Starjumpz expands into stunning new premises in Crowborough

Starjumpz Children's Centre The Old Saw Mill

Starjumpz Children’s Centre
The Old Saw Mill

Starjumpz is excited to announce its expansion into  a stunning new centre in Crowborough. Set in beautiful countryside the centre will enable Starjumpz to offer a new range of services including services from our medical experts, Dr Georgie Siggers,  Consultant Paediatrician, Dr Daniel Goyal,  Environmental Physician and Dr Raj Nandi, Audio Vestibular Consultant.

New services will be announced soon and will include social communication skills groups and summer holiday intensive therapy programmes.

The view from Starjumpz Children's Centre

The view from Starjumpz Children’s Centre

 

Neurofeedback treatment for ADHD at Starjumpz featured on ITV news

Neurofeedback treatment for ADHD at Starjumpz featured as lead story on ITVMeridian news. Ella a 10 year old with ADHD has made exciting progress following this treatment. Her mother Caroline, who did not want to use medication as a treatment for Ella, has reported improvements in her concentration, emotional maturity, sleep, tics and her headaches have stopped. She also reported that Ella can now walk to school down country lanes which previously would have been impossible.

Joanna Brett Director of Starjumpz 
  Starjumpz neuro
Starjumpz interview
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Ella having Neurofeedback treatment at Starjumpz

Ella having Neurofeedback treatment at Starjumpz

Why Neurofeedback? Jo Buttle Educational Psychologist at Starjumpz.

As an Educational Psychologist, working with children and young people with a range of conditions, including for example ADHD, ASD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and anxiety, I explored the range of supports and interventions available. My research led me to discover Neurofeedback, a technique increasingly used in America to treat a wide variety of difficulties and symptoms in children and adults. Neurofeedback supports brain regulation. ASD, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and anxiety and indeed the majority of the symptoms associated with most physiological and mental conditions, may be considered the result of some form of brain disregulation. Neurofeedback is a safe, effective and lasting alternative to medication in the treatment of many of the symptoms associated with brain disregulation. Whilst medication treats the chemical imbalances associated with physiological and mental conditions, Neurofeedback treats the bioelectrical functioning of the brain. Training the brain to self-regulate for optimal brain function enhances the function of the central nervous system thus improving mental performance, emotional control and physiological stability. Improving self-regulation and improving brain functioning will thus often reduce the need for medication. In addition to reducing the need for medication, improving brain functioning and self-regulation can provide a longer term solution.

Ella & Nashreen Issa, ITV at Starjumpz

Ella & Nashreen Issa, ITV at Starjumpz

What is Neurofeedback?

Neurofeedback trains the brain to function more efficiently. Problems of brain disregulation, which ADHD is often considered to be, are treated by teaching the brain to self-regulate and to function better.

How does it work?

Brain activity is measured by Electroencephalography (EEG) which records tiny electrical signals. This assesses how well the brain is performing. Using advanced technology, this information is analysed and fed back to the brain via a video game. This helps determine which brain wave frequencies need to be encouraged (increased) and which need to be discouraged (decreased). When the brain is working well, it is rewarded, for example, by the game becoming, faster, louder or bigger. When the brain is not working well the reverse occurs. Through this system of positive reinforcement, the brain learns to adjust to optimal brain functioning. The brain is an extremely complex organ and does this increasingly easily and automatically over time. All that is required is for the individual to relax, respond to the feedback and practice over a number of sessions. The recommended number of sessions is 20 and this generally provides sufficient training for the brain to automatically continue to self-regulate effectively.

Starjumpz in the news: ‘Brain centre offers brave boy a new lifeline’

http://www.courier.co.uk/Tunbridge-Wells-brain-centre-offers-brave-boy-new/story-22820637-detail/story.html

 6824611-largeA miracle child from Ireland who suffered catastrophic brain damage has travelled to Tunbridge Wells to attend a state-of-the-art therapy session to help him in his recovery.

Three-year-old Jude Miley from Dublin has been in Tunbridge Wells with his parents Ann-Louise and Greville for the last two weeks at Starjumpz Children’s Centre to have combined speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and Neurofeedback treatment.

The centre, based at Speldhurst Place, offers ground-breaking services and treatments to children with learning, developmental and behavioural challenges and staff have been working with Jude to help him build his motor and linguistic skills

Jude was six-months-old when complications occurred during a two day corrective surgery when doctors found his diaphragm was pushing the wrong way.

He flat lined for 50 minutes before being resusitated, which deprived his brain of oxygen and it was later discovered through an MRI scan that the entire brain, apart from the brain stem, had been affected.

Had the brain stem been affected, then Jude would have been ‘locked-in’. His family were them told he would not survive but he fought and later breathed on his own when taken off ventilation.

Mrs Miley praised the work of the staff at the Tunbridge Wells centre.

She said: “It’s been fantastic to see Jude’s response to the therapies offered at Starjumpz. We came here because of the Neurofeedback the centre can offer combined with the other therapies he needs. He’s responded well to the Neurofeedback, which we’re convinced has made him more restful at night and more amenable during the day, helping his concentration for learning. We are so grateful to all at Starjumpz and plan another trip back here in six months’ time.”

Neurofeedback is a natural treatment which utilises the brain’s own learning ability and neuroplasticity to train the brain to regulate itself better.

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Jude has been to treatment centres across the world since his brain injury including the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago- widely regarded as the world’s leading brain-injury rehab unit.

Director of Starjumpz Joanna Brett said a team of experts including educational psychologist and neurofeedback practitioner Joanne Buttle and consultant Paediatrician Dr. Georgie Siggers had been working with Jude and said the youngster had made great improvements.

She said: “It has been exciting to witness first-hand the progress he has made in only two weeks.

“Jude came to us with five to ten words, he now has in excess of sixty and is combining two to three words.

“He is showing interest in pencil skills, copying lines, building blocks, completing puzzles and using special scissors to snip paper, all of which he could not do before.

“He is more confident with motor skills and his sensory processing is improving. He was sensitive to vestibular input, being afraid to go on swings. Now he is starting to enjoy this activity which is improving his balance and spatial awareness.”

Starjumpz is hosting an Open Evening on October 2 from 7 – 9.30pm. The event is open to parents, teachers and health professionals who would like to learn more about its services including Neurofeedback.

For more information, visit www.starjumpz.com or call 01892 510 257.

Read more: http://www.courier.co.uk/Tunbridge-Wells-brain-centre-offers-brave-boy-new/story-22820637-detail/story.html#ixzz3BkAygMxp
Read more at http://www.courier.co.uk/Tunbridge-Wells-brain-centre-offers-brave-boy-new/story-22820637-detail/story.html#VofRWbEWBqy9IB5Q.99

BBC South East – Integrated Listening Systems therapy at Starjumpz and how it can help children with Autism

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