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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)

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.

Relationships matter:  change comes through forming trusting relationships. People, not programs change people.

Hurt people hurt people.

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

The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice. (Peggy O'Mara)

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.

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

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.

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.

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The Teenage Brain

 

Adolescence is ONE of the times in an individuals life when the greatest brain development is occurring.

  • the brain changes in size and shape
  • grey matter thickens
  • increase in synaptic connections between brain cells
  • specialization within the brain occurs
  • “pruning” of neural pathways occurs
  • sex hormones impact the brain

Neurotransmitters  are chemicals in the brain that facilitate the transmission of messages along nerve cells (billions of messages per second).

The primary neurotransmitters involved with depression are:

  1. serotonin
  2. dopamine
  3. norepinephrine

THE DISREGULATION OF NEUROTRANSMITTERS IS A PRIMARY CONTRIBUTOR TO DEPRESSION.

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Developmental tasks during adolescence

  1. adjust to physical changes
  2. separate from their parents
  3. develop a social network
  4. begin to focus on educational and vocational objectives
  5. develop a sexual identity

All of the above is a lot to expect in a few short years of adolescence = STRESS

“Stress” has a significant effect on parts of the brain involved in the regulation and control of emotions.

Stressful events are among the strongest precipitants of initial episodes of major depression.

DEPRESSION IS A MALFUNCTION OF STRESS MANAGEMENT

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

(C.C. – Sarnia)