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Kids with OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) experience unwanted thoughts, worries or impulses called obsessions. Some kids with OCD develop obsessions about religion or God. They may become extremely anxious that they might break religious rules or offend God and they fixate on avoiding or correcting mistakes. They worry so much that their fear gets in the way of daily life. Read on to learn more about religious OCD, How religious OCD is different from having religious faith and treatment options for religious OCD.
Children and teens who experience sensory differences often find it difficult to understand their sensory system and sensory/regulation needs they may be experiencing. Understanding Sensory Differences: A Guidebook for Children and Teens is designed for professionals and parents to work with children to help them understand their sensory system and address any sensory needs. The guidebook offers an overview of sensory differences from a neurodiversity affirming perspective. Neurodiversity affirming constructs are provided and instructions for developing a regulation play time to help address sensory and regulation needs is provided. The guidebook also contains several worksheets and resources specifically designed to help the child or teen explore their questions, feelings, and thoughts about sensory differences. Each worksheet covers a different topic related to gaining awareness about sensory differences (needs and strengths) and helping children and teens better understand what it means to be neurodivergent and sensory different. The guidebook also provides a guide for professionals and parents offering instructions, information, and suggestions for implementing and processing through each worksheet page. Additionally, several sensory different professionals share their lived experience being a neurodivergent child and suggestions for being neurodiversity affirming.
Helping children build a strong sense of self is key to developing confidence in countless other areas of life. When children trust in who they authentically are, they’re more like to try new things, develop new skills, and build healthy and strong relationships.“Unicorn, Let Your Light Shine” offers an introduction to the concept of authenticity, taking readers along Unicorn’s journey of learning to celebrate what makes her different and special. Children will feel supported in embracing their true self and are reminded through Unicorn's story that their loved ones will always appreciate them for who they are.
An important, engaging, practical book for young people (and their important adults).All feelings are important – the magical, the messy, and the in-between. Sometimes though, big feelings can have us behaving in ways that aren’t so, let’s say … shiny. This happens to all of us. The more young people understand how and why, the more they can build the capacity to feel their feelings and manage them in positive ways.‘Ups and Downs’ draws on Polyvagal Theory, a widely accepted neuroscientific theory, to support young people to understand why they feel and do as they do, and how to do differently when they need to. Driving brains and bodies isn’t easy! It takes time, experience, and the right information – so let’s give them that.Who is ‘Ups and Downs’ for?Kids 5-12.Teens 13 and up.Parents.Teachers.Counsellors, psychologists, therapists.Any adult with a young person in their life.Anyone who loves picture books.Anyone who thinks they’re too old for picture books.Anyone who gets anxious, angry, sad, happy and who wants to understand (and better manage) feelings and behaviour.Anyone with a head.Everyone else.
Young people with autism often have differences in their flexibility skills. Sometimes these are called “problems with flexibility” or “cognitive and behavioral rigidity.” Certainly these differences can get in the way of many day-to-day situations such as social interactions, transitioning to less preferred activities, managing differences/change, and flexible thinking (“big picture” thinking). But these differences in flexibility may also hold the key to helping young people on the autism spectrum to “get stuck” on being more flexible and using big picture thinking.Below are some tips and language to use in your daily life that can help your child become more flexible.
One fun way to teach children to relax is using shapes. It’s a more playful way to help them keep track of their breathing and slow down. Learn about triangle, square, star, and lazy 8 breathing.
Let's Play Therapy Institute offers Video Games in Play Therapy: An Introduction for Working with Children, Adolescents, and Adults. The course is for purchase and offers 3.0 Non-Contact APT Credit Hours upon completion. See website for a Free Course Preview. Video games can transport us to worlds beyond our imagination. The creative clinician can use this dynamic and engaging medium to connect with clients while also addressing treatment goals. Evidence-based therapies such as play therapy can be coupled with the use of video games to facilitate communication, enhance social relationships, improve problem solving skills and teach self-regulation. This online workshop will discuss the research and integration of video games in play therapy and will provide participants with a list of recommended video games and resources to implement video games into practice. Objectives -Discuss the research and effectiveness of video games in play therapy in the treatment of children, adolescents, and adults. -Apply 3-4 play therapy interventions using video games to improve social skills, communication skills, and connection in individual, group, and family sessions. -Identify 2-3 strategies of using online gaming and video games in telehealth. -Discuss the most popular video games, including current gaming trends and language.
Let's Play Therapy offers Video Games in Play Therapy: Supporting Executive Functioning Skills of the Neurodivergent, an online course for purchase. Professionals can earn 3.0 Non-Contact APT Credit Hours. See website for a free preview. The Neurodiversity Affirmative movement continues to promote acceptance and new perspectives on being differently wired. As play therapy embraces the natural language of children, it can also be used to support the executive functioning skills of neurodivergent gamers. Video games in play therapy can be used to facilitate such executive function skills as stress management, task initiation, and self-regulation. Video games can use a gamer’s metaphors to teach moral development, creative problem solving, and working memory directly and indirectly. This bridging of worlds using video games in play therapy can increase acceptance and self-compassion of being different, something the neurodivergent community greatly needs. Course Description: -Identify and describe executive function skills related to neurodivergent gamers in play therapy using video games. -Describe 3-5 directive and nondirective play therapy interventions to promote executive function skills using video games. -Demonstrate how to use specific video games or online tools to support individual executive function skill development.
This video explains why your brain loves giving you intrusive thoughts and what you can do about it.
Attention Deficit Disorder Association offers many different virtual support groups by specific ages and interest including groups such as Beginners with ADHD, ADHD Women 50+, Non-ADHD Partner Peer Support Group, ADD/ADHD + LGBTQ, Peer Support for Young Adults with ADHD, Men with ADHD, Self-Employed + ADHD, High IQ + ADHD, South Asian + ADHD, and more.
Dr. Rachel Altvater, Psy.D., RPT-S of Creative Psychological Health Services, provides a tour of her virtual playroom. Dr. Altvater demonstrates using different playroom apps and game apps.
Apple offers Virtual Sandtray® which can be used on Ipads and Iphones. It is designed for use on a touch screen. The application can be used remotely with virtual therapy or in person. The therapist version is for purchase and the client version is free.
What Can I Control? A visual activity for students who want to control everything.
Psychologist Karen Young explores the role of vulnerability in relationships, the impact of avoiding it and how to turn towards vulnerability instead of viewing it as a weakness.
Warning Signs of Too Much Screen Time for Kids Kids love screens. Why does the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend limiting screen time for children and teens? Excessive screen time interferes with social, emotional, and physical development. Most kids significantly exceed these recommendations. If your child exhibits some of the signs below, it’s time to put some stricter limits on screen time
Kids love screens. Why does the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend limiting screen time for children and teens? Excessive screen time interferes with social, emotional, and physical development. Most kids significantly exceed these recommendations. If your child exhibits some of the signs below, it’s time to put some stricter limits on screen time.
Children experience complex emotions just like adults.Helping children identify and express their feelings in a positive manner is important for their social-emotional learning, developing empathy, and building resilience. Feelings are neither good nor bad, they simply are. Kids need words to name their feelings, just as they need words to name all things in their world.The Way I Feel uses strong, colorful, and expressive images which go along with simple verses to help children connect the word and the emotion. Children will learn useful words giving parents, teachers, and caregivers many chances to open conversations about what’s going on in their child’s life.Recommended by parents, teachers, and mental health professionals, The Way I Feel is a valuable addition to anyone's library.
We Need Diverse Books™ offers a diverse book lists, a blog and resources for parents, educators, librarians and publishing professional. We Need Diverse Books™ (WNDB) strives to create a world in which all children can see themselves in the pages of a book. To reach this goal, we've created programs to celebrate diverse books, to mentor diverse writers and illustrators, to support diverse publishing professionals, and to provide books to classrooms nationwide.
The world's top clinicians and researchers, as well as fellow members of our community, cover a wide range of topics from the latest advances in medications to helpful parenting techniques in the webinar archive.
Positive journaling has been found to help improve feelings of well-being and self-esteem. With this self-esteem worksheet, your clients will be asked to record three daily statements related to their successes, good qualities, and positive experiences. This worksheet is great for clients who have difficulty generating ideas for positive experiences to journal about. We've designed this worksheet to be as straight-forward and simple as possible, while maintaining the qualities that are important for improving self-esteem. Some examples of prompts within this handout are:"I felt proud when...""Today I accomplished...""Something I did for someone..."
