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Hurt people hurt people.

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

There has been an explosion in the prescribing of medication for very young children, particularly preschool and kindergarten boys (Juli Zito , Univ. of Maryland)

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

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

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

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

If you (parents) tend to overreact to your child's misbehaviour - your child learns that he can't trust you. Mom, Dad, stay regulated!

Parenting style matters - a lot!

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.

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Parent /Child Relationships

A good foundation for a smoothly functioning household is warm parent-child relationships. Enjoying fun times together with your child is good for its own sake, of course, but it also helps to keep everyone on the same side, wanting what’s best for each other. The easiest children to discipline are the ones who want to please their parents. If you spend much of your time with your child nagging and correcting, it’s worth giving some […]

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What Does a Depressed Teen Look Like?

WHAT DOES A DEPRESSED YOUNG PERSON LOOK LIKE? – persistently sad or irritable mood – loss of  interest in activities once enjoyed – significant change in eating or sleeping – loss of energy – feelings of worthlessness – feeling of inappropriate guilt – difficulty concentrating – recurrent thoughts of suicide – frequent physical complaints – headaches, etc. – school problems – absences, cutting classes, drop in performance – outbursts of shouting, complaining, irritability, crying, anger, […]

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Helping an ADHD Child in the Classroom

Children with ADHD typically have problems meeting the expectations placed on them by teachers. They will be much more likely to be successful if the teacher understands the difficulties that these students have and attempt to accommodate them as best they can.The following are some ways to assist children with ADHD in the classroom: 1. allow additional time to complete assignments and tests 2. give shorter assignments 3. check students backpack to ensure daily planner […]

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Stimulant Meds for ADHD

Stimulant medications (eg. Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta, Focalin, Dexedrine, Metadate, Methylin, Vyvanse) are the mainstay of medical treatment for ADHD. They have proven quite effective in controlling the symptoms of ADHD with relatively minor and manageable side effects. There is however some disturbing findings coming from research initiated at Harvard Medical School by Dr. William Carlezon. Investigators have discovered that juvenile laboratory animals given stimulant medications display a loss of motivation when they grow up. These […]

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Developmental Tasks During Adolescence

DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS DURING ADOLESCENTS 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 the few short years of adolescence  = STRESS     STRESS HAS A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON PARTS OF THE BRAIN INVOLVED IN THE REGULATION AND CONTROL OF EMOTIONS     […]

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Workshops

+ Behaviour Management (now available online)

This full day or 2 evening workshop will introduce you […]

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+ Lick Your Kids

  “Lick Your Kids” (figuratively not literally) (2 hours) First […]

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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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+ Taming a Toddler

Many parents wonder what hit them when their sweet little baby turns into an unreasonable toddler – ideas for dealing with mealtime, bedtime, temper tanturms, toilet training, noncompliance, etc.

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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)