Emotional Intelligence Archives

Another School Year Begins – Are you Ready to Help your Student with ADHD Succeed??

August 17, 2022August 17, 2022

As the new school year rapidly approaches, it’s natural to begin the process of, well, worrying about: Will my child do well with their teachers this year? Will I be able to collaborate effectively with their teachers if the need arises? Will my child effectively manage their homework? What role should I play in monitory homework and study habits? Will my child feel comfortable and competent in school? Parenting is not easy! And when you have a complex child, you … Read more

Partner with Your Child's Doctor: ADHD & Behavior

Partnering with Your Child’s Doctor: ADHD & Behavioral Concerns

August 6, 2022August 5, 2022

I recently connected with Dr. Nerissa Bauer, a wonderful behavioral pediatrician. While pediatricians offer general primary care services to children, behavioral pediatricians assist in specific difficulties, struggles, or deficiencies in the growth and development of a child. I asked her to share how you can work with a behavioral pediatrician when you have concerns about your child. Strategies to partner with your child’s doctor about ADHD and behavior concerns What should I do if I have concerns about my child’s behavior? … Read more

Nonverbal Communication – A Fun Introduction or Reminder for 4 to 8-year-olds

July 16, 2022July 15, 2022

I recently met Carolyn Combs, a children’s book author who writes beautiful stories about how children can learn by connecting with animals in nature. She shared with me how animals use non-verbal communication and how she uses these examples to teach children important lessons. I asked Carolyn to explain how parents and teachers can use her picture book to help children learn about and practice non-verbal communication. Enjoy! What’s This Tail Saying? An Interactive Book About Animal Communication By Carolyn … Read more

Paving the Road to Self-Advocacy for the High School to College Transition

April 15, 2022April 15, 2022

If you have a teen who is getting ready to go to college in the fall, you may be wondering, or dare I say, concerned, about what services they will qualify for. Or perhaps equally concerned about what role you, and your teen will play in advocating for those services. I asked Lorri Comeau, an ADHD Parent Coach, Learning Support Specialist, and Educational Consultant to share some important information that will help you and your teen be prepared for the … Read more

Picky Eating and ADHD

March 25, 2022March 9, 2022

Picky eating and ADHD often go hand-in-hand. In fact, researchers at Duke University found a high correlation between selective eating problems and ADHD. Additionally, many children with ADHD are more predisposed to crave sugar due to the surge of dopamine that sugar delivers to the brain. Add emotional dysregulation, inflexibility, and sensory processing issues to the mix, and it can be extremely difficult to introduce healthier foods into a child’s diet. But there is hope! I recently connected with Dana … Read more

Mindfulness & Meditation for Adults with Jo Futerman

March 6, 2022

As more people reach out to me wanting to know more about incorporating mindfulness into their lives (as adults and in their role as parents), I decided to ask my friend and professional colleague Jo Futerman to share some of her knowledge. While we had similar training in learning about ADHD and Executive Function, she has taken a path that led her to develop a specialty in meditation and mindfulness for the past ten years. Using her training, she has … Read more

Mindfulness & Meditation for Students

January 18, 2022January 18, 2022

For all the negatives we know about Facebook, there are some positives. I recently heard from someone I went to high school. She responded to my January 5th post about my daughter teaching yoga to the students in her school after the recent fires here in Boulder, Colorado. Forty of the students in her school lost their homes, and many others were displaced due to severe smoke damage. Carly, and the other teachers, are doing their best to meet the … Read more

Growth and Self-Improvement Portfolio

January 7, 2022January 7, 2022

Sometimes, it’s hard to recognize how much growth and self-improvement your child has achieved each year. This is especially true when we focus so much on the challenges and stressors that we are working so hard to mitigate and improve. Children also have a difficult time recognizing that they have improved and achieved. They can sometimes feel as if someone keeps moving the goal post out further to mark success. As soon as they accomplish one marker, they are told to immediately … Read more

Initiation & Activation: 2 Exercises to Help Kids Focus

December 3, 2021November 29, 2021

In this article that I have written for the PESI Blog, I highlight two skills that we discuss in ADHD, Executive Function & Behavioral Challenges in the Classroom (co-authored with my daughter, Carly Wolf, M.Ed.). One of the most common struggles for students with ADHD or executive function challenges is staying focused on a specific accomplishment during a given time period. These students may have an especially hard time getting started or simply staying on task while other thoughts or external factors … Read more

The Kinesthetic Classroom: How Movement Benefits all Students, Especially Those with Symptoms of ADHD

October 29, 2021October 29, 2021

During my current professional ADHD Parent Coach Academy training, we addressed the value and importance of movement and flexible seating for children with ADHD. During this discussion, one of my coaches, Bonni Cohen, expressed that as a school principal, she had the opportunity to incorporate significant opportunities for movement in her classrooms and that it had a positive impact. Manorhaven School in Port Washington, NY, is a K-5 suburban elementary school. In 2015, Manorhaven school was honored with the Michelle … Read more

Launching Into Young Adulthood...Ready or Not! by Chris Dendy

Launching Into Young Adulthood with ADHD…Ready or Not!

October 24, 2021October 12, 2021

It is an honor to have Chris Dendy and Ruth Hughes share about their new book to my PTS Coaching community. I have known both Chris and Ruth for many years through my involvement with National CHADD. They are each compassionate advocates and outstanding practitioners. Their new book, Launching into Young Adulthood with ADHD…Ready or Not! is full of guidance and strategies to help your preteens and teens develop the key life skills necessary for the adult world and identify … Read more

From Service Dog to SURFice dog

September 30, 2021September 23, 2021

From Surf Dog Ricochet “Each person who watches this inspirational video “From Service Dog to SURFice dog” finds an individual message that touches them on many levels, bringing them to tears. This story is about what we all want — to be encouraged to discover who we really are… to be accepted… to find our life purpose… and to be celebrated for being different. Ricochet pioneered the concept of canine-assisted surf therapy and adaptive surfing in 2009, when she made … Read more