Common wisdom tells us that providing children with an allowance helps them to understand and develop an appreciation for the value of money. Through their use of their allowance money, it is thought, that they may be somehow prepared to manage the financial duties that life will eventually present. It is also a popular notion […]
We are frequently asked at the time we are scheduling an initial visit for a child, “what shall I tell him about this doctor visit?” Many parents express concern about telling their child that they are about to visit with a mental health professional. Other parents worry that somehow talking about their child, his or […]
Licensed Clinical Psychologist #520 Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) refers to a complex pattern of neurologically based behaviors. According the World Health Organization, incidence is between 4 and 7 percent of the population. There is no laboratory test or specific procedure for making a definitive diagnosis and current approaches to diagnosis are largely subjective. Diagnoses are […]
These notes on “The Care and Feeding of the Temper Monster” are offered to parents everywhere who, unlike Rafael‘s parents, enjoy the Temper Monster and want to encourage his presence. I know there are such people because only last week I saw a bumper sticker on a pickup truck which read, “My kid can beat up […]
For my entire career, I have been involved in working with oppositional and acting out children. One of the things I need to know early on is what types of approaches parents have tried prior to their presenting for treatment. Invariably I hear such things as “we’ve tried talking to him, we’ve taken privileges away, […]
The single most prevalent referral problem in my work with children has been overly frequent, troubling displays of temper in children who are old enough to have developed other means to manage frustration. During the second and third years of life, the child’s mental capacity can create much more beautiful sequences of behavior in their […]
With the new year upon us and school back in session, many parents return to the duty of helping with homework. For some parents, however, “helping with homework” has come to mean taking over the responsibility of getting the homework done. Sometimes this means loud, ongoing exhortations (nagging) in an effort to make the child […]
Typical Questions that are asked of us by the Courts, and various persons or agencies involved in settling custody disputes, include which factors of personality, interpersonal style, disciplinary style, and emotional health and adjustment will influence what custody arrangements will be best for the child(ren) whose living arrangement is in question. Factors related to positive […]
Behavior problems in childhood in the absence of any other psychopathology (mental or emotional illness) are quite common. In contrast to emotional disorders (depression and the like), behavior problems are readily modifiable with a cooperative engagement of the therapist, the family and the child. Difficulty in the treatment of behavior problems usually involves a failure […]
NEUROPSYCHOLOGY: Assessment of Brain Impairment as a Result of Injury Neuropsychology has been organized into a distinct discipline in relatively recent years. However, research and practice in neuropsychology in the United States dates from the late 1940’s and 1950’s, with the pioneering work of Steryl Halstead and Ralph Reitan at the University of Indiana Medical […]
