The teenage years are ripe with new experiences, opportunities and challenges. Also during this time, teenagers’ brains are changing, and they want more independence and autonomy. During this time, there are also many stressors. Read more ›
Anxious teens are vulnerable to experiencing a panic attack, which is a frightening experience, especially since it can occur out of the blue. Read more ›
It’s always difficult to hear your children yelling or sobbing that they don’t want to go to school. You may be even more sensitive to their reluctance and anxiety because of what an unpredictable place school has felt like for the past two years. So, what do you do when you have scrambled to get all your kids’ school supplies and clothes ready for school only to find that you now must coax them to get there? Read more ›
Developmental milestones (how a child plays, learns, speaks, acts, or moves)are things most children can do by a certain age. All young children need both developmental monitoring and developmental screening to help you and your child’s doctor, teachers, and other providers know if your child’s development is on track. Read more ›
Talk with your young adult about avoiding underage drinking, even if you suspect alcohol use during high school. Research suggests that teens who talked with their parents about alcohol avoidance strategies before they began their first year of college were more likely to avoid alcohol, limit its use, and spend less time with heavy-drinking peers. Read more ›
Executive function skills help people stay focused, and manage the flow of information. Day to day, these skills allow a person to pay attention, plan ahead, remember details, and juggle multiple tasks. They also help control their behavior and emotions, delay immediate rewards for future benefits, and continue forward when faced with challenges. Read more ›
What’s the best advice you can give to a new college student? Connections are everything.
Research for decades has shown that the relationships students cultivate in college – with professors, staff and fellow students – are key to success. Read more ›
When I was a child in the 1980s, the people I knew with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder were hyperactive boys who went to the school nurse at lunchtime to get their medicine. Many people assumed that these boys would “grow out of” their symptoms as teenagers or adults. Read more ›
Executive dysfunction is a behavioral symptom that disrupts a person’s ability to manage their own thoughts, emotions and actions. It’s most common with certain mental health conditions, especially addictions, behavioral disorders, brain development disorders and mood disorders. Read more ›
Every family wants to make sure their children enjoy a safe, happy and productive year as classrooms reopen this fall. The American Academy of Pediatrics published a list of 12 tips to prepare children for back-to-school season, including several that focus on mental health. Read more ›
