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Parents are the external regulator for kids who cannot regulate themselves.

Children today are under enormous pressures rarely experienced by their parents or grandparents. Many of today’s children are being enticed to grow up too quickly and are encountering challenges for which they are totally unprepared.

You cannot reason with someone who is being unreasonable.

Removing a child from a traumatic environment does not remove the trauma from the child’s memory.

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

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

If you are headed in the wrong direction as a parent – you are allowed to make a U-turn.

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

The teenage years require a delicate balance between the young person’s need to gain independence, and the parent’s need to retain authority.

The brain is the boss of behaviour.

Change the brain = change the behaviour.

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FASD – Late Adolescence (17 – 22)

The main goals : move out of home establish his own life learn to cope with societal rules – increase personal expectation with diminishing parental support (lots of teens without FASD have trouble with this) Trouble Areas: undereducated poor money management loneliness lack of boundaries poor judgement He may lack the emotional and / or the educational maturity to embark on an independent life but he still has the internal and societal programming that makes [...]

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FASD- Early Adolescence – guidelines for teachers

the FASD adolescent still requires consistency, strong academic supports, and patience hormones are present but without the boundaries & social skills the teen may appear to be functioning higher than he really is sequencing problems may still persist teen will require immediate feedback other emotional problems may coexist – depression – eating disorder – suicide ideation – emotional alienation outrageous behaviours may continue (eg. temper tantrums) school suspensions

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FASD – early adolescence 13-17 (life’s challenges)

SEXUALITY hormones are probably working fine problems frequently emerge because of lack of boundaries, lack of impulse control, inability to link behaviour and consequences, need for acceptance, social isolation often leads to sexual activity with predictable consequences eg. STD’s, pregnancy, exploitation, easy victimization DRUGS AND ALCOHOL often exploited by older teens & adults substance abuse treatment is generally more difficult, refuses help and more relapses SCHOOL, JOB, DAILY LIFE school frequently causes  extreme stress employment [...]

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TRACKING – a tool for teaching appropriate behaviour

Many children with FASD have difficulty with sequencing and seeing cause and effect. Life seems to be a series of randomly unrelated events. “Tracking” means to help the child recall an event or situation and its resulting consequences. Bedtime is a good time for “tracking” as he may be more ready to listen (a teachable moment). We want him / her to begin to connect the dots” of life. It may need to be repeated [...]

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FASD – Late Childhood (aged 8 – 12)

The main developmental task for children of this age is to develop a sense of industry. Family stresses are likely to increase as FASD children can be exhausting. Caregivers will benefit from counselling and respite care may become necessary. Peer and sibling relationships can become more difficult because the child may have legitimate  difficulty with following the rules, turn taking, cheating, stealing, breaking things and being unpredictable. Children with FASD do not understand the feelings [...]

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Workshops

+ Behaviour Management

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

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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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+ A Guided Tour of ADHD

This workshop will present the facts, myths, misconceptions, controversy and [...]

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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 were so naive. We thought our son’s poor behaviour was just a phase he was passing through. Thankfully you led us ‘out of the wilderness’”

(N.S. – London)