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The mistake that Sharon and I both made is we never set any boundaries.  (Ozzy Osbourne)

Some hope their children will be like sponges soaking up the truth and wisdom imparted by their parents. However appealing this philosophy might be, it seldom seems to catch on with their children.

"Moody" and "unpredictable" are adjectives parents will often use when referring to their teenagers.

The teenage years require a delicate balance between the young person's need to gain independence, and the parent's need to retain authority.

The challenge of adolescence is to balance the right of the parents to feel they are in charge with the need of the adolescent to gain independence.

There has been an explosion in the prescribing of medication for very young children, particularly preschool and kindergarten boys (Juli Zito , Univ. of Maryland)

Children fare better when expectations on them are clear and firm.

If you (parents) tend to overreact to your child's misbehaviour - your child learns that he can't trust you. Mom, Dad, stay regulated!

Adolescence can be the cruelest place on earth. It can really be heartless.  ( Tori Amos)

"The thing that impresses me most about North America is the way parents obey their children"    (King Edward VII , 1841-1910)

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Causes of Depression in Teens

CAUSES not clearly understood no consensus interaction between: – brain chemistry – genetic vulnerability, life events, coping skills     There is no gene or gene cluster, no one environmental factor or a single loss or traumatic event that triggers major depression.       Very conscientious, perfectionist types appear to be more prone to depression than their easy going peers.     Major depressive disorder  usually spontaneously passes within 2 years.       […]

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Differential Diagnosis

” Diagnosis drives treatment”. It is imperative that a correct diagnosis be made before a doctor prescribes a treatment. One of the difficulties in diagnosing ADD/ADHD is that there are numerous conditions that can cause ADD/ADHD symptoms. Below is a partial list of some of these conditions: hyperthyroidism pin worms sleep disorder ear infections hearing disorder mild seizures malnutrition nutritional deficiencies substance abuse some prescription drugs (eg. Dimetapp, Dilantin) Tourettes syndrome lead poisoning hypoglycemia season […]

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Workshops

+ Behaviour Management (now available online)

This full day or 2 evening workshop will introduce you […]

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+ A Parent’s Guide to the Teenage Brain

  A teenager’s brain is not just an adult brain […]

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+ Reading Rescue

A program for children with reading problems

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+ A Guided Tour of ADHD (now available online)

This workshop will present the facts, myths, misconceptions, controversy and […]

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Contact

2720 Rath Street, Putnam, Ontario
NOL 2BO

Phone: (519) 485-4678
Fax: (519) 485-0281

Email: info@rickharper.ca

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Parents' Comments

“Our daughter was the joy of our life until she turned 13, then all hell broke loose. Rick helped us understand what was happening to her and we made some adjustments that helped us get through it. She’s now in University and doing well.”

(D.A. – St. Thomas)