Most people are familiar with special education services at schools. If you’re a parent, you’ve also probably heard of an Individualized Education Program (IEP), which is a plan that outlines special education services and other supports for children who can’t learn without these services. However, not all children qualify or need an IEP, but they might still benefit from additional supports at school. There is another option: a 504 plan.
For most of my childhood and teenage years, I wondered why I couldn’t function and behave like my peers. I’d stare at the board in class, yet fail to process the information in front of me. I would miss important instructions on assignments, resulting in poor grades. It felt like everyone was moving forward without me. This created a deep sense of alienation and embarrassment. In my sophomore year of high school, I was diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
You’ve probably heard the phrase “adulting is hard.” It certainly can be true; being a grownup sometimes is a real drag. As you age into adulthood, your responsibilities typically grow. As responsibilities grow, so too does the need for executive functioning. Executive function skills help us make decisions, complete tasks and control our emotions.
You may not be familiar with the term “doomscrolling,” but you’ve probably done it. You scroll through your social media feed, read about all the bad things happening and lose anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours. And now you feel worse about the state of the world. Here's how to avoid it.
Teen years are a difficult time of transition, changing bodies and changing rules. Young people today are also facing many other challenges, like fear over climate change, gun violence, racial inequities, online bullying and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, all these issues are severely impacting young people’s mental health. It’s so concerning that former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy issued a youth mental health advisory in 2021.
But even before the pandemic, young people were struggling with their mental health, particularly young Black people. According to AP News, “Between 1991 and 2019, Black adolescents had the highest increase among any racial or ethnic group in prevalence of suicide attempts — a rise of nearly 80%.”While all young people in the U.S. are experiencing a mental health crisis, Black youth face additional challenges that uniquely impact their mental health.
Autism rates are increasing, with about 1 in 36 U.S. children being diagnosed with autism, each year. However, people who may be on the spectrum aren’t always diagnosed at a young age. There are many reasons why a child may not receive an autism diagnosis at a young age.
The beginning of a new year is often a time to assess your life and create plans. Some refer to these as resolutions or intentions, and others call these goals. Regardless of the terminology you use, changing your behavior is hard. Many people find themselves abandoning their new plans before January is even over. However, researchers have studied behavior change to understand how our bodies react to it, and how we can use this knowledge to our advantage. Here are 7 ideas to help you achieve your goals, backed by research.
Parents want to raise their children to be kind, thoughtful and empathetic. One way to encourage these behaviors is to teach them to recognize and express gratitude. Here are six ways to teach your children to be grateful.
People with autism often have sensory processing differences, but those with anxiety, depression, ADHD or other conditions may also struggle with sensory processing. Sensory differences can make sensory input like bright lights, loud noises or new smells feel overwhelming. Using sensory tools can help people with sensory processing differences calm their bodies, when they encounter an overwhelming sensation, or modify their environment, so they can be shielded from the sensory input. Here are a few gift ideas for your loved one with sensory differences, provided by the Fraser Sensory Certified™ Supports and Training team.
Many of us are caregivers. Parents care for children, but you may also be a caregiver for your parent, friend or significant other. Some professions, like teachers, doctors, therapists and home healthcare aides, even have jobs as caregivers. We all know that caring for others can be incredibly rewarding, but at the same time, it’s exhausting and can often feel like a thankless job. This is particularly true if the person you’re caring for has a high level of needs, like some children with autism, mental or behavioral health issues and disabilities.