01 — To add another dimension of information
Beyond behavioural assessment and testing, we also have physiological data about the brain to consider.
Why do we assess brainwaves with NDS?Because the behaviour we see may not be the whole picture of how your child's brain works
Your child may struggle with attention, learn slowly, find it hard to remember, have difficulty with self-control, or show areas of development that worry you.
What we observe in behaviour matters a great deal. But in some cases, additional information about how the brain works can help our specialists see a child more completely.
At ZENITH Kid's Center we use EEG brainwave data together with NDS — Neuro Delineation System — as supporting information in our assessment, helping us understand patterns of brain activity alongside behaviour, development, learning and other clinical data.
INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
Children with the same behaviour may not have the same patterns of brain activity
Two children may both be described as “having no focus”, yet the factors behind that behaviour can differ. For example:
- Regulation of arousal levels
- Memory and information handling
- Language and communication
- Learning
- Sensory processing
- Sleep and rest
- Emotion and stress
- Other areas of development
Looking at outward behaviour alone may therefore not explain everything that makes each child different.
WHAT NDS ADDS
What information does NDS add?
EEG — Electroencephalography — records the brain's electrical activity through sensors placed on the scalp.
EEG data can be analysed for brainwave patterns across frequency bands such as Delta · Theta · Alpha · Beta · Gamma.
NDS — Neuro Delineation System — processes EEG data and presents it in a form that helps our specialists review patterns in the brain data more easily.
MOST IMPORTANTLY
We never look at NDS apart from the child
NDS/EEG data is always considered together with:
- The child's history
- Behaviour observed by parents
- Development and learning
- Assessment by our specialists
- The family's goals
WHY WE ASSESS
So “why” do we assess brainwaves with NDS?
02 — To understand what makes each child different
Children with similar presentations may still have different details and different care needs.
03 — To connect information from several areas
NDS/EEG data can be viewed alongside behaviour, development, learning and other clinical data.
04 — To sharpen the questions we ask
Instead of only asking “what is wrong with my child?”, we can go on to ask “which aspects of my child deserve further assessment?”
05 — To help set individualised goals
With information from several areas, the team can consider which skills or issues should take priority.
06 — To have data for systematic follow-up
When recorded under suitable conditions, the data can serve as one baseline to compare against development and future assessments.
RESEARCH
What does the research tell us about EEG?
Research in neuroscience and neurodevelopmental disorders shows that EEG can provide information about the brain's electrical activity, and its relationship with attention, Autism and learning continues to be studied.
In ADHD, for example, the Theta/Beta Ratio has been studied extensively, but the evidence shows wide variation between children. A single EEG value should therefore not be used to confirm ADHD without assessing other clinical information.
The same holds for Autism and Learning Disabilities: research has found several interesting EEG patterns, but individual variation remains high.
What the research is telling us is that children with similar behaviour can differ neurophysiologically — one of the reasons care for children should be individualised.
IMPORTANT
EEG should never be used as a diagnostic tool on its own
The point research consistently emphasises is that EEG must always be read together with other clinical information — it is not a single value that confirms any condition.
WHO SHOULD START
Which children might benefit from a consultation?
If you are persistently concerned about any of the following:
Attention
Easily distracted, cannot stay with an activity long, needs frequent reminders.
Memory
Finds multi-step instructions or information hard to retain.
Learning
Learns slowly, or performs previously learned material inconsistently.
Self-control
Impulsive, finds waiting hard, or struggles to regulate behaviour.
Language and communication
Concerns about comprehension, answering questions, or communicating.
Development
Some skills still feel different from what you expected.
You do not have to decide on your own whether your child “needs a test”. Start with a conversation with our specialists, so we can consider together whether NDS/EEG would add information useful to your child's situation.
LIMITATIONS
What an NDS assessment should never be used to determine on its own
NDS/EEG results should not be used alone to:
- Confirm ADHD
- Confirm Autism
- Determine intelligence from brainwaves alone
- Predict a child's future
- Guarantee the outcome of training or care
NDS is supporting information — never the whole answer about any one child.
HOW WE WORK
We do not use tools in place of seeing the child
We use them so we can see the child more completely
At ZENITH Kid's Center we consider:
- The brain
- Behaviour
- Development
- Learning
- The family context
so that we build a well-rounded picture of each child.
References
- 1.
Snyder SM, Hall JR. Clinical utility of quantitative EEG in supporting the diagnosis of ADHD in children and adolescents: A meta-analytic review. Clin Neurophysiol. 2006 May;117(5):988-95.
Quantitative EEG can support the diagnosis of ADHD.
- 2.
Gladstone, M., et al. (2016). Journal of Attention Disorders
Brainwave assessment helps differentiate ADHD subtypes so care can be planned more precisely.
Not sure whether your child should have an NDS assessment?
You do not have to decide on your own
Start with a conversation with the ZENITH Kid's Center team, so we can consider together what concerns you about your child, where the assessment should begin, and whether NDS/EEG would add useful information right now. Not every child needs a test — an assessment should suit the individual child.
