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Parent and Child Psychological Services PLLC 
941.357.4090 (Office)/ 941.877.6683 (SMS Text)/ 727.304.3619 (Fax)
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Electronics, Multimedia, and How to Manage by Amanda Hanson, psy. d.

10/26/2018

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In today’s modern age, the use of electronics to communicate, obtain information, and share our lives with the world through social media continues to expand and becomes the “norm” as each day passes. Children and teens are exposed to social media daily, and the pressures of society encourage its use. While the use of technology and multimedia has its benefits and can be a valuable resource to use, the excessive use of media can increase the risk of negative behavioral problems in youth. In order to prevent such issues from occurring, the use of psychoeducation and parental involvement is suggested. 

Most parents struggle to determine what and how much electronic use is appropriate, and how to monitor these online interactions. First, parents and caregivers need to set age-appropriate ground rules. This include determining to amount of time spent online each week, to what websites they can visit without permission. While each parent/caregiver will have their own expectation of what is considered a reasonable amount of time, the American Academy of Pediatric recommends limiting electronic screen time to no more than two hours a day.

Once you have established the ground rules for the electronic use, a discussion regarding safety should take place. When expectations are provided, children and teens will be more aware and likely to follow the rules in order to avoid negative or dangerous situations. Safety rules should include discussions about sharing personal information, the use of pictures, meeting up in real life, and cyberbullying. Addressing each of these domains regarding the dangers each one poses is significant to assisting children and teens in managing online electronic use. If any of these safety rules are broken, refer back to your ground rules and consequences that was set in place from initiation.

In order to increase appropriate monitoring, keeping the electronics, such as laptops, computers, and tablets in a common room is suggested. If a child or teen is in the presence of adults, it increases chances of following the safety and ground rules. In addition to monitoring the physical space, the use of supervision online is necessary as well. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to respectfully monitor online activity. Checking your child’s internet searches, history, and activity is appropriate to protect them from the potential of online dangers. Checking with your internet service provider to inquire about filtering and monitoring options are available. This will allow parents to track and monitor their children’s use, including time spent, what websites, and preventing inappropriate content from displaying.

In the event that your child or teen shares with you an issue that you may find to be of a concern, do not overreact. Praise your child for discussing this information with you, and discuss with them what you believe and know about the issue. This will help them learn and understand, while also increasing an open line of communication.

If parents are able to set clear and realistic expectations, while also monitoring and supervising online activities, then you are doing your duty in being responsible. While all children and teens are different and require different expectations and levels of responsibility, it is up to you as the caregiver to determine what is best, and if there is an issue or danger, it is also up to you to find out what is going on and manage it appropriately.

Websites with further information for addressing online safety:

www.mymobilewatchdog.com
www.netlingo.com
www.getnetwise.org 
www.ikeepsafe.org
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Should I Be Concerned?                                                                  BY KIRSTEN M. ELLINGSEN, PH. D.

10/19/2018

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All children display challenging behaviors at times. Sometimes it is difficult to understand why a child is behaving in a certain way or to know if this behavior or reaction is common for his or her age. Parents may find themselves questioning if behaviors are typical or if their children are showing age-expected skills and abilities.  (When do infants walk independently? How many words should a 2 year old say? What types of play or social interactions should I see at 3 years of age? Is a 30-minute temper tantrum about brushing teeth normal? Why is my baby trying to put that dried lizard in his mouth!?!) 
 
Development is a complex, ongoing, and rapidly changing process.  There is a range of time when skills begin and are attained or “mastered”.  There are also age-based standards when a lack of an observed skill or behavior is considered delayed and requires intervention. Understanding what behaviors are to be expected at a certain age (and “developmentally appropriate”) and when they suggest a reason for more concern and professional follow-up can be complicated. Some disabilities have early signs and symptoms that can be identified. (*In my next few blogs I will highlight early signs and screening for some of the most common early childhood developmental disabilities including autism and ADHD.)
 
When a child is not showing age expected skills or when challenging behaviors are more intense, frequent, or sustained compared to other children who are the same age, it is important to consult a professional trained in development and disability.  Again, all children can be expected to display challenging behaviors to some extent, particularly when they are tired, sick, scared or learning how to express frustration and assert independence. However, when problems are hard to manage or cause difficulty in school or at home, getting professional support can provide assistance, including increasing effective parenting and behavior management strategies, building positive parent-child relationships, enhancing learning and academic success, and determining if an underlying disability is present. Florida Early Intervention can also assist with free developmental screening and services for young children (0-3).
 

Resources
Florida Early Intervention:  http://www.floridahealth.gov/alternatesites/cms-kids/early_steps_directory/
 
Zero to Three: https://www.zerotothree.org/early-development
 
Center for Disease and Prevention: Developmental Milestones
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html
 
Kids Health: Growth and Development: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/growth/?WT.ac=p-nav-growth
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It’s Not Just Handwashing… So What Is OCD Anyway?                                                                                                        By Kate Gibson, psy.d.

10/10/2018

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in recognition of ocd awareness week, october 7-13, 2018

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When people hear OCD they often think of someone who washes their hands over and over, or someone who needs things neat and organized in a very specific way. These can certainly be part of OCD for some people, but OCD can take many forms that may be very different from this.
 
OCD stands for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. As indicated in its name, OCD is made up of two kids of symptoms: Obsessions and Compulsions.

Obsessions are thoughts that get stuck repeating in your head. These thoughts are intrusive and persistent. They often make you worry that something bad will happen or make you think something feels wrong. Obsessions can have to do with any topic, not just germs.

​Compulsions are acts that people do to help themselves feel better. These might be single actions or complex routines, or even things you do in your head. Checking, counting, saying certain things, and trying to make things perfect are examples of compulsions. There are many other acts that can be compulsions too. People with OCD believe the compulsions are the only way to stop their fear form coming true, but that is not the case.
 
OCD is treated using a form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy called Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). ERP teaches people to face their OCD without engaging in obsessions and compulsions. This is tough to do on your own, but much easier with the help of a trained mental health professional. OCD is like a brain trick, and ERP helps you take back charge over your thinking, feelings, and actions.
 
Some people also find it helpful to see a psychiatrist for medication to assist with tackling their OCD. Make sure the psychiatrist you choose has experience treating people with OCD.
 
Websites with additional resources:
International OCD Foundation: https://iocdf.org/
Anxiety and Depression Association of America: https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd
Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies: http://www.abct.org/Information/?m=mInformation&fa=fs_OBSESSIVE_COMPULSIVE

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Children with Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRB)                                                      BY Joy T. Bui, M.A., Doctoral Candidate,    Clinical Psychology

10/4/2018

4 Comments

 
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Children with Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRB)
 
What are Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRB) anyway?
 
BFRBs are when someone repeatedly touches, pulls, or picks at their skin or hair, sometimes causing themselves physical harm. 
 
At one point or another we have seen someone bite their nails, twirl their hair, or maybe chew on their cheeks or lips... Although seeing this is common, for some kids, it is harder for them to stop these behaviors and it may become more problematic.  
 
 
For kids the MOST COMMON types of BFRB are:
 
Skin Picking Disorder: causes people to repetitively touch, rub, scratch, pick at, or dig into their skin, resulting in skin discoloration or scarring
 
Hair-Pulling Disorder: causes people to pull out the hair from their scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows, and other parts of the body
 
Nail-biting Disorder: causes people to bite their nails past the nail bed and chew on cuticles until they hurt themselves, which may lead to soreness and infection
 
Some other BFRBs are: cheek and lip biting, nail picking, scab eating
 
How do you know when it’s a problem?
 
Body-focused behaviors are considered problematic for children when they are happening repeatedly over time and they result in negative physical, social, or emotional consequences.
 
Good news, there is help!!
 
Treatment such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or habit reversal training (HRT) has been shown to be very helpful for children with body-focused repetitive behaviors!
 
You can find more information and resources at:
http://www.bfrb.org/index.php
 
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    Parent and Child Psychological Services is a private practice serving children and families in the Sarasota, Florida area. The practice is owned and operated by Dr. Gibson, a Licensed Psychologist who is Board Certified in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology. ​

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Parent and Child Psychological Services PLLC                                                                                                 Administrative Hours
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