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 2015
 Family Workshops
for Parents, Children & Teens  
 Nurtured Heart Approach� Workshops

"Parenting with Positivity" 

  In 6 weekly sessions
Transform Your Parent-Youth Relationship in Ways You Never Dreamed Possible!       
 
teen hugging mom
End the yelling & power struggles! 
  • Utilize heartfelt vocabulary that connects to your child/teen's heart.
  • Adopt a lens of "positivity" to SEE & VALIDATE your child. 
  • Correctly download your energy & relationship
  • Transform your youth from the inside out, building self-esteem & resilience.  
* This unique parenting approach will have profound & lasting effects on the nurturing relationship between you & your child/teen & young adult. Link
ADHD/LD & Mild ASD Parent Strategies Workshops


Six weekly sessions (7pm-9pm)  

  • Notch Up your Nurtured Heart� Positivity Parenting with strategies for daily home & school issues.
  • Learn tools for dealing with: home routines, communication, homework, IEP's, anxiety & more.
  •  Bring peace, respect & connection to your family & home.
Adult ADHD Support Group  
Embrace Your Hidden Treasures

adhd only blocks  

Tuesday February 17 
Six weekly sessions (7pm-9pm) 
  • Empower yourself with Nurtured Heart "positivity" language & attitude.
  • Acquire stress & anxiety, relationship, organization & time management strategies for home & work.
 2015
School Workshops
for Educators, Staff & Students 
Classroom HeartMath

Stress, Anxiety & Anger Reduction for all students & those with ADHD. LD & Mild ASD

 

Thousands of students & teachers in schools & universities world-wide are using the Institute of HeartMath's educational programs & methodologies to manage stress, reduce test anxiety, improve learning, strengthen relationships & improve classroom climate.

  • Learn a core set of tools & strategies that become part of meaningful rituals & routines in the classroom & after-school program.

Workshop 1: Being the Resilient Educator- Using HeartMath�

 

A full introduction into the HeartMath system exploring how it can be used in the classroom & one-to-one with students.  Educators will have opportunities to practice with the technologies.

  

Workshop 2: HeartMath� - Working with Students

 

Learn to integrate & apply HeartMath� techniques & tools within the classroom & in one-to-one sessions with students. This session

demonstrates how to use the in-class resources allowing teachers & resource workers to see how HeartMath� is taught & make it easier to continue  follow-up after workshop 1.

Link 

 

Nurtured Heart� Approach Teacher Workshops   

"Teaching with Positivity"
  • Learn a set of effective strategies designed for use with challenging, intense students, those with ADHD, LD, ODD, PDD, mood & attachment disorders.   
  • Immediately utilize skills in your respective schools & classrooms.
  • Fosters character building, resilience & self-esteem for all students.
  • Decreases bullying, anger & aggressive behaviour.
  • Enhances your teacher-student relationships.
  • Creates peaceful, respectful schools & classrooms 

Workshops available: Half Day (3 hr) or Full Day (6 hr) & Classroom Observation Offered.  Link

Classroom Theraplay�  
Sunshine Circles Groups
 
   
Social-Emotional Curriculum for Teachers & their Students
(Pre-Kindergarten - Gr. 4) 
  • Experiential, interactive play groups that promote social skills development & classroom management.
  • Bullying DOES NOT EXIST in a Sunshine Circles Classroom.  
  • Designed to help children feel secure, valued & get along with others.
  • Remarkable connections are produced amongst & between children & teachers. Link
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March 2015
TacTics Heartfelt Connection
Changing The Lives Of Families Everywhere. 
Success Is The Only Option!

Hello from Linda 


March ushers in the last weeks of a snowy, cold winter. This is the month we move our clocks ahead to welcome longer days of sunlight. The glowing sunshine refuels our soul and ignites our energy! It's such a happy reminder that spring is just around the corner.

Also around the corner are our Spring & Summer programs. Don't forget to register for MCLD April 26 Parent Conference & our summer programs: Family Theraplay Social Skills Boot Camp & Family HeartMath Anxiety/Anger Reduction Groups. 
   

This Heartfelt Connection lists programs, events and articles that will empower and inspire you with tools and strategies to enrich your parenting role and family life. To read past newsletter issues of Heartfelt Connections Click Here  


"Play is your music. Heartfelt words are your lyrics. Together they create a song of connection that inspires & nurtures your child's heart."

Linda Aber      
 
 
 


MCLD Presents:

2015 PARENT CONFERENCE: TOOL BOX FOR SUCCESS  

Sunday, April 26        
8am - 4:30pm  
Ruby Foo's Hotel  
7655 Decarie Blvd.



 
Limited Seating in Workshops
 Register Today to Secure Your Choice of Sessions

Individuals: $85 
Parent Couples: $135

Featured Speakers & Topics:
  • Becoming a Child Whisperer: Understanding the Challenging Child - Eva de Gosztonyi M.A.
  • Advocating for a Child in the School System - Maureen Hunt
  • Just BREATHE - Addressing Anxiety and Stress! - Melinda Atkinson
  • Study Methods and Organizational Skills - Sharon Klar
  • The Nonverbal Learning Disabilities (NLD) Syndrome: Social Skills and Academic Achievement - Dr. Dave Ellemberg
  • Literacy Support with Google! - Andrea Prupas B.Ed., M.A., M.A. Ct.
  • Nurtured Heart� & Theraplay�: Learn Activities to Ignite Self-Esteem & Your Parent-Child Connection - Linda Aber Certified Nurtured Heart & Theraplay Practitioner
  • Personal Stories: Living with ADHD/LD - The MCLD Ambassadors

A great start to this year's conference! 

  • Our Exhibition Hall opens at 8:30 am.
  • Grab a quick continental breakfast & take advantage of our various exhibitors who are ready to provide you with information and guidance.

 Sponsors

       

 

ASPERGER'S SYNDROME NO LONGER EXISTS

 

by Elizabeth Shoiry, M.Ed.,

Neuropsychologist

 

If you or your child were diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Asperger's Syndrome, or Pervasive Development Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD NOS), you are probably familiar with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM. The DSM, published by the American Psychiatric Association is a clinical manual that provides guidelines and criteria that must be met before a diagnosis of psychiatric disorders and/or psychopathologies can be established. Originally published in 1952, the DSM has undergone several revisions, due primarily to the wealth of scientific knowledge, information, and advances gained through ongoing research and the use of modern technologies. About 19 years after the introduction of the DSM IV, the DSM 5 was released in 2013. One of the most important revisions in the DSM 5 is the removal of Asperger's Syndrome, PDD-NOS, and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder as distinct disorders, in favor of one main classification, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

 

The new ASD criteria, as listed in the DSM 5 are more specific and more precise relative to the previous DSM IV criteria. For example, in the DSM IV impairments in three areas of functioning, that being communication, social interaction, and restricted interests and repetitive behaviors were required in order to be diagnosed with ASD. The current benchmarks limit the impairments to social communication or social reciprocity (such as difficulty maintaining back and forth conversations, lack of interest in other people, abnormal eye contact, and so forth) and restricted repetitive behaviors (such as hand flapping, fixations on specific subjects or objects and so forth). A delay in language development is no longer a required criterion for a diagnosis of ASD. Additionally, the DSM 5 defines three levels of symptom severity based on the amount of support that the individual requires.

 

A study published in April, 2012 by McPartland, Reichow and Volkmar, (Sensitivity and Specificity of Proposed DSM 5 Diagnostic Criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder, Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, volume 51 (4), pp. 368-383) found that about 60% of the people originally diagnosed with ASD based on the DSM IV criteria maintained their original diagnosis when using the DSM 5 standards, while approximately 75% of the people previously diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome no longer qualified for a diagnosis of ASD given the DSM 5 criteria.

 

The latter finding is not surprising. For example, individuals with a nonverbal learning disability (NVLD) were frequently diagnosed with PDD-NOS or Asperger's Syndrome, mainly based on difficulties within the social realm and poor social use of language. Because of the similarities and overlap of symptoms between Asperger's Syndrome and NVLD, there is an ongoing debate surrounding the precise diagnostic criteria of these conditions. Some researchers, psychologists, and psychiatrists believe that a NVLD is a cognitive profile found in some individuals who have Asperger's Syndrome and PDD- NOS while other professionals, particularly neuropsychologists, view them as separate and distinct disorders that share overlapping symptoms.

  

Undoubtedly, these changes to the diagnostic criteria could have an impact on families and individuals who have been previously diagnosed, especially in terms of service delivery and the supports they currently receive. Although the label of Asperger's Syndrome or PDD-NOS no longer exists, people who were previously diagnosed as such may wish to self-identify as ASD.  A re-evaluation is not necessary, however, should one take place, it is important to keep in mind that there is a possibility that the individual may lose the original diagnosis, thus losing access to special needs services. It is also important to note, that children who are assessed to have ASD under the new classification, should also have a speech and language evaluation in order to rule out any possible communication impairments.

 

Elizabeth is an accredited neuropsychologist, speaker and author who has expertise in the area of learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, behavior and autism spectrum disorders. She has a private practice in Montreal and the West Island. You can contact Elizabeth at 514 736 0793 or through email at [email protected]

   

   

Providing Emotional Self-Control Training
BEFORE Teaching All Other Executive Functioning Skills Is Paramount!

 

by Linda Aber 

 

When children experience issues in executive functioning, this prevents them from performing at their best. Executive functioning permits them to inhibit unexpected, unwanted behaviour, organization, planning, working memory and at the center of all - emotional control.

 

For over 20 years I've met many dedicated parents who spent a great deal of time and money providing effective strategies, such as tutoring, coaching, software, study skills & more to help their child/teen increase life and academics skills. As a parent, I too provided all the above strategies and felt helpless when my children did not experience success or even follow through. 

 

The reason these interventions may fail is directly linked to the fact that children/teens are not emotionally ready and therefore unable to absorb all the well-intended guidance and training. They simply are unable to manage their emotions!

 

As parents we need to understand that youth who struggle emotionally wrestle more than their peers to meet academic, social & emotional expectations. They display increased anxiety and become overwhelmed with homework and daily pressures to achieve. They may exhibit impulsivity, resist change/ transitions, find it difficult to be flexible, become confrontational, oppositional and even explosive. Many children/teens work hard holding it together during the school day, but once they return home, meltdowns may occur.   

 

 

What Can Parents Do Be Proactive! 

  • The 1st essential executive function we must teach children/teens is Managing Emotional Control. Without this critical skill, they are unable to perform at their best in every environment and situation.
  • Emotional Control increases emotional readiness and forms the foundation for acquiring and stabilizing all other executive functioning skills.

A successful, unique approach that trains emotional control for youth and their families is our HeartMath Anxiety/Anger Reduction Groups.  

 

HeartMath� exercises and Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Technology give children/teens instantaneous feedback of their emotional state and allows them to make changes quickly. They learn to shift from negative to positive emotions in mere seconds. 

 

HRV training is based on the notion that the heart is a complex, organized, information processing center that has a nervous system of its own and with each beat, the heart communicates with the brain. The heart is not merely a pump, but a hormonal gland which produces more oxytocin (the calming, bonding hormone) than the brain. The messages sent from the heart can profoundly influence perception, behavior, focus and performance.  

 

By teaching HRV, children/teens learn to control their breath and heart rate, via exercises and visual feedback. They can emotionally shift to a calmer state of mind, the state of coherence, that enables them to use other executive functioning strategies for getting things done.

   

Children/teens become empowered when they actually witness for themselves, how they can shift from a negative state of anger and anxiety to a calm state of coherence in mere moments. Many teens have shared with me how they successfully utilize their coherence training exercises in school to reduce test anxiety.  

 

The benefit of this approach places youth and parents on the same page, inviting them to use HeartMath� tools/exercises at home so that together, the entire family practices managing their emotional control.  

 

One mother contacted me this week to share how this method had improved her family life for the better. She described it as "such a simple heartfelt approach that quickly became our family's favorite tool for emotional control. It's the greatest gift ever for parents and children."  

 

If your child/teen is displaying difficulties with emotional control, join our Spring/Summer Family HeartMath� Anxiety/Anger Groups and experience this valuable, positive approach to enhance self-regulatory skills at both home & school.

Offered At Dr. Edward Hallowell's ADHD U.S. Clinic  
&
Now Offered in Montreal by Linda Aber,
Certified & Authorized HeartMath� Coach Practitioner
 
HeartMath�
Anxiety & Anger Reduction Family Groups 

Help Your Child Establish Emotional Control
the foundation for All Executive Functioning



Learn A Faster & More Effective Way to  Reduce
Anxiety & Negative Emotions!  




T0GETHER, Parents & Youth will
learn HeartMath Tools & Technology to: 
  • Increase focus, mental clarity & energy.
  • Establish nurturing coherent communication.
  • Improve relationships at home & school.
In 6 weekly sessions HeartMath training helps youth & adults increase focus, personal balance & resilience in seconds!      
 
 

Link

 
       Theraplay� Family Social Skills Groups        
 ADHD, LD & Mild ASD 

Spring Sessions- Eight weekly Sunday sessions
(10am-noon or 1pm-3pm)

Also Register for Theraplay Social Skills Summer Boot Camp sessions which begin in July from Tues-Thurs     
teen ssg

Children/Teens
& their Parents! 
Participate Together 
Learning Life Skills
for Home & School Success!   
 
Families learn:
  • Attachment-based Nurtured Heart communication to utilize at home & share at school.
  • Theraplay activities, visual cognitive behavioral concepts, social stories & group discussions.
  • Emotional self-regulation & friendship skills. 
  • Perspective taking, flexible thinking & problem solving skills.

Link 


Linda Aber
is a Certified & Authorized:
Theraplay� Group Specialist 
 Nurtured Heart� Advanced Trainer
HeartMath
Mentor & Practitioner   
Attachment Parent Coach 
Family Life Educator 

For more information or to register for groups 
514 487-3533 or [email protected] 
Family Programs: 
Parents, Children, Teens, Young Adults  
& Adults
  • Parent Coaching  
  • Nurtured Heart ApproachParent Workshops  
  • TheraplaySocial & Thinking Skills Groups
  • HeartMath Parent Workshops
  • HeartMath Family Groups
  • Young Adult Social Skills Groups
  • Adult ADHD Groups
  • Bowling Activities for our Social Skills Group Participants   

  

School Programs:
  • Nurtured Heart Approach�  Workshops for Educators  
  • HeartMath Teacher Workshops
  • Theraplay�  Sunshine Circles (A Classroom Social-Emotional Curriculum) 
     
*Linda is also contracted by Montr�al Centre for Learning Disabilities to facilitate her Theraplay� Social & Thinking Skills Groups, Nurtured Heart� Parent Workshops, ADHD/LD Parent Workshops, Young Adult Social Skills Groups & Adult ADHD Groups held at The Queen Elizabeth Health Complex (see newsletter for details)   
Looking forward to our next Heartfelt Connection. We are available by email & phone (514) 487-3533, to register for groups, individual family sessions or to book an appointment. 

Warmly,

 
Linda Aber 
TacTics Resources Services