How do you measure progress in your kids, in your family, or in yourself? Much of what we do in science (the science of teaching, parenting and even the science of mental health) relies on data to guide decision making. We think about things like, test scores, rating scales, and how skills are developed and ultimately mastered (and hopefully maintained); we think about things like how long it "should" take to learn a new habit, at what point we should change the plan, and how to know if a plan has gone off track at any point.

In this episode, I'm getting clinical; but don't worry, if you're parent along for the ride this will still be right up your Alley :P 

I'll let you in on some of the clinical conversations I've been having with my team about processes and frameworks for goal setting, goal assessment and big picture planning for both the kids and families I support. This episode will be helpful for understand how we make some of our clinical decisions, and how you can call on a similar framework for guiding your home based goals (for yourself, your partner, or your kiddo).

Things like:

-What exactly is mastery criteria and how do we decide if we've reached it? I'll also sidebar pretty hard on the topic of: How do we avoid arbitrary benchmarks of mastery in favour of client-centred and meaningful criteria for mastery that is both reliable and fair?

-Where do we look to see if a skill (behaviour, math/literacy skills, parenting skill, all of it--) is mastered? Hint: the proof is in the pudding.

-How do we assess how long it should usually take for a kiddo (or parent) to master a skill? 

-What happens if we have a kiddo (or parent) whose performance is inconsistent?

-What to do when skills are missing and curriculums or instruction manuals are written beyond your kiddo's current level?

-How to take into account child developmental theory without sacrificing evidence based teaching strategies and guiding principles as a core foundation?

Talking about how we actively pursue mental health in the workplace within our helping profession; unpacking how we support our employees in self-awareness, personal development, and commitment to habits that promote self regulation and mindfulness. I'm diving into some strategies that I've used (successfully and unsuccessfully) in supporting staff in a high stress environment, made exceedingly more difficult by working and running a business in a pandemic. I'm talking about tag-team teaching/crisis support, finding mindful moments each day, investing time into mental wellness, and setting boundaries. I may say some controversial things about the importance of showing up for your team and holding space for "hard shit" (yup, stuff that's emotionally charged, not work related and intrinsically personal--but also directly impacting how your employees show up each day). I'm discussing managing a team in a pandemic, setting boundaries and why it's important to show up with your "human" hat on too. 

Love the episode? Don't forget to connect on social, rate and review on your favourite podcast platform.

Your host- Alley @MagMinds

Your Fav Podcast- Science Drives @sciencedrives

The business behind the podcast - Magnificent Minds Inc.

Getting real with Ahuva Magder Hershkop, RD @AhuvaRD about all things nutrition, kids and the importance of science backed strategies for food education in a neurodivergent (and frankly, neurotypical) population. Ahuva spills the tea on how to talk to our kids about food, how to create routines around food when there are big behaviours involved, and how to navigate picky eating with a "big picture" approach (as in--"you don't learn to read ALL in one day! You learn letter by letter."). Ahuva shares great insight about taking baby steps to the end goal, about reframing your perspective on how we talk about food, and how to avoid "diet culture" imprints from the days of old (read as: 80's/90's parenting at its finest :P).

Disclaimer: There was a wild storm getting in the way of connection and sound drops EEK for a few seconds...stay the course, it's worth it :P

Ahuva's FB Group- Busy Moms Guide to Feeding your Family https://www.facebook.com/groups/1683736265060869

Ever wonder what a parenting expert does when their own kid says "NO?!" Warning: Big behaviours ahead! I'm walking you through an actual meltdown moment with my 3 year old; what I did, what I didn't do, and how I handled it all. I'm unpacking what worked, what failed miserably and how I checked myself multiple times throughout the escapade. I'll talk about self regulation, holding space for your kids, and balancing gentle, firm and empathetic all while trying to keep your cool as you navigate big big feels and understand the WHY behind behaviour patterns. I love a good metaphor, so I've got one of those for you too--hint: click, click, click.  Toddlers though, am I right? This discussion will be super applicable for toddlers, pre-school aged kiddos, and even lower elementary kiddos. If your kiddo struggles with self-regulation, this is YOUR episode. The bigger the feels, the better this episode will fit. If ya know, ya know :P Deep breath, strong drink (cocktail or coffee) time to press on!

Love the episode? Don't forget to connect on social, rate and review on your favourite podcast platform.

Your host- Alley @MagMinds

Your Fav Podcast- Science Drives @sciencedrives

The business behind the podcast - Magnificent Minds Inc.

I'm joined by Behaviour Analyst, and Yoga instructor Andrea Stuart (IG-@integrativeabayogi), who discusses mindfulness practices you can adopt without any fancy resources, and without a huge time commitment. We're unpacking what mindfulness is, what it isn't, and how it can improve your parenting by tuning into the present moment. We discuss self-regulation in neurodivergent kids (and their parents) and describe some ways you can use humour, or silliness to diffuse and move through big feelings. 

If you're not already, come find me on IG and LMK what resonated! (IG-@MagMinds)

Given the disproportionate number of neurodivergent (autistic, ADHD) kids impacted by mental health needs, you'd think there would be less barriers to getting support; lack of specialization, reluctance to collaborate and uncertainty with how to start are among top contributing factors. I'm unpacking some of the primary obstacles I've faced in advocating for the incorporation of mental health supports in behavioural intervention, and possibly making some controversial statements about big problems within the "system" and how they are contributing to accessibility barriers. 

Perhaps most importantly, I'm giving concrete strategies for parents and professionals in terms of how to open the dialogue and begin teaching neurodivergent kids about the importance of mental health, emotional awareness, and coping mechanisms. 

A quickie this time--but full of thoughts and considerations for folks with ADHD (especially kiddos). My quick tips for helping your ADHD kiddo overcome struggles like problem solving, self regulation, scheduling and much more. Let's dig in!