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DECEMBER 2013

 
In This Issue

News from Cheri and Karen
Program Updates
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Helpful Articles and Links 

Surviving the Holidays with a Troubled Teen

The holiday season is often portrayed as a time for happy families to come together but if your family includes a troubled teen the holiday season may be anything but happy.

 

With the arrival of the holiday season comes the inevitable spike in shopping excursions and social gatherings - and with them, potential opportunities for children to act out.



 

Daily Tips: Surviving The Holidays

The activity of the holiday season seems to bring out the hyperactivity in our own little angels. Check out this collection of tips to help you survive it.

  

 
 
 

 

We wanted to share this brother's heartfelt video for his sister with special needs.



  

Please note our new email address is:

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Greetings!  
 
December can be the most exciting time of the year. But for parents with children with special needs it can sometimes be overwhelming and stressful. Read below for tips to help you and your child  have a great holiday.
 

How to Survive the Holidays with Kids:
  • Set The Stage - You are the role model and your behaviour is what your children will model, so lead by example. If they see you stressed out, they will feed on that and the tension in the house will explode. If the kids see that you are calm, cool, controlled and reasonably stress-free, their attitude and actions will follow. Like anything, kids take their cues from us so show them that you've got everything under control and they will follow suit.
  • Manage Expectations - With holiday ads for various toys and games starting right after Halloween, its no surprise that many kids are expecting Christmas morning as an extravaganza of gifts. What is necessary is letting them know that the true spirit of Christmas is about family, love, and kindness - all of which don't have a dollar value.
  • Get Help - Cooking, cleaning and shopping on top of your regular parenting and household duties is too much for anyone to bear. Be realistic and give yourself a break. Now's the time to take up friend's and family on their offers of support.
  • Have a Game Plan - Every parent knows that a bored child is a whiny child. Have activities for your kids planned in advance in order to keep them busy. These can include playdates, movie and game nights with the family, and day trips within the city.
  • Relax the Rules - Sure bedtime. is usually 8 pm for your little ones but they want to stay up late to watch one last Christmas movie. Or, in another scenario your good friends and their kids have dropped by for a holiday visit and they're still visiting well after 8 pm. Relax and let them stay up. It's okay to ignore the regular schedule of everyday life during this time of year.
  SavvyMom.ca

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News from Cheri and Karen
  

  

FREE WORKSHOP ON SENSORY PROCESSING AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO SELF-REGULATION. 

 

 Presenter Joan Vertes, BScOT, OT Reg (Ont.)

 

Joan Vertes is an Occupational Therapist working part-time at the Hospital For Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario and in private practice.  She has over 30 years of experience in pediatrics.  Joan has a status appointment at the University of Toronto School of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy.  She has presented internationally and has published in her field.  She specializes in assessment and treatment of children who have sensory motor problems.

 

Date:  February 20, 2014

Time;  7:00 PM.

Place:  537 Lawrence Ave. W.

 

Limited Registration.  Please email to reserve your spot.  info@behaviourmatters.ca

 

 

 * NEW SERVICE *

 

We know that for many of our parents at Behaviour Matters, choosing the right school and advocating for their child can be a challenge.

 

 We are happy to announce that Marlene Kaiman has joined our team.
Marlene has been an educator and Guidance Counsellor in both elementary and high school for over 3 decades. As the former Head of Guidance and Career Education in an Ontario High School, Marlene has supported countless students and their families in various areas of need.
  
  
Her services include :
  • Consulting on the most appropriate schools and programs for your child's needs.
  • Guidance and support for families with Special Education concerns.
  • Advocating for  students and families by connecting them to a network of resources.
 
 
 
 

Program Updates
 
 We are now accepting referrals for our Winter Groups 

 Looking forward to continuing all of our other programs.

COOL TOOLS  (SCHOOL-AGE)

Weekly programs to help children develop positive social skills, build self esteem, and learn strategies to deal with their anger in appropriate and acceptable ways.  For more info. please check our website info@behaviourmatters.ca

 

LETS BE FRIENDS  (PRE-SCHOOL)

 Weekly programs that are play-based to teach social skills in a fun and stimulating environment.  For more info. please check our website info@behaviourmatters.ca

 

TEEN TALK  (TEEN)

 Weekly programs to help adolescents develop positive social skills, build self-esteem, learn strategies to deal with problems, identify and express feelings and become more aware of non-verbal communication. For more info. please check our website info@behaviourmatters.ca 

 

GIRL POWER  ( 10-14 YEARS)

Weekly program that will help girls to increase their independance through responsible decision making and dealing with peer pressure.  For more info. please check our website info@behaviourmatters.ca 

Behaviour Matters | 537 Lawrence Avenue West | Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6A 3M6 |
 
Phone: 416-270-6610 or 416-418-6610  Email: info@behaviourmatters.ca