Articles
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Is ADHD Real?
ADHD, the short form of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is a term that is used often today. It is used to describe a disorder that occurs in around 5-10% of children in Australia, but is also thrown around quite often when describing undiagnosed children who appear hyperactive or inattentive. The looseness of the terms’ use…
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Infographic: Exam Stress & How To Conquer It
When it comes to our children at school, is exam stress a growing and worrying concern? View a great infographic by Study Medicine Europe* on exam stress and its impact on student health as well as nutritional and organisational tips to beat these stressful times. “Children with severe cases of text anxiety may have physical symptoms like stomach aches…
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Preparing for the Death of a Loved One
A profound result of medical advancements is that death has become less of a sudden and unexpected event and more of a prolonged process that begins with a diagnosis, proceeds through a period of treatment, and ends eventually in death. This process means that both terminally ill individuals, and their support network, increasingly must “live with…
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How to Manage the Most Challenging Autism Behaviours
Parenting children who display challenging behaviours is always tricky, but parenting children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) presents a new challenge. Because children with autism can have difficulty coping with many situations, they often experience feelings of confusion, frustration, lack of control or anxiety. >> Here’s a great video from The Huffington Post on what…
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Ways to Boost a Child’s Confidence
Part of being a child is having the confidence to explore, discover and play. To do this, it is very important for children to feel a sense of worth and belonging in the family. Causes of low self esteem Child psychologists often find that low self esteem arises from things like bullying, harassment, or poor…
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Understanding the Different Levels of ASD
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong disorder that affects up to one in 100 Australians. If you’ve noticed anything different about the way your child interacts, communicates or behaves, it could be time to seek a professional assessment from a child psychologist. By following diagnostic criteria, psychologists can diagnose ASD children and equip them…
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Bonding with Children with Autism
It’s normal for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to have difficulty communicating and forging relationships. Depending on the severity level of ASD, this difficulty can range from not responding to social overtures to severe deficits in communication skills and can result in social anxiety. For parents of children with autism, it can be extremely…
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Dyslexia: Steps to Help Your Child
Learning difficulties such as dyslexia can be tough on both children and parents. Your child may find it hard to read, write, have trouble spelling, sounding out words, identifying syllables and so on. In a school setting, dyslexia can be very challenging for children and can lead to feelings of frustration, inadequacy and being “left…
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Parenting Strategies to Support Children with ADHD
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – or ADHD – is increasingly common in Australia. This disorder affects up to one in 20 children in Australia and an unknown number of adults. It manifests in a number of ways: some signs of ADHD include above average restlessness, inability to focus, being easily distracted, inattentive and fidgety and…
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Sexual Dysfunction: Causes and Effects
Sexual dysfunction refers to any difficulty experienced at any phase of the sexual response cycle (excitement, plateau, orgasm and resolution) that prevents the experience of satisfaction as a result of sexual activity. Research suggests that 43% of women and 31% of men report some sexual difficulties, however, many are hesitant to discuss it. Because treatment…
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How Do I Know if my Child has Learning Difficulties?
Because many children experience learning difficulties, it can be hard for parents and teachers to determine when a child is really struggling to keep up. Problems that most children experience across the board – including difficulty concentrating and remembering complex information – can go unnoticed in a classroom or a busy home environment. Taking time…
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Effects of Technology Addiction on Children and Adolescents
Do you find that your child or teenager spends the majority of their down time glued to a screen? Do they appear to find it difficult to direct their attention to a lengthy task for an extended period of time without flicking across to Facebook or glancing down at their text messages? Do you find…
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From Pre-School to Primary School: Benefits of a School Entry Assessment
If you’re unsure whether your son or daughter is ready to move on from pre-school and take the big step into primary education, an educational assessment from a child psychologist can help you make an informed decision. An educational assessment helps psychologists to more accurately understand the child’s intellectual development and achievements in order to…
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How To Choose A Child Psychologist
There are many things to consider when looking for a psychologist suitable for your child. It is essential to choose a child psychologist who will be able to meet your specific requirements and provide you with the best possible care to assist with the difficulties your child is facing. This article explores some of the…
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What is ADHD?
ADHD is a pattern of behaviour that reduces a person’s level of performance and functioning in many settings, such as school, home and work. ADHD symptoms occur in most cultures in about 5% of children and 2.5% of adults. General ADHD Symptoms ADHD symptoms generally fall into two categories: Inattention – lack of attention to…
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“Sorry, I was distracted…” – The Impact of Technology on Social Connection
Have you ever been sitting around the dining table at home, completely immersed in Facebook and Instagram, and totally ignoring the world around you? Have you ever walked past a table at a restaurant where every person was looking down at his or her phone? Social disengagement and immersion in technology seems to be a…
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Oppositional Defiant Disorder – Some Thoughts on Tips for Management
Opposition and defiance are behaviours that all young people will engage in. They select the behaviour they feel might be best or quickest to get what they want, to meet their needs. Those who engage in these behaviours more often or longer are designated as having a “disorder”. I’ve always been somewhat bemused by such…
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The Psychological Effects of Kindness
Many psychological therapies focus on reducing negative thoughts, and engaging in pleasant and healthy behaviours in order to enhance wellbeing. Modern Western society generally focuses on encouraging people to find answers to the questions ‘what makes you happy?’ and ‘how can you get your needs met?’ A broad survey of the media would indicate that…
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When Does Substance Use Become Substance Abuse?
Substance use can mean using any substance ranging from prescription drugs or painkillers, to illicit or recreational drugs. Substance abuse is when a substance is used in unhealthy amounts on a regular basis. It can lead to a wide variety of problems if it becomes an ongoing behaviour. It can affect a person’s home life,…
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What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?
Nearly every person will experience some sort of traumatic event, after which it is normal to feel sad, hurt, lost or disconnected. Generally over time people are able to process the events and move on with life after some time, however, for a small percentage of people, they may develop problems with what psychologists call…
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What do child psychologists do?
Strategic Psychology is a private practice in the centre of Canberra. We offer specialised services from trained child psychologists. Contact us today.