Nexus Psychology
11 Athabascan Avenue T8A 5Z5 Sherwood Park, AB, Canada

Hello February! A new month, a new theme! This month we will look over early childhood development, the importance of the first few years of life as it relates to brain development, expected milestones and when it may be time to see a professional if a child isn’t developing the way we expect! Stay tuned! #nexuspsychology #yegpsychologists #earlychildhood #first5years

REPOST: Psychological Assessment is usually covered through your employer extended healthcare benefit plan. With the rollout of the new year, benefits have reset-now may be the best time to look into your coverage and schedule an assessment for yourself or your child! Nexus Psychology has room for a few Gifted Assessments in February 2022. ... For other assessments we are now booking into April/May 2022! Call today to secure your spot! 780-221-5721 #nexuspsychology #yegpsychology #giftedassessment #psychoeducationalassessment #psyched #adhdassessment #mentalhealth

Let us introduce Dr. Beena Thomas, Registered Psychologist. Beena is a doctoral level Clinical Psychologist who is a generalist practitioner with experience in assessment and treatment with individuals across the lifespan. Beena’s expertise includes a specialization in psychoeducational assessment, health psychology, ADHD, complex mental health assessments, and the treatment of anxiety and depression. She is also able to complete ASD assessments for both youth and adults exhibiting social communication differences. Beena utilizes evidence-based practices matched to the specific needs of the client to provide comprehensive and individualized care to the individuals and families she serves. #nexuspsychology

ASSESSMENTS FOR ATTENTION, FOCUS, and IMPULSIVITY. (Child and Adult). FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION: An individual’s ability to sit for extended periods of time, listen, and follow instructions have strong implications for their ability to learn or work.... RESTLESSNESS AND IMPULSIVITY: An individual’s ability to remain seated without fidgeting and inhibit impulsive behaviours is important for learning and social success. Information gathered through clinical observation, standardized testing, and parent/ teacher report are carefully compared to the typical individuals at the same level of development. #nexuspsychology #yegpsychologist #attention #assessment

ASSESSMENTS FOR GIFTEDNESS: Your child may be brilliant in your eyes, but no matter how bright, precocious, and curious your child may seem, they will still need formal evaluation before a school will give them the enhanced learning opportunities they will need to be successful. A Gifted Assessment at Nexus Psychology will include a cognitive assessment and a parent/guardian interview to provide us with some perspective on your child’s strengths and talents. The assessment wi...ll also include a feedback meeting with your psychologist to review the results and potential implications of the assessment such as school placement decisions and strategies to challenge and stimulate your child. You will then receive a report that will include these results in writing. This report will include all of the documentation needed for school identification and placement. #nexuspsychology #yegpsychologist #giftedassessment #giftedkids See more

AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER ASSESSMENTS: Nexus Psychology is a practice recognized for its clinical expertise in the assessment and diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We assess children and adults. Your specialty assessment may include all of the following tools: * ADOS-2 * Developmental Interview * Intellectual Assessment... * Adaptive Functioning Assessment (Everyday Life Skills) * Collaborative conversations with your current care providers (e.g., SLP, OT, Family Doctor, Psychiatrist, Pediatrician) * Observation in a familiar environment with peers for elementary-aged children ‘The critical pieces of information gathered through this assessment will determine your eligibility for a diagnosis of ASD’. #nexuspsychology #yegpsychologist #asd #asdassessment See more

This one-hour Google Meets presentation, hosted by Nexus Psychology's Dr. Shawn Reynolds, is designed for parents with concerns about anxiety during COVID-19, whether for themselves, their children, or their family as a whole. Parents will learn about challenges that impact family dynamics, signs of anxiety in adults and children, and strategies to effectively manage anxiety during this stressful time. This interactive presentation is available to all Alberta schools @ABSc...hoolBoards. To book a session for your school community contact [email protected] #eips #psd70 #ecsd #backtoschool2020 #parenting #COVID19 See more

Are you often worrying about things? Feeling sad or agitated most of the time? Having frequent headaches or stomach issues? Trouble with sleep and energy? Thinking about harming yourself? You may be experiencing difficulties with anxiety and/or depression. The good news is that these symptoms are very treatable, and both adults and youth can learn to manage these challenges well with help. To contact our psychologist for support call 780-221-5721 or email [email protected]. #WorldSuicidePreventionDay #WSPD2020 #depression #anxiety

#stress #mentalhealth

Nexus Psychology's Dr. Shawn Reynolds, clinical child psychologist, has created a podcast for busy parents who are seeking strategies to help with mental health and parenting during the pandemic. The focus is on practical everyday strategies. Enjoy! #parenting #COVID19... https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/2976695

Anxious? You're not alone. 1 in 20 Canadians experience anxiety at some point in their lives. #ValuePsych #anxiety

Students are feeling the impact of recent events and may be experiencing a range of emotions around returning to school, including anxiety. Anxious students m...ay have trouble coping with the changes and demands related to transitioning back to school, and may need additional support to feel good about returning. Our team of psychologists has the expertise to help your student successfully transition back to the classroom. For more information contact email us at [email protected] or call us at 780-221-5721. #backtoschool

Being a parent is a tough job, no matter the age of your child. If you feel like you and your teen are always in conflict, we can help. Our goal is to educate and support the entire family, because life doesnt come with an instruction manual and we all feel stuck sometimes. Contact our psychologist for support by calling 780-221-5721 or emailing [email protected].... #parentingteens

Join Nexus Psychology's Dr. Shawn Reynolds at the Sherwood Park Alliance Church online. Everyone is welcome!

We are pleased to once again be offering in-person services and have taken measures to minimize risk to our clients by following guidelines outlined by the College of Alberta Psychologists as well as the Workplace Guidance for Community Health Care Settings, provided by Albertas Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw. Safety measures include: symptom screening, office sanitation procedures in all high-traffic areas, the use of personal protective equipment, and practicing social distancing. As well, we continue to offer video counselling sessions using a private and confidential platform! For details on our new safety procedures and protocols, or to book an appointment, email us at [email protected] or call us at 780-221-5721.

Anxiety is a common challenge for children and teens. It can look like: Worries (e.g., being liked, being judged, something bad happening to them or their loved... ones, school performance/exams, the weather) Changes in mood (e.g., irritability), lowered concentration and school performance Physical complaints (e.g., headaches, stomach aches) Difficulties with sleep and energy Panic attacks (including rapid breathing, intense fear, and chest pain) It is important to seek help if your child or teen is experiencing anxiety symptoms that are causing distress to them and/or beginning to interfere with their daily life. The good news is that anxiety is very treatable, and children and teens can learn to manage these challenges well with help. To contact our psychologist call 780-221-5721 or email [email protected].

Psychological Assessment of Children During Covid August 20 Webinar - https://mailchi.mp//psychological-assessment-of-children-d

Is your family facing a summer with restrictions on some of your favorite activities? Tips from PAA on going back to basics for a psychologically healthy summer! #ValuePsych #covidsummer #ExploreAlberta

Thought-provoking letter - please read. This is a copy of a letter I sent this morning to Jason Kenney, Adriana La Grange, and Sarah Hoffman. Feel free to share.... ***An Open Letter to Premier Jason Kenney, Minister Adriana La Grange, and Members of the UCP Party*** In my twelve years as a Speech-Language Pathologist serving the Alberta public, I have had the privilege of supporting children who, for a variety of reasons, struggled with their development. For children with Autism, Down Syndrome, neurological disorders, significant prematurity, genetic conditions, developmental delays, and more, I have sat in a room and met with parents and promised to help their child grow. I have advocated for services and supports, I have coached families through difficult times, and I have had the incredible privilege of being trusted to work with, guide, and support some truly amazing children at incredibly vulnerable times in their lives. I have seen first words. I have seen children learn to make friends. I have seen children learn to interact with the world around them and adjust to being in school. And I am only one of hundreds thousands of specialized support staff, in similar programs, who do the same type of work with passion and dedication and incredible skill, all across the province. And never, ever have I felt that children in Alberta are at greater risk than they are right now. The UCP Governments significant, devastating cuts to Program Unit Funding (PUF) have changed the developmental trajectories of thousands of young, vulnerable Albertans. In an instant. Through the passing of the budget on a Thursday in February, the UCP government upended the supports and services that were allowing children with significant needs to find their voice, learn, grow, and develop. Over 70% of the funding that had previously provided educational programming, support staff, and therapeutic interventions for children with documented, severe delays and disabilities. So, it occurs to me that maybe you dont know. Maybe you dont know why we had these programs in the first place. Maybe you have never seen a 2.5 year old with autism, who is completely overwhelmed with the sensory input from the world around him, AND cant communicate his needs. And as a result, THAT child persistently hits his own head against the floor until an adult gently restrains him. Can you imagine being so overwhelmed that you hurl your 27-lb body against a hard floor so that you can feel something other than the frustration of having no words? This isnt an isolated case. This is what can happen to young children who cant communicate and have a sensory system in need of OT support. It doesnt last forever, though. With intervention, that child can learn to use pictures or gestures or words to make requests and answer questions. And a year later, that child might say I want goldfish at snack time, and smile when you pass them their Toy Story lunchbox. And youll marvel at the fact that a year ago, you desperately tried to cushion his forehead as he lunged at the floor, over and over again, when you couldnt figure out what he wanted. And youll feel eternally grateful that you got to be a part of a system that helped that child in real and tangible ways. Maybe you have never met a child with apraxia, who knows exactly what they want to say, but whose motor-planning systems dont allow them to produce sounds with their mouth, lips, tongue and voice. They understand everything. And they cant say anything at age two. Maybe you havent provided sessions, three times a week for SIX months, to help that child learn to bring his lips together. Those sessions are tough, and hes SO frustrated, but he works SO hard. For YEARS. And its SO worth it. Because that child, who is now nine, can tell you all about his hockey practice and crack jokes and read and write and be all the things a nine year old can be. Because this is what happens when a child can communicate. Maybe you have never seen a child come to school with bruises on her face. Reflexively, you ask her what happened. And then you cringe inside, because shes 3.5 and has somewhere between four and six words and answers every question with the word yeah. Where did you go? -yeah. What happened to your forehead? -Yeah. You wish so much that she could tell you what happened. And then she will go home from school, and her mom will ask her what she did during the day, and how she got the bruise on her forehead. She won't be able to answer moms questions either. She just says yeah and doesnt understand why mom is upset. The mom thinks that the bruise came from school. School thinks it came from home. Every day this child goes back and forth between home and school, and she cant tell anyone about either. Can you imagine how lonely that is? Not being able to share your thoughts and ideas with a single person? As her SLP, the first thing you work on is helping that child use pictures or real objects to make choices and answer simple questions. It's a goal that cant happen soon enough. Because you know that the ability to answer questions or point or use pictures, not only gives that child a voice but also gives that child some safety. Turns out, the bruise happened on the bus. By accident. When she reached down to pick up her lunch box, she hit her head on the metal wall of the bus. She didnt tell us that. Another kid from the bus did. The next day. It took mom, teacher, SLP and principal one full day to figure that out. Can you imagine how vulnerable these children are? When they cant tell anybody about anything? THIRTY ONE PERCENT of children with developmental disabilities may face abuse or maltreatment (Sullivan & Knutson, 2000). And it can continue, undetected, when children cant communicate. Maybe you have never met a child with cerebral palsy, who is wheelchair bound and has spastic quadriplegia. That child may never use his voice to speak. But with intervention, he can use his eye gaze to become a proficient user of a computerized voice-output device. That takes years of therapy. It takes such determination and hard work from a little kid, that sometimes during session it brings tears to your eyes because you can just feel the fortitude from this five-year-old who wants to be heard and find a voice in this world. He is in kindergarten, and his team helps him thrive because hes learning to use his skills in this new and busy environment. And maybe you have never seen a child like that grow up, and be fifteen, and use an iPhone with an eye gaze interface and text his friends and surf the internet. This can happen, because he can communicate. I assume you dont know this. The struggles, the hardship, the perseverance, the joy, the potential, the possibility, the pride that families experience as their preschooler struggles to communicate and interact but then grows, and learns, and improves and thrives. All because they received the right support at the right time. If you knew this, you wouldnt take it away. I assume you dont know the outcomes, either. Because if you did, you wouldnt have eliminated nearly 3/4 of the funding that underpins early intervention in Alberta, and you wouldnt have changed the age cut-off from age six, to 4 years 8 months. Now, I dont have space to reference the entire compendium of research articles that bears out the efficacy and importance of early intervention across a variety of delivery models and for a variety of vulnerable populations but here are some highlights: 1.) Early intervention capitalizes on the most critical developmental window that a child will ever pass through. A childs experiences in their first six years of life will significantly influence their lifes outcome (Warr-Leeper, 2001). This is why PUF needs to continue to age SIX, and why PUF in kindergarten should NOT align with services in the remainder of the grades. 2.) Greater access to early intervention leads to greater gains for the child (McManus et al, 2019). 3.) It supports the most at-risk children. Children from low SES families or minority backgrounds may be as much as 75% less likely to receive early intervention services (Khetani et al, 2018). But for them, it can have the greatest impact. Missing out on early intervention further marginalizes children from underprivileged backgrounds, and requires that governments invest FURTHER in early intervention for at-risk children. 4.) Early intervention supports a childs academic readiness. Up to 42% of children who receive early intervention no longer require special education support in kindergarten and beyond. For children who receive early intervention due to speech/language needs alone, up to 60% no longer require support after kindergarten if they receive appropriate early intervention. (Hebbeler et al 2007). 5.) Early intervention works for children with disorders such as autism, with significant short and long-term effects borne out through research time and time again (Bruinsma et al, 2004). My Medline Search brought up over 6000 matches for effectiveness - early - intervention so I assure there is more if you care to read it. So- to sum up. It works. It works for every child who needs it. And the window for this efficacy is birth to SIX. Now, if the human stories didnt convince you, and the efficacy studies didnt persuade you, lets talk numbers. Because, I suppose its possible to appreciate the benefits to at-risk children, but still feel reluctant to invest public funds in this domain during tough times. So here are a multitude of reasons why early intervention makes economic sense, as evidenced through a variety of peer-reviewed studies and well respected economists. Statistically significant, positive effects have been reported over the long term when children receive early intervention. These effects are reported across the following domains: >IQ >Behaviour >Scholastic achievement >Special Education requirements >Grade repetiton >High school completion rates >Crime rates >Income in adulthood >Welfare participation >And even-the lifelong number of emergency room visits a person will require. (Karoly et al, 1998). Providing family centred, early intervention early in life improves academic, behavioural, and health outcomes, and offers long-term health benefits and cost savings. (Hajizadeh et al, 2017). The costs associated with early intervention programs such as the Early Start Denver Model are often fully offset after two years due to a reduction in a childs need for other services (Cidav et al, 2017). Most early intervention programs that are evaluated through cost-benefit analysis are found to pay for themselves through benefit to participants, government, and other members of society. Benefit ratios are typically found in the range of $2-4 for every dollar invested in early intervention. (Cannon et al, 2018). Those who participate in early intervention programs will likely require lower public expenditures later in life. They are likely to earn more income and therefore pay more taxes. (Karoly et al, 1998). Early intervention is an effective tool in interrupting the intergenerational transmission of poverty. (ONeill, 2009). For every $1 spent on early childhood programs, the economy receives $6 in economic benefits in the long-term. (Conference Board of Canada, 2017). For every $1 invested in high-quality early intervention, $7.30 of benefit is expected (Garcia et al, 2017). Our province is hurting. We are in the middle of a pandemic. And every household, from small town Alberta to the legislature, is looking for ways to economize right now. Cutting PUF funding isnt one of them. Lets be the province who sees the most vulnerable kids, with the most potential, and agrees to invest in them. Lets be the province who is smart enough to see that investing in early intervention now can pay for itself in as little as two years. Lets be the province who looks upon a mountain of peer-reviewed research and decides to use it to inform our public service offerings for our youngest, most at-risk Albertans. And lets be the province that recognizes excellent economic opportunities and makes investments in children based on proven fiscal benefits. And please, lets also be a province with a sales tax and pay for these things regardless of the price of oil. Sincerely, A Concerned Alberta Speech-Language Pathologist, *******Edited to add: Please follow this up with advocacy to those in office. Email your concerns to: Jason Kenney: [email protected] Adriana La Grange: [email protected] Your local MLA: Google their name. It will come up in their contact page.

Many teens have spent a lot of time online these past few months. Did you know that 1 in 5 teens in Canada have witnessed bullying online, and 51% of all teens have had a negative experience with social networking? #ChoosePsych #ValuePsych #COVID19 #bullying

Psychology Quick Fact: 70% of mental health problems have their onset during childhood or adolescence. During COVID-19, let's make sure we're taking care of the psychological, not just physical health of our kids and teens. #ChoosePsych #ValuePsych

Alberta's re-launching! Getting ready to deliver services in person again? This Psychological Services & COVID-19 Checklist will get you started. Get the PDF wi...th clickable links or view the full checklist under In Person Practice at https://buff.ly/3bZtac7 #ValuePsych #covid19 #openforbusiness See more

Are you in need of parenting support? Our psychologists can give you positive parenting strategies that work! We can help you find the balance between structure... and play, and give you ideas to manage those difficult parenting situations. Now offering video therapy sessions! To learn more about or to book a video therapy session, call 780-221-5721 or email [email protected]. #parents #parenting #telepsychology #counselling

If you are feeling anxious or depressed and need support, we are here to help. We provide anxiety and depression therapy to children, adolescents, and adults. W...e offer short-term therapy to help you feel your best. To learn more about video therapy, or to book a video therapy session, call 780-221-5721 or email [email protected]. #anxiety #depression #covid19 #IStayHomeFor

Happy Mother's Day!Happy Mother's Day!

Join Dr. Shawn Reynolds, Registered Psychologist at Nexus Psychology, next Monday, May 4 for a free webinar, Coping with Eczema During Uncertain Times, hosted by Eczema Society of Canada Dr. Reynolds will provide coping strategies, itch strategies, and will answer your questions live. Register today for the unique webinar link for... Monday, May 4th 2020 at 2:00 pm eastern time. https://register.gotowebinar.com/regis/1359273855279462411 To learn more about Dr. Reynolds: https://nexuspsychology.ca/about-us/shawn-reynolds/ #eczema

Join Nexus Psychology's Dr. Shawn Reynolds for this Webinar hosted by Eczema Society of Canada! Coping with Eczema and Stress During Uncertain Times PRESENTER: Dr. Shawn Reynolds, Registered Psychologist, Nexus Psychology, Sherwood Park, Alberta... WHEN: Monday, May 4, 2020, 2:00 3:00 PM EDT Register now! #eczema