Neurofeedback? Nutritional supplements? Dyslexic fonts? Essential oils? DBT Therapy?
Some of the therapies on this list have been repeatedly and scientifically proven to work, while others have less evidence to support them. But how do you know?
Whether you are deciding on interventions for a child, a friend, or yourself, you want what is most appropriate, proven, and effective for learning disabilities (LD) or ADHD. In a world where you are likely bombarded with constant and varying information from a multitude of platforms, this can be a tough task. It can be hard to decide where to put your money and time when you encounter compelling marketing and testimonials.
We hope this article will make your job easier. Here are some hints and definitions to smooth the path for checking out information on LD and ADHD interventions.
Ice Cream vs Mosquitoes
When it comes to evaluating the evidence behind strategies, approaches, tools, or products, two easily confused concepts are correlation and causation. They are often used interchangeably in the media to describe the relationship between two events or things. In fact, they are not interchangeable; they mean entirely different things. Correlation is when two unrelated things appear to happen simultaneously. Causation is when one thing causes another to happen.
For example: The number of ice cream cones sold increases in the summer months, and so do the number of mosquitoes. However, mosquitos don’t cause the increase in the sale of ice cream cones, and the sale of more ice cream cones does not cause an increase in the population of mosquitoes. These two things both happen to occur in the summer, but one does not cause the other. This is correlation. On the other hand, the increase in summer temperatures could certainly be the reason for increased sales of ice cream cones. Hot days cause people to purchase cool ice cream cones. This is causation.
Which Evidence is Actually Useful?
Just as correlation is often mistaken for causation, anecdotes and sales pitches can be mistaken for reliable evidence toward the efficacy of a therapy. Among the different categories of information you’ll encounter in the media, the most common are experimental studies, anecdotal evidence, and commercial marketing. They can look alike at first glance, but it is important to know the differences between them so you can assess their value.
These are common categories of information that are often presented similarly and can easily be confused. Here is how they differ:
Experimental Studies are:
- Scientific, evidence-based information.
- Peer reviewed; scientific research has been done and has been reviewed and replicated by other scientists in the same field who have found that the conclusions are valid.
- Peer reviewed reviews; scientists have reviewed the data from many similar experimental studies and published the links between them showing the validity of the research.
- Both positive and negative results are usually reported.
- Results and conclusions may change over time as new evidence becomes available and is tested.
Anecdotal Evidence is:
- Based on the personal experience of one or some individuals who have reported favourable outcomes from using a product or trying an intervention.
- Sometimes there are testimonials.
- They do not rely on scientific evidence.
- They usually only report positive results.
Commercial Marketing:
- Often have testimonials of people who say they have found the intervention useful. Sometimes these are paid actors following a script.
- They may or may not be based on scientific evidence.
- Businesses are often promoting something to make a profit. While this isn’t inherently bad, it should make you more vigilant about examining their claims.
- They typically stress only the positive results in their marketing.
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When evaluating the information on approaches, strategies, products, or interventions for people with LD or ADHD, information that is supported by scientific experimental studies is generally the most reliable, whereas anecdotal evidence or commercial marketing can sometimes be incomplete or misleading.
Here is a helpful summary chart to help you quickly determine the type of information you are accessing.
What Else Should I Consider?
Here are some questions to ask yourself while you do your research.
- Which category of information does this intervention/product fall into?
- If experimental studies have been done, were the results positive or negative for this intervention?
- How many and what cross-section of people were involved in the studies? For example, if this was tested on adults but you are considering it for your child, or if the test subjects were all men and you are a woman.
- How expensive is the intervention/product?
- Does someone/company stand to make a profit from this?
- Are there positive and negative effects from this intervention? Would the positive effects outweigh the negatives?
- Are expected effects lasting or temporary?
Wading through all the information available to assess the best choices for whomever you are considering can be heavy work. Hopefully, the chart above and the suggested questions will make it a little easier. Give yourself a pat on the back for being an informed consumer of interventions for LD and ADHD!
