Corona virus concerns seem to be everywhere: the television, the internet, the news, and our homes. Our children are out of school, and our college students are likely home early. And it seems like there are no clear answers or ways to help. These concerns represent a lot of uncertainty, and as a result, cause us a lot of stress.
Snowflakes, soft and fluffy, were floating down, atop the 8 inches of snow on the ground. I watched my dog delightedly running circles in the yard as if to say, “Yey! Fresh snow! Look at me!” I called my 12 year-old son to the window. “I wonder why all dogs, big or small, short coats […]
Children commonly have a hard time talking to their parents. It can be hard to open up. For some, it is a normal developmental stage. Other children are described by parents as shy or sensitive. Additionally, children with anxiety or depression often keep difficult thoughts, feelings, and experiences to themselves. There are many reasons that children […]
The holidays are coming…. When you hear that phrase, does it strike fear and panic? Does it remind you of family stress? Or does it bring up warm memories of time with your family, eating pie or other goodies in front of a warm fire? If you are like most people, you probably have mixed […]
…As each of you prepares for your family holidays, maybe you are also considering what to expect this year. Even though you may have had sadness or loss, political changes or political consistency, marriages or divorces, there are often unifying factors. There are often things that can bring you closer as a family to talk about over snacks, dinner, or desert. Moreover, there may even be things that you can talk about that are not uncomfortable….
Emotional regulation seems like a complicated process. But in fact, it is something that we all use every day. Consider these examples where self-regulation may be helpful: Situation 1: You are driving home from work, and a car cuts you off in traffic, proceeding to drive very slowly in the lane in front of you. You are frustrated […]
Luckily a wide variety of very effective treatment options are available to people with ADHD.
Treatment options range from therapy, adaptive approaches, lifestyle strategies and medications. If the ADHD interferes with a child’s school functioning, schools are required to make accommodations for students with ADHD. Adults may be able to request assistance at their place of employment. Usually a combination of approaches is more successful than any one alone.
Read this to learn a simple approach to help your child with multisensory learning. What is Multisensory Learning As we’ve discussed previously on this website, a multisensory approach to learning is based upon the idea that students often learn best when the material is presented to them with all of their senses. For example, the teacher […]
Read this article to learn more about how to use mindfulness through nature. Mindfulness in Action I turned the corner at the Iowa Arts Festival, and saw picture after picture of nature: raw, beautiful, and unique. “Oh, look at how cool these are,” I said to my son. “What’s so cool?” asked a voice behind […]
Multisensory teaching uses as many of the senses as possible, including taste, smell, touch, sight, hearing and movement. In most multisensory lessons, students engage with the material through a combination of different senses.
Many people have anxiety or a child or family member who is anxious. It might be that there is a history of worrying or stress. Maybe the person avoids doing things that are scary, like approaching dogs, making speeches, or driving. Maybe the person tends to be overly careful or repetitive about hand-washing or cleaning. If the anxiety is distressing to the person, or interferes with the way s/he wants to live her life, she may be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are common, and recent research has found that 1 in 3 people are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives.
Music is powerful Music has existed from the earliest of times to the streaming services of today. Many of us can think of a song connected to something important in our lives. It could a vacation, a fun day with friends, or graduation. When we hear that song again, it often brings back memories of people, events, and […]
