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"To be a man, a boy must see a man."  (J.R. Moehringer)

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

The challenge of adolescence is to balance the right of the parents to feel they are in charge with the need of the adolescent to gain independence.

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

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

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

Setting limits teaches your children valuable skills they will use the rest of their lives. One day, they will report to a job where their ability to follow rules will dictate their success.

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

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

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

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Can You Read This?

I cdnuolt bleveiee taht I cluod aulaaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdenieg. The phaonemneal pweor of the hmuan mndi. Aodccrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dnsoe’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotle mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porblem. Tihs is bcuseae the hmuan mnid […]

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Reading Rescue

    “Reading Rescue” is a program I developed that is intended for those children who are not experiencing success in their ability to read in the early grades. It is a highly structured and sequential phonics based reading program that teaches: the sounds of individual letters the skill of blending 2 sounds together, then 3, then 4, then . .to make individual words focuses initially on the “short” vowel words the combining of words […]

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The Terror of Night Terrors

    Few things are more terrifying for a parent than the first time their child has a night terror. Night terrors are different than bad dreams or nightmares. Bad dreams and nightmares happen to virtually everybody and occur during the REM sleep phase (rapid eye movement). Researchers have discovered that even fetuses have dreams – including “bad” ones. Bad dreams may cause facial grimaces, moving, thrashing about and may result in being wakened up. […]

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Asperger’s Syndrome (part 2)

      There are no “hard” diagnostic tests for Asperger’s. The diagnosis is made through observation and reports from parents, teachers, etc. The majority of children with Asperger’s are diagnosed between the ages of 5 and 11 although a diagnosis may not be made until adulthood. There is no “cure” for Asperger’s Syndrome, however there are interventions that can yield positive results: parental education teacher education behavioural approaches training of social skills (ABA,IBI) medications […]

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Asperger’s Syndrome (part 1)

    I recently had an opportunity to meet with a school staff regarding a young boy who is having a tough time. He is doing OK academically but his “odd” social skills result in him being bullied and manipulated by his classmates. He becomes angry and lashes out and problems snowball from there. I am not a doctor but as the teachers described this boy’s behaviour, I became suspicious that he may have disorder […]

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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

“He is a wealth of knowledge coupled with first hand experience.”

(E.K. – London)