Latest Events
We regularly invites local and overseas professionals to share their knowledge, experiences and practical strategies with educators and parents on challenges to support children with ADHD and SpLD.
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2024 Summer Intensive Reading and Writing Program
A remedial Program for struggling readers aged 6-11 due to ADHD, Dyslexia or Dysgraphia; Jul 8 - 19 / Jul 22 - Aug 2
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(HKT)
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In-person
The class will be led by an experienced Reading Specialist. A multi-sensory approach to reading and an individually tailored curriculum will be used to enhance each child's literacy skills and confidence. A highly individualized instruction complemented by small group interaction with a teacher-student ratio of 1:3 or 1:4.
Effective reading and writing instruction can prevent or improve reading and writing difficulties in many youngsters. Children with SpLD such as ADHD, dyslexia or dysgraphia may need...
Parenting Screenagers: Winning the Battle
A toolkit for parents navigating tech addiction and screen-related conflicts
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(HKT)
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In-person and Zoom
Today's teens are immersed in tech, leading to isolation, defiance, and potential addiction. This talk offers a new approach to help parents build a positive alliance with their teen and establish healthy tech boundaries...
MONTHLY MEETUP: PARENTS SUPPORTING PARENTS
Connect and share with other parents
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(HKT)
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In-person
Do you feel isolated parenting your child with learning difficulties (ADHD, Dys...)?
Come and connect with other parents who are facing similar challenges in a causal, safe and inclusive environment... Join this event for free at any time between 12:30-14:00.
Mindful Kids, Calmer Lives
Empowering ADHD Children and Parents with Mindfulness
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(HKT)
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In-person
Discover the transformative power of mindfulness for ADHD children and their parents in this engaging workshop "Mindful Kids, Calmer Livers" led by Dr. Edwin Chin, and gain practical strategies to harness attention and emotion regulation through mindfulness. Participants will...
MONTHLY MEETUP: PARENTS SUPPORTING PARENTS
Connect and share with other parents
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(HKT)
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In-person
Do you feel isolated parenting your child with learning difficulties (ADHD, Dys...)?
Come and connect with other parents who are facing similar challenges in a causal, safe and inclusive environment... Join this event for free at any time between 12:30-14:00.
MONTHLY MEETUP: PARENTS SUPPORTING PARENTS Copy
Connect and share with other parents
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(HKT)
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In-person
Do you feel isolated parenting your child with learning difficulties (ADHD, Dys...)?
Come and connect with other parents who are facing similar challenges in a causal, safe and inclusive environment... Join this event for free at any time between 12:30-14:00.
INSIGHT INTO YOUR CHILD'S MIND
Undestanding Psycho-educational Evaluations and Recommendations
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(HKT)
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In-person and Zoom
Join Dr Melissa Giglio to demystify psychoeducational evaluations for your child. Learn to interpret the findings and help in formulating and implementing an action plan to support your child’s unique needs and potential. Topics covered:...
THE PILLARS OF HEALTH AND ADHD
The science behind the impact of nutrition, exercise and sleep on the ADHD mind
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(HKT)
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In-person and Zoom
Everyone knows nutrition, exercise and sleep are important for good health. But how do these essential aspects affect children and teens with AD/HD?
In this session, J will be sharing how these three essential aspects of health impact the AD/HD mind...
SKILLS FOR SUCCESS
Help Your Child or Teen Develop a Growth Mindset
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(HKT)
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In-person and Zoom
How to help your kids develop a Growth Mindset,"I can do it" rather than a Fixed Mindset "I can't even try" while strengthening your relationship with your child?
Join this interactive session and take away skills to immediately develop a closer connection with your child, slowly change their mindset...
MONTHLY MEETUP: PARENTS SUPPORTING PARENTS
Connect and share with other parents over a cuppa
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(HKT)
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In-person
Do you feel isolated parenting your child with learning difficulties (ADHD, Dys...)?
Come and connect with other parents who are facing similar challenges in a causal, safe and inclusive environment... Join this event for free at any time between 10:00-11:30 am.
Managing Screen Time and Schoolwork
A Parent's Guide to Collaborative Solutions❣️
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(HKT)
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In-person and Live Zoom
Parents and teachers, are you seeking more effective solutions to everyday challenges like schoolwork avoidance and screen time?
Join award-winning expert, Serena Clark in-person 😃 or via Zoom 💻 to discover collaborative strategies that work...
Monthly Morning Meetup: Parents Supporting Parents
Connect and share with other parents over a cuppa
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(HKT)
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In-person
Do you feel isolated parenting your child with learning difficulties (ADHD, Dys...)?
Come and connect with other parents who are facing similar challenges in a causal, safe and inclusive environment... Join this event for free at any time between 10:00-11:30 am.
Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) technique
Discover a Revolutionary Parenting Approach
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(HKT)
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In-person
Ever felt that traditional parenting techniques don't always hit the mark? You're not alone.
Introducing the Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) technique by Dr. Ross Green. This is not just another method—it's a paradigm shift. Rather than fixating on the behavior, CPS delves deeper...
ADHD FAMILIES
from frustration to connection
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(HKT)
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In-person
For all the parents who have heard "I don't want to talk". Here is an opportunity to find out why and how to connect with your child.
Join us for an interactive face-to-face discussion with Marium Jafari, an ADHD life coach to learn the practical skills...
Starting & Sharing the Journey
Connect with other parents who understand
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(HKT)
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In-person
Are you struggling to parent a child with learning differences like ADHD or Dyslexia? Do you want to connect with other parents who can relate?
Join us at FOCUS to partake in an intimate, honest and confidential discussion about real life challenges and how we as parents...
Undiagnosed: from childhood to adulthood
How life can progress and turn out with undiagnosed ADHD
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(HKT)
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In-person
Living with ADHD can be challenging, even with support and treatment. When we are entirely unaware of the condition, things can really get out of hand.
Join us with Jay who will share how life can progress and turn out with undiagnosed ADHD...
Exploring UK Schools
for your child who learns differently
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(HKT)
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In-person
Are you considering boarding school options for your child in the UK?
This month we welcome Sheridan Steen, a UK-based educational consultant, to discuss UK curriculum options for students who learn differently. She will share how an increase in research and investment in understanding the ways children learn, has led to...
TrainUP
Avoid Getting Derailed
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(HKT)
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In-person
Your work can put you in very high-stress situations: difficult conversations, a missed handoff between stakeholders, or outdated information can knock you off the rails.
TrainUP is an interactive forum for the SEN teachers, school counselors, and mental health professionals who collectively support the educational and mental health needs of students...
Assessments: Why? When? How? and More...
Panel discussion to explore your questions about psychoeducational assessments
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(HKT)
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In-Person and Zoom
Wondering if you should get your child a psychoeducational evaluation? Not sure if you should share the results with the school? Need to know what is required to access school support and testing accommodations? Want to know more about what to expect from an evaluation and how to find a good resource?
Join us to explore these commons questions...
Do You Know When Your Help Is Unhelpful?
Managing Anxiety for School Age Children
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(HKT)
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In-person
Join us for this small-group discussion on the theme of managing anxiety. As a follow-up to Rick Smith’s presentation on “When Helping Becomes Unhelpful”, this lunch-time session will take a closer look at “how you stay connected when your most important person is struggling". Space is limited to 12 persons...
Creating Empowering Conversations Part 2
Using Coaching to Value Your Teen's Voice and Capability
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(HKT)
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In-person
Tired of arguments and power struggles? Looking for new ways to connect and deepen relationships with your teen or young adult? This is a continuation of a well received event on “How to Create Empowering Conversations with Your Children given in May. Missed Part One? No problem, a summary of the key concepts will be provided.
Join us for an interactive face-to-face to learn and practice the skills...
When Helping Becomes Unhelpful
Managing Anxiety: More Support Less Accommodation
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(HKT)
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In-Person and Zoom
It’s painful to watch young people struggling with anxiety. However, because learning how to cope independently is key to managing stress and anxiety, adults need to learn when and how to resist the urge to help.
In this talk, educators and parents will learn the importance of reducing accommodations as a way to more effectively support youth with anxiety. Talking points include...
Creating Empowering Conversations with Your Children
FOCUS Parent Support Workshop
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(HKT)
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In-person
Tired of arguments and power struggles? Looking for new ways to connect and deepen relationships with your children?
Join us for an interactive face-to-face workshop with FOCUS committee member and Executive Coach, Aurora Aritao PCC, to look at the nature of coaching conversations and how these differ from other conversations...
The F.A.T. City Workshop Video Sharing and Discussion
How Difficult Can This Be
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(HKT)
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Live Zoom
F.A.T. stands for Frustration, Anxiety and Tension. How difficult can this be in classrooms for children with SpLD and AD/HD?
Cheryl Raper, FOCUS Chairman and Special Education teacher, will facilitate this informal session to share parent concerns, challenges, strategies and resources in a supportive and confidential setting...
The school you want OR the school they need
How to make an overseas educational experience a success for your child
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(HKT)
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Live Zoom
Join us for the evening for a boarding school discussion with our guest speaker, Jennifer Bush, Independent Educational Consultant, who has lived in the United Stated, United Kingdom, Brazil and Singapore, and having been educated in France, Australia and her native United States. She will discuss strategies for choosing a school to...
Understanding Dysgraphia
A Brain-Based Learning Difference
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(HKT)
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Live Zoom
Children with messy handwriting and poor spelling skills may have DYSGRAPHIA, a brain-based, learning difference that affects writing, typing, and spelling and is common to those with ADHD and/or dyslexia.
Early identification of dysgraphia is important to ensure students receive the specialized instructional activities that can improve handwriting and related skills. In this session, you will learn about...
Differentiation in the Classroom
Equalising Opportunities, Not Outcomes
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(HKT)
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Live Zoom
Join us for this special workshop with Dr. Loretta Giorcelli, one of the region's foremost education experts, providing inclusive ideas to inclusive education to educational and medical bodies, schools, parents and community groups across Australia and internationally...
Magic Tools for Creating Change at Home
A Discussion and Sharing on Home Support Approaches
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(HKT)
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Live Zoom
Hoping for a magic trick to create change at home?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a magic tool to make things happen at home, but there is wisdom to be gained from a combination of knowledge, creative experiments, and tracking what works...
Executive Function / ADHD Coaching
Increase Skill, Lower Stress, Preserve Relationship with Your Tweens and Teens
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(HKT)
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Live Zoom
Is homework a battle field in your home?
How can we better support the development of these important executive function skills without damaging our relationships?
ADHD/Executive Function Coaching expert, Jodi Sleeper-Triplett will introduce foundation coaching skills and strategies to more effectively support your child while decreasing stress and frustrations...
ADHD 2.0 Essential Strategies for Thriving with Distraction
Dr. Edward (Ned) Hallowell
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(HKT)
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Live Zoom
Join us for this special talk with Dr. Edward (Ned) Hallowell, child and adult psychiatrist, expert on ADHD, Harvard faculty member of 21 years, international speaker, and New York Times best-selling author to explore the complex and often contradictory tendencies common to those with ADHD.
Drawing upon the latest science, and 40+ years of professional and personal experience, Dr. Hallowell will discuss...
What Makes Written Assignments So Challenging
See it from your child's perspective
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(HKT)
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Live Zoom
I don’t know what to write! Is there any parent who hasn't heard that frustrated statement from a child?
Join us with Trena Rauner, a writing specialist who will highlight recent research on writing instruction and help us better understand the complex writing process and how to help a child communicate his/her knowledge in writing with less anxiety.
You will engage with a writing assignment to see it from your child's perspective and discuss...
The Art and Science of Reading to Your Child
Joint Session with Bring Me A Book
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(HKT)
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Live Zoom
Bring Me A Book Hong Kong and FOCUS, collaborate to share strategies parents can use at home to strengthen language skills, literacy development, and the parent-child relationship, by reading aloud, talking about pictures and words in age appropriate books.
Join us to explore the "art" of helping your child at home and the "science" of why parent support is important for academic skills and parent-child relationship...
Mindful Screentime
The critical skill of the 21st century
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(HKT)
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Live Zoom
Screen time is a battleground for most families. With pandemic dictated social distancing, online school, video games, endless chats, and Netflix binges have filled the gap but increased conflicts over how much screen time...
Join us and take away with a valuable cheat sheet for your family to explore a new set of screen time principles...
Evidence-Based Literacy Instruction
How to bring reading success to all students
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(HKT)
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Live Zoom
In any given classroom, at least 20% of students will struggle to learn to read. Identifying why they’re struggling and knowing how to help is no easy task, especially when trying to effectively support all students in the classroom.
Join us to learn what “evidence-based” literacy instruction means and why it’s critical for all students...
Bring a challenge and take home two solutions
Parent Support Workshop
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(HKT)
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Live Zoom
In this excellent talk, Rick Smith, Ed.D and Dr. Melissa Ortega, explore the reasons why we avoid what needs to be done and how parents can help their children learn the skills they need in order to face difficult tasks with less anxiety for both you and your child.
If you are one of the many parents who prefer to avoid homework...
New Year, New Approach!
Parent Support Workshop
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(HKT)
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Live Zoom
January is the month for new starts. One of our New Year initiatives is to create an intimate and personal support experience in the virtual format that is our current reality.
Join us for a parent support workshop where your challenges are the agenda.
Participants will be asked in advance to identify one or two specific challenges they would like to work on over the next month. Those challenges will then be the topics for small group discussions...
Making Differentiation a Habit
Strategies for the busy classroom teacher accommodating a diverse range of learners
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(HKT)
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Live Zoom
FOCUS is pleased to welcome back Dr. Giorcelli, one of the region's most experienced special education experts, to speak about essential learning for all teachers attempting to accommodate a diverse range of learners in their classrooms. The workshop will include small group breakouts sessions to work through your classroom challenges...
**POSTPONED to Spring 2021**
Altered Dreams: Parent Workshop by Dr. Loretta Giorcelli OAM
How learning differences impact the child and the family
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(HKT)
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Live Zoom
FOCUS is pleased to welcome back Dr. Giorcelli, one of the regions most experienced special education experts to speak about the educational and related developmental issues that are critical for parents to understand when nurturing their children with dyslexia, dysgraphia, AD/HD, and co-existing conditions such as anxiety, addictive behaviours, and low self-esteem.
Drawing upon her many years of experience, Dr. Giorcelli will suggest a research-based "Curriculum of the Home” designed to...
**POSTPONED to Spring 2021**
Boarding School for All Kinds of Learners: Difficult choices, exciting options
An Interactive Virtual Discussion with School Representatives and a Parent Panel sharing personal experiences
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(HKT)
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Live Zoom
Boarding school can be a life-changing option; however, the decision can be a tough one, particularly if your child has mainstream learning differences like ADHD or Dyslexia. Our Boarding School Event is designed to help you better navigate those choices. This will include...
Parenting Burnout
What to look for and what to do?
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(HKT)
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Live Zoom
Are you juggling parenting, home schooling, quarantine, and maybe work from home? How do you avoid burnout so you can be the support your children need?
Join the live presentation and Q&A with our guest speaker, Dr. Minna Chau, who will discuss signs and causes of parenting burnout, and offer different ways to manage our stress...
Avoidance Part II: Strategies and Skills Development
Evidence-based Approach Helping Children and Adolescents
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(HKT)
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Live Zoom
Decades of research show that avoidance behaviours typically result from a lack of skills needed for problem solving, managing frustration and mental flexibility.
This is a follow-up, interactive session will again be led by Rick Smith, EdD, PsyD. and Melissa Ortega Giglio, PsyD., to address the feedback comments, and further support and discuss regarding...
Anxiety and Avoidance: Part I
Evidence-based Approach Helping Children and Adolescents
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(HKT)
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Live Zoom
Avoidance and procrastination have typically been thought of as intentional or subversive, which often results in parenting approaches that focus on motivation through reward and punishment programs. If these strategies no longer seem to motivate your child, this discussion is for you!
Join our live video discussion with Rick Smith, EdD, PsyD. and Melissa Ortega, PsyD. ...
Summer Intensive Reading and Writing Program for Children ages 6-11; July 6-24 2020
A remedial Program for children ages 6-11 who are struggling with reading and writing because of ADHD and/or SpLD
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(HKT)
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In-Person
The classes will be led by experienced Reading Specialists from the USA. A multi-sensory approach to reading and an individually tailored reading and writing program will be used to enhance the child's literacy skills and confidence. The format is highly individualized instruction that is complemented by small group interaction with a teacher-student ratio of 1:3.
Effective reading and writing instruction can prevent or improve reading and writing difficulties in many youngsters. Children with SpLD such as dyslexia, dysgraphia and/or AD/HD may need...
Medication Treatment of ADHD
One Size Doesn’t Fit All
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(HKT)
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Live Zoom
While medications can be very useful in alleviating inattentiveness and impulsivity in school and at home, as well as providing a window to allow children and teens to work on his/her areas of weaknesses, parents are often concerned about the side effects and frustrated by the confusing information about the choice of medications.
Join our live video discussion with Dr. Fanny Lam, Specialist in Developmental-Behavioural Paediatrics...
Promoting Resilience
Raising Self-Sufficient Children
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(HKT)
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Live Zoom
Resiliency is not simply a trait that you are born with, but something that can be taught and promoted through behavior, thoughts, and actions.
Join our live video discussion with Dr. Janine Domingues, a clinical psychologist in the Anxiety Disorders Center at the Child Mind Institute, USA...
Maxmizing Minimal Motivation
Strategies to Get Past the Hand and into Your Teen's Head
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(HKT)
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Live Zoom
For chronically distracted teenagers, consequences and criticism tend to damage relationships and inevitably lose their impact. Goals, behaviour contracts, rewards etc. seem to fade just as quickly. So what works best?...
The Ed-Psych Assessment Series Part 2
Understanding and Getting the Most out of Your Report
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(HKT)
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In-person
Are you considering a psycho-education evaluation or have you already done one? Are you wondering what happens after you receive that thick report? Join our panel discussion to explore how to interpret the report scoring and conclusions, what to share with your school, and how to make the most effective use of the findings...
Roundtable Discussion with World-Renowned Researcher in ADD/ADHD
Limited to 25 seats
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(HKT)
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In-person
Dr. Brown returns for an intimate and highly interactive round-table discussion designed to give you the accurate information you seek for yourself as an adult with ADD/ADHD and/or your children dealing with the symptoms, diagnosis, medication and/or treatment of attention issues. Be sure not to miss this privileged opportunity...
The Ed-Psych Assessment Series Part 1
Before Testing Essentials
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(HKT)
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In-person
If you feel your child is not developing or learning as expected, and strategies put in place by your child’s teacher are not making a difference, the next step may be a psycho-educational evaluation. How do I know when a psycho-educational evaluation is warranted?...
Boarding School for All Kinds of Learners
Difficult choices, exciting options: an interactive discussion with parents and school representatives
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(HKT)
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In-person
Boarding school can be a life-changing option for the student who learns differently but you need to find the right educational and cultural fit.
Our Boarding School Evening is designed to help you better navigate those choices. The evening will include:
A parent panel sharing personal experiences with boarding school choices and outcomes
School representatives describing their unique programs, learning support and summer options.
Plenty of time to find answers to your questions in an intimate and supportive environment.
Please join us to explore the breadth of exciting learning opportunities available for students who learn differently...