Teenagers

How Do I Know If My Child Needs Testing?

Jim’s mom was frantic when she called me.  Jim had been having difficulty in school since the end of kindergarten, at which point it was clear he still didn’t recognize all the letters of the alphabet.  He continued to struggle in first and second grade, getting some extra help from the reading specialist.

What If My Child Is Prescribed an SSRI?

Tune in for more on medications with Dr. Timothy Wilens, Chief of the Division of  Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital.

As we’ve mentioned SSRIs in a number of posts, we’d like to go into a bit more detail about what these particular medications are, and how they work.

Supporting Our Gay and Lesbian Youth

TV shows such a Glee and Modern Family have brought gay characters and storylines into the homes of millions of Americans.  But for any child, the decision to come out of the closet remains one of the hardest things that a gay, lesbian, or bisexual person will do.

What Is Psychodynamic Child Psychotherapy?

Your child is in emotional distress.  About a month after the divorce, your 7-year-old daughter Ali starts having some difficulty settling down for bed.  She insists on a prolonged bedtime ritual for her dolls—tucking them all in carefully, and reciting the same “good night” words to 10 little feminine figures.

“Molly” Is Not Your Friend

All too often there is a new or modified drug that makes headlines not because of its therapeutic benefits, but because of its propensity to kill teens and young adults.

Grounding Your Teen For a Month for Missing Curfew

Chloe just got her driver’s license.  With this, her father tells her, comes great responsibility.  She will be expected to run errands. She will be expected to take her little brother to karate class.

What Is The Developing Brain?

There’s been a lot in the news about the “developing brain.”

It might seem silly that we get all excited about the fact that the brain develops.  Of course it develops, you might argue.  Kids grow up.  They learn things.  They get more coordinated, more sly, more…well…grown.

Can My Teen Be My Confidant?

It’s awfully hard to figure out if your teenager is grown up.  That’s largely because it’s awfully hard for your teen to decide.

What If My Child Has a Mental Illness?

What is mental illness?

Julie is 15 years old. She’s just returned to school after missing two weeks to receive treatment for wanting to harm herself by taking too much of an antibiotic that she found in her grandparents’ house.

Contact Sports: Yes Or No?

There’s no doubt about the recommendations.  Most experts in neurodevelopment suggest that kids stay away from American contact sports, like tackle football, until they are at least 14 years old.

You can also tune in this conversation wherever you get your podcasts – just search for “Shrinking It Down.