The complex dynamics of a family’s various personalities, communication styles and temperaments are hard to equate to anything else. And yet, metaphors abound. A family can be described as anything – a car, a computer, a business - anything with multiple parts that interact with and rely on one another to be successful and remain functional as a whole. My favorite metaphor for families is being a team. Almost everyone is exposed to teams. It is something everyone has an exper

All children want to do well, even if their behavior makes you think the complete opposite. Even if you feel more frustrated and exasperated with them than you ever thought you could possibly feel. Kids want to please the adults in their lives. I have long purported the power of praise. I believe that all kids need it -- those with mild to minimal behavioral difficulties need it, and those with significantly challenging behavior need it. Be they younger or older, children nee

At some point many parents will ask themselves: “What can I do to change my child’s behavior??” and at some point they’ll likely come across someone or something telling them to make a behavior chart. Now, there have been some recent articles about the question of using charts for pro-social behavior. They make the point that pro-social behavior should come from an innate, internal desire to help others rather than doing something for the sole purpose of a reward. That is not