Families seeking better ways to address the challenges posed by ADHD have a new resource in the community.
Unlockt, a program that relies upon scientifically supported principles, helps children to develop emotional intelligence, self-regulation abilities and academic readiness.
“It is a comprehensive approach to empowering parents to utilize strategies that help their kids with ADHD,” said Unlockt lead clinician Eva Luther.
The program officially launched in April and the first families signed up in May. It grew out of Luther’s efforts to address the concerns of local parents who simply did not know where to turn for solutions.
Those efforts caught the attention of Raghu Misra, co-founder of the link, who had been researching the topic himself in search of alternatives to a tendency by society to rely on medication as the primary means of treating ADHD.
A board-certified behavior analyst and certified special education teacher, Luther has worked in Duval County Schools and other school systems in Massachusetts.
She meets with parents in one-on-one sessions at the link for about an hour a couple of times per month. Meanwhile, the children in the program visit The Brain Arcade, a unique, specially designed space at the link, for about 45 minutes three times a week.
“They work on physical activities, and they work on executive functioning activities,” Luther explained. “That helps to develop their self-regulation skills, working on emotions and how to manage those emotions. They work on cognitive skills, like increasing their focus, increasing their attention, and then they also work on ways to manage their energy.”
The Brain Arcade is an environment of fun and learning where the students rotate through activity stations. They are never made to feel as though there is something within them that requires “fixing” or that they are going to some sort of clinic.
They start each visit in the energy and movement area, where they identify their energy levels and do exercises to either raise or lower those levels as needed.
From there, they work with cutting-edge technology tools, the first of which uses eye-tracking processes to evaluate their visual functioning. Another station challenges the students in a game designed to aid attention, tracking, focusing and processing speed. A third station addresses processing speed, memory, tracking and reflexes.
Students receive rewards and praise for their efforts and can even choose to delay reception of their rewards in order to save up for bigger prizes.
The final stop is the regulation station.
“We teach things like mindfulness,” said Luther. “We teach breathing, yoga activities, ways to calm down. We do imagery. We do journaling.”
This is where students gain skills that will be useful when confronted with a stressful situation.
Luther offers parents a complimentary consultation to determine whether the program is a good fit for them and their family. Unlockt does not require that children have an ADHD diagnosis. And, though it is a nonmedicated approach, it does not exclude students who do receive medication.
Unlockt is approved for Step Up for Students, so families can use the scholarship funds for these services.
For further information about Unlockt, go to unlockt.life.
The link is located at 425 Town Plaza Ave., Ponte Vedra.
