Kids lie. It’s just what they do. They have active imaginations and love to tell their parents how they have seen a unicorn or have a friend at school who is a werewolf. Typically, parents do not think much of this. They just go, “That’s amazing” and move on because little kids are just having fun. They do not understand what they are doing, and as they get older, they typically grow out of it. They start to realize what is right and wrong, and lying is wrong, but of course, they may still do it. If they broke the vase in the living room, they would likely lie and say they didn’t, but again, this is just kids being kids. However, when it comes to larger lies, it is important kids know where to draw the line. It is important for children, especially to those who are entering into middle and high school to try and not lie, but this can be hard. They may want to in order to try and fit in, but this can make them lose a sense of self. Especially those with life challenges such as ADHD, Autism, “Asperger’s,” anxiety disorders, etc., may lie to peers to seem cool, or lie to their parents about their grades to not get in trouble, which is why it is so important to teach them the importance of telling the truth.

In middle and high school, kids just want to fit in. They want to hang out with loads of the cooler kids because that’s what they may think they are supposed to do, so they will lie to fit in. However, this can cause them to lose a sense of self. They may forget how important it is to be true to who they are, especially since when they are not, it can lead to issues such as anxiety or depressions since they never quite feel right in their skin while also worrying about others finding out about their lies. Yet, telling the truth is more than just being true to yourself. Admitting to your parents that you may be having trouble in school, whether it be with bullies or with grades can save both parties a headache in the long run. If children are truthful and say what is bothering them or what they may be struggling with, an adult or parent can work to fix it with them rather than the child feeling left to deal with it on their own. This can be difficult, especially for the age groups between teens and young adults, but that truth can be so valuable. It can extinguish the issue before it becomes too large of one to hide or fix, which is why it is crucial to not lie and just tell the truth the first time. It may be difficult and even scary for kids to do so. They may feel like fixing it on their own is better than getting in trouble for being honest, which is why it is important for parents to also let their kids know it is okay to mess up. Everyone is human, and mostly everyone tells a little white lie here and there, but for those with life challenges, it can happen more often. A study states, “Unexpectedly, 14 of the 15 children with [life challenges] who peeked at the toy lied about it afterwards — an even higher proportion than that of typically developing kid…” (Rudacille, 2010). With such a high gap, it is important to start teaching children with life challenges the importance of the truth as soon as possible, and the Support for Students Growth Center is the perfect place to do so.

At the Support for Students Growth Center, we help those with life challenges learn the values and importance of skills such as telling the truth, so they are able to do well on their own in school and any other environment. We provide the social, behavioral, emotional, and executive functioning skills children, teens, young adults, and their families need for a happy and successful life in and out of the school setting. Our team of professionals offers coaching/counseling, social skills groups and much more to help teach skills such as understanding the importance of respect to ensure parents do not have to worry that their kids will be unable to make and maintain friendships and other relationships on their own. So, if your child is struggling with skills like the ones discussed above and more, the SSGC is equipped with the tools to help.

Dr. Eric J. Nach, Ph.D., M.Ed., A.S.D.C., is a Developmental and Behavioral Specialist who specializes in Autism, ADHD and related disorders. Dr. Nach is the founder of the Support for Students Growth Center and College Life Skills Program where he and his team of professional’s help develop the Emotional Maturity, Executive Functioning, Life Skill and Social Abilities of children, teens, young adults and college students and those high school students preparing for college. The CollegeLSP is a subsidiary program of the Support For Students Growth Center, located in Boca Raton, FL and providing services nationwide.

Rudacille, D. (2010, November 5). False beliefs: Spectrum: Autism research news. Spectrum. Retrieved December 16, 2022, from https://www.spectrumnews.org/opinion/false-beliefs/

Being able to respect others even when we do not agree with them is an important skill to have. People are entitled to have their own thoughts and opinions, and even though they may conflict with your own, it is important to remain respectful when interacting with others. It is a way we make and nature friendships. Whether you’re in pre-school or on your way to college, it is always good to follow the “Golden Rule” and respect others since you would like them to do the same in return. Without it, people will not want to hang around you since they may feel as if they are not being treated equally, causing some people to struggle with socializing. Respect is more than just accepting others’ opinions. It is also maintaining personal space, not asking too personal of questions to people who may not like that, treating other’s belongings properly, and so much more. Yet, for those with life challenges such as Autism, ADHD, “Asperger’s,” anxiety disorders, etc., learning how to be respectful can be difficult.

Middle school can be a hard time for children (and the adults who interact with them). It seems as if everyone is branching off to their respective groups, finding what they like, and becoming their own person, but this can bring problems. Sometimes, kids can be mean. They may act out because they do not like how a person is different from them, but it is important to remain respectful, even when they may not be treating you respectfully. In middle and high school, fighting back typically creates more problems. However, if you were to advocate for yourself and act respectfully, it shows how you are being more emotionally mature and not instigating the situation you are in, which would likely only be like adding “fuel onto the fire”. Yet not all conflict comes from bullies. Sometimes it is people in your own friend group. No matter how much you have in common with someone, there is always perceptual differences and it is important to be respectful of that. If you are, it shows the other person you not only care about your friendship but respect them as a person, strengthening that bond you two share. When it comes to children, “Most struggle to cooperate sometimes. But parents of [life-challenged] children and teenagers often find that their child’s lack of cooperation interferes with everyday life.” (cooperativebehavior, 2020). This could be for many reasons, such as the child just being a hormonal teenager, but it is important for children to know that respect is needed in all categories of their life. Whether it be at school with their friends and peers or at home with their families, respect is essential to ensure they are on the right path to becoming adults. It allows kids, teens, and young adults to strengthen the connections they have in their lives, providing them with a support system for their times of need, and overall makes them well-rounded individuals that can flourish independently in the future.

At the Support for Students Growth Center, we help those with life challenges learn the values and importance of skills such as respect, so they are able to do well on their own in school and any other environment. We provide the social, behavioral, emotional, and executive functioning skills children, teens, young adults, and their families need for a happy and successful life in and out of the school setting. Our team of professionals offers coaching/counseling, social skills groups and much more to help teach skills such as understanding the importance of respect to ensure parents do not have to worry that their kids will be unable to make and maintain friendships and other relationships on their own. So, if your child is struggling with skills like the ones discussed above and more, the SSGC is equipped with the tools to help.

Dr. Eric J. Nach, Ph.D., M.Ed., A.S.D.C., is a Developmental and Behavioral Specialist who specializes in Autism, ADHD and related disorders. Dr. Nach is the founder of the College Life Skills Program where he and his team of professional’s help develop the Emotional Maturity, Executive Functioning, Life Skill and Social Abilities of college students and those high school students preparing for college. The CollegeLSP is a subsidiary program of the Support For Students Growth Center, located in Boca Raton, FL and providing services nationwide.

Cooperative behaviour: Autistic children and teenagers. Raising Children Network. (2020, November 18). Retrieved November 14, 2022, from https://raisingchildren.net.au/autism/behaviour/understanding-behaviour/cooperative-behaviour-asd

Eye-Contact is one of the many techniques people use to show someone we are listening and engaged in the interaction we are sharing with our family and peers. It can also show us how the other person is feeling in the moment. If your eyes are elsewhere, it can be challenging to read and understand what the other person is expressing and feeling since their body language can only be read if we are paying attention. Along with this, not becoming distracted by other things around us, making sure the person we are with feels important and heard, and many other great social skills can be implemented into an interaction just with eye contact, which is what makes it so important, however, for those with life challenges such as ADHD, Autism, “Asperger’s,” social challenges, anxiety, etc., making and maintaining eye contact can be difficult.

Making friends in school can already be difficult enough, especially as a teenager. Everyone seems to be so wrapped up in their own mind while also worrying about what other people think of them and maybe struggling with eye contact can make it even harder for some kids. Feeling as if people may think of you differently because of your life challenges can make kids shy away from social interaction or struggle with interacting with others even more. Since sometimes making eye contact can be difficult due to anxiety, the addition of other stressors only adds to it. According to another source, “People with [life challenges] are less likely to look directly at another person’s eyes, which suggests they’re less engaged with others or less responsive to people in general.” (Rudy, 2022). The inability to be as engaged as other kids who do not have certain life challenges can cause socializing to become so much harder in a stage of life where it can already be difficult. People typically like to feel as if they are being heard and listened to when they talk, and if lack of eye contact leads to someone feeling as if they are not receiving someone’s full attention, they may choose to avoid socializing with them. This can then push your child into a more isolated, anxiety-filled, and lonely life since interacting with peers can become difficult and scary for them. No one wants their child to miss out on a fun youth experience due to social issues such as eye contact, and the Support for Students Growth Center can aid them in their journey to feeling comfortable when looking into the eyes of others.

At the Support for Students Growth Center, we provide the social, behavioral, emotional, and executive functioning skills children, teens, young adults, and their families need for a happy and successful life in and out of school settings. Our team of professionals offers coaching/counseling, social skills groups and more, to help teach social skills such as eye contact to ensure parents do not have to worry that their kids will be unable to make friends, show they are listening, and acknowledge others’ emotions and reactions on their own. So, if your child is struggling with skills like the ones listed above and much more, the SSGC is equipped with the tools to help.

Dr. Eric J. Nach, Ph.D., M.Ed., A.S.D.C., is a Developmental and Behavioral Specialist who specializes in Autism, ADHD and related disorders. Dr. Nach is the founder of the College Life Skills Program where he and his team of professional’s help develop the Emotional Maturity, Executive Functioning, Life Skill and Social Abilities of college students and those high school students preparing for college. The CollegeLSP is a subsidiary program of the Support For Students Growth Center, located in Boca Raton, FL and providing services nationwide.

Rudy, L. J. (2022, January 11). Is the lack of eye contact a symptom of autism? Verywell Health. Retrieved October 14, 2022, from https://www.verywellhealth.com/autism-symptoms-and-eye-contact-260565

It is hard not to procrastinate. The want to put off work, especially when you know you have ample time to do it, is hard to deny, but the consequences can be more significant than some expect. Sometimes we do not do assignments because there are other things we want to do, such as watching a new Netflix series, while other times we simply do not know where to start. This feeling of a greater want or one of an assignment being too hard makes it easy to push things off. Yet, if we continue to refuse to complete the task, it does not make it go away. Rather, it only gathers with other assignments we still have to do, making the stress and workload much greater than it was initially, which is why it is important to have a good habit of taking initiative when it comes to deciding the best time and way to complete and assignment.

Taking initiative means that you are able to initiate things by yourself, such as sitting down to do work, but this can be hard in more ways than one. For some, it is simply knowing they have more time to do it, therefore they will not use that time to do so, while others have a hard time completing the assignment at hand. When trying to work on something that is hard to understand, it can be discouraging. Knowing you have no idea what you are looking at can make the process of finalizing whatever it is you are working on so disheartening, and can even cause an individual to no longer want to complete it, or any assignment that comes from that class, which leads them into a bad cycle. If it is not this, some feel as if they have better things to be doing with that time rather than work, which causes procrastination. According to a survey, “80% to 90% of … students procrastinate, particularly on course work.” (Prout, 2021). This habit can cause work to build up before becoming a huge stressor in their life, especially if all the work aligns with one another since college requires a lot of your personal time. According to college students themselves, they “spend about 17 hours each week on homework, reading, and assignments.” (Riddle, 2018). Trying to cram all this in the same few days is practically impossible, and so is trying to pass without putting in the work. Although some classes are easier than others, they still require dedication, and without initiative, assignments would never get completed, and all it takes it learning, but for some, learning this process is much harder than for others. That is why learning how to master these skills before entering college is so essential.

Those with learning differences such as ADHD, Autism, Asperger’s, Learning Disabilities, etc. may have a more difficult time becoming initiators because of the stress and push it takes, but thankfully, it is easy to learn. Knowing that it is not the end of the world if you do not know something, or that missing a social event or party isn’t going to destroy your social meter is important. School is supposed to come first seeing that is what you are there for, and creating things such as a schedule of when to work and when to socialize are habits the Support for Students Growth Center,  can help teach those who have a harder time in this category become better at managing it. With the help of Support for Students Growth Center, you or someone you know can become pros at taking initiative in not only starting assignments but completing them, making the school including college experience that much better. Enjoying things stress-free because you know you got done what you needed to is liberating, and although it is a hard habit to break, it’s not impossible, especially with the help of Support for Students Growth Center.

Dr. Eric J. Nach, Ph.D., M.Ed., A.S.D.C., is a Developmental and Behavioral Specialist who specializes in Autism, ADHD and related disorders. Dr. Nach is the founder of the College Life Skills Program where he and his team of professional’s help develop the Emotional Maturity, Executive Functioning, Life Skill and Social Abilities of college students and those high school students preparing for college. The CollegeLSP is a subsidiary program of the Support For Students Growth Center, located in Boca Raton, FL and providing services nationwide.

Prout, T. (2021, July 6). Helping students overcome procrastination. National University. Retrieved May 15, 2022, from https://www.nu.edu/resources/helping-students-overcome-procrastination/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20American%20Psychological,of%20every%20five%20students%20in

Riddle, R. (2022, March 14). How much homework is too much? Duke Learning Innovation. Retrieved May 15, 2022, from https://learninginnovation.duke.edu/blog/2018/10/how-much-homework-is-too-much/

Manners are typically taught to children from a young age. Keeping your elbows off the table, not chewing with your mouth open, saying please and thank you, etc. are what our parents teach us are the most important traits to have, but as you get older, the definition of manners begins to change. Then, we are taught that maintaining eye contact, paying attention fully to what another person is saying, etc. Is what is consider important manners to society, but for those with unique abilities such as ADHD, Autism, and Asperger’s, these manners can be harder to adapt to.

Everyone has a different opinion about what the most important manner is. Some think it is saying excuse me while others believe it is saying thank you, but either way, to them manners overall are important. It helps us as people make a good impression on others and develop connections since no one wants to be around someone who lacks manners, but some have a harder time developing them than others. When asked, one-third of 1,000 people say that they believe Americans have poor manners, which is about 333 of the people surveyed. (Onion, 2006). No one wants to be called rude. It is an insult not only to you, but to those who taught you manners, but for some, it is not purposeful. Those with unique abilities can have issues maintaining eye contact in conversations, or being fully present when in a conversation, which for some may come off rude, but it may be simply just because they are not fully aware of the fact that they are doing such a thing. (NIH, n.d.). It is not meant to be rude, but in today’s society, these actions are not considered proper manners, which is okay. It is okay to admit that as a person you struggle with maintaining societal norms of what is and isn’t considered proper manners, but it is also something that is able to be taught.

The best part about being a student is how easily you can learn. Information is sucked into your mind like a sponge, and the Support for Students Growth Center knows that, which is why they offer programs to help teach students from elementary to college, skills such as manners. Manners are so important in life. It helps maintain friendships, provides a good foundation for finding and keeping jobs, and even allows for acquaintances to think highly of you. If people are always saying how wonderful and great your manners are, word gets around quickly and allows for more opportunities to come, whether it be in relationships or work, which is why if you are struggling, you should trust the Support for Students Growth Center to help.

Dr. Eric J. Nach, Ph.D., M.Ed., A.S.D.C., is a Developmental and Behavioral Specialist who specializes in Autism, ADHD and related disorders. Dr. Nach is the founder of the College Life Skills Program where he and his team of professional’s help develop the Emotional Maturity, Executive Functioning, Life Skill and Social Abilities of college students and those high school students preparing for college. The CollegeLSP is a subsidiary program of the Support For Students Growth Center, located in Boca Raton, FL and providing services nationwide.

Onion, Amanda. “Have Americans Forgotten Their Manners?” ABC News, ABC News Network, 6 Jan. 2006, https://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=118277&page=1.

“What Are Some Signs of Learning Disabilities?” Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/learning/conditioninfo/signs.