Archives for June 2017

If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD, it has likely been a long and arduous path. Finally, the frustrations of behavioral and academic troubles have been identified at the source. You, your child, the teachers, and the school system can now move forward with accommodations that will help your child reach his fullest potential.

Here’s a sampling of the wide variety of school accommodations you may receive, depending on your child’s individual profile.

To Increase Focus
Fidgety, restless kids need a little extra help focusing on the tasks at hand. These may include:

• Seating him at the front of the classroom
• Setting a timer for short intervals during a long assignment and having the child show the work after each interval
• Calling on the child to participate in discussions and having him help collect papers, etc., to give him an opportunity to talk and move about
• Allowing child to use a fidget spinner or other device to channel energy and increase focus
• Developing verbal and physical cues, like a tap on the desk, to remind the child to get back on task

To Keep Homework Assignments On Track
Some kids with ADHD have difficulty organizing and keeping track of projects and homework. To help them develop these skills, accommodations include:

• Offering the child a second set of textbooks to be kept at home, minimizing the chance of forgetting a book
• Monitoring of assignment books to ensure that every homework and project deadline is included
• Allowing the child to use their phone or another alternative method to keep track of assignments

To Reduce Disruptive Behaviors
In the case of disruptive behaviors, the following accommodations may be offered:

• Teachers may be asked to choose their battles by ignoring minor outbursts
• Communication lines may be opened between parents and teachers to coordinate behavior modification efforts
• In case of an eruption of a disruptive behavior, the child will be brought to a pre-arranged place where he or she will have an opportunity to calm down

To Improve Academic Performance
Many children with ADHD have specific struggles with complex, multi-stage projects as well as specific subjects such as writing or math. Depending on your child’s individual profile, these accommodations may be available:

• Extra time will be allowed to complete classroom work
• Longer, more complex assignments will be broken up into smaller units with specific deadlines
• Written, verbal and/or visual instructions will be given to accommodate your child’s particular learning style
• Children who struggle with writing assignments may be able to print rather than use cursive, use a computer as well as spell-check and grammar-checking software, and may be given the option to present the assignment verbally rather than in written form.
• Children who struggle with math may be given extended time for tests and assignments, have the homework problems pre-written for them, and be allowed to use a calculator

ADHD is a challenge, but these tried-and-true accommodations can do wonders to provide every child with the best education possible.

There isn’t a parent in the world who hasn’t witnessed a toddler in the grip of a full-blown, red-faced, flailing, screaming tantrum. As shocking as these outbursts can be, occasional tantrums are part of a child’s normal development. Young children have not yet achieved the verbal capacity to fully communicate their feelings or the self-control necessary to tamp down their surging emotions.

But not all tantrums are created equal. Certain patterns can be red flags that suggest professional help may be warranted.

High Frequency
Your child may pass through a phase when he or she is having a lot of tantrums. But if the frequency doesn’t slow over the months, despite all your efforts to teach him how to identify and control his outbursts, there may be a more serious underlying issue. Some studies have shown that children who experience at least five tantrums per day several days a week may be at risk for disruptive disorders, including ADHD.

Aggression
Biting, kicking, hitting, and throwing things are part of many an angry toddler outburst. After all, it feels good to punch that pillow, right? But if you find yourself ducking for cover or streaked with bruises almost every time your child has a tantrum, there may be underlying issues causing the outbursts, such as depression, oppositional defiant disorder, or ADHD.

Self-Harm
There may be no behavior quite as gut-wrenchingly disturbing as seeing a child hurt himself. Yet in the heat of a tantrum, some toddlers and preschoolers may exhibit self-injurious behavior like biting themselves, banging their heads, or scratching their skin raw. In these heartbreaking cases, the length and frequency of the tantrums don’t matter as much as the specific, consistent behavior, which strongly suggests the necessity of psychiatric intervention.

Endurance
A ten-minute tantrum might seem like forever to a parent trying to buy groceries in the check-out line, but if your child calms down in less than a half hour, consider yourself fortunate. Tantrums that routinely stretch for 30 minutes or more can be a sign of a more serious underlying problem. The same can be said if only extreme and external methods (such as a bribe or physical removal from the scene) succeed in calming the child.

If you have any concerns about your child’s ongoing behavior, never hesitate to seek out a mental health professional. Early intervention can do wonders.

We live in turbulent times. With so many of our men and women overseas in conflict-ridden countries, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has become a subject of headlines. But PTSD doesn’t just manifest amid veterans of foreign wars. About eight percent of Americans will experience PTSD in their lifetime, and women are twice as susceptible as men.

Whether you’re experiencing distressing and unexpected symptoms yourself, or whether a loved one is behaving out of character, knowing the three major symptoms will help you identify the disorder and get help fast.

Re-experiencing The Trauma
One of the major symptoms of PTSD involves continuing to relive the trauma in an emotional and intrusive way at least a month (but usually much longer) after the traumatic event. This symptom can manifest in several ways:

• Recurrent, vivid dreams or nightmares
• Sudden flashbacks triggered by visual, auditory, or other sensory cues
• Physiological reactions that coincide with the memories, flashbacks, or dreams such as elevated heart rate, sweating, etc.
• Repetitive play (in children) that may involve reenacting or restaging with toys the upsetting events

Physical And Emotional Isolation
PTSD sufferers often go out of their way to avoid places, events or people that may trigger memories and flashbacks of the event. This behavior can lead to physical and emotional isolation. They may also repress certain parts of the event, refuse to talk about it, or cycle in crushing waves of guilt, shame and/or blame. The weight of these emotions may strain their ability to participate in happy events or even muster any positive feelings.

Heightened Reactivity
PTSD sufferers are often on edge. They may exhibit an extreme startle response or become overly vigilant and protective, to the point where they don’t sleep well. Insomnia is not uncommon, as is swift anger and irritability. Many PTSD sufferers resort to substance abuse and self-destructive behaviors in an effort to numb their pain.

If you suspect that you or a loved one may be suffering from PTSD, contact a mental health professional as soon as possible to get the help you need.