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Children mimic well. They catch what they see better than they follow what they hear.

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

We should not medicate the boys so they fit the school; we should change the school to fit the boy. (Leonard Sax, M.D. Ph.D)

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

Setting limits teaches your children valuable skills they will use the rest of their lives. One day, they will report to a job where their ability to follow rules will dictate their success.

The more 2 parents differ in their approaches to discipline, the more likely it leads to trouble for the child.

When a child is disregulated - is the time parents need to be regulated.

Hurt people hurt people.

Parents are the external regulator for kids who cannot regulate themselves.

The best inheritance  parents can give their children is a few minutes of their time each day.

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ADHD and Executive Function

Most species of animals do not have the capability of planning for the future. They are unable to “self talk”. They react on impulse and are not able to evaluate their past actions rationally. Humans however do have this capability. It is called “executive function” and it gives us the option of modulating our behaviour. No single part of the human brain is solely in charge of this modulation, however it does appear that our frontal and prefrontal lobes  function as our “CEO”.

One of the most important functions of this part of our brain is to “inhibit” (put on the brakes). Successful execution of a plan largely involves putting brakes on distracting activities. These brakes  – courtesy of our inhibitory centers – allow us the luxury of TIME during which we can consider our options before reacting.

People with ADHD have a problem with INHIBITION (putting on the brakes)

  • unable to adequately inhibit distraction
  • unable to inhibit impulsive reactions
  • unable to inhibit physically reacting to stimuli
  • unable to inhibit their behaviour long enough for other executive functions to operate

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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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See more of our workshops


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)