Does your child struggle with handwriting? What about writing composition in general? Writing is a highly integrative process with many factors to consider. Challenges with writing skills can be confusing and complicated, leaving a child and/or family with no clear direction to take other than to “try harder” or opt-out of traditional writing practices altogether. But what if we could pinpoint the unique needs of a child to help their writing skills flourish?

In this episode, Teresa Nair joins Cassie and Erica for the final episode in our 6-part series. In less than an hour, you’ll learn about the many layers of writing skills and what we can do to support our children who struggle. Join us to and learn about:

• The elements of writing skills:
  • Communication
    • Social-emotional components that are embedded
  • Regulatory
  • Executive Function
    • Bilateral integration
    • Working memory
    • Sequencing
  • Mechanical components
    • Fine motor
    • Visual motor
    • Hand-eye coordination
    • Postural/core factors
    • Bilateral motor coordination
  • …just to name a few!
• Considerations and/or intervention approaches to reduce writing struggling, including but not limited to:
  • Asking “what does this assignment really need?”
  • Vision therapy/Developmental Optometry
  • Sensory Integration Therapy
  • Phonological Awareness intervention
  • Executive Function coaching
  • Quick tips and tricks that you can start with today

**Resources**

• Wieder, S & Wachs, H (2012) .Visual/Spatial Portals to Thinking, Feeling and Movement: Advancing Competencies and Emotional Development in Children with Learning and Autism Spectrum Disorders. https://a.co/d/efBmZ5R
• Home of DIRFloorTime®: Radio Shows. https://www.icdl.com/parents/webradio/visual-spacial-processing-and-thinking

**Contact Teresa**

• Title: Education Advisor and Speaker
• Email: teresa@reel2e.org
• Social: LinkedIn Profile

***Erica’s NEW website***

• https://feedingconsciousrelationships.com/

****Music credits****

Uppbeat (free for Creators!); https://uppbeat.io/t/hartzmann/clear-sky; License code: GQGN7ICA9D8IDOUT

“My child HATES school.”

“It’s like pulling teeth to get my child to school.”

“I literally can’t get my kid to go to school.”

If you’re facing school refusal issues in your home, you’re not alone. As the educational landscape simultaneously shifts and stagnates in the United States, increasing numbers of children struggle to engage in school and learning. What do we do about it? Listen to this episode to find out!

In this 5th episode of our 6-part series, Erica and Cassie once again join Teresa Nair to collectively unpack the foundational considerations for school refusal. This was only the beginning of the conversation! Listen to this episode to find out:

• What is school refusal? What does it look like?
• What is educational trauma?
• How to address school refusal:
  • Early identifiers (e.g., “yellow flags”)
  • Becoming an investigator to address the root causes of school refusal
  • Acknowledging the developmental hierarchy that influences one’s ability to participate in school/academic activities
• How to address the underlying factors (including but not limited to):
  • “Bottom-up” support to build resilience and adaptivity
  • Communicating with school staff in a productive and effective way. Being your child’s best advocate for their learning
  • Getting the support YOU need as a parent as you navigate this difficult experience
  • Empowering school staff to understand what YOUR child’s behavior communicates and what they’re really asking for
  • Helping parents and educators:
    • Align expectations
    • Not take the child’s behavior personally
    • Remain curious and maintain open communication for compassionate and collaborative problem-solving

We hope you join us as we discuss the normalization of non-traditional pathways and breaking free of a binary perspective on education for the sake of every child’s wellbeing.

And don’t forget to join us next month for our final episode in this 6-part series where we will unpack Writing Skills!

**Resources**

• Pyramid of Potential: https://maximumpotential.org.uk/the-developmental-pyramid/

**Contact Teresa**

• Title: Education Advisor and Speaker
• Email: teresa@reel2e.org
• Social: LinkedIn Profile

***Erica’s NEW website***

• https://feedingconsciousrelationships.com/

****Music credits****

Uppbeat (free for Creators!); https://uppbeat.io/t/hartzmann/clear-sky; License code: GQGN7ICA9D8IDOUT

We’re circling back to a hot topic—Executive Function. This multi-layered set of skills is impacted by many building blocks of development, and challenges can present in a myriad of ways. As a continuation of our six-part series with Teresa Nair, in this episode you will hear about:

• Descriptions of Executive Function from multiple perspectives
• Nature and nurture contributions
• The integrative and developmental pathways of executive function which includes:
  • Physical/sensory
  • Emotional
  • Experiential
  • Relational
• How do challenges with executive function show up in daily life? Children, teens, or people in general may exhibit difficulties with:
  • Perspective-taking
  • “Compliance”
  • Emotional dysregulation
  • Disorganization
  • Inflexible thinking
  • Difficulty delaying gratification
  • “Bossy” behavior
  • And more!
• What do parents do if they think their child has challenges with executive function?
  • First, know yourself as the parent. Then consider initial steps…
    • Start with research OR
    • Start looking for professional support by…
      • Talking with your pediatrician or another trusted professional you have a relationship with.
      • Asking your community, your friends. You’re not alone in this!
  • Be open to new ways of thinking such as:
    • “How do we connect the skills of where our child shines (e.g., video games) to the skills we desire our children to develop (e.g., cleaning their room)?
    • Identify areas where our kids are struggling and name it was a skill they have not mastered yet rather than a fault of theirs.

**Resources**

• Dr. Ross Green’s “Kids to Well If They Can”
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvzQQDfAL-Q
• Related Episode from Edge of the Nest: “Praxis”
  • https://www.buzzsprout.com/1905380/episodes/12118331
• Related Episode: “Understanding Executive Function (Praxis Part 2):
  • https://www.buzzsprout.com/1905380/12118331
• Triune Brain Model:
  • https://self-reg.ca/the-triune-brain/
• Pomodora Method:
  • https://www.todoist.com/productivity-methods/pomodoro-technique
  • https://www.asundergrad.pitt.edu/study-lab/study-skills-tools-resources/pomodoro-technique

***Contact Us***

• Cassie Wilcox (www.thewishingwellot.com)
• Erica Scheifflee (https://feedingconsciousrelationships.com/)
• Teresa Nair (Title: Education Advisor and Speaker ; Email: teresa@reel2e.org ; Social: LinkedIn Profile )

****Music credits****

Uppbeat (free for Creators!); https://uppbeat.io/t/hartzmann/clear-sky; License code: GQGN7ICA9D8IDOUT