If you know the premise of the toy, skip to the second paragraph. This toy takes a measure of brain activity in the left frontal lobe and, based on the amount of activity there, sends power to a fan (high power when high; low or off when low). This raises a foam ball in the air and a dial can be turned with the hands to move the ball through an obstacle course that arrange with detachable pieces.
I read the other reviews. They make some good points. This toy could get boring fast. The headset does get uncomfortable after about 10 minutes. The guy who said that all it does is measure stress is way off-base. He is right that the ear clips are used to complete a circuit, but that is not all this toy does. After playing it for awhile, I can say it responds negatively to stress (i.e., the ball lowers and the fan turns off). I'm basing that off of the fact the fan tended to turn off when I would get worried about it turning off. If it was responding to stress, the power should have increased.
So why am I recommending this toy? Because studies have shown that if you can increase frontal lobe activity through exercises like this, you can increase objective measures of concentration (e.g., amount of time engaged with a task) and decrease measures of impulsivity. And not just for the task where the skill was trained. So a child who got adept at playing this game should also pay better attention in school, likely increase their reading comprehension, do better on homework, etc.
My recommendation is that, if this is something that is interesting to you, you buy this toy for your child and that you play it with them. Set performance goals with them and give them some sort of reward for meeting and exceeding those goals. Start small. At first, get a stopwatch and see how long they can keep the ball in the air. After that, see if they can start to raise and lower the ball a couple of times, then see how many times they can pass it through one of the hoops. And take data the whole time. Chart their data in some way so they can see the progress they are making.
But get this toy!!! In labs where they do this sort of therapy, children with ADHD have shown serious improvement in functioning. Some kids are able to get off meds altogether.
If you want to do a little extra research before purchasing, go to wikipedia and search neurofeedback. There's a good synopsis there with links to some peer-reviewed research at the bottom.
Scott Herbst, Ph.D. (in behavioral psychology) Mindflex Game
I preordered this for my autistic son's 14th birthday and was happy that it arrived before his big day. The biggest praise I can give to this game is that it actually SLOWED MY SON DOWN and kept him in place for more than 5 minutes!!! He was fascinated with it and it instantly had him in tune with his speed, concentration, etc. He says it's the best gift he's ever received, and it gave US the gift of time while he actually occupied himself with something for an extended period on his own--thrilling!! He did have a temporary dent in his forehead where the sensor lay, although we checked the headband repeatedly to make sure that it didn't feel too tight. It would be easy for the components to get lost--we'd suggest putting balls and obstacle pieces into a zip-lock bag and returning everything to its original box each time. I think that a toy that can help special needs kids tap into more awareness of their own space and rhythms is a wonderful thing.
Best use: Dynamically! Put it on your friends while they read, do math, watch tv, or try something they've never done before. You'd be surprised what makes some people think and others just space out.
Pros:
-Easy to use
-Ready out of box
-Many fun game types, even though I use "Freestyle" and set up obstacle courses myself
Cons:
-Mine didn't come with batteries
-Fan could be a little quieter but the user doesn't notice after a while
-My cat did not want to wear the headset
Definitely worth the buy. Everyone I know had to try it at least once.
I received Mindflex for my 13th birthday from my mom, I'd looked into it a few times before, and was sure to ask her about it. To start, the packaging might be a bit tricky as the items come in two smaller boxes and the console itself within the large box, stuffed behind the two smaller ones. The headband is in one of the two little boxes, while all the obstacles in the other. All the obstacles are in little bags, but are easy to open as most of them are taped. It is a bit of a pain putting it back due to all the small plastic pieces. There is also included a manual on various subjects, from how to set up the headband or how to play certain games. When I first tried on the headband, it was pretty uncomfortable, but not completely due to the two side sensors. What really bugs you, is the metallic piece or sensor that is found behind the logo on the front part of band, that digs into your bare forehead. But if you put some hair between it, along with moving it to a sweet spot, it shouldn't bother you too much. It's also kind of annoying with the two clips clamped to your ear lobes. Also be sure to make sure that you have the type of batteries needed for the game, because two different kinds are required. So if you want to get to play right away look into that. Finally, after getting used to the controls, I got around to setting up the obstacles. The pieces are made of a plastic that isn't that thick, but as long as you don't abuse them, they'll be alright. The balls are also pretty soft, so you might want to try not to sit on them (which is where the extra 3 come in). The game's pretty fun if you've got patience for that sort of thing. I can see why it might get boring to some people, as it isn't really exciting or anything(like most board games). There are a few different game modes in which you can play, the interesting part being that most of the modes can be multiplayer. But it might not be that exciting, because you're gonna have to share the headband between people, that will take some time to constantly put on and off, and will probably make the players even more impatient. Overall Mindflex is likable if you're for this type of thing, like challenging yourself. However if you're the type of person who finds strategy games not all the great, don't get this. PLUS if you want to buy this just because of the cool tech put into this game, and for no other apparent reason, then don't buy it. The tech isn't all that, and it gets dull pretty fast. It's a bit like an item you've been hyping over, and when you finally get it and the cool factor goes away you don't find it that great anymore. So put a lot of serious thought if you really REALLY want this.
On a side note: My technique for lifting the ball is by singing a song in my head. A downside that's pretty annoying is that the ball falls out of the air a number of times if you move it around too quickly, or simply because it gets unstable while floating.'
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