During the holidays, travelling with children who have Autism Spectrum Disorder can be particularly challenging.  There are new environments to navigate, an overload of sensory stimulation, and changes in routines.  The following tips can help children and families with navigating trips involving airport and hotel stays.   In the weeks prior to your child’s visit, prepare your child for what will happen on the trip.  Create a calendar where you label or put a picture of your upcoming destination.  Verbally describe the travel process in detail in terms of how you will ..read more

Giving to Ourselves As the holiday season starts this coming week, many of us may experience a mix of emotions ranging from excitement to spend time with family, loss regarding loved ones who have died or changes in family structure due to separation/divorce, as well as experiencing a history of trauma that may hit particularly hard during the holidays. Additionally, the ongoing unsettling news regarding conflict in the Middle East and Ukraine as well as ongoing gun violence also leaves its mark, potentially leaving us with feelings of disorientation, anger, and loss. While we often ..read more

As October represents Learning Disabilities Awareness Month, we want to address the importance of Structured Literacy (SL) intervention for students with dyslexia and other related reading challenges.  Many of the principles of SL instruction are key for all developing readers as well.  As parents, we want to ensure that our children are making progress in their academic skills, and being able to read is the foundation for other higher-order skills.  While there are a number of programs that schools or tutors may utilize to improve reading, Structured literacy focuses on teachin ..read more

    “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.” – Pele    The definition of success is the achievement of one’s goals.  When children are young, parents are responsible for teaching them how to design and reach their goals.  These goals start simply such as, teaching your children to be kind to others, work hard in school, and clean-up after themselves.  As children become adolescents, they are encouraged to become more independent with designing their go ..read more

                 The sun is out, and summer is in full swing!  This is a great time to include some fun learning into our summer activities while our schedules are not as busy compared to the school year.  It is important to incorporate some learning to avoid the “summer slide,” which refers to the extended time away from school during the summer break when some children can lose some knowledge, especially in the subjects of reading and math.  Some children really miss the consistency and repetition of co ..read more

We are excited to announce that Christina Graziano, Psy.D. will be joining our team at the Portsmouth Neuropsychology Center this fall.  Dr. Graziano will be providing neuropsychological assessments and psychotherapy for children, adolescents, and adults. Dr. Graziano graduated from Rivier University with her Psy.D. in Counseling and School Psychology in May 2023. She attended her Pre-Doctoral Internship in the University Counseling Center at the University of Oklahoma and will be joining Portsmouth Neuropsychology Center as a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Fall of 2023. Prior to her Pre-Doc ..read more

  The holiday season is upon us once again, arriving somehow faster each year!  One effective way to handle the fast pace and busyness of the season is to slow down and take some time to practice mindfulness.  Mindfulness is the practice of living in the moment, taking the time to breathe space into your life and look at the world with more acceptance and less judgement.  What a perfect time of year to try to cultivate this practice! Parents in particular may be feeling the pressure of the season with children being home for holiday break, managing sibling spats, finding th ..read more

What is ADHD?  One of the biggest myths regarding ADHD is that it is simply a behavior disorder.  In fact, there are many aspects of functioning that are impacted including thinking, behavioral regulation, and executive functioning.    Additionally, individuals with ADHD are at more at-risk for developing mood disorders like anxiety or depression.  Recent findings in neuroscience, brain imaging, and clinical research have defined ADHD as a developmental impairment of the brain’s self-management systems, or its executive functions.  These executive functions e ..read more

  This time of year is all about transitions: from summer beach weather to cool, fall air and from endless free time to packed schedules involving school, homework, and after-school activities! Returning to school can create mixed emotions for both parents and children/adolescents. Planning in advance for these changes can help reduce stress and create a positive routine for the family.   A few helpful tips to get started:   Plan ahead for new morning routines.   ·    Talk to your children about what can be done the night before.&nbs ..read more

Dr. Laura Rubin participated in the Boston Children’s Museum Big & Little Podcast regarding “Imaginative Play is the Antidote.”   Tune in here, or wherever you get your podcasts, to learn about the benefits of imaginative play and how to facilitate such play with your children: Imaginative Play is the Antidote The post Dr. Laura Rubin Participated in the Boston Children’s Museum Big & Little Podcast appeared first on Portsmouth Neuropsychology ..read more