Takeaway: Dyslexia stems from brain changes that affect your child’s reading, writing, and maths abilities, as well as her physical coordination and learning-related behaviour. But this says nothing about your child’s intelligence and learning potential. So if we diagnose and address your child’s challenges early (in primary school), she can compensate for them and become a skilled learner. Read More
Takeaway: Art therapy is a powerful tool to help adolescents connect with their unconscious mind. And this lets them explore emotions, experiences, and struggles in a way that regular ‘talk therapy’ often can’t. The key is to find the right therapist, though. Someone who understands child psychology and is trained to use art as a therapeutic tool. Read More
Takeaway: It’s often hard to spot executive-function difficulties in primary-age children, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. And unless we diagnose and address them early, they become much harder to deal with later. So, by learning to recognise a few of the basic red flags, you’ll know when to bring your child in for a more thorough assessment. Read More
Takeaway: Visual processing difficulties have nothing to do with eyesight. Rather, they’re caused by changes in the way your child’s brain processes signals from her eyes. And these changes can make it harder for her to engage with the world. However, with a bit of guidance, she can learn to adapt to her differences, deal with her frustrations better, and become more confident by developing a ‘growth mindset.’ Read More
Music therapy is a branch of arts psychotherapy that uses music as well as talking to the therapist as a vehicle to help children and young people express, explore their emotions and the stories they have about themselves and others. Music is a universal language which can express emotions and feelings directly both with and without words. As such, music can be a very effective carrier and container for unconscious feelings and emotions. Read More
Takeaway: Behavioural optometrists help children improve their vision, and this is about more than just fixing faulty eyesight. They apply decades of research and theory to explore your child’s eye-brain connection and use a holistic approach to improve her quality of life. Read More
Takeaway: Both autism and learning difficulties arise from brains that are ‘wired’ differently. This difference makes it harder to prioritise tasks and focus on the right thing for long enough. But interestingly, there’s also a social component to learning which autism affects. A trained specialist can help your child tackle these issues, but in the meantime, don’t forget your child also has strengths and passions. Encourage her to celebrate these and it’ll balance out a lot of the other frustrations she experiences. Read More
Takeaway: Children with a global developmental delay are well behind in meeting many developmental milestones. These include milestones to do with (1) cognitive skills, (2) motor skills, (3) language & communication skills, (4) social and emotional skills, and (5) self-care skills. You can download milestone checklists to try and identify a global delay, but that’s just a first step. Eventually, you’ll need a team of specialists to make the diagnosis and create a care plan. Read More
Takeaway: Auditory delays (i.e., hearing problems) are tough to spot because their symptoms are often quite subtle. And they can be confused with other developmental differences like dyslexia, ADHD, developmental language disorder, etc. But with the right kind of specialist, your child can learn to reverse and/or adapt to these hearing challenges. Read More
Takeaway: With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), children are easily distracted, hyperactive, and impulsive. And this can make it harder for them to get things done, listen to the adults in their lives, make and keep friends, and generally ‘fit in.’ But if their ADHD is spotted early, there’s a lot we can do to help them live happier lives.
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