We couldn't die.  We were bold and green and as brimming hope as a person could be.  We were ready to take on the world, and terrified of doing so all at once.  But we took our chances.

It's back to school, back to work, good bye to summer, welcome to fall, and here we go again, in the great cycle of life.
    
I used to dread September because, even though I was a good student, I did not welcome giving up the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.  Who did?  Why did I have to go back for another year of studying, taking tests, and wondering about what my future might hold?
   
It's that last part, what my future might hold, that grabbed me today when I started to think about it.  Do you remember your school years?  Do you remember how long it seemed until the day you were done with school, but, at the same time, how infinite the possibilities seemed as to what life might hold for you once you got out?

We kids dreamed great dreams, dreams of doing just about anything at all.  Everything seemed possible and impossible both at once back then.

Executive Function Coaching:

• Organization
• Goal Setting
• Time Management
• Focusing
• Problem Solving

Simply place a call to one of our new patient specialists:

New York City:  212 799-7777

    Upcoming Events    
  
Boston, MA: 978 287-0810 
    Upcoming Events    

San Francisco: 415 967-0061 

     Upcoming Events  

Start the School Year Strong with a Neurpsychological Evaluations and Memory Training!

Upcoming Programs:

Charlotte, NC, Christ Episcopal Church

London, UK ADDSpark Workshops Dr. Hallowell's workshop features his Strength based approached.

Begins Sept 23. This is possibly the Last - Don't Delay. Hallowell Readers: Use Code HALL2014 to receive $20 off either course!

Q: My son is struggling in 10th grade - with everything. He doesn't have many friends, he is easily angered and frustrated, and sometimes he refuses to turn in assignments. Any ideas on how I can help him?
 
A: Could anxiety be the root cause? Helping your student be more independent may not be remedied by hovering parents and tutors. Emotional self-regulation must be effectively managed by the student before the other executive functions can be implemented, such as planning and prioritizing. Before one engages in tutoring, managing the emotional brain is a prerequisite.

To learn more please read the article below by Rebecca Shafir.

Rebecca Shafir, M.A., C.C.C.

It is often assumed that anxiety will just go away if the student just sat down and did the homework.

Why, after supervised repetition, modeling, role-playing and tutoring do executive skill behaviors not stick for some students? Why do some students consistently put off assignments they know how to carry out? Why is change so difficult for some students? Why does anxiety, like a tsunami, overcome a student when he/she is faced with a writing assignment or a test?  

In this recording, I explain that emotional control is a key executive function, and emotional self-regulation should be a starting point for planning and prioritizing. Before one engages in tutoring, managing the emotional brain is a prerequisite, thus allowing the thinking brain to get the job done.

I describe effective approaches for reducing frustration, anxiety and the physiological upheaval many students experience as they try to get things done.    

Rebecca Shafir, Speech/language pathologist, and the Coordinator of Alternative and Complementary Services at the Hallowell Center, can be reached for consultation at the Boston Hallowell Center 978 287 0810.  

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric disorder that frequently starts in childhood and adolescence. While often misunderstood, OCD can be challenging to manage, but it is very responsive to treatment. OCD is characterized by anxiety-provoking intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and/or anxiety-reducing repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Individuals with OCD may spend an hour or more "stuck" on unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or rituals (compulsions); the obsessions and/or compulsions are frequently time and energy-consuming and interfere with daily activities that involve school, work, family and friends.

Most individuals with OCD recognize that the thoughts and behaviors are unwanted, but they find it very difficult to control them. Frequently family members may be pulled into the rituals (called accommodation) and, similar to enabling, this can perpetuate the severity of the symptoms. Fortunately, there are some very effective treatments for OCD and parents and families can learn how to help their kids with this condition.

Celebrating 20 Years!