In my last article I described the primitive reflexes that are part of your child’s ‘baby brain’ and how they can prevent the development of higher brain levels. After about twelve months, these reflexes should integrate with the development of more complex movements. When they don’t disappear (known as integration), they can interfere with the…
Continue ReadingIf a child is impulsive, unable to sit still, has poor motor skills or has difficulty learning—the most common diagnosis is ADHD or a learning disability. Yet these symptoms might have nothing to do with a disorder and may be occurring because a child’s ‘baby brain’ didn’t totally disappear. Child development researchers have found that…
Continue ReadingWhen parents are creating a sleep routine, ensuring their child is getting plenty of exercise during the day and is eating healthy food, they can feel like they have run out of options and that getting their child to sleep is hopeless. In previous articles I discussed the importance of sleep for good behaviour and…
Continue ReadingAddressing poor sleep can help your child be more focused and better behaved and this can be a win for you on so many levels – like better mornings and behaviour. I have seen far too many parents who are burnt-out and can’t even get their head above water to help their child with their…
Continue ReadingSleep Matters. It’s super easy to underestimate its value amidst all the other ways to help your child focus, learn and behave better. But trust me – sleep is definitely not something you want to overlook or put off and address later on. Sleep could be the biggest part of the equation. The impact of…
Continue ReadingIf you find yourself wondering why they don’t have a breakfast wine – you need to read this. As much as some parents love back-to-school more than Christmas there are also a ton of parents who actually hate the start of the school year. Sure, it’s nice to have the kids back into a routine…
Continue ReadingAs a mom you are always getting advice on how to speak to your children – but what if your child is having trouble communicating or listening to you despite all of your coaching? Your child might not be trying to drive you crazy – they might have weak back-to-front processing which can means what…
Continue ReadingUp until this summer I didn’t mention chlorine to my clients because of all the toxins that are of concern chlorine was least on my radar. The only reason I knew how chlorine can impact behaviour, mood and brain function is because of my daughter. Chlorine Effects – It’s Personal When we finally learned my…
Continue ReadingTaking a break from ADHD medication during the summer holidays is something many parents do because they know that any problems that may arise from not being on medication will not affect their child’s learning. The main reasons parents choose to do this are concerns about the side-effects of the medication or they are wondering…
Continue ReadingIn my last post I talked about my top three tips to make summer a success for kids with ADHD and ASD the main aspect of that is creating structure and routine. The other area that needs to be addressed is why kids can become more overstimulated or have more challenging behaviours in the summer…
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