Leanne Tattrie Psychological Services Ltd
336 Kings Road, Suite 213 B1S1A9 Sydney, NS, Canada

I recommend this book frequently to educators and parents! I was so thrilled to see a live book reading from the author! During these stressful times, it would be great to use the opportunity to talk to your children about stress and help them understand how their brains impact their emotions and behaviour. She is also offering a free downloadable poster which is fabulous https://youtu.be/8rlif0vVrLY

Not all students with ADHD respond to the same adaptations or supports. Sometimes it takes a little trial and error to find the right fit, but when you do....what a difference it can make

Right here in ALBERTA! George Georgiou is a world-class researcher examining reading development and dyslexia across languages. His research has brought us clos...er to a more realistic description of the processes involved in reading and has helped educators around the world reconsider the way reading is taught. Most importantly, his research offers practical hope and an excellent example of knowledge mobilization for the public good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua6dqlMuXHU

Empathy: the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. The Four Attributes of Empathy: 1.To be able to see the world as others see it 2.To be non-judgemental... 3.To understand another's person's feelings 4.To communicate the understanding of that person's feelings See more

I love that she talks about looking for the imaginary subtitles that the child is displaying when exhibiting what can often be seen as disrespect or defiance. Look for these in your children or the children you work with and it may change your approach which will change the trajectory of that interaction and improve the relationship. Approaching the student with the assumption that they want to behave appropriately changes the communication dynamic.

...anger and opposition can be a cover for shame and the fear of not measuring up. Sadly, kids who exhibit these behaviors push away the people from whom they most need support. Understanding the interplay between ADHD and anxiety allows parents, educators, and therapists to view children more fully and better meet their unique needs.

"Imagine a scale a 'distress-o-meter' which ranges from 1 to 10. What stresses the average child (situations such as feeling physically uncomfortable, being excluded or becoming frustrated with a task) and registers on the meter in the orange zone of 6 or 7 is experienced by your sensitive child as an 8, 9 or 10, which is the red zone. Your child becomes hysterical, irrational, screaming, resistive and absolutely out of control. Getting mad at a child who is in the red zone is like throwing grease on a fire. It’s better for you to remain in the cool green zone." http://www.parentmap.com//laura-kastner-tantrum-anxiety-ti

Tomorrow, June 25th at 1:30 p.m. Dr. Stuart Shanker will be speaking on a live webinar with Fun and Function called, "Stress Behavior or Misbehavior, Helping You Tell the Difference." See the login information for the Zoom meeting in the image below and join in tomorrow!

I am starting to reschedule clients. I have public health measures in place which will include health screening questions, diligent disinfecting of work space, use of masks when social distancing is not possible, use of a plexiglass shield for assessments, required hand sanitation before and after sessions, etc. I will be starting with appointments that were scheduled in March and move forward. If you had an appointment and do not hear from me in the next week please reach out via email [email protected]

This is so so very difficult to watch but watch it anyway! Absolutely devastating. We have to be thinking our children’s mental health all of the time but especially during these times when kids have been disconnected from friends, teachers and activities for so long! Also, they have been witness to so many hard things that even adults are struggling to process. Talk to your kids about these things and keep that communication open. Validate how hard this is for them and talk to them about what they can do (who they can talk to, strategies they can use) when their emotions seem too big or too unbearable. Kids may feel the internal struggle but may not have the language to express it easily. Talk to your kids!

I have been working on getting organized to reschedule clients with new public health guidelines. My office moved during the height of the pandemic and I will now be offering services out of my home office. I will be contacting all clients who had assessments scheduled to find a new date/time that works for all. ... Appointments will require a health screening questionnaire and I will also have a plexiglass shield to use during sessions. We will find a way to make it work with this new normal.

It's important to talk about the very real mental health implications for what is currently happening in our world. People of all ages are experiencing a significant amount of stress possibly in ways they never imagined. What's even more relevant is the fact that many of these people no longer have the stress reduction strategies that were once available to them (e.g. going for a walk or a coffee with a friend or family member, going to the gym, going out with friends, pla...ying or watching sports, going shopping, etc.). We need to find new ways to cope with and reduce our stress load as chronic stress, of course, has a very real impact on our physical well being. Reach out to people, connect in creative ways, validate how others are feeling during this time and be mindful of your own experience. We as human beings are all suffering in someway (some much more than others) and we, as human beings, need to find ways to make connections and reduce stress load for ourselves and for others. Be compassionate to others and be compassionate to yourselves! See more