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The quickest way to change your child’s behaviour is to first change your own.

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.

It's more effective to reward your child for being "good" (appropriate) than to punish him for being "bad" (inappropriate).

Many clinicians find it easier to tell parents their child has a brain-based disorder than suggest parenting changes. Jennifer Harris (psychiatrist)

Good parenting requires sacrifice. Childhood lasts for only a few brief years , but it should be given priority while it is passing before your eyes

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

Whining and crying are employed by kids for the purpose of getting something. If it works, then it was worth the effort and will be repeated.

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

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

It is what we say and do when we're angry that creates the very model our children will follow when dealing with their own frustrations.

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Ritalin – the good, the bad and the ugly

Next – the ugly

The abuse potential for stimulant medications are real. When used in the doctor prescribed manner and dosage there is little danger in this regard, however when “snorted” the effects are reported to be similar to snorting cocaine. In fact cocaine and methylphenidate (Ritalin) are very closely related.

Larger doses give feelings of:

  • euphoria
  • more energy / power
  • sense of power
  • mental sharpness

As the effects wear off there is:

  • heightened fatigue
  • poor concentration
  • irritability
  • depression
  • craving for more

Persistent abuse can lead to:

  • psychotic episodes
  • paranoid behaviour
  • hallucinations
  • bizarre behaviour
  • sudden death

Most people do not view stimulant medications as potentially dangerous or unsafe because it is prescribed to children. This assumption is incorrect as there are over 150 studies documenting abuse problems with amphetamine. The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics – 1997 states “Ritalin is a highly addictive drug”

So does Ritalin use predispose an individual to later drug abuse?

There is no conclusive answer to this question as valid studies support both possible answers. What is clear however is that stimulant medications do not cure ADD / ADHD. They can reduce the symptoms as long as it remains active in the body . There is no evidence of long term improvement as a result of stimulant medication alone.

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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

“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)