The way children react to stimuli is determined by both their genetics and their environment. Research conducted on identical twins has shown that about half of our traits are inherited, giving us our own intrinsic way of looking at the world. Neurodevelopmental disorders, like Autism and ADHD, can also contribute to the formation of prominent innate behaviours. If your child ...
Certain forms of treatment are standard for most children with Autism. Speech/language therapy, counselling (for higher-functioning children), occupational therapy, and interventions aimed at improving social skills are used to help Autistic kids develop the abilities they’ll need to thrive as adults. Beyond that, however, parents are often presented with numerous optional treatments to choose from. These treatments generally ...
Does your child obsessively pick or pull at her skin or hair, sometimes to the point of injury? As distressing as this behaviour is to witness, it isn’t uncommon, especially in kids with ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and other conditions that affect sensory processing. In fact, researchers estimate that approximately three to five percent of the population will experience ...
Parents of neurotypical children simply take it for granted that a school-aged child can get dressed on his own, feed himself at mealtimes, and complete other age-appropriate tasks. For the parents of children with learning disabilities or mental health issues, on the other hand, the normal progression from helpless infant to self-reliant adult is less clear. Sometimes these kids really ...
If your child is struggling behaviourally or academically, his school may recommend that he take what is known as a ...
Sometimes classroom behavior problems signal giftedness. Brad and Karen were at their wits end. Their grade school children once again ...
So here you are. Your child has done something wrong or hasn’t done something they should have done. In ...
Children with Asperger’s (AS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA) can appear somewhat paradoxical in nature. On one hand, many kids on the Autism Spectrum are cautious, anxious, and shy. On the other hand, it’s not uncommon for AS and HFA children to struggle with impulse control, too. This can make them look aggressive and rebellious—even when that isn’...
Tantrums are an inevitable part of childhood. Because children lack the perspective that comes with many years of experience, even small misfortunes can seem calamitous to them. Moreover, young children (those under 7-8 years old) have yet to develop the impulse control and social filters needed to consistently avoid overt, inappropriate displays of anger. While most children learn to limit ...
Children today are raised with their social lives never far from reach, having access to wireless communication devices typically as soon as they reach school age. In an era when safety concerns are paramount and many households are eschewing the use of a land line, equipping even young children with mobile devices can feel more like a necessity than a ...
Parents of children on the autism spectrum often balk at breaking the news of a diagnosis to their son or daughter; after all, while they know that they will always love and accept their autistic child because of, and not in spite of, who he (or she) is, there's no way to be sure that the child will feel the ...
