Has this pandemic increased the anxiety level of your child? Is mask wearing, social distancing and all of the new restrictions creating stress? Or has your child always been anxious and you are eager to learn some new strategies to help? Tierney Payne, LPCC, manager of Africancentric Services at The Nord Center, will talk about practical things families can do to help a child who struggles with anxiety. Learn how creating structure, providing coping skills and developing an action plan to overcome fear can lead to a calmer and happier child. Join the community of families with an elementary-aged child who struggles with attention and anxiety.

Connecting for Kids

Episode 80: Helping the Child who Struggles with Anxiety

Problems come in all different shapes and sizes and can range from a small “glitch” to a huge catastrophe! As social thinkers, it is not only important to rate our problems but also to match our reaction to them in a socially appropriate way. Ellen Spear, MA, CCC-SLP, of Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC., will teach you skills to assist your child in determining how big or little a problem is and then know what strategies will work to help deal with that problem. This program is for parents and caregivers of children ages 7-12.

Episode 79: Social Series: Assessing and Reacting to Problems

Do you wish your children had a close bond? Is it difficult for your typically developing child to interact with your child who struggles? Join local pediatrician, Dr. Alaka Chandurkar, and licensed clinical psychologist, Heather Dukes-Murray, Ph.D., of Meghan Barlow & Associates, to learn five ways you can work with your typical child to build a relationship with a sibling who struggles.

Episode 78: Five Things Families Can Do to Foster Relationships Between Children who Struggle and Typically Developing Siblings

Does your child often say things that are either inappropriate or hurtful to someone’s feelings? Deciding what is OK to say or not say in a social situation can be tricky. Ellen Spear, MA, CCC-SLP, of Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC, will teach parents and caregivers ways to help their child understand how words and actions can affect others. Learn about “brain filters” and other tips to guide your child ages 7-12 in knowing what is socially appropriate.

Episode 77: Social Series: Using Your Social Filter

Are there ways to stop your child from toggling between games and classwork when they are distance learning? Should you limit screen time when it’s your child’s only way to connect with friends? Jay Berk, PhD, psychologist, author, and international speaker of Jay Berk, PhD and Associates, will discuss the most common concerns elementary-aged families have raised about electronics during this pandemic.

Episode 76: Anxiety and Attention Series: Electronic Addiction and Distance Learning

Do you wish you had a kit filled with “tools” you could use to stop meltdowns before they start? Do you want strategies to motivate your child toward positive behavior? Join us each month to learn how to use one of the tools in our Tantrum Tamer Toolbox to help your child aged 18 months – 6 years control behavior and manage emotions. CFK Early Intervention professionals Paula C. Papp, M.A.Ed., and Neysa McKenney, M.A., CCC-SLP will discuss the contents of the Tantrum Tamer Toolbox and answer questions on a variety of topics.

Episode 75: Stop the Meltdown Before it Starts! Part 1: Tantrum Tamer Toolbox Overview

The ongoing stress and uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic can wear anyone down, but children may have an especially tough time coping emotionally. Do you see signs of stress and struggle in your child? Finding the right mental health provider for your child can be overwhelming. Join Karla Fitch, MTSC, of Connecting for Kids as she introduces CFK's framework for finding a mental health provider to work with your family.

Episode 74: Ask Us! How to Find a Mental Health Provider

Did you know recent statistics indicate that as many as 1 in 4 young children can be at risk for developmental, behavioral or social delays? Are you concerned that your child's development may be behind? Join Morgan O'Leary, an outreach specialist from Help Me Grow at Bright Beginnings, as she provides information about developmental milestones for those birth through 3 years. She will also give parents and caregivers ideas of how to work with a child to help reach these milestones.

Episode 73: Developmental Milestones - How To Know If Your Child Is Behind and What To Do About It

Assessing and Reacting to Problems

Does your child struggle with anxiety? Have you found yourself accommodating anxious behavior? Maybe you are not inviting friends over if your child has social anxiety or repeatedly answering the calls of a child with separation anxiety. In some cases, this can only perpetuate the symptoms of anxiety. Join Beth Mishkind Roth, MSSA, LISW-S of Cleveland Integrative Counseling, to learn how altering your response can help de-escalate your child’s behavior and help them gain confidence in their ability to cope. Beth will introduce SPACE (Supportive Parenting Through Anxious Childhood Emotions), a program which parents and caregivers learn that by changing their own behavior, they can avoid much of the escalation that stems from trying to force their child to act differently.

Stop Accommodating and Start Addressing Your Child’s Anxiety

What are some ways you can improve communication with your child’s school? How can you more effectively ask for support? Join Karla Fitch, MTSC, of Connecting for Kids as she teaches families how to create and use a communications binder. Karla will walk attendees through the documents a family should have readily available and discuss the importance of each. She will also demonstrate ways to use the binder throughout the year to communicate your child’s needs.

How to Communicate Effectively with the School

Ven y escucha a Citlali Conley, COTA/L, de Abilities First, LLC, quien nos compartirá maneras para disminuir la frecuencia y la intensidad de las crisis en niños pequeños y preescolares. Aprende ideas para saber cómo preparar a tu hijo(a) y el medio ambiente para evitar las rabietas o crisis. Conley también te enseñará cómo ayudar a tu hijo(a) para que él o ella misma pueda reconocer las señales cuando se está abrumando, e iniciar actividades de auto-calma apropiadas para su edad.

Manejo de Crisis en los Niños

The COVID-19 pandemic has created anxiety in many of our children. Whether it's masks, social distancing or disrupted routines, the uncertainty of school this fall is only adding to this stress. What can you do? How can you help your anxious child prepare for the upcoming school year? Join Cate Brandon, PsyD, from Kenneth A. De Luca, PhD. & Associates, Inc. as she offers techniques to help families deal with anxiety, which can look very different in each child. Whether you are dealing with sleepless nights, defiance, meltdowns, attention issues or other behaviors, she will provide resources to ease the back-to-school transition.

Helping Your Anxious Child Prepare for School

We've had a few weeks off from virtual school and the kids have had time to be wild and untamed. Early intervention professionals Neysa McKenney, M.A., CCC-SLP, and Kathy Nash, M.Ed., will discuss the importance of routines and setting expectations to give kids something to rely on. -- How do you set up a summer structure using a visual schedule? -- What are simple activities you can incorporate into your child's summer play to increase communication, social, and academic skills? This program is for families of children 18 months to 6 years (with or without a formal diagnosis).

Staying Sane with the Little Ones at Home - Summer Check In

Do you have a child who is more difficult, argumentative or disrespectful? Is it a struggle to get her to comply with the rules or to complete school work? Is his temper and moodiness affecting your entire family especially as you are home together during this COVID-19 pandemic? Join Jay Berk, PhD, psychologist, author, and international speaker of Jay Berk, PhD and Associates, for a brief presentation on the possible causes of these difficult behaviors and what to do about them. Dr Berk will help you identify what skills your child may be lacking and provide practical strategies you can use at home to combat common defiant and difficult behaviors.

Defiant and Difficult Behavior at Home

Connecting for Kids educates and supports families with questions or concerns about their child.

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Connecting for Kids

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