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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)

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

Being a parent of a teenager can cure a person of narcissism.

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

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

Early intervention is always better than crisis management - but it is never too late to do the right thing.

Criticism is not a motivator.

You cannot reason with someone who is being unreasonable.

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.

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

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Behaviour Management Workshop

I will be presenting a 2 evening, 6 hour workshop on Behaviour Management at the Woodstock campus of Fanshawe College on September 20 and 27 from 6:30 to 9:30. This workshop is suitable for parents, teachers, daycare staff, social workers, etc. I will be introducing you to the skills, techniques and strategies required to assess and manage a wide range of behavioural problems (examples: aggression, destruction, noncompliance, swearing, school problems, curfew problems, sibling squabbling, etc). […]

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Training Session at Betamarsh

On Wednesday, April 20 I had an opportunity to present a training session to the staff of Betamarsh in Goderich Ontario. The all day session focused on assessing and treating children’s behavioural problems. Betamarsh provides a long-term therapeutic placement for troubled children, adolescents and young adults in a safe and nurturing environment. The goal of their specialized programs is to provide an opportunity for their clients to develop skills which will enable them to reach […]

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“The Difficult Child” – workshop

I will be presenting a workshop entitled “The Difficult Child” at Fanshawe College at the Tillsonburg campus on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 from 6:30 tp 9:30 pm. The cost is $47 and you may register by phoning (519) 421-0144 or (519) 842-9000 ext. 225) Do you find your child difficult to raise? Do you find your child’s behaviour hard to understand? Are you often battling with your child? Do you sometimes feel inadequate or guilty […]

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Face of Facebook (bullying)

I had an opportunity last night to attend a presentation by Katie Cole (Thames Valley District School Board) which focused on the ugly side of social media. My reason for going was that I am not at all into these modern forms of communicating (Facebook, Twitter, etc) but I am frequently asked to deal with the fallout of bullying that has taken place through these sites. Katie gave a very thorough and informative description of […]

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“Alternative” Approaches

The preceding 5 approaches could be described as the “conventional” approaches to changing behaviour. There are of course other directions one could look, but they would be categorized more as “alternative” approaches. I do not mean to belittle them in any way, it is just that they are more “outside the box” and they generally do not have the degree of independent and peer reviewed research to provide evidence of their effectiveness. Examples of these […]

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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

“We are foster parents who took in a 13 year old girl (going on 18!) and she ran us through the wringer. Rick helped us learn how to set limits that made the difference.”

(G.E. – Strathroy)