Children & Adolescents

As with all beginnings, starting school can be a very exciting, yet challenging time in a child's life—suddenly there is a different environment to adapt to, unfamiliar people to get to know and a new set of rules to follow. Here are some questions to ask yourself to determine if occupational therapy can help you and your child have a successful transition to pre-school and kindergarten.

By Aimee Pecora, MA, Therapy Extern-Psychological Services, with help from Beth Fishman, PhD, Addiction Services

Did you know?

• One in five children grow up in a family system dealing with addiction.
• Children of alcoholics are four times more likely to later develop addiction-related issues, such as difficulties with trust, anxiety, depression, and alcohol or drug addiction.

Considering these facts and in working with children, adolescents, and families, it is clear that addiction impacts the family system. There are several protective factors to consider or ways to reduce the negative impact of addiction, when working with children in a family system struggling with such issues.

Q: We are planning an upcoming trip to see Grandma and Grandpa, but are nervous about traveling with our child who has autism. Do you have any suggestions to help?

A: A vacation or a trip can be an exciting adventure, but sometimes, getting there is the hardest part. When traveling with a child with autism, one of the best things you can do is have a plan.

Traveling can be a stressful experience on anyone.

By Debra Cardash

“It’s not fair!”  If we had a dollar for every time a child said this phrase, we would all be millionaires.  A working definition of fairness and clear steps to achieve fairness will foster our children’s growth – so this article will focus on how to define fairness, conceive of ownership, distinguish “nice” from “fair” and achieve fair outcomes.