If you’ve recently learned that your child has or might have autism, you’re probably wondering and worrying about what comes next. No parent is ever prepared to hear that a child is anything other than happy and healthy, and an ASD (autism spectrum disorder) diagnosis can be particularly frightening. You may be unsure about how to best help your child, or confused by conflicting treatment advice. There are many things you can do to help…
Parenting is far from easy, but parenting a child with autism can be particularly demanding. If you are a parent of a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), you are not alone. Receiving that diagnosis for your child is life-changing, and if there are times that you struggle, you should know you’re not the only one. Here are a few strategies that can help your family. 1. Reframe acting-out behaviors. It can be frustrating to…
Healthy self esteem is one of the most important characteristics of child development. A child’s social, behavioral, and emotional health plays a crucial role in how they handle setbacks, peer pressure, and other challenges throughout life. Positive self esteem is also a factor in mental health, as cultivating confidence contributes to positive social behavior and works as a buffer when your child experiences stress and negative situations. Self esteem basically boils down to how children…
Does your child have difficulty focusing on an activity or seem impulsive in behavior? When symptoms are severe enough and cause ongoing problems in more than one area of your child’s life, it could be a sign of a neurobehavioral disorder, such as ADHD. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is a chronic condition that affects millions of children and often continues into adulthood. ADHD includes a combination of persistent problems, such as difficulty sustaining attention, hyperactivity, and impulsive…
Contrary to common belief, therapy dogs have a very different job from service dogs. Therapy dog services are beneficial not just for people teams visit in hospitals and nursing homes but also for students. While service dogs are dedicated to a specific owner, therapy dogs have a much broader role to play, helping people feel and stay calm. Therapy dogs can be used at an elementary level all the way through college. So, what exactly…
If you are a parent, you’ve probably lost your temper with your kids and have yelled at them at some point. Parents are only human, after all, and kids can sometimes be really good at pushing our buttons and challenging us with behavior problems such as defiance and backtalk. Yelling and losing our cool, in other words, can sometimes happen. But if yelling is an all-too-frequent occurrence in your home, it may be time for…
If you’re considering having a pet, you are certainly not alone. Around 70% of households have at least one pet, and 90% of those people view their pet as a member of the family, according to Dr. Rustin Moore, the dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at The Ohio State University. In fact, children are more likely to grow up in a household with a pet than they are their biological father, says Dr.…
Many Americans’ first thought after seeing school shootings in the news was likely “not again.” For parents, teachers, and school administrators, other thoughts probably followed: How will I explain this to the young people in my life? How can my school respond and help students process this tragedy? Could it happen here? The attack at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, was the deadliest school shooting since a gunman killed 26 people at Sandy Hook…
