Summer can be a magical time for families, full of long, sun-soaked days, swimming at the pool, and gentle memories….summer CAN be enjoyable, even if plans don’t work out the way we thought they would. Here are a few suggestions which may be helpful.
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This blog-post is addressing a serious and potentially controversial topic: spanking. It’s a tough thing to talk about, so thank you for being brave and reading this article. New research regarding spanking has been in the news recently, with two ground-breaking studies in the last month. As a result, as a Clinical Child and Adolescent […]
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Reading comprehension is an important skill, starting early in elementary school. In order to show good reading comprehension skills, a person is asked to read, understand, and answer questions about what they’ve read. Children with ADHD or other learning disabilities, such as Dyslexia, can struggle with reading comprehension. In these circumstances, instructional strategies can help. […]
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Many times, children with ADHD have difficulty adjusting to the school environment. Their symptoms can make school more difficult for them than for other students. Oftentimes, when working with the school, there are things that teachers and parents can discuss as accommodations to help children with ADHD cope better in the classroom. Here are some […]
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Bottom-line: It seems like standardized tests are here to stay. But the key to our children doing their best on them is NOT adding pressure or fear to the situation. Instead, it is teaching our children tools to manage their fears and thoughts. It is supporting them in their individuality, and helping them find the good things in their present world. And it’s helping them remember that some of the best things in life are not measured, but rather are experienced with kindness, love, and support.
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For many people, unknown things can feel bad or scary. It seems that when we don’t know what to expect, we prepare for all the bad things that could happen. It makes sense; biologically, our bodies are perfectly wired to avoid danger. So when something frightens or upsets us, our hearts beat, our lungs take in more air, and our muscles tense, preparing for “fight or flight.” We try to process the information, make sense out of it, and stop it from happening. We are primed to keep ourselves safe.
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If you are reading this, you or your child (or both of you) probably has some anxiety. You may be surprised to know that everyone has some stress, anxiety, or fear. It is part of the human condition. Our biology wires us to recognize and perceive danger. These are survival instincts, and actually quite miraculous. Anxiety allows us to stop, rather than walk out into traffic. It allows us an opportunity to question whether we should make decisions involving safety or taking risks. Anxiety can help us consider the feelings of others when we make decisions.
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Does your child have messy handwriting? Does s/he seem unmotivated or uncooperative when asked to complete written assignments? Does your child have great ideas, but seems to compromise creative ideas by writing in concrete or simplistic sentences.? Many children with these concerns are diagnosed with Dysgraphia, or a Disorder of Written Expression. The National Center for Learning Disabilities has published the following table regarding signs and symptoms of Dysgraphia:
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Handwriting often seems like a long-lost art. When I was in school, it was a class, just like spelling or reading. I practiced and practiced my letters, particularly when we got to cursive writing. I remember having to take home extra work to practice being neater in my work, and how important it was to […]
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Kindergartners are fabulous kids. They are often joyful, exuberant, and creative. They are capable of many new developmental tasks, including turn-taking, pretend play with other children, feeling “grown-up,” independent play, seeking adult approval, and demonstrating a sense of humor with children and adults. They are beginning to read, spell, and do some math. All of […]
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Many parents struggle with a moody child, “tween,” or adolescent. At these ages, children are discovering their own identity, and managing the stress of school, parents, peers, and their future. In addition, they are going through vast changes in physical and emotional development. Who, in their shoes, wouldn’t be a little up and down? Adolescent […]
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Oftentimes, parents, educators, and therapists teach anxious children social skills, such as assertiveness. Assertiveness skills are used to negotiate conflict or to ask someone else to do something differently. For example, an assertive 12 year-old girl may ask a peer to stop speaking negatively about a friend by saying something like, “Let’s not talk about […]
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