I remember my school observation of Tory Browning with particular clarity. She was a sturdy, dark-haired second grader, and although she was the tallest child in the class, did not seem the most mature. There was something lost about her expression, as if she was younger than the other children and struggling to keep up. At first I wondered why
By: Adelaide Allen, Ed.M. Educational Specialist Children who struggle to make and keep friends often have difficulty knowing how to solve conflicts with peers. Maybe they don’t know what to do or say. Maybe they can’t tell the difference between a good solution and a bad solution. Or maybe they are unaware a problem even exists. Skillful social problem solving
Monitoring the role of technology in our children’s daily lives is becoming more of a priority for parents and educators today. Whether you embrace the digital age or yearn for days of old, it’s clear that technology plays a role in your children’s development and can facilitate both building friendships as well as deterring social interaction. Additionally, children with social
The Virtual Environment for Social Information Processing (VESIP™) is the latest research endeavor at Rush NeuroBehavioral Center. The tool is an innovative assessment of social information processing, utilizing a computerized simulation in which children adopt the role of an avatar and use a computer mouse to navigate challenging social situations and engage in real-time social decision-making. Principal investigator Nicole Russo-Ponsaran,
By Georgia Bozeday, EdD Director of Educational Services Rush NeuroBehavioral Center Many of us have something of a love-hate relationship with sleep. We’re pretty sure we should be getting more of it. We want to “sleep like a log” every night, but often we find ourselves “tossing and turning” when we finally do “hit the hay,” because we can’t let
Madeline, who’s eight now, is small for her age, a charming little girl with long brown hair and a shy nature. She’ s bright, precocious verbally, and very self-aware. The first time her parents brought her to my office she was only three, but she was able to describe the things that worried and frightened her. She became anxious “when
By Clark McKown, Executive Director All children who come to RNBC are, of course, individuals. Many declare themselves with outsize personalities. There are, however, two challenges many RNBC children share. See if you can catch the common thread: Jack is a seventh grade boy who attends a small private school and has been with the same 30 or so classmates
In anticipation of her February 13 talk at Rush NeuroBehavioral Center, Dr. Anne Howard answered a few questions about the types and prevalence of bullying, the role of social development in bullying, and ways in which parents can help in prevention efforts. Click here to download a printable PDF version. Q: What are the main types of bullying that young people
“I feel completely helpless,” said the mom who called me. “My son Michael is absolutely miserable, and I don’t know how to help him. There are a bunch of kids at school who are so cruel. They really know how to get him worked up.” I arranged to do both a parent interview and a classroom observation, to see what
Prior to his upcoming February 5 talk, titled “Will the Real Social Network Please Stand Up?,” Dr. Clark McKown, Executive Director of RNBC, discussed the online assessment tool SELweb™ and the concept of a ‘real social network.’ Click here to download a printable pdf version Q: Explain the concept of a “real social network.” Clark McKown: I’m making a distinction between