Connecticut Psychologist Treating Mild Autism Without Medication

MIDDLETOWN — What was once considered a nebulous condition, autism has become more prominent and better understood over the past five years. But a milder form of autism, Asperger’s syndrome, is still a mystery to many even though it affects more than 400,000 families in the United States.

Dr Robert Reynolds, a Connecticut clinical psychologist who has led the medication-free revolution in treating mental conditions, is one of the first doctors to use progressive brain mapping techniques in conjunction with EEG neurofeedback to treat Asperger’s syndrome.

“Our methodology in treating various mental and emotional conditions has always been skills before pills,” said Dr Reynolds. “While brain mapping and neurofeedback have been proven to help attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity, and other learning and behavioral issues, my clinic is one of the first in the country to use this technology to treat Asperger’s syndrome.”

Asperger’s syndrome is a neurobiological disorder on the high-functioning side of the autism spectrum. It is characterized by obsessions, odd speech patterns, poor eye contact, and other peculiar mannerisms.

Affecting mostly males, people with Asperger’s syndrome may also exhibit motor delays, clumsiness, limited interests, extreme sensitivity to sensory stimuli, and, most importantly, poor social interactions and awkwardness in groups.

Dr Reynolds’ approach is designed to improve social awareness and functioning in an Asperger’s child by retraining the right hemisphere of the brain, which is usually responsible for picking up social cues and processing social interaction.

“Generally speaking, many children with Asperger’s syndrome and milder forms of autism can improve their social competence through neurofeedback training,” said Dr Reynolds. “Brain mapping identifies the proper place on the cortex, or surface of the brain, to target that training.”

Brain mapping is a noninvasive technique that takes a picture of an individual’s brain wave activity while he or she engages in normal activities like relaxing, reading, or solving math problems. Neurofeedback therapy is a powerful method for regulating brainwave activity through the use of gamelike displays on a computer monitor.

“Simply stated, a child with Asperger’s syndrome learns to control the activity of the brain to enhance social awareness and competence,” said Dr Reynolds. “For them, it is like playing a video game with their mind. For parents, it can mean a dramatic improvement in their child’s academic performance and behavior.”

Dr Reynolds emphasizes that many people with Asperger’s syndrome can improve in many aspects of life through brain mapping, neurofeedback, and other integrative therapies offered by his Connecticut Educational Services clinic.

“In fact, with proper support, children with Asperger’s syndrome typically exhibit average and sometimes above average intelligence,” added Dr Reynolds.

Dr Reynolds has been on the leading edge of neurofeedback training since 1978 and was the first practice to offer the treatment in Connecticut. As a result, his clinic has become a sought-after resource in helping students, families, schools, and individuals cope with attention, learning, and behavior challenges across the lifespan.

Connecticut Educational Services utilizes the most advanced diagnostic and treatment techniques and provides all evaluations and treatments through highly trained licensed professionals.

Throughout the year, Dr Reynolds provides free educational seminars for parents of children with Asperger’s syndrome and many other mental health conditions, as well as in-service school training that focus on classroom behavior management.

For a list of upcoming informational seminars or for more information on Asperger’s syndrome, call Connecticut Educational Services at 860-343-0227 or visit www.ct-ed.com.