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Cognitive Disabilities | In-Home Recommendations for Parents (part one)

Melissa Gendreau, MS, LPC

Melissa Gendreau, MS, LPC

Part 1 of 2:

A child’s environment is vital to his/her future health and success. For the parents of children with a cognitive disability, the task of creating an appropriate environment can be daunting.  Children with this diagnosis require an environment that is calm, predictable, and supportive.  Children with cognitive disabilities require simple, concrete behavioral expectations in their environment.  In addition, they must experience immediate, consistent, non-shaming consequences (that are appropriate for their individual level of functioning) for not meeting those expectations.  Short-term behavior goals matched with equally short-term consequences may be the most effective method for children with cognitive disability.  The important aspect to remember is to ensure that it is a realistic goal for the individual child. Incorporating all of the above aspects is no small feat.

These children often require intense supervision and structure in the environment.  They often do best in their environment when they came to understand the schedule and routine of the day.  Parents with children who function at an intellectually disabled level often find their child will require multiple parenting and teaching strategies for him/her to be more successful.

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Diagnosis Versus Identity

Angela Frederickson, LCSW

Angela Frederickson, LCSW – Clinical Director

This bit of reflection is dedicated to a beautiful soul who left this world much too early.  I have been searching for a way to honor the footprints she left and this blog seems to be an appropriate stage.  My experience walking with her down her road is representative of many adolescents’ experiences in the world of mental health treatment.  I remember her taking a fiercely protective stance regarding her identity and raging against adults who dared define her as a “disturbed child” or “victim”.  She described those who engaged in the sin of categorizing her as “haters” and enjoyed the fight they provided through their ignorance.    She was particular about the name others used when they referred to her.  She knew what kind of mother she wanted to be and what kind of mother she did not want to be.  She asserted herself as “Anishinabe” and educated me that she was of the “original people”.  She stated one day, “I know exactly who I want to be and where I want to go”.

In my journey with her I was reminded time and again the power of words, the power of labels.  (more…)

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