FOCUS through FUN
 Has Proven Improvement

Beginning in July 2004, six months after starting with our first student, FTF began using a nationally standardized rating scale known as the BASC Monitor for ADHD to help determine the effectiveness of the FTF program. There is a BASC Monitor for ADHD for the Parents (46 items) and one for the Teachers (47 items). These rating scales were developed specifically to monitor “ongoing outcomes” for children receiving treatment for ADHD.  When the BASC is scored, it divides the items into 4 Categories: Our goal was to have parents and teachers of FTF students fill out these forms on a regular basis, approximately monthly. The first ratings were obtained from parents of children who had begun doing the FTF program during the prior 6 months. After that, virtually every parent filled out their first BASC as their children were starting the program.

ATTENTION PROBLEMS

HYPERACTIVITY

INTERNALIZING PROBLEMS

ADAPTIVE SKILLS 

WHAT are the RESULTS?

On the Parent Ratings, 98.6% FTF Students Have Made Positive Changes thus far

 on at least one of the Categories of the Parent BASC Monitor for ADHD.

76.4% Have Made Statistically Significant Changes

or Moved Into The Normal Range

Attention Problems

·       85% of those 60 students who thus far have done more than 10 sessions have Reduced Attention Problems with an average of only 28 sessions between their First and Most Recent ratings.

·   84.7% of all 72 FTF students have Reduced Attention Problems with an average of 25 sessions.

·   55.7% of the Attention Improvers (34 of 61) are now within the normal range (T-Scores below 60 and above 40). 29% of the rest of students (11 students) are very close (T Score=60-62)

·   29.2% of the students (21 of 72) made an improvement of at least one Standard Deviation. (T-Score improvement of 10 or more points) An additional 27% (14 more) of the rest of the FTF students are very close (T Score improvement of 7 to 9 points)

·   34.2% of the Attention Improvers made statistically significant improvements according to the BASC Monitor for ADHD Manual.

Hyperactivity

·    76.4% of all FTF students have Reduced their Hyperactivity with an average 25 sessions between their First and Most Recent ratings.

·    63.9% of all students (46 of 72) are now within the normal range. An additional 7%(5 students) were close    (T Score=60-62).

·    31.9% of the students (23 of 72) made an improvement of at least one Standard Deviation. 30.6% students were close

·    25% of the FTF students Hyperactivity improvements are considered a statistically significant improvement according to the BASC Monitor for ADHD Manual.

Internalizing Problems

• 75% of all FTF students (54 of 72) have Reduced Internalizing Problems with an average 25 sessions between their first and most recent ratings.
  

•  87.5 of all students (63 of 72) are now within the normal range. Four more students are close.
  

• 30.6% of the students (22 of 72) made an improvement of at least one Standard Deviation.  20.8% more     (15 students) are very close.          

Adaptive Skills

•   48.6% of all FTF Students (35 of 72) have Improved their Adaptive Skills with an average 25 sessions
  

• 69.4% (50 of 72) of all students are now in the normal range. 8.3% more (6 students) are very close (T=39, within a point of the normal range).
  

•  12  students improved one standard deviation or more. 
  

• 11 students made statistically significant improvements according to the BASC Monitor for ADHD Manual.

   Detailed Results of 

FOCUS through FUN-’04-‘06

WHAT ARE THE RESULTS BY DIAGNOSES?

ADHD: 71 of the 72 FTF Students were Diagnosed with or met the Criteria of ADHD.

The average student had about 25 sessions.

·        85.9% reduced their Attention Problems

·        77.5% reduced their Hyperactivity

·        76.1% reduced their Internalizing Problems

·        49.3% increased their Adaptive Skills

PURE ADHD ( With No Identified Co-Morbidities): 23 of the 72 FTF Students were diagnosed or met  the criteria of ADHD but not for any other psychiatric diagnoses: The average  student had  about 20 sessions.

·        82.6% reduced their Attention Problems

·        73.9% reduced their Hyperactivity

·        65.2% reduced their Internalizing Problems

·        34.8% increased their Adaptive Skills

ADHD with ODD (OPPOSITIONAL DEFIANT DISORDER):  23 of the 72 FTF Students were Diagnosed With ADHD and ODD or met the criteria for those diagnoses. The average student had about 28 sessions.

·        82.3% reduced their Attention Problems

·        82.3% reduced their Hyperactivity

·        87.0% reduced their Internalizing Problems

·        43.5% increased their Adaptive Skills

ADHD with ANXIETY DISORDER: 41 of the 72 FTF Students were Diagnosed With ADHD and met criteria for having an Anxiety Disorder. The average student had about 26 sessions.

·        85.4% reduced their Attention Problems

·        78.0% reduced their Hyperactivity

·        85.4% reduced their Internalizing Problems

·        56.1% increased their Adaptive Skills

ADHD with ODD and ANXIETY DISORDER: 20 of the 72 FTF Students were Diagnosed With ADHD and met criteria for having ODD and an Anxiety Disorder. The average student had about 29 sessions.

·        80.0% reduced their Attention Problems

·        85.0% reduced their Hyperactivity

·        90.0% reduced their Internalizing Problems

·        40.0% increased their Adaptive Skills

AUTISM /SPECTRUM DISORDERS (PDD): 8 of the 72 FTF Students were diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum or with Pervasive Developmental Disorder. The average student had about 30 sessions.

·        100% reduced their Attention Problems

·        62.5% reduced their Hyperactivity

·        62.5% reduced their Internalizing Problems

·        12.5% increased their Adaptive Skills

WHAT ARE THE RESULTS BY 
AGE?

 AGE 6: Nine of the Students began FTF at age 6.  The results from the parent(s) first and most recent BASC AD/HD Monitor ratings when their child had done an average of 24 sessions are:

·         Seven of nine have reduced their Attention Problems

·         Seven of nine reduced their Hyperactivity

·         Seven of nine reduced their Internalizing Problems

·         Three of nine have increased their Adaptive Skills

 AGE 7: Eleven of the Students began FTF at age 7. The results from the parent(s) first and most recent BASC AD/HD Monitor ratings when their child had done an average of 37 sessions are:

·         Nine of eleven students reduced their Attention Problems

·         Nine of eleven students reduced their Hyperactivity

·         Ten of eleven students reduced their Internalizing Problems

·         Four of eleven have increased his Adaptive Skills

AGE 8:  Ten of the Students began FTF at age 8. The results from the parent(s) first and most recent BASC AD/HD Monitor ratings when their child had done an average of 22 sessions are:

·         Nine of ten students reduced their Attention Problems

·         Nine of ten students reduced their Hyperactivity

·         All ten students reduced their Internalizing Problems

·         Five of ten students have increased their Adaptive Skills

AGE 9: Fourteen of the Students began FTF at age 9. The results from the parent(s) first and most recent BASC AD/HD Monitor ratings when their child had done an average of 23 sessions are:

·         Ten of Fourteen students reduced their Attention Problems.

·         Nine of Fourteen students reduced their Hyperactivity

·         Seven of Fourteen reduced their Internalizing Problems

·         Six of fourteen students have increased their Adaptive Skills

AGE 10:  Eleven of the Students began FTF at age 10. The results from the parent(s) first and most recent BASC AD/HD Monitor ratings when their child had done an average of 29 sessions are:

·         Ten of eleven students reduced their Attention Problems

·         Nine of eleven students reduced their Hyperactivity

·         Nine of eleven students reduced their Internalizing Problems

·         Six of eleven students have increased their Adaptive Skills

 AGE 11:  Five of the Students began FTF at age 11. The results from the parent(s) first and most recent BASC AD/HD Monitor ratings when their child had done an average of 14 sessions are:

·         All five students reduced their Attention Problems

·         Three of five students reduced their Hyperactivity

·         Two of five students reduced their Internalizing Problems

·         Three of the five students have increased their Adaptive Skills

 AGE 12:  Four Students began FTF at age 12.The results from the parent(s) first and most recent BASC AD/HD Monitor ratings when their child had done an average of 26 sessions are:

·         All four students reduced their Attention Problems

·         Two of theses students reduced their Hyperactivity

·         Three of  the students reduced their Internalizing Problems

·         Two of the students increased their Adaptive Skills

AGE 13: Seven of the Students began FTF at age 13. The results from the parent(s) first and most recent BASC AD/HD Monitor ratings when their child had done an average of 17 sessions are:

·         Six of seven students reduced their Attention Problems

·         Six of seven students reduced their Hyperactivity

·        Five of seven students reduced their Internalizing Problems

·        Five of seven students have increased their Adaptive Skills

AGE 15

• The one girl who did it was rated improved in every Parent BASC Category. She is doing so incredibly well.

HOW DOES MEDICATION AFFECT
FTF STUDENTS? 

FTF STUDENTS NOT ON MEDICATION vs.
STUDENTS ON MEDICATION

A very frequent question we are asked is whether medication makes a difference for kids doing our program. Fifty-two students have not been on medication during their participation in the program. They have had an average of 25 sessions. Twenty students have been on medication. Virtually all of them started the program on medication and sustained their meds throughout the time on the program. They had an average of 23 sessions. Some had medication changes and therefore are listed twice.

ATTENTION PROBLEMS

HYPERACTIVITY

INTERNALIZING PROBLEMS

ADAPTIVE SKILLS

   DATA-BASED THOUGHTS REGARDING
MEDICATION and FOCUS through FUN

Comparative results of med vs. no meds are not fully clear. Please remember that these are clinical outcome measures, not true scientific research. The numbers of students in particular treatment categories are small and there are no true “control groups” that received No treatment or Placebos. But so much is positive, it deserves to be presented and respected

 The overall results appear relatively similar whether the kids are on or not on medication. Kids who started the program already on medication were a bit worse on their parent’s First Ratings, but the average T-Score improvement in Attention Problems, Hyperactivity, and Internalizing Problems was bit better for the kids on medication. But, the kids not on medication had better average scores in their Most Recent Ratings than the kids who were on medication. The average% of Improvers was slightly higher for kids on medication for Attention Problems and Hyperactivity, and Adaptive Skills. A much higher% of kids on medication improved Internalizing Problems, but the average for kids not on medication was better.

 No real conclusions regarding meds vs. no meds can be made about the changes in FOCUS through FUN.

The bottom line is that Any Child is Highly Likely to Improve in Many Areas if 
they do the FOCUS through FUN program.

If parents don’t want their kids on medication, they should sign them up. Parents of kids on medication should sign them up for FTF as well, since it really helps kids improve. Physician’s prescribing medications can now make kids and parents happier if they refer their patients to FOCUS through FUN.  Here is something interesting.

Typically, I say this to parents:

 “If you buy a Corvette,

You should definitely consider using ‘premium gas,’

But make sure you have lots of driving lessons

And lots of driving practice.

And make sure you have

 Good brakes, good lights, a good steering wheel and 

KNOW HOW TO TURN THEM ON

And make sure

You Practice Using Them Effectively.”

 FTF Teaches Such Valuable Skills and

Conducts Very Enjoyable Practice with

Our “Corvette-like” Kids.

Call us NOW to set up for a FREE TRYOUT

631-543-4357
FTF is Now Available in Commack 
and 
Garden City  

FOCUS through FUN is helping a lot of kids improve a lot!
  

FOCUS through FUN IMPROVERS Since July 2004, we have asked every parent of Focus Through Fun students to complete a  monthly BASC ADHD Monitor.  As of December 10, 2004, 84% (16 of 19) of the students  have been rated as improved in attention in their parents’ ratings.     LOWER is BETTER !! 60 or BELOW is considered within the NORMAL RANGE This chart represents the amount of attention improvement each child has made and the number of  FTF sessions each has had between their initial and most recent ratings. The Average Improver was rated in the 99th percentile of attention problems in their parent’s initial ratings. Their most recent ratings placed them in the 88th percentile after participating in an average of seventeen (17) Focus through Fun sessions featuring PLAY ATTENTION and BRAINTRAIN. This is an improvement of more than one standard deviation better. 50% of the Improvers moved into the normal range of attention in their ratings.