Madeline Thompson, Mental Health Counselor

Middle School & High School Fall Counseling Groups

Sunrise Counseling will begin counseling groups for middle school girls and high schoolers of any gender on September 26th.

The theme, RISE Up!, stands for Resiliency, Identity, Self-Esteem, & Empowerment. Groups include structured activities and open discussion for participants to provide and receive support and feedback from peers, building confidence and relationships in a judgement-free space.

More details at this link: https://linktr.ee/sunrisecounselingga

"There is no one way to success, there is no one way to so this life, and there is no one way to find your purpose."

Sometimes, the world needs a Simone Biles to blow us away with raw talent, and sometimes, we need someone like Stephen Nedoroscik to remind us that a nerdy (his words), bespectacled engineer who can solve a Rubik's Cube in under 10 seconds can be a hero (Spoiler alert if you haven't watched the Men's gymnastics final yet.)

I love his story.

When he didn't progress in gymnastics like he wanted to, he threw himself into the one event he excelled at: the pommel horse. He's won all sorts of competitions as an event specialist, and literally was put on the team because he scores so big on this one apparatus.

During today's team finals, he spent the day bringing his teammates water, giving high fives, and cheering on every performance with incredible enthusiasm. And then it was his turn.

Nedoroscik was the last athlete to compete on the team's last rotation. He needed to hit his routine for the Americans to end a 16-year medal drought. No pressure.

It was a build-up right out of an iconic sports movie (Do you believe in miracles?)

While the pressure kept building in the gym, he meditated. A slight smile crept onto his face when he heard the cheers for his teammate's score. And then, like Clark Kent turning into Superman, he took off his jacket, removed his glasses, and puffed out his chest--and HE KILLED IT!

Nedoroscik took an untraditional path to get to the pinnacle of his sport and it paid off with an Olympic Bronze medal.

There is no one way to success, there is no one way to do this life, and there is no one way to find your purpose.

Be unapologetically and unabashedly you in every way possible, and you might end up the hero of your story as well.

Every member of the team had a role today, and they all delivered.

Congrats to the U.S. Men's Gymnastics team and to Stephen Nedoroscik.

Well done.

If you kid is reluctant to share, that's okay! They may be still developing that skill.

Talk with your children about EVERYTHING! Find out their opinions, find out what their friends think, ask about their experiences and expectations.
Let them know they can talk with you about anything.

“We can do hard things” gets repeated to children a lot. Maybe it’s even a mantra that has meant something to you.

Here’s the thing: it rings *really* hollow when it is used to mean, “You can do something hard that I decided you should do.”

It’s meaningful when it means, “I chose to do something hard, and I know I can do it.”

It’s a good self-encouragement, or team encouragement. But I most often hear it handed down from someone in power (an adult) to someone with no power (the child).

Imagine if you were at your 9-5 job on a Friday afternoon, your boss came in at 4:45, and said, “I need you to stay and finish this project. It’ll take another six hours, so you probably need to come in on your weekend. I know that sucks but I also know you can do hard things!” Then they walked out, to enjoy their weekend. That would NOT feel inspiring to you, or like they understood how you felt.

[Image description: A white brick wall with a green accent over it. Bold lettering on the wall reads, “You can do hard things,” and then in the same font and with the same bubble outline is a little “…?” out to the side of it, turning it from a statement into a question. End description.]

What are you feeling today? We love using this feelings wheel to identify and discuss emotions.

Child & teen counseling groups are available and filling up at Sunrise Counseling in Snellville!

Sign-ups are open until March 14th or until groups are full. Each group Is capped at 4-6 participants. All groups are led by licensed child & adolescent counselors.

Waiting List: Social Skills Grades 1-3: Tuesdays at 5pm

1 Spot Left: Social Skills Grades 4-6: Tuesdays at 6pm (6th graders accepted based on appropriate developmental fit).

3 Spots Left: RISE Up: Middle School Girls Self-Esteem: Wednesdays at 6pm

2 Spots Left: Success & Self Esteem for High Schoolers: Wednesdays at 5pm

1 Spot Left each: Parent Empowerment & Support: Date and time TBD based on availability of interested participants - two groups for parents of younger children and parents of middle school/high schoolers

Reserve your spot for a consultation here: https://forms.gle/9LtgL46eEnS5nBHi8

Lying is a natural part of development. Sometimes it continues past that point. It doesn’t mean your child is a “bad kid” or will turn into a dishonest adult. See if you can understand the meaning behind the lie, if it’s a chronic issue, and then work from there.

What would you add?

“Connection-seeking”

Announcing 5 upcoming in-person counseling groups at Sunrise Counseling in Snellville!

1. Social Squad: Two social skills group for 1st - 3rd graders and 4th - 6th graders (6th graders will be accepted for group on case-by-base basis based on appropriate developmental fit)

2. Empowered Parenting: Support group for parents

3. Success & Self-Esteem: Counseling group for high schoolers

4. RISE Up (Resiliency, Identity, Self-Esteem, & Empowerment): Counseling group for middle school girls

To reserve your spot and receive a consultation call, call 770-985-2050 or fill out this form: https://forms.gle/snKZehHPCfrnEQMT8

What a wonderful metaphor at the child level. (But great for adults too!)

Just a friendly reminder that if a dentist, doctor, nurse, hygienist, or any other person insists you cannot be in the room, leave the establishment.

They're allowed to have their policies and you’re allowed to leave.

You don’t have to be the cool, chill parent. Leave. No one normal insists on being alone with a child who isn’t theirs.

“Kids behave better when their parents aren’t around.” 🚩

That isn’t the case for my son. He listens to me and people in authority.

This morning, a hygienist at my 10 year-old son’s new dentist wanted to me stay in the waiting for his visit. We’ve never had that happen before.

I declined as it’s our agreement that I stay with him or in the hall where he can see me. She wanted neither. She insisted. I said we could go if that’s their hard policy and she reluctantly agreed but was visibly angry.

She kept putting her arm around my son’s shoulder in a weird show of friendliness even though he’d never met her and I saw him stiffen as he doesn’t like strangers touching him. She seemed to enjoy crossing boundaries.

After the x-rays, she could not stop criticizing two old cavities he had, asking him if he brushes, and saying how she never has parents stay. It was obvious she was beyond angry and was expressing it the only way she could.

It was time for her to do an initial exam but I didn’t feel confortable with her touching him anymore, especially with her being so visibly angry so I told her we were leaving and got him up to go. He was relieved. It was freaking weird.

Moms, dads, caregivers. You’re allowed to leave. There are other dentists and doctors. We’ve never had a problem with any other dentist. Not once in three kids and 17 years of parenting.

You’re allowed to leave. Advocate for your child every time. It’s not worth being regretful in hindsight. You’re all they have.

Love, Bunmi

Delta rep Sandy Smith says “Our next family fun day with the Delta Air Lines "Taking Flight" Mock Flight Tour is scheduled for Saturday, September 09, 2023Airlines at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport from 10 am-12 pm. We welcome all ages children/ adults with special needs.
Please send all requests and questions to attend to: [email protected]. You will receive a confirmation.
There are a limited number of spaces available
This event is FREE and for all ages!!

Delta Air Lines' employees will take you and your family member who has autism and/ or other special needs on a tour through Atlanta's Worldport airport. It is a great opportunity to help families navigate through the airport with less stress and have fun.

We will discuss safety practices and how to prepare for your family's future flight. There will be time to sit in the flight deck, meet crew members and take pictures.

Location: International Terminal, in the F Lobby, Hartsfield Jackson International Airport
Meeting Place: In front of the Sweet Auburn Market near the Delta ticket counter.
Please arrive by 9:50am on September 09, 2023. We will provide gate passes for families to attend. The next tours are October 7, November 4 and December 2, 2023.

Once a conversation gets tense it can be hard to get back on track. Here are some techniques you can try ✨

My journey for less stimulating TV shows hasn’t stopped now that my daughter is out of the toddler years… In fact it’s just beginning. I know that there are so many TV programs out there for our elementary aged kids that are meant to be educational but most don’t sit well with me. We are a family that uses screen time as a way to connect with each other, a way to connect to the world around us, and a way to unwind. The older my child gets, the more important it is for me to be mindful of the kind of content she consumes. That’s why I’m constantly seeking out quality tv programming that maybe aren’t in your face educational but share diverse experiences, social emotional learning, and helpful ways to connect with the world around us. ❤️ Once again, @appletv is churning out more and more tv content for kids that is really impressing me. This is not an ad whatsoever just sharing what I’m finding on this constant journey for better screen time. We haven’t watched the entirety of these seasons but are impressed so far! I love how @appletv is pairing up with @commonsenseorg to share their reviews on the network. 👌🏻 Will you try one of these? Tell me in the comments what streaming service to do next for our older kiddos! I have a lot of recommendations to share! 😉

I want to talk about something that is pretty important to me. The outdated idea of “mental age”. Or rather I thought that it was outdated, but yet I was confronted by it today in a place I really didn’t expect - from a doctor at a rather “progressive” local paediatric rehab hospital.

Sophie is due for some dental work and for her that means going under general anaesthesia. We had the intake consult over the phone with the anaesthesiologist. It was going rather as can be expected until the above mentioned “so what age do you feel she functions at?”

I took a deep breath of honest surprise and being genuinely taken aback. I mean this is a paediatric rehab hospital, renowned and well respected. Is this what they really ask their patients’ caregivers?

When I replied that Sophie is an 11 year old girl with a developmental disability and that is the age she functions at, the lady got quite huffy and said “well most parents are able to give me a number” like I was the one being difficult! I again countered with “she had a limited vocabulary, is fully ambulatory, can follow simple directions (usually), is able to read and navigate her iPad, will likely not engage with you on your meeting as she will be escalated due to being anxious and in an unfamiliar environment” you know, the things I thought she needs to know for the purpose of the call she impatiently sighed and replied “so like a 6 year old?”

Sigh. No. Not a 6 year old. Not a 2 year old. Not in between 2 and 6 year old. She functions as an 11 year old with an intellectual disability- not more, not less.

I’m not sure if the lady was able to check off a magic number on her checklist, and frankly I don’t care. We are done with “mental age”. Sophie has been alive for almost 11 years and has the acquired knowledge and experience of being alive almost 11 years. Telling someone that her language is maybe like that of 2 year old is not an accurate picture as her language IS NOT as that of a 2 year old- rather it is the language of an autistic 11 YEAR OLD who has a developmental disability and is still learning to use language in the same way we do.

Ask about how she behaves in unfamiliar environments. Ask about what can make the experience less stressful. Ask about her language and how best to communicate with her. Ask about her medical history. Ask about her favorite things to make the process more comfortable. I will give you all that and more. But never ask me what age she functions at because the answer will always be the same - she functions at her age because that’s the only age she’s ever been. And she’s freaking awesome at being almost 11.

Picture is of Sophie just now on the balcony smiling at what she’s looking at (probably cars).

Following on from my post yesterday.

I don’t like the phrase ‘make a good choice’.

It often means ‘when tricky situations come up today, I want you to take the responsible, mature, peaceful, kind option’.

The thing is, we usually will take those options when we can. We will take them if we are calm, rested, regulated, and informed.

A lot of the time, though, we are too overwhelmed and dysregulated to be able to access our logic, reasoning, and perspective. It’s like telling us to make a good choice when we’re drowning.

Also, ‘good’ choices are subjective, non-specific, context-dependent, and can really confuse an autistic person. Real example- my kid was moved onto the ‘warning’ section of the behaviour chart for not returning to class quickly after lunch. I asked why he had been late. He had been helping his distressed friend to the office because she had hurt herself right at the bell. When he got back to class he’d gotten in trouble for being late. I asked if he felt alright about the behaviour chart thing (he’s usually a real rule-follower). He said ‘yeah. She needed me to take her. I’d do it again.’

That is a choice that I can get behind, even though a rule was broken. Was it a ‘good’ choice? Depends who you ask.

So, what can we say instead?

Well, what we really want is for our kids to look at a situation, figure out the best outcome, and work towards it. In other words, problem solving.

Instead of offering vague, confusing phrases, let’s build our kids’ problem solving skills. We do it proactively, we do it when they’re calm, before they hit significant distress. Why? Because the more they use them, the stronger they will be. We are better able to access skills that we practice regularly.

Will they be able to use these skills when they’re massively overwhelmed? Probably not. But if they engage in these sorts of discussions regularly, you may find that this process become more established as a routine. You’ll likely see them using these skills more.

And that may well look like ‘good choices’.

Em 🌈✌️🌻
AuDHD SLP
..............................
Image Description:

Word Bubble states Instead of saying ‘Make a good choice’ try saying…

Additional mind map word bubbles around it state:
- What’s your plan here?
- Will anybody get hurt/upset by that choice?
- Are there any rules that you’re not sure of?
- Do you want help with any of this?
- What do you HOPE will happen here?
- Always tell an adult if you don’t feel safe.
- What options do you have here?
- Come and get me if you try to fix the problem and it didn’t work.
- Who is a safe person that you can find when you’re not feeling ok?
… to build problem-solving skills.

Hope that helps.

Latinx Parenting ❤️

This applies to all children, not just neurodivergent children!

"If your kid is struggling to meet expectations, reduce demands.

'There is a big long list of possible reasons for why they aren’t meeting expectations, and it’s probably not because they have made a conscious choice to.

'The expectation likely exceeded their capacity in that moment."

If your kid is struggling to meet expectations, reduce demands.

There is a big long list of possible reasons for why they aren’t meeting expectations, and it’s probably not because they have made a conscious choice to. The expectation likely exceeded their capacity in that moment.

Stimming refers to repetitive actions, sequences, sounds. You might see us jump and flap when excited. You might hear us making sound effects while playing or concentrating. You might notice us moving our fingers in a certain way. We stim for lots of reasons, including joy, concentration, stress, contentment, and big emotions.

Stimming helps us. Stimming is often harmless, and serving a purpose. If we’re stressed, it is a release. If we’re becoming overwhelmed, it can help us feel better. If we’re joyful, it is an authentic expression of our joy. It helps us regulate.

It may be unfamiliar or even uncomfortable for non autistic people to see us stim. That is very much a them problem. We do it our way. Our way is not wrong, our way is just fine.

Bottom line- if it’s not hurting anyone, don’t stop us Stimming. It’s an important part of our autistic identity and expression. If it makes you uncomfortable, you have some work to do on yourself.

When we don’t meet expectations, be curious and meet us with empathy. Often we have tried our best but the outcome was not quite what we wanted. Will a consequence change that? No, but it will make us feel way worse about the whole thing.

This day has been very long and overwhelming.

I’m out of spoons.
If this caption is incoherent, that’s why.

Em 🌻🌈✌️

Love this

If your child is a tiny perfectionist, this activity may help

“Mommy, why don’t you pack my lunch for me?”

*Cue mommy guilt… which was mine to manage and not put on her.*

“I’m happy to share my thoughts on that, can you tell me what has brought this up?”

“All my friends’ moms pack their lunch for them. They think it is weird that I pack my own lunch.”

“I see. Thanks for sharing with me. Do you have any thoughts on maybe why we have you pack your own lunch?”

*Still working to manage the flash of guilt I had and internally trying to reflect on why it was there. Was I doing something wrong by not packing her lunch? Does this hit on an insecurity of mine? Was that my mother’s voice I heard in my head?*

Our 10yo thought for a moment.

“I think you have me pack my own lunch so I know what is in my lunch, to help me practice making food choices that work for my body, because I’m in charge of me, and because there’s a lot of people getting ready at the same time and you’re helping everyone and it’s easier if we all pack our own lunches.”

“All that is true. But if you’d really like for me to pack your lunch, I can do that. I understand if that’s something that feels special and loving for you and I’m happy to.”

She thinks again.

“No, I like packing my lunch. I was just wondering why you didn’t pack it for me when everyone else I know doesn’t pack their own lunch if they bring lunch. But I actually like packing my lunch so it’s ok.”

“Ok, if that changes let me know. I do pack your little sister’s lunches.”

“Even they help you and they’re 2.5 and 5!”

“You’re right they do. Though their help isn’t as helpful as you might think but they like to help and they eat better if they help pack their lunch.”

“Maybe sometimes you can pack my lunch for me or with me but I like packing my lunch, I was just curious.”

“Sounds good!”

*The fake guilt subsided, later reflection did help me understand more of what was going on for me and why and in the end helped me feel more confident that this is what works for us, for our family and I don't need to feel bad about it. ;) Also, I was really proud of the fact that our daughter felt comfortable asking.

***Picture of a lunch our daughter packed for herself. The carrots were already shredded from dinner the night before and we regularly have hardboiled eggs in the fridge for packing lunches, she put it all together.