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"To be a man, a boy must see a man."  (J.R. Moehringer)

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.

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

Children do not develop on their own - they only develop within relationships.

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.

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

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

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

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.

Hurt people hurt people.

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TRACKING – a tool for teaching appropriate behaviour

Many children with FASD have difficulty with sequencing and seeing cause and effect. Life seems to be a series of randomly unrelated events. “Tracking” means to help the child recall an event or situation and its resulting consequences. Bedtime is a good time for “tracking” as he may be more ready to listen (a teachable moment). We want him / her to begin to connect the dots” of life. It may need to be repeated many times before the child begins to make the connections. It is particularly useful for reoccurring problem times: eg. church, shopping, going for a walk, playing with peers, etc. It is also valuable to “track” events where the child made “good” choices as you are able to reinforce those times as well. It is very important that your tone be  supportive rather than harsh during the tracking sessions in order to retain the “teachable moment”.

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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)