Springboard Clinic

It is not that often that you find a book that you keep referring back to time and time again (especially one about parenting!). For several years we have been recommending the book “The Whole-Brain Child” by Dr. Dan Siegel. He has this amazing way of helping educate about the developmental stages of children so that parents/caregivers can alter their approach as their child evolves. By being a step ahead with the science of the brain, you can be prepared as your child’s behaviour shifts through different stages.

“It isn’t too late. Time is not running out. Your life is here and now. And the moment has arrived of which you’re finally ready to change,”  Cheryl Strayed.*

This month, the Bell Let’s Talk Campaign encourages us to look inwards and speak up. Their slogan “mental health affects us all” calls us to share our stories not only for ourselves and those we love, but also for our communities. By doing so, we can create a momentum of change in reducing stigma, and we can open a space for new dialogue and connections.

Of interest, lately Instagram has been using their platform to support mental health by connecting you to community resources. As the co-founder and CEO Kevin Systrom outlined in a press release: 

"If you see a post on Instagram from someone who may be in need of mental health support, you can report it anonymously. The next time that person logs into the app, we will connect them to organizations in their country that offer help. We have teams working 24 hours a day, seven days a week to review these reports. We also display these resources when someone visits a hashtag page for a sensitive topic."

This is a great initiative and has the potential to help a lot of people! #hereforyou

Bullet journals have been popping up all over the Internet lately. You might recognize them as pretty, fancy, and somewhat unattainable looking journals. You might have dismissed bullet journals as a trend for the Pintrest folks who are supernaturally organized. But, we're thinking that bullet journals actually have the potential to be very helpful for somebody with ADHD.

In a recent opinion piece on the Huffington Post Canada website, the author takes to task a spinning fidget toy getting a lot of attention lately. This issue at hand, it seems, is how the makers of this toy are marketing it - they're allegedly tauting it as a tool to help improve focus. We've talked before about how there are many benefits to what we call 'fidget toys' in helping children (and adults) focus better. But, it seems like this particular toy is more distracting than anything, and diverting attention to the toy itself.

Check out the article: Spinning Fidget Toys have some ADHD Experts Reeling

Tools to help manage ADHD don't have to be complicated. Sure, apps can be helpful. But, something as simple as a good old fashioned whiteboard can equally helpful (if not more)!

Why are whiteboards so great for an ADHD-style brain?