Ensuring We Can Regulate Our Behavior and Emotions

I didn’t mean it; I am just so stressed out…

For one young woman, controlling her emotions has never been easy. As a child, she would lose her temper whenever someone wouldn’t want to play with her, or the family ate something she didn’t want that day. Then, as she got older, she thought that her ability to handle her emotions would change, when in reality, only the stressors did. She would find socializing, getting all of her schoolwork done, going to work, and interacting with others stressful, so when something didn’t go her way, she would lash out.

When she was younger, she would hit, scream, and have melt downs, and as she got older, she would shut down, exhibit avoidance behaviors, refuse to get a job and become independent, and more all because she couldn’t emotionally regulate and control her behavior. Even when she did move out, her inability to react in an age-appropriate way caused her relationships with her roommates to become strained before disintegrating completely.

This then led to the young woman to start what felt like an endless cycle of becoming independent and moving out before being unable to regulation her behavior and emotions on her own and ending back at square one to start again until her and her family realized there needs to be a change.

Do you too, see a need for change?
Does your child…

  • Have a meltdown at a small inconvenience?
  • Withdraw socially?
  • Fidget in appropriate ways/times (ex: Yelling out in class, playing with loud toys, etc.)?
  • Lash out often (physically and emotionally) (screaming, hitting, etc.)?
  • Speak poorly about themselves?
  • Exhibit avoidance behaviors?
  • Show a risk for Failure to Launch or is currently experiencing it?
  • And more?

Well, at the Support for Students Growth Center we can help by…

  • Teaching them breathing and other calming techniques in moments they may find it hard to relax
  • Techniques to avoid physical and verbal lashing out
  • Ways to help them advocate form themselves that is not only beneficial for them mentally but is effective for every party involved.
  • How to deal with the other things in life that may be adding onto the stress causing them to lash out.
  • How to continue to use these techniques every day/as often as needed
  • How to prevent outburst, and if they do happen, how to deal with them appropriately afterwards
  • And more!

At the Support for Students Growth Center, we provide social, behavioral, educational, emotional, and executive functioning skills services children, teens, young adults, and their families, who may be Neurodivergent or not 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 remain organized to ensure parents do not have to worry that their kids will be unable to make and maintain a functioning independent life 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

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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Ensuring Students Have Age-Appropriate Social Skills

But what if they don’t like me…

As the school year starts to settle and students are found their friend groups; socializing can be made exceptionally harder for some students. They may feel as if no one wants to socialize with them now because they all have their own friends or that they waited too long to make friends. This can then discourage them from making friends at all, which may lead to isolation and an unhappy school life.

Friends help make school fun. They help encourage us when an assignment or task may be too hard, work on projects with us, hang out with us at lunch and after school, and are a companion to help us through life. Without them, school can feel scary. Kids can feel like they are alone, leading them to lack self-advocacy skills and hold all their negative emotions inside.

This can then lead to emotional outburst, causing them to become even more socially isolated since almost no one wants to hang out with someone who screams at them all the time. They may then try to avoid school all together, causing their grades to also slip, and if they do not work on these skills now, these issues will follow them into adulthood, causing them to become at risk for “failure to launch.” However, the Support for Students Growth Center had the tools to help with that.

 At the Support for Students Growth Center, we offer social, behavioral, educational, emotional, and executive functioning skills services children, teens, young adults, and their families, who may be Neurodivergent or not 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 socialize to ensure parents do not have
to worry that their kids will be unable to make and maintain a functioning independent life 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.

Schedule your FREE 15-minute individualized screening

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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Ensuring Students Have Executive Functioning Skills

But I just can’t do it all…

Managing life is hard. Keeping up with schoolwork, chores, extracurricular activities, and a social life can be stressful for children, teens, and young adults. They may find that completing a task so they can go out with their friends to be too daunting, or school itself to be too demanding when paired with at home responsibilities. This can then cause them to exhibit avoidance behaviors. They may spend more time doing a homework assignment, so they don’t have to clean their room, or simply just avoid the task all together because it is too overwhelming. They may also find it hard to figure out how not only to start a task, but how to follow through and finish a it, or simply manage the task itself, which is where our executive functioning skills come in.

Executive functioning skills help us manage these tasks and our environment in a way that makes us feel confident in our ability to complete things rather than just feeling anxious or stressed out by it. Managing your time so you don’t feel rushed, keeping an organized space to minimize stress, being able to not only begin a task, but finish it, using a planner to keep track of your time, and so much more are all executive functioning skills and techniques that we need in order to be successful in life. If we do not have age-appropriate skills, then everyday life can become stressful. We may feel as if we always have too much to do and never enough time to do it, but if you have strong executive functioning skills, not only completing the task at hand, but completing it well will be much easier. This can then also prevent anxiety, emotional regulation issues, and avoidance behaviors that can prevent them from reaching their fullest potential in life, and the Support for Students Growth Center is equip with the tools needed to help them develop these much-needed skills.

At SSGC, we provide the social, behavioral, educational, 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 use their executive functioning skills to ensure parents do not have to worry that their kids will be unable to make and maintain a wonderful life 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 experience and tools to help.

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

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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Ensuring Neurodivergent Students Can Actively Compromise

No! I don’t want to play that game!

From a young age, we learn how to compromise with others. Whether it be with our siblings, parents, and/or friends, compromising is an important skill to be able to use. It allows for us to be able to handle situations that could otherwise be stressful in a way that is age-appropriate and effective. By doing so, students can avoid emotional outbursts, anxiety, strains in their relationships with their friends, peers, and family, and more. This then allows for them to be productive both in and out of school settings, and make and nourish friendships easier in situations that may otherwise be difficult for them to do so, especially for those who are neurodivergent.

Without strong compromising skills, everyday life can be difficult. Not everything will go their way every moment of every day, so being able to stop, think, and compromise can prevent issues that may isolate the student from their peers. Almost no one wants to socialize with someone who only wants to get their way. If students refuse to compromise, they may struggle to not only make friends, but maintain the friendships they do create because they always have everyone do what they want to do. They may then also do this at home, causing a strain between them and their siblings. If they are not taught how to compromise, they may have an outburst to try and get things their way, creating a flurry of bad habits that may follow them all the way into adulthood. Having a meltdown to get their way can promote avoidance behaviors and prevent the ability to take responsibility and compromise. After a while, they may find that they do not have many, if any, friends, and as they get older. Holding down a job, getting into and staying in college, and becoming independent may be too difficult for them to achieve, especially if they cannot compromise.

Playing a game everyone wants to play, choosing a project topic everyone likes, watching a tv show or movie everyone wants to see, emotionally regulating, avoiding rejection sensitive dysphoria every time someone wants to do something different from you, utilizing breathing techniques so they can have a clear thought process, and splitting the work that must be done with your siblings and/or peers are ways students compromise on a daily basis. Compromise is used almost constantly, even if we don’t realize it, and without it, students can begin to fall behind academically, socially, and in life, which is why the Students Growth Center has created a program to help.

At the Support for Students Growth Center, we offer social, behavioral, educational, emotional, and executive functioning skills services children, teens, young adults, and their families, who may be Neurodivergent or not 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 compromise to ensure parents do not have to worry that their kids will be unable to make and maintain a functioning independent life 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

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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Ensuring Neurodivergent Children Can Make Friends

But what if they don’t like me…

As we get older, it seems like when we look back, we have made friends every step of the way. Whether it be in school, sports, camp, or other kids around the neighborhood, we as people tend to make connections even without realizing it, but for those with neurodivergent traits, making friends can be difficult. Between the anxiety of not knowing if they will like what you like and having to talk and open-up to a stranger, making friends can be difficult for many. Yet, if they don’t, their lives can be filled with isolation, anxiety, depression, and so much more. Without friends, children, teens, and young adults may find going to school, events, and even just daily life to be difficult to manage. Friends help us feel comfortable in situations we may not be used to, and they are there to talk to us and help us get through things, but if we cannot make, nurture and maintain these friendships, life can quickly become lonely.

Without the effective social skills, making friends can seem impossible. Knowing what they like and dislike, how to talk to certain people in specific situations, reading body language, emotional regulation, listening, and so much more are ways we make and keep friends. These skills help us understand what our friends are thinking so we can be there for them and vice versa, which can make school and general life a much better experience. Friends are there to experience life with us and to help us through tough times, which is why having them is so important, yet neurodivergent individuals may find it more difficult to know when to use these skills than their neurotypical peers, but the Support for Students Growth Center can give them the tools they need to do so.

At SSGC, we provide the social, behavioral, educational, 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 make friends to ensure parents do not have to worry that their kids will be unable to make and maintain a functioning independent life 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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Ensuring Neurodivergent Students Know When to Listen, and When to Speak

Shhhh…
For one neurodivergent young boy, trying to adapt back to a school environment after summer was proving to be very difficult for him. He hadn’t seen most of his friends all summer, so he wanted to tell them all about his experiences, yet, when he tried, he would often get in trouble. Since he would be story telling while his teacher was speaking or giving instructions, he would not only disrupt the class but miss important information as well. This would then cause him to struggle to complete assignments, know how to solve whatever worksheet was given, and overall begin to already fall behind because he was always talking when he was supposed to be listening.

Not being an active listener also made socializing hard for the young boy. Since he was constantly doing the talking rather than listening what others had to say, it made the other kids not want to interact with him since they could never get a word out. This then caused the young boy to become isolated alongside his academic struggles, and as time went on, he began not wanting to attend school at all. He would avoid it by pretending to be sick, “forgetting” things at home like his projects, homework, and backpack, and even having meltdowns, which caused his parents to reach out to the Support for Students Growth Center for help.

There, he learned tools such as how to identify when it is and is not appropriate to be speaking, how to focus and be attentive to what others are saying, writing down his thoughts on a piece of paper so he won’t forget what he wanted to say when the proper time comes, how to control and regulate his emotions to prevent him from having an outburst and speaking anyway, patience, breathing techniques, and so much more. These tips then helped prevent him from simply blurting things and speaking when it is inappropriate to do so, making school a much more enjoyable experience for him.

If children, teen, and young adults do not have the ability to differentiate between when to speak and when to listen, they will find not only school, but overall life to become difficult to manage. They may be unable to follow directions, be a good friend, complete assignments whether it be for school, chores, or a job, and so much more, all of which will set them back in life. Being able to know when to listen and when to speak can also prevent them from being emotionally overwhelmed with the stress of not being sure when it is appropriate to talk, alongside giving them the confidence, they need to succeed, which the Students Growth Center can help them achieve.

At the Support for Students Growth Center, we provide the social, behavioral, educational, emotional, and executive functioning skills services children, teens, young adults, and their families, who may be Neurodivergent or not 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 know when it is time to listen versus when to speak to ensure parents do not have to worry that their kids will be unable to make and maintain a functioning independent life 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

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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Science and Social Skills Summer Day Camp

Science and Social Skill Summer Camp

Our program is designed for children and teens between the ages of 5-14, who are “mainstreamed” and would benefit from a small intensive science experiences, technology infused, and social skills-based camp experience in Boca Raton. (Interview required, camp limited to 12 students each week)

We are an approved PLSA Provider

Sessions

June 2016 July 2016 August 2016
Session 1: June 5-19 Session 5: July 10-14 Session 9: August 7-11
Session 2: June 12-16 Session 6: July 17-21
Session 3: June 19-23 Session 7: July 24-28
Session 4: June 26-30  Session 8: July 31-4 **No camp the week of July 4th

Sample Summer Camp Schedule

Time Activity
8:00-9:15 Drop off
8:00-9:40 Group Free Play
9:40-10:00 Focusing activity (stretch, yoga, breathing exercise)
10:00-11:00 Technology infusion/Team building/Science Experiences
11:00-11:15 Snack Time
11:15-12:00 Social Skills activity
12:00-12:30 Lunch
12:30 1:00 Music therapy/board games
1:00-1:45 Science Experiences
1:45-2:15 Snack, Quiet time (reading time, group play)
2:15-2:30 Wrap-up/Review
2:30-3:30 Group Play, Art, Music, Board Games, Reading
3:30-4:00 Parent pick-up*

Cost: $495 per week

*10% Deposit due by May 1

*Final payment due 2 weeks before each session

Community Based Instruction

-Bowling

-Lunch

-Mall Outings

-Boca Police Department

-Boca Fire Department

Fun science experiences daily!

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Help Children and Teens Learn to Prioritize Their Lives

Organization doesn’t only refer to our child’s physical items and physical possessions; it can also include organizing their time and activities. Taking time to label what they want and need to accomplish allows them to sort through everything on their “plate” and how to tackle it. Since everything is lined out and identified, regulating their time and energy can seem less overwhelming and stress producing.

Write It Down

When organizing their priorities, it is important for children to write them all down and make themselves some sort of “primary list” because it helps them remember everything they want or need to accomplish or complete later. This list gives them a visual aide to use when making organizational decisions. They don’t have to list the items in any particular order, but just list anything that comes to mind. Once they feel they have completed the list (for now), then they can go back and assign their tasks in priority order. Common codes such as ABC or 123 can be used to determine each listings priority and how they will proceed with each one.
Common methods for “writing down” items and tasks to go on their “To-Do List” include:

  • Use an agenda or day-to-day planner
  • IPad (or other tablet) and/or IPhone (or other smartphone)
  • Laptop
  • Use post-it-notes
  • White board
  • Family or personal calendar

Help your children and family find the approach that works best for them and use it “always”.

An Amazing Tool to Identify Urgent and Important Tasks To-Do

Sometimes we confuse our urgent priorities with our important ones, which can cause us to be confused about what to take care of first. The Urgent/Important Matrix is a tool that we can use to think about our priorities and how we handle them. Before we can use the matrix, we must write down everything we want to accomplish in a certain period of time, such as daily, weekly, or even further and assign their priority in which we want to get them done (See previous exercise).
The matrix is divided into four quadrants, each ranging in importance, and allows for activities and projects to be plotted in each one based on their need. Using the list, the child creates with your help, you and your child would plot each job in the corresponding quadrant. After all of the tasks have been plotted, you can see all of the things your child wants or needs to do and how urgent or important they are to us and them. This leads them to make better choices regarding their time management and overall organization.

Here is one of many versions of the Urgent/Important Matrix that can be used for various things. We’ve included a common version that can be used with everyday activities.

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Divide Tasks

Now that your child made a list and categorized all of the things they want and need to accomplish, it can seem overwhelming or even intimidating to get started. But by dividing their tasks into smaller groups of things to do, they can feel more empowered to get them done. Tasks can be divided any way that is convenient, such as things to do for one particular project or maybe even things to do that involve going through papers. They key is to find what combination works for them.
Helpful hints:

  • Sort tasks by each specific project
  • Decide what tasks can be done the fastest
  • Determine what tasks will need more time

80/20 Rule

Simply put, the 80/20 Rule targets the need to focus on what is or should be important to our children, and disregarding the rest. In most cases, 20% of things we have or accumulate are important to us, while the other 80% is usually trivial, if not useless. If the 20% is handled first and focused upon, the remaining 80% practically takes care of itself. For example, using the 80/20 Rule, they can sit down with their daily To-Do List and identify the top three or four projects or tasks that need to be done (the 20%). Then outline the less important things that can be done next, or even at a later time (the 80%). By focusing on what is the most important/urgent first, they are more focused and ready to tackle them. Once they are completed, the rest of the tasks seem less daunting and can be done with ease.
The 80/20 Rule is about being organized while doing what they want and need in their everyday life (and not just more organizing!).

Excerpts taken from the workbook titled “Organizational Skills for High School, College, and Career Readiness” Program, offered at The Support for Students Growth Center in Boca Raton.

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