Center For Pediatric: Protecting Children From Bullies

Kids Health The Newsletter About Taking Care Of The Ones That Matter Most

“Your Child Should Not Feel UnsafeDue ToBullying. ” Protecting Your Children FromBullies

Inside:

While public awareness regarding bullying has increased in recent years it is still a prevalent problem for many children. There are several effective ways for children to deal with bullies. Fortunately, a lot of the harm a bully inflicts can be prevented. 1. Be Confident This may sound like generic advice that won’t do much to stop a bully, but displaying a strong, confident attitude may be enough to stop some bullying before it even starts. Bullies tend to seek out individuals who appear weak and unsure of themselves. Speaking with confidence and looking people in the eye will show a bully that a child will not be easily intimidated. Children should be raised to be strong, confident, and able to speak up for themselves.

• Protecting Your Child From Bullies

• Good Nutrition For ADHD Symptom Management

• Staff Spotlight

• Writing a Review Is Just A Click Away

(continued inside)

Kids Health The Newsletter About Taking Care Of The Ones That Matter Most

“Parents Play A Huge Role In ReducingBullyingAmongst Their Children! ” Protecting Your Children FromBullies

2. Safety in Numbers Ifchildrenknow theymayencounterabully inaparticularplace itmaybea good idea tobesurroundedbysupportive friends.Whether it’sclassmates, friends,neighbors,oradults,kidsneed tosurround themselveswithpeople who they feelcomfortablewithandcan trust.Bulliesoftengain theirpower frommaking theirvictims feelpowerlessand isolated.Stickingwithothers, especially when the bully is around, should be a priority. 3. Ignore a Bully if Possible While it may not always be possible to ignore the actions of a bully, this approach is often the best. Bullies are looking for a reaction. Children should be taught not to get angry, cry, or lash out at the bully since this will only encourage the bully to continue their behavior. Ignoring a bully, however,shouldonlybeencouraged thefirst few times thebullyingoccurs. If the bullying happens on a regular basis ignoring the behavior probably isn’t going to work. 4. Don’t Bully Back As tempting as it may be, bullying back will only make things worse. For starters, if a child bullies back he or she may be the one to get caught and get punished for bullying even though someone else was initially at fault. Even if in some circumstances a child could intimidate the bully, this is not the way children should be taught to resolve difficult issues.

5. Stay Safe Online Cyberbullying occurs online through emails, text messaging, and social media. Whether a child is in elementary school or high school age, there are a few important things to keep in mind when online. First, kids should never put their private information on the Internet. Children should never respond to the bully and negative information should be saved if possible. Finally, delete bullies from social media and block their cell phone and email address. 6. Tell a Trusted Adult Even if children believe they’re handling a situation with a bully on their own,a trustedadultshouldstillbemadeawareof thesituation. If forsome reason the situation should suddenly escalate, adults need to know what’s been happening before something serious takes place. The concept of what “tattling” is and isn’t needs to be well defined. Children need to know that if another person is hurting them or someone else in any way that it is acceptable to tell an adult. Following these steps can go a long way in preventing bullying and dealing with it effectively once it has started. Children need to be told at a young age how to appropriately respond to bullying whether it happens to themselves or those around them.

centerforpediatrictherapies.com

Good Nutrition For ADHD SymptomManagement

Artificial Colors. The most significant research done in regards to the nutritional needs for ADHD children was a study conducted on the effects of artificial colors and dyes on ADHD symptoms. For six weeks, young children diagnosed with ADHD were served flavored drinks with yellow and red colorings. Over the course of the study, investigators noted a moderate surge in hyperactivity in the test subjects. As a way to manage your child’s ADHD, you can become a thorough label checker. Look for foods that contain yellow and red food colorings. Culprits include candy, fruit drinks, soda, snack cakes, and sugary cereals. Consider avoiding other foods high in artificial additives. Substances that may not be suitable for ADHD patients include sodium benzoate, MSG, and nitrites. Protein. A breakfast high in protein is a helpful way to get your child focused and ready to take on the school day. Instead of starting the day with character cereals, donuts, and pastries, serve the child protein-rich foods such as eggs, breakfast meats, or yogurt. Studies done by MIT found that foods high in protein trigger neurotransmitters that effect alertness. Alternatively, carbohydrates can bring on drowsiness. Adding a protein option for lunch may also give them the boost they need to finish out the school day strong. Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Most people know how

important omega-3 fatty acids are to brain health, but find their diets are insufficient in the nutrient. These nutrients are responsible for boosting brain function while also providing protection for the immune system. By adding fish to your child’s weekly diet, you are giving them the food they need to better manage their symptoms. Doctors recommend serving approximately 12 ounces of seafood each week to an ADHD patient. Choose low-mercury fish to serve to your child such as salmon, pollack, shrimp, and light tuna. If your child refuses to eat fish, certain nuts and seeds can also be given to supplement their diets. Flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts are all high in omega-3 fatty acids. Reduced Sugar Diet. Many parents have witnessed just how hyperactive their children can get after consuming sugar. While other parents have witnessed zero effect on a child’s behavior after eating sweets. Since sugar should be limited in a child’s diet anyway, parents should try to avoid foods high in the sweetener. Artificial sweeteners like aspartame should also be avoided since evidence suggests they may be harmful to children with ADHD. Elimination Diets. As a strategy to discover how foods are affecting a child’s behavior, an elimination diet can be followed under a doctor’s monitoring. During the diet, a base diet made up of poultry and certain fruits and vegetables will be followed initially. Then, each new food group

is added for two weeks while the parent monitors any changes in behavior. If any of the foods cause an increase in ADHD symptoms, getting rid of the food item may positively alter the child’s behavior. Getting all vitamins and minerals from natural food sources is the best way to get the nutrients yourADHDchildneeds.Neverrelyonsupplements unless your doctor otherwise advises you. There is a risk of toxicity occurring due to megadoses of vitamins and minerals. Source: http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_ article/Diet-and-attention-deficit-hyperactivity- disorder http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/859-4. html http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/6552-3. html

Staff Spotlight Megen Brummett, MSOT, OTR/L OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST & CLINICAL MANAGER

Megen has been an Occupational Therapist based out of our Lynchburg location, since December 2009. She provides outpatient and early intervention occupational therapyservices tochildren frombirth to 21 years in the Lynchburg and surrounding areas. In addition toproviding therapeuticservices,Megenalso servesasclinicalmanagerand internshipcoordinator for the Lynchburg office. Originally from Hurt, VA, Megen earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Biology from Sweet Briar College in Amherst, VA in 2007. At Sweet Briar, Megen was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society and of Psi Chi (Psychology Honor

Society). She went on to earn a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Virginia Commonwealth University inRichmond,VA in2009.She isa registered therapist through The National Board for Certification and is a certified Early Intervention provider. She is trained in Beckman Oral-Motor Assessment and Intervention,TheListeningProgram,andhasattended numerous continuing education conferences on Sensory Integration and Feeding. Megen’s clinical interests includesensory integrationandworkingwith children with Autism. Now residing in Lynch Station, VA, Megen and her husband are the proud parents of both a girl and boy and enjoy the outdoors on their small horse farm.

centerforpediatrictherapies.com

OUR SERVICES

• Pediatric Occupational Therapy • Pediatric Physical Therapy • Pediatric Speech-Language Therapy • Building Blocks Center for Children with Autism

5 Convenient Locations To Serve You!

DANVILLE 175DeerRunRoad,SuiteA Danville,VA24540

LYNCHBURG 101LeroyBowenDrive,SuiteA Lynchburg,VA24502

SOUTH BOSTON 1438SeymourDrive SouthBoston,VA24592

MARTINSVILLE 812EastChurchStreet Martinsville,VA24112

BUILDING BLOCKS 175DeerRunRoad,SuiteB Danville,VA24540

P : (434)797-5531 F : (434)797-5529

P : (434)239-6630 F : (434)239-6640

P : (434)517-9947 F : (434)517-9949

P : (276)638-4809 F : (276)638-5139

P : (434)797-5530 F : (434)797-5529

centerforpediatrictherapies.com

WRITING A REVIEW IS JUST A CLICK AWAY!

Center for Pediatric Therapies values each of our patients and believes that every child is truly special. We invite you to share your child’s experience with CPT by leaving us a review on Facebook. Simply log onto Facebook, visit our page @centerforpediatrictherapies then click Reviews to tell people what you think. We’d love to hear how physical, occupational, and speech therapy have impacted your child’s life.

Review Us On Facebook Today!

“ We’ve been coming to CPT for years now, and they are fantastic. Their therapists do so well with the kids, and they genuinely just want to help. ” - Mandy M.

centerforpediatrictherapies