Task Completion

But I don’t want to…

As school picks up again, children may find it difficult to transition from a summer environment back to an educational one, especially if they struggle with executive dysfunction. School requires children, teens, and young adults to be consistent with their task completion skills. Whether it be in school with classwork and cleaning up after yourself or at home with homework and chores, following through with tasks is important for students. Although they may be good at initiating them, actually finishing them can be hard for some, especially those with neurodivergent traits. They may get distracted, bored, or overwhelmed when trying to finish whatever task they need to complete, so they may begin to push their responsibilities off as a result. Yet, as they continue to do that, more and more of the tasks that need to get done begin to pile up, causing them to become more anxious, depressed and overwhelmed as it all becomes too much to finish, so eventually they begin to avoid their responsibilities altogether.

This cycle can cause more problems than just falling behind in school. It can cause other issues such as anxiety, depression, isolation, and so much more, which is why making sure that children, teens, and young adults have developed executive functioning skills, such as task completion, is so important. 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 individualized and family coaching/counseling and social skills groups to help teach skills such as how to actively complete tasks to ensure parents do not have to worry that their kids will be unable to be the best they can be in and out of school setting 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.


Click here and call now to schedule your FREE 20-minute individualized screening- $150 value

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.

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Reading Facial Expressions

But I don’t really know…

As we get older, we typically begin to learn how to understand others’ emotions, even without words. Whether it’s a frown or a bright smile, our faces can tell a lot about our current thoughts and emotions to the people we are around without even speaking. It can show others if we are feeling happy or sad, or if we are in the mood to talk or not, which can be especially helpful when in a social setting. This skill can allow us to properly respond to how our friends and peers are feeling, while also making the interaction comfortable for both parties since if you can read facial expressions, you can identify how to act around that person properly, all without words.

However, for those with neurodivergent traits, reading facial expressions can be difficult. They may find it hard to directly pinpoint an emotion to an expression, so at times, they may not realize they had said something to upset their peers or are socializing with someone who may be having a bad day, which can deter them from wanting to socialize at all. Whether they are in elementary, middle, high school, or about to go into college, reading facial expressions is a crucial skill to have. It can guide them to react and say the proper things in certain social situations, help them make and maintain friendships, as well as feel confident in their ability to react properly to the other person in the conversation. Without it, kids, teens, and young adults may feel as if socializing is too stressful, which can cause them to want to avoid it all together before leading to other issues such as isolation, depression, anxiety and many more. Yet, even if they may be struggling, this skill can be taught and generalized into many different social settings.

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 individualized and family coaching/counseling and social skills groups to help teach skills such as how to be actively reading others facial expressions and body language to ensure parents do not have to worry that their kids will be unable to make and maintain friendships and utilize age appropriate social skills 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.


Click here and call now to schedule your FREE 20-minute individualized screening- $200 value

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.

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Enrollment is now open

ENROLLMENT IS NOW OPEN!

We welcome you to participate in our tenth (10) year offering our

Therapeutic Social Skills Groups,

which are proven to help children, teens, and young adults become equipped with the skills they need to communicate well with peers and others in and out of school and other social settings. Each of our fourteen (14) weekly groups are arranged based on the age, abilities, and needs of the potential group members (ages 5 – mid-20’s) to ensure that they are in a therapeutic setting that can help them reach their fullest potential. With over ninety (90) topics and more than a dozen different social skills groups that meet weekly, group members will learn new to use social skills through brainstorming, direct instruction, modeling and role-playing as they participate in cooperative activities, where they can be confident in not only their ability to understand and actually use the skills they are learning. This then makes socializing and overall interacting with others more enjoyable and productive. Parent component is included with each session to encourage generalization of key skills. Groups are held in our Boca Raton, FL center.  (“Call now to schedule your free initial 20-minute individualized screening”)

https://www.supportforstudentsgrowthcenter.com

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Engaging in Various Types of Conversations

But that’s not what I want to talk about…

From elementary to high school children are likely to spend a lot of their time speaking to their peers. Whether it’s about school, a new show or movie, or their new pet, kids will typically look for any free moment they can to whisper or talk to their friends and classmates, but for those with neurodivergences, engaging in various types of conversation can sometimes be difficult. They may find it hard to be interested in what their peers, parents, and siblings are saying if they are not familiar with it, making socializing difficult, and can eventually make it harder for them to make and maintain friendships.

If a kid, teen, or young adult is unable to listen to a friend or peer who is speaking about a topic only they find interesting, the interaction and friendship can begin to feel very one sided. It is important for children to be capable of partaking in conversations that they may not be used to, not only because it can spark a new interest, but can also show that they are nurturing the friendship they share with that other person. If they can be actively engaged in conversation that shifts from one topic to the other, then it not only strengthens their social skills, but can help when trying to make friends, listen in class, and be open to finding new interests and hobbies to do with their peers. However, if they lack this skill, it may lead them into social isolation since most people would not only want to discuss what the other person is interested in all the time, leading to other issues such as anxiety, depression, failure to launch, and many more.

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 individualized and family coaching/counseling and social skills groups to help teach skills such as how to be actively engaged in various conversations to ensure parents do not have to worry that their kids will be unable to make and maintain friendships and utilize the proper social skills 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 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.

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Memorial Day 2023

Although we are closed for Memorial Day, we at the Support for Students Growth Center and College Life Skills Program do not forget those who sacrificed their lives for our country. This is not simply a time for many to take an extra day off, but rather a time for us to celebrate the lives of those who have lost their own. We hope you remain safe, happy, and most importantly, remember our troops on this day. Warm wishes, and happy Memorial Day!

-The SSGC and CLSP

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Importance of Respecting Others Personal Space

For some, understanding the importance of personal space can be difficult. They may not be able to see why their friends or others may not want them so close when talking, but, making sure that you’re a good distance unless told otherwise is a crucial social skill to have. Not everyone likes to be touched or to be too close to another. It may not be that they have a problem with you, but rather just the intimacy, so ensuring your child knows what the proper distance is with their peers is important for them to make friends and nurture friendships. Especially as kids begin to transition into middle and high school age, the comfortable personal space distance gets larger. As we get older, we may not want to be hugged or touched as often as when we were kids simply because tolerance levels and sensory challenges change with age, and we must adapt to that. Yet, for those with life challenges such as ADHD, Autism, “Asperger’s,” anxiety disorders, etc., this can be extra hard to do.

The idea of a “Hula Hoop” is one-way kids can begin to understand the idea of personal space. Having your child pretend to be in the middle of their own “hula hoop” because if they were in one, the other people should be however far away it is from your kid to the outside of the ring (about an arm’s length) . This can serve as a gentle reminder to those who may struggle with imagining how far they should be since now they are provided with a general guideline, and therefore can avoid being a “space invader”, so they are no longer invading another person’s space. This can then also help them make friends since socializing can be made easier since they are not so focused on personal space but focused on body language and verbal cues instead. For those with life challenges though, it can be especially hard for them to manage this skill. A source states “An overwhelming majority of the children with (varying exceptionalities) (79 percent) “were less aware of being too close and more prone to personal space invasions” than their typically-developing siblings.” (Sarris, 2014). Yet, with the proper help, understanding how to identify and respect things such as personal space can be made easier.

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 individualized and family coaching/counseling and social skills groups to help teach skills such as bullying resolution to ensure parents do not have to worry that their kids will be unable to solve issues on their own, such as figuring out proper personal space. 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 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.

Sarris, M. (2014, October 2). Space invaders: Personal space and autism. Kennedy Krieger Institute. Retrieved January 2, 2023, from https://www.kennedykrieger.org/stories/interactive-autism-network-ian/personal-space-autism

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Kids truth – Ensuring Kiddos are Being Truthful

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/

 

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Our Kiddos and Personal Hygiene

Taking care of our personal appearance is one of the first things children do as they transition into independence. They start to shower, get dressed, do their hair, brush their teeth, and more on their own, but for some, this transition to greater independence can be hard. Everyone has days where they may just not want to do their hair and wear a hat instead (if possible), but things such as brushing your teeth and showering are non-negotiable. Yet, for those with life challenges such as ADHD, Autism, “Asperger’s,” anxiety disorders, etc., keeping up with personal hygiene may not be their priority every day.

Sometimes people do forget to do things in the morning such as brush their teeth or put on deodorant, but it should not be a daily occurrence. Without it, especially during a time like middle or high school, kids can have difficulties with adolescence and may make them seem less approachable by their peers. With such massive changes happening to their bodies, it is important kids learn how to manage their hygiene including smell and health because, without it, other kids may begin to avoid them or pick on them. They may not want to associate with someone who only showers once a week or doesn’t regularly brush their teeth because things such as body odor can deter kids from thinking you would not make a good companion to spend time with despite that possibly not being true. Plus, children can be mean. They target those who show signs of not being up to society’s standards of cleanliness and can tease those who may struggle with maintaining their hygiene. Kids typically do not consider that maybe their peer is struggling with depression and/or anxiety or may have life challenges. Rather, they tend to tease them for the way they look or smell since it is the first thing we notice about a person, which is why hygiene is so important for keeping our kiddos “bully-proof”.

Hygiene is not only important for social skills though, but for health as well. Keeping up with your cleanliness can prevent issues such as cavities or your hair knotting which can cause pain and other discomforts if not properly dealt with. This then also causes financial issues since sometimes it is expensive to fix things such as dental. Not showering as well can cause rashes or infections to occur as well, causing discomfort in both categories since the child may not be keeping up with cleanliness due to sensory issues, but things such as rashes can make them uncomfortable as well. A source explains, “Developing self-care skills such as washing and personal hygiene can sometimes be an issue for autistic people. Sensory differences, such as a heightened sense of smell or touch, can make washing an uncomfortable experience.” (autism.org). However, these challenges extend past the autism community into many other areas.

When this occurs, it is important for your child to be able to identify issues on their own and react appropriately to try and adapt to the situation. Changing to unscented soaps, different flavored toothpaste, creating a hair washing or bathing schedule and so much more can be done to ensure your child maintains proper hygiene skills. Then, it is important to be able to ensure they will keep up and continue with their schedule, so they do not fall behind or forget to do certain things in the morning or during the day. These are some of the critical life skills they will need going into adulthood. This can be hard to ensure, but with the Support for Students Growth Center, it can be made easier.

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 the school settings. Our team of professionals offers coaching/counseling and social skills groups to help teach skills such as understanding the importance of hygiene to ensure parents do not have to worry that their kids will be unable to make and maintain friendships and keep up with personal health 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.

Keeping healthy. National Autistic Society. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2022, from https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/physical-health/keeping-healthy

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Valuing Respect

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

 

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The “Why” of Body Language

Body language is one-way people communicate without using words. You can understand so much about what a person is thinking and feeling just based on their facial and body expressions, which is why it is so important to pay attention to what our peers are trying to tell us silently. Whether it be that they are upset by something we did, excited by a topic, tired, or simply content, it can all be identified through body language. However, for those with life challenges such as ADHD, Autism, “Asperger’s,” etc., picking up on these cues can be more difficult for them than others.

Starting in middle and high school, having the skill of reading body language is so important. Most people when in this stage of life are so focused on what they are feeling or going through that they can forget that others are feeling things too. Therefore, being attentive and paying attention to what our friends and peers are silently telling us is so important. They could be feeling as if they’d like to be alone that day, or maybe they are trying to portray that they want you to come over and help them, but either way, being able to assess the situation helps children, teens, and even young adults make and nurture friendships. Knowing when to back off or come up to someone are useful ways to socialize without feeling the anxiety of rejection, which can be made easier with the help of understanding how to read and interpret body language.

The time between elementary and high school can be stressful enough as it is. So many developmental changes happen during that time and having the worry of not being able to tell what others are feeling around you can make it so much more difficult. This difficulty can then lead to anxiety, isolation, and depression since if your child cannot successfully read body language, they can have a hard time making and maintaining meaningful relationships. This can be because, those with life challenges, “tend to focus on small, local details of body movement — such as the activity of one hand — rather than the motion of a body as a whole, says study investigator Anthony Atkinson, lecturer in psychology at Durham University, UK.” (Basu, 2015). Not paying attention to an individual’s body language, but rather just the minute details such as a hand gesture can distract and confuse an individual with life challenges from the real meaning their peer is trying to portray. Not being able to pick up on facial expressions, personal space, how an individual is standing, what another person’s tone is portraying, and many more aspects of body language can make it difficult to socialize, but the Support for Students Growth Center is qualified to help teach them these skills.

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 the school settings. Our team of professionals offers coaching/counseling and social skills groups to help teach skills such as understanding body language to ensure parents do not have to worry that their kids will be unable to make and maintain friendships 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.

Basu, P. (2015, December 4). Autism impedes ability to read body language: Spectrum: Autism research news. Spectrum. Retrieved October 31, 2022, from https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/autism-impedes-ability-to-read-body-language/#:~:text=A%20glitch%20in%20visual%20processing,in%20the%20journal%20Neuropsychologia1.

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