPlus is hard work NeuroPlus is designed to look and feel like a game, but it s really more of an exercise program for the brain. In order to make lasting improvements, we have to be challenging. Just as it s the job of a personal trainer to make you work as hard in the gym, it s our job to make children work out their brains like they never have before. This process can seem frustrating to some children at first, so it s VERY important for you to encourage your child in the early stages. Regardless of your player s score in the game, they re practicing valuable skills and ARE getting better in the things that matter! Signing up for NeuroPlus is the first step in the brain training journey, but like anything else, it takes hard work, consistency and a positive attitude to see the best results.

NeuroPlus adapts to you Every part of the NeuroPlus training is adaptive, meaning the training becomes harder or easier based on the user s performance.

11 NeuroPlus adapts to you Every part of the NeuroPlus training is adaptive, meaning the training becomes harder or easier based on the user s performance. As the user gets better at focusing, keeping still and relaxed, and responding to the go/no-go tasks, the game will adapt to make the training more difficult. Likewise, if your child is really struggling, be patient! The game will adapt to their skill level in time. It s essential for users to be constantly challenged in order for the training to be effective just as a personal trainer might add weights to your exercises, or increase your speed on the treadmill. We can always be better! We understand that practice can be frustrating. It s important that players understand how the game adapts in order to stay motivated. If your child becomes frustrated, have them take a break, and help them understand that if the game is getting harder, it means THEY are getting better!

Train and track It can be hard to tell if your child is improving day-to-day, so we developed a brief attention assessment test that users complete each day they play in order to track changes over

12 Train and track It can be hard to tell if your child is improving day-to-day, so we developed a brief attention assessment test that users complete each day they play in order to track changes over time. This objective test allows you to see improvements in attention, motorcontrol, and self-control on a daily and weekly basis. You can track these results reviewing Stats from the main menu of either game. It s important that users do their very best on each test to start the game. Obviously, if they skip through this section, then it will be hard to measure their improvement!

Other details Technology NeuroPlus apps work best on ipads (2013 model or later) and iphones (5 and newer). ipod Touches from 2013 or later will work as well.

13 Other details Technology NeuroPlus apps work best on ipads (2013 model or later) and iphones (5 and newer). ipod Touches from 2013 or later will work as well. NeuroPlus also works on newer Android phones and tablets (2014 or later) with Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) support. In general, newer devices will perform best with our software. We try to make our games accessible to everyone, but occasionally different technical requirements hold us up. Headset The headset is designed to fit all users, but fitting it properly to some smaller heads can be a challenge. For these users, we recommend using a simple sports headband to keep the device in place, secured firmly against the forehead. Training Best results come from 30 minutes, 3 times per week, or split that time to 15 minutes, 5 times per week! We understand that families are busy, so don t worry if you can t train this often. Any training is better than nothing! Feedback We want to hear from you! We re trying to build a platform that works best for our families. Anything you can tell us, good or bad, can help improve the NeuroPlus experience overall. Don t hesitate to reach out at (866) or support@neuro.plus. If you give NeuroPlus a try and it s just not for you, we ll give you your money back within 60 days.

14 Happy Training

building better brains

building better brains Hi This guide is for parents, guardians, and teachers interested in using NeuroPlus training program with children. We ve attempted to put together answers to the most common questions