As a school psychologist, I have often heard teachers and parents express concerns about students’ abilities in the area of social skills, emotional regulation, and self-control. I am often given the task of making recommendations to support these students’ needs. Upon researching the topic, I came across three research-based programs that aim to help children improve these kinds of social-emotional …
Does Increasing Physical Activity in School Lead to Improvements in Academic Achievement and Behavior?
Recently, one of our readers asked about the effects of physical activity on academic performance. Here is what the research says… The American Academy of Pediatrics (APA) analyzed 26 individual studies in December 2017, which all examined the impact of physical activity on academic performance and/or classroom behavior. Results indicated that if schools increase students’ physical activity, they can significantly …
Calling Parents About Students’ “Misbehavior” in School
Many times parents are bombarded with phone calls and meetings from the school about how their child is behaving. While it is highly important for a parent to impress upon their child the importance of education, following adult directions, being respectful, and learning all they can to be a knowledgeable well-rounded individual; there is only so much a parent can …
Does Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Work? What Does the Research Say?
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy has become increasingly popular with therapists and the general public. Surveys completed by therapists indicate that CBT is quickly becoming the preferred method of treatment many clinicians utilize with their patients. Additionally, individuals can utilize CBT self-help books to practice these techniques on their own, and this is becoming a popular trend. CBT is organized in a structured …
Engaging Social Studies Curriculum Shows Promise for Improving Social Skills in Students with Emotional and Behavioral Needs
Storypath offers a structure for organizing the social studies curriculum and an instructional strategy for teaching it. The strategy is based on the belief that children learn best when they are active participants in their own learning. When students have to create, role-play, come up with ideas, problem-solve, etc., they learn the material from the inside out. The structure and …
Five Research-Based Interventions for Treating Youth with Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is defined by the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the book clinicians use to diagnose ODD, as: There are five research-based therapeutic strategies for treating ODD in children/adolescents. These strategies are referred to as psycho-social therapies, and are described in further detail below: Five Therapeutic Strategies for ODD 1. Parental Management Training (PMT) …
What is Sensory Processing Disorder & Sensory Integration Therapy?
People with typically functioning sensory systems learn to tolerate stimulation through their senses in many different ways. They also learn how to use the information they receive through their senses to control themselves and their movements and interact with the world around them. For example, just as our eyes detect visual information and relay that information to the brain for …
Why Positive Behavior Support is Way More Than A Sticker Chart!
Positive behavior support and positive parenting are methods that work to teach kids right from wrong using natural and logical consequences (e.g., you make a mess you clean it up; you take something without asking, you give it back; you break something on purpose, you work to earn the money to fix it; you are disruptive in the movie theatre, …
National Autism Resources Carries Over 1400 Therapeutic Tools for Individuals on the Autism Spectrum
National Autism Resources, also known as NationalAutismResources.com, provides cost-effective, research-based therapeutic tools that meet the needs of people on the autism spectrum across their lifespan. NationalAutismResources.com provides school districts, hospitals, therapy centers, family members, and individuals of the autism community with effective tools that improve the independence and quality of life for people on the autism spectrum. For instance, NationalAutismResources.com carries …
They Say I Have ADHD (A Poem About a Different Perspective)
They say I have ASD, or ADHD or ODD. I say I’m just me. They tell me I’m different and that’s special; but they want to make me like them I think. Do they have goals for me? What are they? This doctor said I have only one disorder, but the other one said I have three. Which therapies do …