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It is what we say and do when we're angry that creates the very model our children will follow when dealing with their own frustrations.

When a child is disregulated - is the time parents need to be regulated.

"The thing that impresses me most about North America is the way parents obey their children"    (King Edward VII , 1841-1910)

Simple rules adhered to when children are young can prevent more serious problems later.

The quickest way to change your child’s behaviour is to first change your own.

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

Children do not develop on their own - they only develop within relationships.

If you (parents) tend to overreact to your child's misbehaviour - your child learns that he can't trust you. Mom, Dad, stay regulated!

You cannot reason with someone who is being unreasonable.

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.

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Diagnostic Criteria for ADD/ADHD

The following is a summary of the criteria in DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) and describes what doctors look for when diagnosing ADD or ADHD.

A. INATTENTION ( the individual must display 6 or more of these characteristics)

  1. makes careless mistakes
  2. difficulty sustaining attention
  3. doesn’t seem to listen
  4. does not finish schoolwork, chores or duties
  5. difficulty organizing tasks and activities
  6. avoids tasks that require sustained mental effort
  7. easily distracted
  8. forgetful

and/or

B. HYPERACTIVITY/IMPULSIVITY- (must display 6 or more of the following)

  1. often fidgets with hands or feet – squirms in seat
  2. often “out of seat”
  3. often runs about or climbs excessively
  4. has difficulty playing quietly
  5. often “on the go” as if “driven by a motor”
  6. often talks excessively
  7. often blurts out answers
  8. often has difficulty waiting turn
  9. often interrupts or intrudes on others

C. SYMPTOMS PRESENT BEFORE AGE OF 7

D. SYMPTOMS PRESENT IN 2 OR MORE SETTINGS (SCHOOL, HOME,WORK)

E. CLEAR EVIDENCE OF SIGNIFICANT IMPAIRMENT IN SOCIAL, ACADEMIC OR             OCCUPATIONAL FUNCTIONING

F. SYMPTOMS ARE NOT BETTER ACCOUNTED FOR BY ANOTHER MENTAL DISORDER

A diagnosis of ADD/ADHD can only be made by a medical doctor or a psychologist.

What distinguishes ADD/ADHD is the number of behaviours, their intensity and duration.

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Workshops

+ Behaviour Management (now available online)

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

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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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+ A Guided Tour of ADHD (now available online)

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

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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

“We are foster parents who took in a 13 year old girl (going on 18!) and she ran us through the wringer. Rick helped us learn how to set limits that made the difference.”

(G.E. – Strathroy)