Psychological treatment for children and adolescents
Children are not just small adults. They think differently. They communicate differently. They suffer differently. It’s the same with adolescents. Their brains are growing and changing rapidly. Not to mention hormones and attitudes. So children and adolescents require specialized treatment. That’s where we come in. We specialize in treatment for children and adolescents. But be assured: at the NeuroDevelopment Center, parents are always included in their child’s treatment.
Many parents have concerns about putting their children on psychiatric medication. We do too. Medication can be helpful, but in our opinion, there is too much reliance on medication. We see young children who are taking four and five different meds. So we make it a point to scour the scientific research to find effective treatment for children that does not require drugs. We offer several. Explore the approaches described below. We can sit down and discuss your child’s needs to find the solution that is right for you.
You have many choices – traditional treatment for children and research-supported innovative approaches.
Individual therapy
Recommended for: Anxiety | Depression | PTSD | Autism spectrum | ADHD | Attachment | Bipolar | Behavior problems
Family therapy
Recommended for: Anxiety | Depression | PTSD | Autism spectrum | ADHD | Attachment | Bipolar | Behavior problems
Friendship groups
Recommended for: Autism spectrum disorder | Non verbal learning disability
Social coaching
It is not easy to help kids with social deficits learn how to interact better with peers. But it is especially hard to give this help from a therapy office that is far removed from peer interaction. To be the most helpful, you need to be present when the social interaction is happening. To help best, you need to do it live, from the sidelines, like the coach in sports, observing as it happens. But this is not how therapy usually works. Therapists work in their quiet offices and their clients tell them about what happens outside of it. Some professionals use groups, but the kind of lessons learned in structured groups do not always (or even often) transfer well to the confusing messiness of real life with peers.
Several years ago, we decided we would no longer accept these limitations. So we developed a social coaching program using paraprofessionals. We train and supervise the social coaches who go out with the clients into real social situations and coach them live. We have worked with a number of adolescents and college students using this approach, and have seen faster and more substantial progress than through the usual methods.
Recommended for: Autism spectrum disorder | Non-verbal learning disability in adolescents and young adults
ADHD kids group
Recommended for: ADHD + ADD
Cogmed
Cogmed working memory training is a research-supported way to increase attention by improving working memory. With this online brain training program, there are a series of engaging working memory games and challenges. The challenges, like most popular videogames, get progressively harder as your skills improve. Cogmed Working Memory Training provides scientifically designed working memory exercise and practice. Just like physical exercise, it leads to improved skill and capacity. Designed for Pre-school and up. Learn more.
Recommended for: ADHD | Learning Disabilities | Traumatic Brain Injury
Preschool LEAP
Recommended for:ADHD in preschoolers
“Our son is a 13 year old with Asperger’s Syndrome. The Friendship Groups of the NeuroDevelopment Center have been no less than a miracle for him. He learned that it is possible for him to make and keep friends. He learned what it means to be a friend, how friends communicate with one another and how to be a part of a group. These simple joys had eluded him all his life until now. We are thrilled to see him so happy. Dinner time is now a pleasure in our household since we can actually have a real family conversation. Amazing!”
“It is hard to believe that a year ago my family was living in Hell. My daughter was so scared of everything in life and my husband and I didn’t know what else to do for her. The level of stress, fear, and sadness was unbearable. Her anxieties and panics were becoming mine. It is unbelievable the change which has occurred. The confidence she has built in herself and in facing her fears is remarkable.”
“My son has attention issues as well as social pragmatic deficits and sensory integration dysfunction. Neurofeedback has helped him make incredible progress in his ability to organize himself. He is now able to get himself dressed with little or no management. He is coping successfully in a regular education classroom setting. He is exercising judgment and is not as easily led into disruptive or confrontational situations. He is calmer and has even been known to sit through an entire dinner with little movement. We are very pleased with his progress and plan to continue the therapy.”
Heart rate variability biofeedback
Recommended for: Anxiety | Depression | PTSD | Autism spectrum | ADHD | Attachment | Bipolar | Behavior problems
Neurofeedback
Recommended for: Anxiety | Depression | PTSD | Autism spectrum | ADHD | Attachment | Bipolar | Behavior problems
School consultation
Recommended for: Anxiety | Depression | PTSD | Autism spectrum | ADHD | Attachment | Bipolar | Behavior problems
Interactive metronome
Interactive Metronome (IM) is an innovative brain training tool that is increasingly being used by professionals who work with child and adult patients with neurological conditions that affect cognitive and motor functioning. IM training involves feedback guided practice to hone and fine tune motor timing at increasingly precise levels. The IM tool provides an objective method for measuring timing deficits and for tracking improvement. Although much more research needs to be done, there is early but growing evidence that IM can result in improvement in attention, coordination, language processing, reading and math fluency, control of impulsivity/aggression. With IM, you can see your progress grow as you train. You can see your timing improve from session to session. Learn more.