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A tantruming toddler is a little ball of writhing muscle and incredible strength. It's like trying to carry a greased pig past a slop bucket.

Removing a child from a traumatic environment does not remove the trauma from the child's memory.

Don't wait for him to turn 10 before you reveal that you are not in fact the hired help whose job it is to clean up after him.

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

Simple rules adhered to when children are young can prevent more serious problems later.

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

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

If you are headed in the wrong direction as a parent - you are allowed to make a U-turn.

Criticism is not a motivator.

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

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Schizophrenia

  What Is Schizophrenia ? – it is a cruel brain disease – it constricts experiences – it destroys opportunities – it attacks all socioeconomic levels and nationalities – it attacks about 6 people out of every 1000 in Canada – rate in North America appears to be increasing – MRI studies show structural abnormalities in some brains affected by schizophrenia – it usually strikes in late adolescence / early adult years  – just as […]

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Brain Fact # 12

Staying Fit Improves Cognition Physical exercise triggers increased brain growth and translates into measurable improvements in cognitive function. Studies proving this initially were conducted on participants aged 50+. Two studies conducted by Dr. Arthur Kramer in 2010 on higher-fit and lower-fit 10 year old children confirmed that physical fitness in children is also  associated with better cognitive performance and larger brain structures responsible for cognitive performance. These studies, although they do not show a causal […]

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Did You Know ? # 11

Growing up in a weight obsessed culture is particularly difficult for girls. Healthy puberty requires the addition of body fat in the form of breasts and hips, at just the age when girls are particularly sensitive to body image. Girls talk with each other during play more than boys do.

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Brain Fact # 11

Physical Exercise and the Brain   Physical exercise seems to slow and perhaps even halt or reverse the brain atrophy (shrinkage) that typically starts in a person’s forties, especially in the frontal regions of the brain responsible for executive function. In other words, exercise (aerobic exercise) can increase the brain’s volume of neurons (grey matter) and connections between neurones (white matter). This is possible according to neuroscientists because physical exercise triggers biochemical changes that spur […]

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Did You Know ? # 10

We have big brains. This is one of the things that distinguishes humans from other primates, and it has many consequences. One is that because women’s hips are only so big, babies have to be born before their brains have grown to full size.

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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 psychiatrist recommended Rick to help us sort out behaviour management issues for our autistic son. He was an invaluable help.”

(C.C. – Sarnia)