Beyond Regulation: Building Connection Through Extracurricular Activities
I work with a student that always wants to sit close to me and often asks if he can hug me. It is an understatement to say that it makes me uncomfortable. This student is now a freshman in high school and presents typically. What many do not know is that he underwent extreme trauma…
I Can’t Believe They Just Said That!
How often do you say to yourself, “I can’t believe they just said that!” Then immediately think, ‘Wow, did they do it just to get a rise out of those around them?’ Yes, they absolutely did! For many parents, educators, or caretakers, when this happens, you find yourself in a position where you need to…
How Do You Have So Much Energy?
“I need to talk to you about how you have so much energy,” my soon to be sister-in-law states. It is no secret that I have ADHD, and aside from people often inquiring about my high energy, they also ask how I can focus on a task. To be honest, I have spent years training…
Everyone Has a Plan Til’ They Get Punched in the Face
Over 20 years ago I was working with a student and we were headed to get lunch. Our goal was to practice waiting in line, as the student had never been asked to wait. We watched the line and were able to jump in with only two people ahead of us. At this point, the…
Catch the Wave … The Brain Wave
As I sat peering at the brain on the screen in front of me, colored green, blue, and red, I felt my face get hot. I swallowed my guilt as I went through the different images where it was clear for me to see that his brain experienced ADHD, some challenges with the back part…
The Boring Breath … Or Is It?
There aren’t many topics that put people to sleep as well as talking about breathing, yet it’s a topic that is far more important than most people realize. Over 50% of individuals diagnosed with ADHD are mouth breathers, and there is a reason why these are connected (Barakat, 2018). In my own experience, more than…
Do You Ever Feel Like A Failure?
Jewell moves to the goal and kicks the ball with her right foot, it just misses the goal. Disappointed, she falls to the ground. The goalie picks up the ball and kicks it to the other end of the field. The ball is kicked out of bounds. The ref calls in the subs, Jewell walks off…
High Performance Hacks
By: Dr. B As a parent or educator, do you ever feel that you are training for the marathon of life? Are you low on energy? Do you have trouble focusing? Time and time again, my team members and I are asked how we can work with so little sleep, why we don’t get sick,…
How to Spot Signs of Potential Aggression
By: Dr. B Daily, I walk into schools and sign into the visitor book. I look up at the ladies working in the office and ask, “Any place I am needed?” One replies, “Kindergarten and first grade hallway, Dr. B.” As I step into the hallway, still wearing my backpack and coat, I see a…
Recognizing and Supporting At-Risk Students
By: Dr. B Being able to recognize and support at-risk students is one of the many important parts of being an effective educator. At-risk students are those individuals who show “persistent patterns of underachievement and social maladjustment in school, leading to their failure to finish high school” (McMillan & Reed, 1994). Being an ‘at-risk student’…
Top 10 Tips to Help Someone Feel Safe
By: Dr. B Feeling safe is a fundamental human need (Maslow, 1943, as cited in Thapa et al., 2013). Feeling safe within a school setting is important as it promotes healthy development, as well as fosters a greater attachment to school and provides the foundation needed for social, emotional and academic learning to take place…
How To Tell If Your Students Are Ready To Learn Through Body Language
By: Dr. B Body language is an area of study that is vast and could help us to address so many areas related to our students. For the purposes of this blog we are going to try and keep our discussion of body language to recognizing when students are able to attend or recognizing that…
