The first quarter of the school year is coming to a close, and your child’s grades are taking a turn for the worse. It’s time to regroup and evaluate where this school year is headed if no changes are made. The status quo had you both feeling frustrated and anxious about the remaining months of the year. This isn’t the first time you’ve seen the grades tank. You’ve tried bribes, maybe even used some well thought out consequences, but nothing … Read more
A few weeks ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to host a webinar for my friends at ADDitude Magazine. As a coach, counselor, and educator through EF, ODD, and ADHD workshops for parents, teachers, and families, I was thrilled to spend some time talking about the benefits of parents and teachers working together to maintain the Calm and Connected pathways to success. I am thankful for the opportunities I have to connect with parents and teachers in the ADHD/EF/ODD community. … Read more
September 28, 2018 No Two Parent Experiences Are The Same Every person is born with a unique chemistry, physique and temperament – and no operator’s manual! This understanding is why the guiding principle of “parenting the child you have” is a pillar of PTS Coaching’s positive parenting mantra. Whether we are conscious of it or not, we each have a belief about how we are supposed to parent a child. We stand by these beliefs until our instinct or logic … Read more
Here is an excellent resource that Eileen Bailey wrote several years ago called “12 Things Kids with ADHD Would Like Their Teachers to Know”. Feel free to print it and share it. I have included a PDF for your convenience. 12 Things Kids with ADHD Would like Their Teachers to Know 12 Things Kids with ADHD would like their Teachers to Know By Eileen Bailey 1. I forget things, even important things. There is a myth that states, “If it is … Read more
So – how was your day? Do you have a lot of homework? And so, it begins… For many parents, one of the greatest sources of stress revolves around the issue of homework. The reasons for the stress may vary from parent to parent, or may be different based on each child’s uniqueness, but the end result can be just as impactful. I want to share my perspective on how we can reduce some of the stress and find more … Read more
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is characterized by excessive anger, frustration, arguing, stubbornness and defiance. The correlation rate for being diagnosed with ADHD and ODD is staggering, ranging between 60% and 80%. It is the most common co-existing condition associated with ADHD and people with ADHD are 11 times more likely to be diagnosed with ODD than the general population. Anyone familiar with ADHD knows that its core components are Inattentiveness, Hyperactivity, and Impulsivity. Yet, very often I receive calls from parents … Read more
This year I have had the opportunity to provide professional development in Michigan, Indiana, Florida, Colorado, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, California, Maryland, New Jersey and New York. I have worked with teachers, guidance counselors, occupational therapists, speech/language pathologists, social workers, school psychologists, paraprofessionals, and principals. What I have experienced this year has convinced me wholeheartedly that the opportunity to make a positive change in our schools and for our kids is ripe, and that educators are hungry, in fact, desperate, … Read more
I recently showed the documentary Screenagers and hosted a panel discussion following the film. I have to tell you that the experience, the conversations, and the whole issue of how our kids today are being impacted by their use of phones and social media has shaken me to my core. Truly, I believe this is the greatest issue facing parents today. Unlike the tragedy of drug and alcohol addiction, we cannot shield our children from screens completely as they have … Read more
Life lessons often come from places you least expect. Now before you become concerned that I am going to preach the virtues of running or changing your diet, no worries – that’s not my agenda. I would like to share, however, what I have learned this past year, not about Time Management, but true Productivity. After all, isn’t that the real goal of managing time, to increase your overall success in accomplishing what you want in life? If anyone would have … Read more
Enjoy this replay of my webinar on ADDitude Magazine online. Click Here to Access the Replay Parents, you have valuable, insightful, and comprehensive knowledge about their child — and his or her ADHD. You are the expert in the curriculum or subject content; Mom and Dad are the experts in the child. Working together in a spirit of collaboration and cooperation ensures that your child will reach his or her potential — and the new school year will be smooth, … Read more
I recently went for an eye exam in my new hometown of Boulder CO, and had the good fortune to meet with a very gifted, insightful optometrist. As I shared a bit about the work I do with teaching skills children struggling with homework, and supporting parents raising a child with ADHD, she commented that she had been seeing an increasing number of children in her practice with vision issues. We discussed our mutual concern about the impact of screen … Read more
