Food additives linked to ADHD

One of the most common diagnoses we see in school is ADHD.  And is it any wonder?  According to CNN.com, this diagnosis has risen 22% in the last few years!  Why is that?  According to Health.com, this is in part due to the use of the following food additives: Blue #1 and Blue #2, Green #3, Orange B, Red #3, Sodium benzoate, Red #40 (the most widely used food coloring in the U.S.), Yellow #5 (the only food dye tested and officially linked to hyperactivity) and Yellow #6.  What can a parent do to be sure they aren't feeding the family a big helping of ADHD?  Some good rules of thumb are to limit processed and pre-packaged foods, always read labels in the grocery store, and limit eating in restaurants.

Should bullying be a crime?

This is an interesting piece from Psychology Today regarding the new anti-bullying legislation.  It's controversial and provocative but full of logic and wisdom.  Let us know what you think!

The Intangibles

High school hockey practice starts at 4pm.  At 1pm, the coach gets a phone call from one of his players.  He's not going to make it to practice today because he has a paper due tomorrow.

Tomorrow?  Really?  What has this young man been doing for the last few days?

Schools are great at teaching reading, writing, and math,  but time management, arguably the most important life skill, is severely neglected in schools today.  Administrators and, subsequently, teachers are driven to spend all of their class time on the tangibles, knowledge that can be measured on a scantron sheet.  This era of testing and accountability for teachers sounds like a good plan at the surface but when we look a little deeper we can see that important life skills such as time management, organization, communication, and critical thinking are often overlooked in favor of the curriculum.  What does this prepare our students to do?  Obviously it prepares them to pass the test.  But what about the life that comes after all this testing?  Let us know your thoughts!

Is Academic Coaching right for me and my child?

Are you curious about whether or not Square 1 Academic Coaching is the right fit for you and your child?  Simply download our brochure and read about our services!  If you have any questions you can contact us at info@sqre1.com.

Should the school be able to dictate your child's diet?

The newsmedia was buzzing earlier this year when a girl brought a cookie in her brown bag lunch and was told by the school she couldn't eat it. Watch this video clip from Fox2 News Detroit as three local experts debate who should have input into what kids are eating.  http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/health/school-lunch-menu:-who-decides%3F

Tips for Testing

Here in Michigan, we are a few days in to the MEAP test, a mandatory standardized test for public school students in grades 3-9.  As school counselors, we have a short list of tips for parents to help their children give 110% on MEAP days.

1. Get a good night's sleep.  Sounds pretty simple, right?  Well kind of.  With the consolidation of bus routes many schools have had to stagger their start times.  In the same district there may be an elementary building with a 7:45am start time and another with a 9:15am start time.  The kids in these two schools should not have the same bed time.  Work backwards.  Look at your school's start time and subtract 10-12 hours for elementary students and 8-10 hours for middle school/high school students.  This is a good tip for every day, not just a MEAP day.

2. Eat a good breakfast.  The Standard American Diet tends to consist of sugary cereals and pastries.  These foods tend to give a quick burst of energy but taper off quickly.  The best way to get your student through the morning is to give them a more protein-heavy breakfast such as scrambled eggs or yogurt mixed with a handful of raw almonds.

3. This one will depend on your school rules.  Studies have shown that chewing gum while taking a test can improve a student's test scores.  Mints have also been shown to have this effect.

4. Talk about the test with your child the night before.  Reassure your son or daughter that you know they will do well if they give their best effort.

5.  Make school a priority in your home.  This is not just a tip for test days, but one that will make every day a priority for your student.

Tips for parents of kids with short attention span

This morning's Detroit Free Press has some great tips for parents of kids with attention deficits.  These are great tips not just for kids diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, but for all kids of all ages.  Check them out and let us know what you think!

What is academic coaching?

You have found our blog and you enjoy the posts, but seems like many of you are still wondering what exactly we do.  Here it is folks!

As academic coaches, our goal is to equip your son or daughter with the skills necessary to become an exemplary student.  We work primarily with bright, capable students in grades 4-12 who lack the structure, self-discipline and organization to excel academically.  We use research-based strategies that empower your child to successfully take control of his or her own learning. 

How does it work?

Each child, each school, and each teacher are different.  Changes do not happen over night and any lasting change requires a strong partnership between student, parent, teachers, and the academic coach.  Coaching sessions usually occur weekly and in some cases we may suggest two sessions per week to start.  Once substantial progress is made, students may be weaned down to one or two sessions per month or discharged entirely.

What do the sessions look like?

The intake session is an hour long and includes both the student and parent(s).  We ask that parents please come prepared with your intake forms filled out, as well as copies of your student’s last four report cards (one full academic year).  If you do not have the last four report cards, you can obtain them by calling your school’s office.  Most schools require at least 24 hours notice to pick up documents.  Once we have discussed the goals of our work together, both student and parent will sign commitment statements which will be reviewed on a weekly basis.  Parent(s) will also sign a release of information so that we may communicate with your student’s teachers, school counselor, or other school staff. Each coaching session is an hour long.  The first 45 minutes of the session are the student and coach only.  The parent(s) joins the session for the last 15 minutes to review progress and update the commitment statements if necessary.

How long will my student need coaching?
Some students will pick up on the skills and strategies quickly and show remarkable progress.  Other students will resist them and complain about them until they start to see improvements.  Being accountable to the academic coach and not just the parent(s), helps prevent these students from simply choosing not to use the strategies, making excuses as why to they don’t work or are too hard, or refusing to even try them.  There is no easy answer as to how long your student will need coaching.

Who are we?

Lauren Field and Felicia Neumann are professional school counselors with over 25 years of combined experience working in public schools.  Lauren completed her bachelor’s degree at the University of Michigan and obtained her master’s degree in counseling at Oakland University.  Felicia obtained her bachelor’s degree in education at the University of Michigan and her master’s in guidance and counseling at Eastern Michigan University.  

If you are interested in learning more about Square 1 or would like to set up your intake session, please email info@sqre1.com. 

Problem with the teacher? Follow these steps for a successful resolution...

Now that the "honeymoon" period is over, kids and teachers have found their comfort zones.  Maybe you're realizing this year's teaching style isn't 100% compatible with your child's learning style?  Or perhaps you are frustrated that communication regarding missing/late homework has not been forthcoming.  Whatever your dissatisfaction is with your child's teacher you want to make sure you follow these steps to achieve resolution.

1. Share your concerns with the teacher.  Some parents prefer to do this over email and avoid a face-to-face confrontation, some prefer to meet because it feels more official.  Either way you want to make sure you don't bypass this important step.  If you need to proceed to the counselor or administrator (Principal or Assistant Principal) the very first question they will ask is "Have you talked with the teacher?" Most teachers are reasonable people who really care about kids and are willing to make adjustments to help your child achieve success.  The majority of parents who take time to talk to the teacher do not even feel the need to proceed to step 2.

2. If your conversation with your child's teacher does not produce the desired outcome, the next step would be to speak with your child's counselor.  Many times they can make suggestions for change that will be agreeable to both the parent and the teacher, as well as serve as a mediator or buffer so the teacher doesn't feel attacked.  If the counselor is unable to resolve your concerns, he/she will then direct you to the appropriate administrator.

3.  At this stage of the game, the Principal or A.P. will usually create a plan that will require the teacher to adjust in order to alleviate your concerns.  Many administrators will give this a short window - a week or two - to work.  If there are still issues after the administration gets involved, it may be time to ask for a schedule change.

Many parents make the mistake of demanding a schedule change before they even speak with the teacher.  Often the concerns that make it past one conversation with the teacher are part of a two-part problem; the student and the teacher must be willing to bend in order to resolve it.  Most of the time this can be solved by a meeting with the counselor (a diplomatic third party) and without upsetting the student's entire schedule.  If a change is needed, parents should try to be flexible and remember that certain courses are only offered at certain times and that it does not benefit anyone - your child or the others in the class - to overfill a classroom because you like that teacher better than the one your child is currently assigned to.

Have you ever needed to request a teacher change for your child?  Fill us in on the steps you took and whether or not you were able to achieve the outcome you desired!

Bathroom Blues

Fact: our bodies must rid themselves of toxins.  Fact: in order to rid our bodies of toxins, we must keep our routes of elimination open and empty them as needed.  So what is one disturbing trend we have noticed in the first few weeks of school?  Kids are not going to the bathroom!  In fact, some kids are holding it to the point that they can't hold it anymore and wet their pants like they are in pre-school.  Maybe it's just the middle school age, but it seems like this year there are a lot of kids who are afraid to tell a teacher when it's an emergency.  This is not healthy for the student, physically or emotionally.  What can we do?  First and foremost, let your student know that when a teacher offers extra credit for unused bathroom passes that does not mean to save all your passes at all costs.  Secondly, remind your child that if it's an emergency they absolutely must let the teacher know.  "Wait until Johnny gets back" is just not an acceptable answer in an emergency because let's face it, who knows how long Johnny will be gone?  And finally, if they tell the teacher it's an emergency and the answer is still no, better off to just leave the room and deal with the school's behavioral consequences than to deal with the social and emotional fallout of an accident past the age of 6.  Agree?  Disagree?  Let us know!

Omega-3's can help calm ADD/ADHD symptoms

A growing body of scientific research has shown that Omega-3 fatty acids contribute to healthy brain formation, function and performance.  When comparing children with attentional disorders to children without, children with ADD/ADHD had much lower levels of DHA in their blood.  DHA is an essential omega-3 fatty acid.  This is great news for parents who prefer not to medicate their ADD/ADHD children with amphetamine-like drugs such as Ritalin.  The Standard American Diet is quite lacking in Omega-3's, but optimal amounts can be reached by using a high quality fish oil supplement and adding milled or ground flaxseed into foods like yogurt or cereal, according to Dr. Mark Stein of University of Chicago. The omega-3 supplement we prefer is Nordic Naturals, a high quality medical grade supplement that won't leave a fishy taste in your mouth and throat.  Have you used dietary supplements to manage your child's symptoms.  Leave a comment and let us know what worked and what didn't!

Have you checked the online gradebook yet?

Just a reminder, it is never too early to check your school's online gradebook but it can sometimes be too late!  Our school has been in session for a little over a full week, yet just yesterday we started hearing from teachers that some students were already missing 2 or 3 assignments.  It is very easy for kids to fall behind and often impossible for them to catch up because we - the adults -  find out about it too late.  If your school does not require teachers to post grades on a weekly basis, we recommend you send a weekly email to inquire whether your child has any late/missing assignments and find out what is ahead for the next week.  Communication between home and school is crucial to the success of students at any level, k-12.

Problem-solving skills essential to combat bullying

Problem solving skills are essential to prevent kids from being bullies or victims of bullies, according to USA Weekend magazine.  An analysis of over 150 studies appeared in School Psychology Quaterly's June issue shows that kids and teens who have difficulty solving problems are more at risk to be either bullies, victims of bullies, or both.  One of the tips they offer is to avoid jumping in to fix problems, try to step back and let them figure it out for themselves.  We know many parents struggle with this because they are torn between wanting their kids to learn the skills and wanting to avoid seeing them suffer a bit.  It is hard to watch our kids flounder as they work to figure things out between friends, with siblings, or even with teachers.  However the more practice they have at doing so, the more competent they become.  Not only is problem-solving an essential skill to prevent bullying, but it's also the hallmark of a successful employee, spouse, parent, and friend.  Tell us how being a good problem-solver has helped your child!

Are conventional "good study habits" worthless?

The study habits students are being taught today are the same ones we were taught in school 100 years ago; a quiet place to study, dedicated homework time, setting goals, etc.  A study in the New York Times tells us it might be wise to throw what we thought we knew about studying out the window.  Psychologists from UCLA now suggest varying your child's study environment improves retention of information, as does studying related concepts in a single sitting as opposed to studying one concept for the entire sitting.  Some of the less shocking suggestions the researchers shared were spacing out study sessions but studying an hour a night leading up to an exam instead of 6 hours the night before and taking practice tests instead of traditional "studying."  We are definitely on board with all of these suggestions, but keep in mind every child is different.  What works for one may not work as well for another, so be sure to keep trying new study methods until you find the one that works best for your child.

What can a parent do to prevent bullying?

Last week New York Governor David Paterson signed into law the Dignity for All Students Act, anti-bullying legislation requiring schools to revise their Codes of Conduct, conduct employee sensitivity training, and train at least one employee in instructional and counseling methods.  New York became the 44th State to enact similar legislation, but we have to wonder what type of impact these laws will truly have.  Parents may become more aware of the consequences for bullying, but is it realistic to believe this knowledge will prevent all students from engaging in bullying behavior?

After working in schools for so long, we know that most bullying behavior happens away from adult eyes and ears.  These days much of it happens in online portals such as Facebook, AIM, iChat, Skype, etc. as well as over cell phones and text messages.  Some of it leaves a trail, but much of it does not.  The best thing parents can do to make sure their child is not a victim OR a perpetrator of bullying behavior is to monitor these lines of communication.  If your child has a Facebook, make sure you have the password and check it regularly.  Check the comments, check the inbox, look at what your child is writing to others and what they are writing to your child.  Simply being your child's Facebook friend is not enough.  There are too many ways of communicating via Facebook that a "friend" can't see.  If your child has a cell phone, we recommend a "check in, check out" policy.  At bedtime, the phone should be turned in to parents.  You can use that time to skim through text messages (inbound and outbound) and look at the call log.  The phone can be returned to your child in the morning, provided all the text messages were on the up and up.  As for the other internet portals such as iChat and AIM, we recommend ALL computer use take place in common areas of the home not in the seclusion of a child's bedroom.

Last but not least, if you do see evidence of bullying on the computer or the cell phone, please immediately bring the evidence to the school's attention.  Many parents are under the impression that if it happens outside of the school grounds the school does not have jurisdiction to investigate or issue punishment.  This is simply not true anymore.  If the bullying takes place outside of the school but causes the student to feel intimidated or uncomfortable attending school, it IS the school's place to investigate and take action.

"I did it at school..."

Does your child ever answer your inquiry about tonight's homework by saying "I did it at school"?  It sounds reasonable that a teacher may have given students time to work on that night's homework at the end of the class and that being the smarty-pants he is, your kid actually finished it.  So let's say that actually is the case, he did finish it at school.  What happens to that assignment between today's class period and tomorrow's class period is often a mystery to many parents.  Your child tells you he did the work.  You want to believe him.  But then it shows up as missing in the online gradebook.  What can a parent do to prevent this from happening?  We suggest the "show me rule."  If he did it at school, it should be in the folder designated for homework to be turned in. (If your child does not have a folder designated for this, that is a whole other issue and will be dealt with in another post.)  If he can't show you the work, chances are he either didn't really do it or he has already lost it and won't be able to find it tomorrow when it's time to turn it in either.  We suggest making him redo the assignment.  If he really did do it, he will be more careful about where he stores it, thus improving his organizational skills.  If he didn't do it, he won't tell you that he did because he knows you'll make him do it anyway if he can't show it to you.  The "show me rule" is a tried and tested winner, we promise.  Try it and let us know how your child reacted!

Did you know? Online HW help for students (and their parents)

One complaint we hear often in our offices is from parents who are having enormous difficulty helping their kids with homework, especially math when they get to higher level work such as algebra and geometry.  Whether it's a complex math problem or an essay that needs editing, there are some great sites on the internet that offer 24x7 assistance to students and parents.  Next time you find yourself in a stumped by a quadratic equation, check out one of these sites and let us know how you like it.

• Tutorvista
• e-Tutor
• TutorNext

Back to Sleep

As the leaves begin to fall off the trees, children and adults alike struggle to adjust to the back-to-school routine of bedtimes and alarm clocks. Here Dr. Michael Breus gives us some tips for how much sleep kids of various ages should be getting and how to ease them back into it. Good stuff!

What's for lunch?

A recent study conducted by the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Food and Nutrition Database, Inc. in Okemos, MI found that students who consume food from school vending machines consumed an average of 253 more calories per day than students who brown bagged it. Vending machines full of snacks loaded with sugar, salt, fat and cholesterol can be found in about 88% of U.S. high schools, 52% of middle schools and 16% of elementary schools. Around 22% of students eat from these vending machines daily. It looks like we are on our way to a very large public health problem in about 40 years when many of these students start to experience the "payoff" of their unhealthy eating habits such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. We are wondering if parents know what their kids are spending lunch money on? Do your kids brown bag it every day? If they do buy lunch, are there certain items you expect them to purchase? Do they fill you in on what they ate if you let them buy lunch? We suspect a lot of parents DON'T know what their kids are eating for lunch or even if vending machines are available in their school cafeteria. As a parent would you be opposed to laws governing what can and can not be offered in the school cafeteria? Lots of questions for you all today. Fill us in!

Can diet improve functioning for ADD and Autistic children?

As school counselors we often hear parents rave about the positive changes they see in their children with ADD/ADHD or Austism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) just from changing their diet.  Gluten-free has been a very popular diet for many of these kids and has seemed to make a real difference.  We just recently heard of the Body Ecology Diet and it sounds like it has been quite successful in helping with these disabilities, as well as many other issues such ranging from acne to adrenal fatigue, chronic pain, and fibromyalgia.  Here are links to the website and the page on Autism and ADD/ADHD treatment.  We're going to try it and see if it helps our health issues.  Let us know if you try it for your child with ADD or ASD and how it works.  We'll keep you updated on our progress too!

Is homework time the most stressful part of your day?

One of the things we hear most from parents of our students is that homework time often stresses them out as much as it stresses their kids out!  There's an article in the Detroit Free Press today with tips for making schoolwork less of a drag for you and your kids.  A lot of these tips are ideas we recommend often, but things like creating a routine, designating a space in the house for homework time, and making it a priority work best if established in kindergarten.  Trying these things with your high school sophomore doesn't usually have the same effect.  It's not a lost cause if your kids are older and it's still a struggle to get them to do homework.  We find that a reward system works very well with middle schoolers and the incentives can be small things like a candy bar or time on Facebook.  High school students also tend to respond to rewards, but the incentive shifts from a candy bar or computer time to a drivers license or a later curfew.  We are in favor of reward systems as long as everyone agrees to the same terms and sticks to them.  A 2.9 GPA is not the same as a 3.0, so if the criteria for a later curfew was a 3.0, don't give in to your son or daughter's pouting or begging.  A better tactic would be to wait until the next report card or negotiate something more immediate such as an A on the next test.  You want your child to feel the rewards are attainable, otherwise they will stop trying to reach them.  What do you think of the Free Press tips?  Have you tried these ideas?  Have they worked.  Let us know what you do to help keep your kids motivated!

Are your child's school supplies toxic?

Environmental toxins have been linked to ADD/ADHD, Autsim Spectrum Disorder, fatigue, memory loss and a whole slew of other problems.  According to Center for Health, Environment, and Justice, PVC (a very common type of plastic) is the most common toxin found in school supplies.  Now I know what you're thinking: your kid isn't eating his or her supplies.  But here's the kicker, PVC releases fumes into the air which your child then breathes in for the 8 hours a day they are at school.  The Center has just released a list of PVC-Free school supplies to help parents make healthier choices for their kids.  Many of the companies on the list are "regular" brands you can find at office supply retailers, such as Avery, Faber-Castell, PaperMate, Pilot, Crayola, etc.  However, beware only certain products from each manufacturer made the list.  So not all products by PaperMate are PVC free, but their new line of biodegradable pens/pencils made from corn-based material are.  Print the list and take it shopping!  Let us know if you find any great products that didn't make the list or if you have a hard time finding any of the products.  We may be able to help.  Download the list by clicking here.

Back to School Anxiety?

As the days of summer come to an end, many kids are becoming increasingly anxious about going back to school.  Maybe they moved to a new neighborhood or they are transitioning from elementary to middle school or middle school to high school.  Bach Original Flower Remedies makes a great, all-nature product called Bach Kids Rescue Remedy (they also have a formula for anxious adults) to help reduce emotional stress and create a feeling of calmness.  I love the adult version of Rescue Remedy and always carry it in my purse because you just never know what you will encounter throughout the day.  Check it out and let us know what you think! http://www.nelsonsnaturalworld.com/en-us/us/our-brands/bachoriginalflowerremedies/new/bach-kids/