Parenting an ODD child or teen could be your hardest job ever. Not only is it exhausting, but you must continually find the compassion and forgiveness to be nurturing, and the energy and doggedness to be consistent. ODD is caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain, it is not in the character or ‘soul’ of [...]
As parents of troubled children, we already know that our child’s disorder or behavior will not work in most classrooms. No one needs to tell us this or explain why our child needs to change in order to learn–we already stay up at night worrying how our child or teen will make it in the [...]
Where are the men? Every year, I attend several conferences around the nation that focus on the families, children, and policies associated with children’s mental health. The majority in attendance are women. As part of my job, I also attend many meetings on children’s mental health in social services organizations and advocacy groups where, again, the maj […]
Yoga is being taught to and practiced by adults with mental and emotional disorders, including those who are developmentally disabled. And relatively recently, it is being taught to children and teens with similar challenges. According to people who suffer brain disorders, a session of yoga has more than physical benefits: Improving mood, and increasing se […]
Stigma victimizes the victimes Stigmatization, blame, judgment… It only takes a few individuals to harm a child or family with their words, but it takes a whole society to allow it. In this article, I’m going to present recent research on the negative stereotyping of families and children with mental disorders, and share stories from families [...]
Siblings suffer when a brother’s or sister’s chronic behavior overwhelms the family. Usually parents are too stressed and exhausted to give them attention. Their needs are overlooked because their brother or sister demands so much. ‘Normal’ siblings can be very negatively affected and start to have trouble in school, troubled behavior of their own, […]
It’s easy to understand what it’s like to be a victim, but don’t be surprised if your understanding of bully behavior is off base. There are many myths about who bullies are and what makes them behave the way they do. Profile of a young bully: this is a child or teen with a positive self-image, [...]