TheraTree Pediatric Therapy - TheraTree Blog #Holiday

New Year's Resolutions and How to Actually Achieve Them

Fri, 03 Dec 2021 14:42:20 -0600

The most common resolutions people typically make are to lose weight, to save money, to learn a something new, to become more organized, to stop smoking/drinking, and to become overall healthier (eating homecooked meals versus fast food, buying a gym membership, going to bed earlier, finding a new, less stressful job, etc.). One on-line poll in 2020 showed that by about 68% of people give up on their goals after approximately 32 days. The most common reason: lack of discipline. Other factors for abandoning these resolutions included busy schedules, not having “enough time,” and even peer pressure. So the question is: How does one make a New Year’s Resolution and actually follow through with it? Generic answer: Hard work and commitment.

Don't Think it - ink it!

Every New Year’s Resolution that a person makes is an attempt to fulfill something within their basic needs; To satisfy quality world pictures. Something to make their lives a little bit better. No one ever makes a resolution to make things worse. However, having another commitment to fulfill is often times very stressful and ultimately discarded because one already has “too many irons in the fire.” But these Resolutions should be viewed as a form of self-care and most people tend to put taking care of themselves at the bottom of that list. As this list continues to grow with other obligations, eventually, the resolutions are taken off the list. In order for these resolutions to be achieved, resolutions must become a priority! (Using concepts of Dr. William Glasser’s Reality Therapy and Dr. Robert Wubbolding’s WDEP system, this is where I tell you how!)

By Jacob L. Wright, M.Ed., LPCC-S, NCC

Reviewed and Edited by Michael Fulkerson, LPCC-S and author of Treatment Planning from a Choice Theory Perspective

Well, it’s that time of year again. The Time of year people start thinking about those promises to themselves that they’re not really going to keep. Every year, many people create a New Year’s Resolution with good intentions of keeping them, but soon throw them out along with all the boxes and wrappings of the holidays. In the beginning, these people are very determined and motivated to make changes in their lives. Why? By the end of the year, most people are stressed and overwhelmed and tired of being stuck in a rut. Tired of being broke. Tired of being stressed. Tired of being fat. Tired of being… tired. I know this all too well. I have been one of those people!

Take a few minutes to think about what your resolution would be for the new year. What is something that you feel would improve your outlook on your life? Or improve the quality of your life? Write it down. Don’t’ just think it, INK IT! Chances are, this is something you’ve wanted for a long time. It may also be a resolution you’ve tried to achieve before and didn’t follow through with. Now think about the impact this would have if you were to achieve this. Can you describe it? How would you feel if you could make this happen? Now ask yourself how badly do you want it? Do you just kind of want it? Or do you really want it? There is a big difference in your motivation depending on how you answer this question!

Overcome Past Efforts

Once you know what you want and how badly you want it, think about what you’ve tried in the past to achieve this goal. Write it down! If this is a brand-new want, you may not have tried anything before. And that’s ok! If this is something you’ve wanted before, and did not follow through with, that is okay, too! If this is something you’ve wanted for a long time and have tried many things, how well did it work out? What are some of the things that did work and what are the efforts that did not? Again, write this down.

By now, you know what you want and how badly you want it. You are also aware of your past efforts, what has worked and what did not. Now ask yourself “What can I do differently and what am I willing to do to make sure this works this time.” This is your plan of action. Be as detailed as possible. If your resolution is to lose weight, write down how you’re going to do this. Example:

I will commit to exercise 3 days a week for 1 hour (Monday, Wednesday and Friday)

I will cut down to only having fast food 1 day per week and eat home cooked meals the rest of the week

I will drink 72 oz water per day. (Break this down into how many ounces per hour.)

I will cut down on sodas to 1 per week and replace with water or unsweet tea.

Dr. Robert Wubbolding, author of Reality Therapy for the 21^st Century, attests that for a plan to be effective, it must be “Simple, Attainable, Measurable, Immediate and Controlled by the planner (SAMIC).”

It can be whatever steps you feel you need to take to make this happen. If you find yourself not knowing what steps need to be taken, make a step to include researching or talking to someone who knows more about what it is that you want. Again, be specific and realistic. Don’t set standards too high. Committing to working out 3 hours a day 7 days a week can be overwhelming and set someone up to fail. If you can do more on certain days than usual, do it. But only write down what is manageable and what you’re willing to commit to.

Commitment

If you’ve gone this far, why not go ahead and sign it. Put your signature and date somewhere on this as a written contract to yourself. Now take it a step further and post it somewhere where you will see it every day, or maybe several times a day. Put it on the fridge if you have to. This can help you hold yourself accountable for your goals.

My personal recommendation is to document your progress once a month until you’ve reached your goal. Review your contract. Are you still reaching for the same goal? What have you been doing to make this happen? Is it working? Why or why not? And if it’s not working as well as you’d like, are there modifications to make to your plan? If so, write it down. Sign it. Date it. And keep going!! If you say you can, or say you can’t, you’re right!! You are in control! You are the only one that can make this happen for yourself. You’re worth it!! If you want it, go for it! You got this!!

Cheers!

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Tips for Supporting Children and Teens during this Holiday Season

Thu, 10 Dec 2020 12:56:22 -0600

Links from article:

Check out CDC guidance to make holiday gather ings safer.

Understanding & Coping with Reactions in a Pandemic

Valentines Day

Mon, 03 Feb 2020 14:53:41 -0600

By Nick Grant

Valentines Day is filled with parties, hugs, and good food. These can be out of routine and cause disruption in your child's world. Here's how you can help your child prepare for Valentine’s Day.

School Parties

Ask your child’s teacher ahead of time of when the party is going to be, so you can prepare your child for schedule changes.
Ask your child’s teacher for the list of names of their classmates ahead of time so your child can pick out and prepare valentines they think the class will like.
Ask if you can volunteer during the party to promote your child feeling more safe around others when they know you are there.
Provide headphones for school parties so if your child thinks it is to loud they can use them.
Tell your child’s teacher about your child’s favorite food. Offer to bring it so there will be something your child will enjoy at the party.

Date Night & Babysitters

Book your babysitter far in advance so you know you have someone your child will be comfortable with.
Make a list of the nighttime routine so the babysitter knows and keeps your child on track. Share this with your child so they can help with the routine.
Have your child’s favorite dinner so you don’t have to worry about if they will eat dinner or not.
Lay out their favorite PJ’s that way it will make bed time more fun.
Let the babysitter know some of your child’s challenges and ways to calm them. That way they will know how to handle them better.

Social Stories

Use social stories to prepare your child for Valentine’s Day.
Pick social stories that will help your child will have trouble with like schedule changes, party noise etc.
read a little bit each night before bed that way your child is not overwhelmed with a lot of information at one time.
Here are some social stories to use with your child:

Other tips

If you celebrate at home, keep it simple. Considering not inviting a lot of people over so your child does not get overwhelmed with a big crowd.
Use making valentines as an opportunity to work on handwriting.
Use a name/signature stamp for your child to sign their name on the valentines day if they're unable to write.
Have your child make just a few valentines each night so they will not get overwhelmed with a whole class worth of valentine.
If your child receives a food gift make, review what they bring home to make sure they can eat it.
Discuss your concerns with your Occupational Therapist or Speech Language Pathologist. Not receiving services? Contact us at newpatients@theratreepeds.com or 270-688-8449 to schedule an evaluation.

Thanksgiving Tips & Tricks for Kids with Challenges

Tue, 05 Nov 2019 21:05:53 -0600

Thanksgiving brings family and food together in the spirit of abundance and connection. For families who have children with challenges such as anxiety or autism, this holiday can bring an added layer of stress.

Preparation

This can vary greatly based on your child. Ask your Occupational Therapist how else you can prepare.

Conversations with your child

Use short descriptive sentences when talking about the day and how things will go.
Look at pictures with your child.

See pictures from last years Thanksgiving and talk about memories.
If going to an unfamiliar family member's house, show pictures of the host and their house.

Talk about the people who will be there.
Discuss the kinds of food they may encounter.
Review table manners.
Draw/color pictures about the holiday.

Conversations with your family

Have conversation with family members who don't know your child as well.

Offer training. Ask if they're interested to meet with you to provide information about your child's diagnosis, what approaches work best, how to respond to behaviors etc.

Resource on educating tantrums vs meltdowns.
Sensory Meltdown Awareness Cards

If you child doesn't like showing physical affection, let them know its nothing personal. Suggest an alternative interaction, like a high five instead of a hug.
Discuss allergies with the host ahead of time. Plan for foods with allergens to be stored out of reach of the child to avoid them accidentally picking up the food. May need help from others to keep food put away.
Consider if it works for your family to keep the TV volume low if loud sounds are a challenge for your child.
Will decorations be a challenge for your child? Let the host know and see what can be worked out to prep the environment.

Schedules

Determine how long your child will need to prepare for the holiday. Do they need a day's notice, a week, several weeks?
Use a calendar to count down the days.
Write out a timeline of events for the day (different from a count down calendar) and review the schedule with your child.
Plan to arrive early. This way your child has a chance to acclimate before the noise or crowd heightens.
Keep routines
- Is it possible to eat dinner at the usual time?
- Keep all other daily routines the same if possible. Prepare them if you can't!
- Do they always eat from the same plate. Bring their plate with them.
- Wash hands before meal.

Expectations

Set ground rules: Define what will occur afterward certain actions.
If the host has rules that are different than in your home (ex. takes shoes off), find that out ahead of time and prepare your child before arriving.
Do you expect your child to remain at the table the whole time or may the ask to be excused?
How do you want them to let you know if they need a break?

Do you want to create a code word? A hand signal? An "I need a break card" they can give you?
Help your child get really clear on how and who to ask for a break.

Review situations they may be in where they need to request a break:

Too loud
Too many strong smells.

Consider the holiday traditions your family has and how your child will interact with the tradition.

Prepare an alternate activity if needed. Example: If your family watches the loud football game and thats going to be a problem for your child, plan for your child to do a preferred activity in another room during the game.

Consider if your own expectations of your child are reasonable. Adjust if needed and help your child get on the same page with you.
Consider expectations for other kids in the family.

If your child has to eat their veggies before pumpkin pie but their cousin can eat the pie first - this could cause an upset with your child. Be prepared for how you want to navigate that situation.

Social Stories

Create or read social stories with your child to anticipate how the day will go.

Thanksgiving Social Skill Story by Positively Autism
PECs Images for Thanksgiving Board by Do2Learn
Thanksgiving Social Story by Autism Speaks
Thanksgiving Recipes by the Autism Helper

Practice

Sit at the table with plates, lighting, and music on before the event. Use a napkin in their lap if that's expected.
Use role playing and rehearsal to practice dealing with upcoming social situations. Ex. Shaking hands
Try out holiday foods at home before trying them in a new environment. This can help them become more comfortable with them the day of.
Visit the host before a week before the event to get used to the house.
Prepare with food:

Meal plan together: "Would you like mashed potatoes or potato casserole?"
Invite you child to cook with you. Find tasks that they can complete based on their skill level. They may consider tasting the food during the preparation process. They may be more likely to try the foods later.

Travel

If traveling to family's home will be outside of your child's routine, discuss:

Where you are going.
How will you get there.
How long it will take.
How long you are staying.
What games can you play in the car (Example: I spy)

Don't forget to Bring...

Make sure there will be food they will eat served. If you have a picky eater, it can be comforting for them to know there will be at least something they can eat.
Noise cancellation headphones or ear plugs.

Weighted blanket.
Medicine that may impact diet (antacids etc).
Comfortable clothes for your child.

Consider what could match as a family if that is important to you.

Sensory bottles
Quiet Books

The Day of Thanksgiving

Take photos for next year. You can make a memory book to help remember the things you did for next year's gathering.
Use "First ____, Then _____" language.
Assign your child tasks that they can manage to increase their participation with the family.
When you see your child being "good" give praise and reinforce their behavior.
Create your own stress outlet for the day. It's common for humans to say something in the heat of the moment that will effect others and escalate situations. Be reflective of you language.
Set a timer on your watch or phone to remember to check in with your child.
Watch for signs of anxiety or distress and be proactive about using strategies to reduce.
Have an escape plan

Consider making a certain room in the house the quite room in case they need quite. Talk with the host about this before hand.
If the weather permits, a walk outside can be a great break!
Encourage a trusted child or sibling to be their buddy and join them during quiet time.

Identify who (spouse, aunt, etc) will agree to helping you monitor your child during the event and take turns.
Express gratitude to your child, family, and self.

Reflect on all the good moments you've experienced, no matter how big or small and talk about these with your family.
Tell your family members who they are for you. Example: "Your kindness, no matter what the season, touches everyone around you. I'm so grateful that we are family."

Mealtime

Use a visual schedule during the meal to prevent your child from rushing through the meal.

For example: The first picture shows a fork with bite of food, then an empty fork back on the plate, then the child chewing, then the child wiping their mouth with a napkin.

Limit the portion of food on their plate to help an over-excited eater slow down.
Make food connections between new foods and preferred food through textures, taste, smells etc.
Does you child typically fill up on snack ahead of time? Move foods out of sight to limit their access.

You might need to ask family member for help with this (ex. put lids back on containers)
Ask family members to help monitor the "snack zone".

If impulse is a factor at the table...

Have your child sit immediately next to you or another trusted family member who has agreed to support and reinforce.
Plate food in the kitchen (vs. keeping servings platters on the table).

Consider where your child is seated.

Sitting at the end of the table could help buffer from potential sensory triggers (loud chewers) or being squished between people.

If needed, arrange for your child to eat away from the group or before the event.
Reduce anxiety around meal: Anxiety is a appetite suppressant (fight or flight is activated) and therefore will reduce the opportunity for your child to eat.