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The best inheritance  parents can give their children is a few minutes of their time each day.

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

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.

"Unexpressed feeling never die. They are buried alive and come back later in ugly ways." (Stephen Covey)

If it  was going to be easy to raise kids, it never would have started with something called "labour".

Some hope their children will be like sponges soaking up the truth and wisdom imparted by their parents. However appealing this philosophy might be, it seldom seems to catch on with their children.

Many clinicians find it easier to tell parents their child has a brain-based disorder than suggest parenting changes. Jennifer Harris (psychiatrist)

Criticism is not a motivator.

Wouldn't it be nice if children would simply listen and learn.

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)

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Ritalin – the good, the bad and the ugly

Next – the ugly

The abuse potential for stimulant medications are real. When used in the doctor prescribed manner and dosage there is little danger in this regard, however when “snorted” the effects are reported to be similar to snorting cocaine. In fact cocaine and methylphenidate (Ritalin) are very closely related.

Larger doses give feelings of:

  • euphoria
  • more energy / power
  • sense of power
  • mental sharpness

As the effects wear off there is:

  • heightened fatigue
  • poor concentration
  • irritability
  • depression
  • craving for more

Persistent abuse can lead to:

  • psychotic episodes
  • paranoid behaviour
  • hallucinations
  • bizarre behaviour
  • sudden death

Most people do not view stimulant medications as potentially dangerous or unsafe because it is prescribed to children. This assumption is incorrect as there are over 150 studies documenting abuse problems with amphetamine. The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics – 1997 states “Ritalin is a highly addictive drug”

So does Ritalin use predispose an individual to later drug abuse?

There is no conclusive answer to this question as valid studies support both possible answers. What is clear however is that stimulant medications do not cure ADD / ADHD. They can reduce the symptoms as long as it remains active in the body . There is no evidence of long term improvement as a result of stimulant medication alone.

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Workshops

+ Behaviour Management (now available online)

This full day or 2 evening workshop will introduce you […]

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+ Lick Your Kids

  “Lick Your Kids” (figuratively not literally) (2 hours) First […]

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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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+ Taming a Toddler

Many parents wonder what hit them when their sweet little baby turns into an unreasonable toddler – ideas for dealing with mealtime, bedtime, temper tanturms, toilet training, noncompliance, etc.

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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

“Our psychiatrist recommended Rick to help us sort out behaviour management issues for our autistic son. He was an invaluable help.”

(C.C. – Sarnia)