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Three Ways to Foster Cognitive Flexibility in Children Cognitive flexibility is an important thinking skill, typically defined as the ability to switch between thinking about two different concepts or being able to think about multiple concepts simultaneously. It is considered to be a critical executive function – part of a group of mental processes that … Read more

Rewire Your Thoughts, Change Your Mood Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based treatment modality that is built on the premise that thoughts have a significant impact on feelings and behaviors, and that by changing our thought patterns, we can improve the way we feel and act.  To change our thoughts, however, we must first … Read more

Could a Vision-Related Issue Account for Your Child’s Learning Struggles? As a parent, you may be wondering why your child is having a hard time in school, why learning does not seem to be coming easily to your child, and/or why your child is struggling to reach their potential. In these kind of situations, a … Read more

Diagnosing AD/HD in Teens A diagnosis of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) often occurs in childhood.  In fact, one of the diagnostic criteria for AD/HD is that symptoms need to have been present prior to age 12.  This does not mean, however, that an initial diagnosis of AD/HD cannot occur in adolescence or young adulthood.  In … Read more

Starting to Make Sense of IEP’s and 504 Plans As students head back to school this fall, some parents may be wondering if an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 Plan may be appropriate for their child. Many parents come to FamilyFirst with this question and voice confusion about the difference between an IEP and … Read more

Being a Supportive Listener In recent weeks I have had a number of conversations, both in and out of therapy sessions, highlighting just how hard it can be to receive and give support. Whether it’s feeling shut down when expressing difficult feelings or feeling helpless in the face of another’s difficult feelings, effective and satisfying … Read more

Does My Family Really Need a Schedule This Summer? For many families, being out of school (which tends to be routine and schedule-driven) means not having a schedule in place.  It is important to recognize, however, that having a set agenda, which is what daily/weekly schedules and routines inherently offer, tends to be as helpful … Read more

Managing Sibling Rivalry It’s finally summer, which for many families means that the children are spending a lot more time at home together.  With increased togetherness often comes increased sibling rivalry.  Sibling rivalry can take many forms, ranging from poking and glaring to teasing and name-calling to kicking and wrestling.  While many parents find these … Read more

Too Much Stimulation or Too Little: Aiming for “Just Right” This Summer Another school year has wrapped up and here comes summer! As we hear the collective cheer from our children and want to them to enjoy all that summer time has to bring, we parents need to be mindful of behaviors they exhibit that … Read more