Riding the Roller Coaster: Emotion Regulation and the Teenage Brain
(By
Danae Laut, MSc., Ph.D. Student/Doctoral Intern at Foothills Academy Society
)
For any parent with a teenager, it comes as no surprise that the emotional lives of adolescents can be very different from adults. Teenagers tend to react to stressors mo
re strongly, experience negative emotions more often, and experience more frequent and intense mood swings than adults. The ability to navigate and manage these sometimes intense and tumultuous emotions is essential for any teenager’s socioemotional functioning. These emotions are managed through a skill
called emotion regulation, which is the ability to modify high and low levels of an emotion to accomplish goals.
During adolescence, emotion regulation can be a challenge given that the brain is still developing, establishing neural pathways that will set them up for adulthood. For youth with neurodevelopmental disorders such as Learning Disabilities, ADHD and ASD, this may be an even greater challenge because of their compromised executive functioning. Youth with neurodevelopmental disorders tend to be about 30% less mature than their peers, meaning that their ability to regulate emotions may be somewhat
behind that of other
students their age
. Parents may need to adjust their expectations of their child’s ability to regulate emotion and support the development of coping skills.
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Inside Your Teen's Brain: What's Going On?
The past decade has given us plenty of new information about the workings of the teenage brain. But, what is a parent to do with this information? On the one hand, parents are told that teens are “at-risk” and need many rules to keep them safe. On the other hand, they are told that imposing too many rules makes them a “helicopter parent” who compromises the brain development of their teens. In this session, you will learn about the peculiarities and potential of the teenage brain, learn to sort through the messages and build the skills to constructively navigate the sometimes-maddening world of parenting a teen.
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Winter Programs Open for Registration
This winter we have seven exciting Amicus Recreation programs to choose from. For the first time, we are offering a pilot program targeted at children with Develpmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). This four week program will help participants learn to break down fundamental movement skills into parts so they can learn to master these and gain confidence to participate in more physical activities.
Our MultiSport program is back and offers a variety of active activities sure to burn lots of energy after a day of school. For technology fans, we are offering 3D Printing and Mechanical Engineering. Our Chef Amicus cooking program provides an opportunity for participants to try new foods and learn how to make them. Creative Wonders is all about pottery this winter. For the teens, we offer POLARIS which offers them an opportunity to be involved in planning the activities that they will do as a larger group. As always, in addition to the program content, a significant aspect of the Amicus Recreation programs is the teaching and reinforcement of positive social skills by our trained and caring staff.
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Camp Amicus 2018 Preview
Camp Registration Starts in January
It's hard to believe but it's almost time to start registering for summer camp! In 2018, we are adding one additional week of overnight camp so there are now four overnight camps to choose from. We are offering two day camp options for 8 - 12 year olds. And, we are offering two sessions of our teen leadership camp, POLARIS, this year. There will be one session for 13 - 15 year olds and a separate session for 16 - 18 year old.
Registration for returning campers and Amicus Recreation participants will begin on Monday, January 8th. New camper registration will begin on January 22nd.
If your child has not participated in any Amicus programs, you can begin the intake process at any time so that you are ready for when registration opens.
Email
Anna Mason
or call 403.270.9400 ext. 252 for more information or to begin the intake process.
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Four Winter Programs to Choose From
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Children and Teen Groups
This winter we're offering three small group programs for children and teens through our Psychological Services area. Let's Be Social and Acting Social focus on the development of social skills. Girls Only!
aims to engage girls in topics and issues pertaining to their social, emotional, behavioural, and biological development. A particular focus of the program is to educate and enrich participants’ understanding of their diagnosis(es), while also helping them to gain greater awareness of their strengths. Click the links below to learn more about each program.
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Moving Forward
Young Adult Program
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Moving Forward
is a 10-week group program for young adults (ages 18 – 25 with an LD and/or ADHD diagnosis) aimed at helping to ease the adjustment to the adult world. Whether they are continuing their education, working, or somewhere in between, this group (facilitated by a Registered Psychologist) will provide them with knowledge, skills, and support to help make the transition into the adult world smoother. Additionally, it is the aim of the group to help young adults create connections with peers who are in a similar stage of life. Each week, participants will participate in fun recreational programm
ing (sports, cooking, music, etc.).
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Additional Ongoing Programs & Services
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Inside Learning Disabilities: For Professionals
Starts January 15th!
Get ready for the launch of our updated online course for Educators and other professionals which will begin January 18th.
- Inside Learning Disabilities for Professionals will take you inside the world of Learning Disabilities (LDs) at school: from facts and diagnosis to co-occurring conditions and LD strategies for the student and the classroom. It has been designed for professionals (and education students) to increase your understanding and familiarity of LDs, the impact LDs can have on academics, behaviour, and well-being; and the evidence-based strategies and tools to increase student success and your success as a professional.
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Foothills Academy Professional Development Workshops
Did you know that Foothills Academy Society offers professional development workshops that can be booked for your school, conference or another occasion?
Our Professional Development Workshops and Training focus on strategies and programs that have been proven successful within our school. Although our focus is assisting individuals with Learning Disabilities, the ultimate goal is to assist and support staff in meeting the diverse needs of all learners.
For more information, check out all the workshops that are available.
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From all of us at Foothills Academy Community Services, we wish you a happy holiday season and best wishes for a Happy New Year.
With the exception of people who have a pre-arranged appointment or tutoring scheduled during the holidays, our offices will be closed from Saturday, Dec. 23 - Monday, Jan. 8.
We look forward to seeing you in 2018!
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COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND LINKS
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Workshops & Educational Opportunities
CADDAC online ADHD webinars
Past webinars are archived and available on demand. Topics include
Emotional Regulation and the use of the ABC Chart, ADHD in the home, Parenting and Behavioural Strategies
and more. Webinars are $10 each or free with a CADDAC membership.
Information Resource Links
Support Groups
- ADDults Calgary Support Group: A Support group for adults in Calgary with ADHD and/or their spouses. Meets the last Wednesday of the month (excl. July & August
- Cochrane Parent Support Group - FOCUS for Attention
- ADHD Links Calgary - Jamie Gelfand (ggelfand@shaw.ca or 403-253-2988) or Katie McCumm (kmccunn@shaw.ca or 403-278-5182)
- FOCUS for Attention: Sept 12, Oct 3, Nov 7, Dec 5, from 7 - 9 pm Free support group offered through North Central Family Support Program held at the Huntington Hills Community Centre. Registration is required. Call 403.275-6668 ext. 232. For more information, contact Lorraine at lorraine@weconnectyou.ca.
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Workshops & Educational Opportunities
CADDAC online ADHD webinars
Past webinars are archived and available on demand. Topics include
Emotional Regulation and the use of the ABC Chart, ADHD in the home, Parenting and Behavioural Strategies
and more. Webinars are $10 each or free with a CADDAC membership.
Information Resource Links
Support Groups
- ADDults Calgary Support Group: A Support group for adults in Calgary with ADHD and/or their spouses. Meets the last Wednesday of the month (excl. July & August
- Cochrane Parent Support Group - FOCUS for Attention
- ADHD Links Calgary - Jamie Gelfand (ggelfand@shaw.ca or 403-253-2988) or Katie McCumm (kmccunn@shaw.ca or 403-278-5182)
- FOCUS for Attention: Sept 12, Oct 3, Nov 7, Dec 5, from 7 - 9 pm Free support group offered through North Central Family Support Program held at the Huntington Hills Community Centre. Registration is required. Call 403.275-6668 ext. 232. For more information, contact Lorraine at lorraine@weconnectyou.ca.
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Community Services| Foothills Academy Society| 403.270.9400 | info@foothillsacademy.org | www.foothillsacademy.org
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