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

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

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

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

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 today are under enormous pressures rarely experienced by their parents or grandparents. Many of today's children are being enticed to grow up too quickly and are encountering challenges for which they are totally unprepared.

"Unexpressed feeling never die. They are buried alive and come back later in ugly ways." (Stephen Covey)

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)

Hurt people hurt people.

Early intervention is always better than crisis management - but it is never too late to do the right thing.

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FASD – Lab Tests

There are no definitive lab tests for FASD. The clues to recognition lie in the subtle interplay of physical and psychological characteristics and a mother’s alcohol history. Diagnosis is based on: 1. a complete physical examination 2. a thorough maternal history Lab tests may be used to rule out other causes of similar looking disorders including: – deLange syndrome – Noonan syndrome – Dubowitz syndrome – Stickler syndrome -X-linked mental deficiency – fetal hydontoin syndrome […]

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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 […]

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Child and Youth Worker

I am please once again to be a part of the training team for new Child and Youth Counsellor program  (formerly Child & Youth  Worker) at Fanshawe College  (Woodstock campus). This 3 year program includes 3 academic semesters and 3 work term placements. Graduates move onto helping youth in schools, agencies, etc.

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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

“Rick’s approach is so logical. He helped us clearly define the problem, analyze what has happened and select the best strategy. We now feel empowered to do something positive for our kid”

(A.N. – Tillsonburg)