When summer rolls around we are often very excited for all the freedom and flexibility but sometimes we realize our schedules are more packed than we thought, and most certainly more than we would like. As summer is here with many plans, some travel and some work, and most shuffling from here to there... It is important to remain organized.

As a child, Carly Terracciano watched as her younger sister grew up with a neurological disorder that severely impacted her speech, coordination, and overall brain development. The experience had a profound effect on Terracciano and sparked her interest in the human brain.

The wave of DBT has arrived, but what even is it? DBT has found its way into most schools, counseling centers and clinics and has proved itself over and over again for being a tool to our healing and our services. Whether you are introducing models of integrative psychotherapy, emotion regulation therapy or providing adolescent counseling services... DBT can be integrated into your intervention services to seal the deal!

When children and teens imagine their summer break, thoughts of freedom, no homework sleeping in and hanging out with friends are top of mind. The concepts of unpredictability, increased time with parents and feeling exhausted from shifting sleep schedules are conveniently not part of their “summer vibe.” However, the reality is that the transition from school to summer can be a real challenge for both kids and their parents. We know that all young people thrive with a solid routine and lots of structure. The loss of a predictable “safe zone” at school can lead to tricky behavioral issues such as tantrums, rule-breaking, increased arguments and defiance. This is particularly true for kids and teens with ADHD and anxiety.

Children look at adults as the ones with all the answers, and most of the time, we come up with those answers on the fly, or trial by error because we too are simply human ourselves.

Kids thrive off of structure and routines which often change during the summertime. Start off the year right by jumping right back into school time routines. Set the alarm clock, limit technology time and aim to serve dinner at the same time every night.

IEP stands for Individualized Education Plan. Essentially, an IEP is created for your child to outline the programs and accommodations that are constructed by the educational setting to accommodate your child's level of learning and access to learning.

Sometimes it feels impossible to get our child to help out with the household chores. As frustrating as that is, remind yourself that you at that age thought chores were the worst thing ever, TOO! First, we need to debunk how "terrible" chores are. Share with your child that a clean house, a clean bedroom and clean playroom is important for your home. Share with them that the cleaner the space is the more use they can get out of it. You can remind them that they will know where all their toys are and they will have more space to play.

SEL is an approach most commonly used in schools to better enhance each student's availability to learn and grow within and beyond the classroom setting. When SEL initiatives are implemented in a school setting, the lessons and objectives are geared toward building the foundation and overall improvement of a student's social and self-awareness, emotion regulation and responsible decision making.

Today, most teens and tweens use some form of social media and have an account on a social media platform. While it used to be just Facebook and Instagram, today there is Snapchat, Twitter and the latest fan favorite – Tik Tok.