Dr. Stone will be a part of an Inaugural School Concussion Conference titled: The Science of Concussion in the Schools, held by Bucks County IU and Centennial School District.
This conference is on January 24th from 9am-3:15pm at William Tennant High School.
Act 48 Hours or Workshop Hours are available.
Our talks at the Bucks County IU are winding down for the season! Below is our final topic for June. This talk is from 7pm – 8:30pm.
If you would like to register, please call our office at 215-491-1119. If you need ACT 48 Credits, also register through the Bucks County IU by calling 215-348-2940 x1341. This talk is free of charge however there is a fee for ACT 48 Credits.
June 16th – Anxiety And Spectrum Disorder – Jean Ruttenberg, MA
Individuals on the Autism Spectrum often experience anxiety. In this workshop we will explore anxiety and its effect on learning and behavior.
The objectives of this workshop will be to:
For more details on this event, please feel free to contact us.
Our talks at the Bucks County IU are continuing through May! Below are the topics for May. All talks are from 7pm – 8:30pm. If you would like to register, please call our office at 215-491-1119. If you need ACT 48 Credits, also register through the Bucks County IU by calling 215-348-2940 x1341. These talks are free of charge however there is a fee for ACT 48 Credits.
May 12th – Understanding and Managing Concussion in Children and Adolescents – J. Stone, PsyD
Everyone knows that the concussions are a hot topic these days, but do we really understand what happens in the brain. Is complete rest necessary? When should they return to school? To play? To friends? This workshop explains what happens exactly in the brain during a concussion and what intervention are the most helpful. We will also discuss the differences between a concussion and post-concussion syndrome – a far more troubling condition to treat. A must for any parent who has a child with a brain!
May 19th – How to Improve Your Attention and Memory – J. Stone, PsyD
Feel like you’re forgetting more often? Can’t remember why you walked into a room? Or half of the grocery list? Is your child struggling with managing homework and other responsibilities? This workshop will explain how attention and working memory work to allow us to be effective and efficient in managing our tasks and our lives – and how to improve your capacity to remember more and be more successful.
May 26th – What Is Emotion Regulation And Why Is It Important? – Jean Ruttenberg, MA
People regulate their emotions all the time. However, on most occasions we are not conscious that we are doing so. This workshop will explore how emotions affect our behavior and interactions with others.
The objectives of this workshop will be to:
For more details on any of these events, please feel free to contact us.
My Kid Has ADHD… Now What?
By James Stone, Psy.D.
Last week, I spoke about the core features of ADHD – mostly, a decreased ability to stop from doing something. This not only explains the impulsive behavior we see, like calling out, interrupting, quick to laugh, etc. but also inattentive and distracted behaviors, when every little thing needs to be attended to, looked at, thought about.
The main take home point of the talk was to develop appropriate expectations. Medication, therapy and parenting techniques can help our children function better, but none of them take away the ADHD. Instead of saying things such as, “You’re 12 now, you should be able to do this.” or, “You have to try harder to pay attention!”, we need to expect that that they will need help getting started, staying on task and shifting from one thing to another. We should expect that they will struggle remembering things from time to time and will forget to turn in homework. The more you know about ADHD – and specifically, your child’s ADHD, the more accurate your expectations will be. Don’t be afraid that helping too much will enable these children and “spoil” them; that they will never learn to do things for themselves. It is simply not true.
If you’re wondering how much support is enough or too much – don’t worry; it’s constantly changing! Instead, my rule of thumb is to provide as little support as is necessary for them to be successful. Note the two important parts: 1) Your support must lead to success. For example, homework will be completed; trash will be taken out (all of it – all the way to the curb). If it’s not done right, you might have helped enough, and 2) Provide only what they need. Think in terms of the executive functioning demands of the task. Are they having trouble getting started, organizing their thought for a paper, turning off the video game? Although setting a timer is good idea (and nearly cliché in ADHD), don’t be afraid to actually turn the game off yourself. Just give them a warning ahead of time so they know it’s coming. Don’t make it punitive – make it helpful.
I gave the example of a boy who was having difficulty taking out the trash completely (he’d always miss something!). Instead of doing it for him (too much) or telling him what he did wrong after he was done (too little – and too late), his mother simply walked with him throughout the process, prompting only when needed. Her presence was all he needed to remind him to stay on task, think about what he needed to do and to know that he had a safety net (mom) in case he forgot. The task was successful and he felt much better about that than always forgetting some aspect of the job. Eventually, his mother faded her help, the routine he established stuck and he did great (or as great as any other teenager does when taking out the trash!).
Lastly, when supporting children with ADHD, it is important to keep in mind what is actually getting in their way? Is it some aspect of the ADHD? It might not be. While a child might have ADHD, it doesn’t define them and there is a lot going on in childhood; normal stress and worries, normal inattention, normal mood fluctuations, etc. Be careful not to define everything through the ADHD. They are not limited by their ADHD, it’s simply something that needs to be managed, much like diabetes. If treated properly and appropriate behavioral changes are made, it can be virtually invisible. However, if left untreated it can cause serious complications. The better educated parents and children with ADHD are, the more they will know what to expect, the more likely they will develop preventive behaviors and they more likely they will be successful.
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To schedule an appointment with Dr. Stone, please request an appointment.
The Anxious Child: How to Identify and Help
By Lorna Jansen, Psy.D
Anxiety is among the most prevalent mental health concerns for children. Between 15 and 20% of children and adolescents will meet criteria for anxiety disorders before the age of 18. Anxiety affects children in many ways, including:
Various anxiety disorders manifest differently in children. For example, a kid with separation anxiety disorder often looks sad, she may have difficulty concentrating and a variety of fears. This child may feel homesick, may exhibit school refusal behavior, and can become aggressive when forced to separate. A child with generalized anxiety disorder is usually concerned with academics, health problems, disasters, and harm to others. For those with social anxiety disorder, their top two fears are giving formal presentations and being in unstructured social situations (which could include talking to authority figures). These children also dislike: reading aloud, performing on a stage, athletic events, attending parties, talking with strangers, ordering food in a restaurant, and answering a question in class. Obsessive-compulsive disorder includes obsessions which are repeated and persistent thoughts that cause distress and/or compulsions, which are repetitive behaviors that the child feels he must perform. A child with specific phobia has a fear of a specific object or situation, which he may express by crying, tantrums, freezing or clinging. Kids with a panic disorder experience panic attacks and may describe feeling sick, but may not know how or why.
The following is a list of strategies for parents and teachers who are helping anxious children:
If you need additional help, please contact The Center for Neuropsychology and Counseling or another mental health professional for assistance from a child psychology expert. The Coping Cat is a program designed to help treat anxious children aged 7 to 13, and it can be implemented in schools or with a therapist. Worry Wise Kids is a helpful website for parents and teachers alike.
To work with one of our child psychology Bucks County professionals, please request an appointment.
200 Highpoint Dr
Suite 215
Chalfont, PA 18914
Phone: 215-491-1119
Fax: 215-491-9119
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The Center for Neuropsychology and Counseling
