When 10-year-old Leo* first entered MacKillop’s care, he had a long history of exposure to family violence, leading to extreme risk-taking behaviours.
He was jumping off buildings, running into traffic and at times, would suddenly punch and kick those around him. Leo had been an in-patient at a child psychiatry unit for three months and the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing urgently sought our help as Leo’s mum was struggling to cope.
The Neurofeedback team quickly recognised Leo’s behaviour was a trauma response linked to his childhood experiences. Neurofeedback is a non-invasive, therapeutic intervention that teaches people with abnormal brain wave patterns due to trauma, to bring their brain activity into a normal range.
As well as being assessed for autism, our psychiatrist identified that Leo was experiencing frequent ‘absent’ seizures, leading to a diagnosis of epilepsy. Over the course of a year, Leo’s challenging behaviours and emotional outbursts significantly reduced, and he was able to return home to mum.
“It has been so rewarding to see the change in Leo over the 30 sessions of Neurofeedback. Not only were we able to identify the underlying medical cause of his behaviour, but with the right medication, therapy, and a lot of support from mum, Leo has not only returned home, but also returned to school where he is thriving,” said, Tyler Hitchens, Neurofeedback Clinician.
*Name changed to protect privacy