In this series of articles on growth mindset we are exploring ways to help children with developmental and mental health challenges have a healthy view of themselves and their abilities. As we covered in part 1 and part 2 of this series, feelings of failure and difficulty seeing more than one solution lead to rigid …
In part 1 of our series on growth mindset we learned the difference between fixed and growth mindset, and why this is important to address for children with developmental and mental health challenges such as ADHD, anxiety, autism, and related issues. One of the biggest problems for kids with a fixed mindset is making mistakes. This …
What’s your mindset? Does your child struggle with feeling like he isn’t good at anything? Does she break down when faced with mistakes or frustration? Is it tough to help your child see their potential? Many children have a negative mindset when it comes to their abilities, especially those with challenges such as ADHD, autism, …
The ability to regulate (or control) our thoughts and actions is a critical part of our higher-level thinking or executive function skills. When someone struggles with one or more of these skills then self-regulation is more difficult. In prior articles we covered the skills of planning, organizing, time management, task initiation, working memory, and metacognition. …
As we discussed in Part 1 of this series, executive functions are higher level thinking skills that allow us to appropriately manage our thoughts and behaviors. There are ten executive function skills that are directly related to our ability to self-regulate. In the previous article I covered the functions of planning, organizing, and time management. …
Executive Functions are higher level thinking skills that allow us to use our cognitive skills to plan and carry out behaviors. Whether we are planning out our day, getting chores done, or making sure we are on time for a meeting we are using executive function skills to plan, organize, and appropriately carry out …
Games are a great way to improve skills for kids in all areas of development – and they are fun! I like to play games with my family and friends, but I also love to play games at work with my clients who have developmental disorders or speech and language disorders. Children with speech delays, …
I hear it on a regular basis, “If he even thinks it is healthy, he won’t touch it.” “It’s a vegetable, she doesn’t eat vegetables.” “If it isn’t white, fried or sweet he’s not eating it.” Do any of these scenarios sound familiar? You’re not alone, but there is a solution. You buy the food …
If you’re the parent of child with behavioral, physical and emotional challenges, it’s normal for you to go into mama or papa bear mode when you feel they are being mistreated. You don’t want to see them overlooked for a birthday party. You don’t want them harassed during recess or the last one to be …
In her book, Life WILL Get Better: Simple Solutions for Parents of Children with Attention, Anxiety, Mood and Behavior Challenges, Dr. Nicole Beurkens talks about the challenges of raising a child with special needs. Sure, there are the melt downs, the focus issues, the food allergies, the education road blocks, the social stumblings and the …