As a parent, it’s crucial for you to have age-appropriate expectations for tolerating frustration. Children’s abilities develop over time, and younger children are likely to struggle more with frustration than older children. Read more ›
Conduct disorder is the mental health condition that is diagnosed when children or teens exhibit serious aggressive and antisocial behaviors that violate rules or rights of others, with little to no guilt or concern regarding their actions. Read more ›
When my son was two years old, he slipped and hit his lip on the bathtub. I initially thought he was fine, as he didn’t cry very much, and there wasn’t a lot of blood. However, in the next few days, as his lip started swelling up and he developed two black eyes, I realized he was hurt much more seriously than I initially thought. As it turned out, this high pain tolerance, combined with his hyperactivity, were some of the early signs that my son is hyposensitive. Read more ›
Building a sophisticated emotions vocabulary helps children identify and communicate different types of feelings, which in turn helps them manage emotions in productive ways, instead of hitting, acting out, or withdrawing. Read more ›
Most people have felt picked on, put down, or left out by peers at some point in their life. Conflict between children, even friends, can be a normal part of development. But some aggressive behaviors cross the line into bullying. Read more ›
All children and adolescents act out from time to time—having tantrums, testing boundaries, or questioning rules—especially if they’re overly distressed or tired. In fact, such behavior is an expected part of development in toddlers and young teens. But when behavioral problems disrupt a child’s family, school, and social life, it may indicate a more serious condition. Read more ›
When you hear a sound, how do you respond? You might choose to ignore it or investigate its source. This process of using our senses to interpret a situation and respond in a purposeful way is called sensory integration. When these systems don’t synthesize, whether due to a diagnosis like autism or ADHD or to a skills deficit, it can lead to a whole host of learning and behavioral challenges. Studies have found that 1 in every 6 children has sensory processing issues that make it more difficult for them to thrive in school. Read more ›
Sensory integration involves perceiving, modulating, organizing, and interpreting these sensations to optimize occupational performance and participation. Well-regulated and appropriately functioning sensory systems contribute to important outcomes in social emotional, physical and motor, communication, self-care, cognitive, and adaptive skills development and maintenance. Read more ›
Increasingly, educators are being asked to manage not just the academic and social-emotional wellbeing of their students, but also address mental health challenges and learning differences in the classroom. Read more ›
We are all different, and we know that not every child fits into a specific category. Is your child struggling with learning or behavioral outbursts? Your child is not broken and you are not a bad parent. Read more ›
