Category - Articles

As people who have attended my seminars for education professionals know, I am passionate about creating classroom environments that help improve attention, reduce anxiety, and support emotional and behavioral regulation. Too often classroom design is neglected as a key component of supporting the needs of learners, especially learners with special needs. I’ve been in buildings …

Seeing your child upset can be disheartening. As parents, we want to see our children happy and experiencing a lot of good things in life. This alone is not a bad thing; but when it becomes a primary goal, you are inevitably raising a child that will never be happy. Kids know what they want, …

The appointments are over. The assessments, the tests, the evaluations have all been completed and the diagnosis is in: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It may be a shock to you, your family, and your friends. What was once a clear path for your child now feels uncertain and even scary. Autism is one of the …

Anxiety is a very common symptom in children and adults with a wide range of diagnoses. The majority of individuals with learning, mood, and behavior challenges struggle with anxiety symptoms such as constant worry, fear of being in social situations, feelings of restlessness, or panic. While many things can cause and exacerbate anxiety symptoms, the …

In a previous article we considered the differences between a picky eater and a problem feeder.  If you missed that article you can read it here. Today I share some simple tips for introducing your child to new foods. Involve your child in preparing the menu for the week. Determine together which recipes your child …

“I just want to have a quiet evening! Why won’t you just go to sleep?!?” Do you ever have those nights? Maybe this is your night every night! Whatever the situation, it makes life much more stressful when you are tired and can’t get your child or children to fall asleep and sleep well! Rest …

Any parent with a school-age child is well acquainted with the trials and tribulations of homework.  They can range from small irritations, like keeping track of what each child need to complete after school each day; to major issues, such as managing a child who melts down everyday after school at the thought of having …

The previous article explored the developmental problems that can occur when children in public are placed on leashes as a substitute for developing safe and appropriate behavior.  While there may be a number of seemingly legitimate reasons for parents to use these devices with both typically developing children and those with special needs, leashes should …

It happened again recently while I was at the local shopping mall. I looked across the store to see a child with a long leash attached, and at the other end of the leash was an adult holding on for dear life as the child attempted to race through the store. I encounter this same …

School has been dismissed now for a couple of weeks, and families may start becoming restless with the lackadaisical days of summer. For many families, this is the time of year to unwind from the business of the school year and enjoy each other’s company. But for other families this time of the year can …