Nearly 1 in 5 Americans will be diagnosed with a mental health condition at some point during their life. A large majority by the young age of 14.

As Licensed Mental Health professionals, we are seeing the numbers of those diagnosed with a mental health condition or even seeing signs rise in our children, youth, adolescents, and teenagers, especially following the unprecedented events of Covid. The reality is: life is hard, it is challenging, and we are not meant to do it alone. We all need a support system. We need access to helpful resources and reliable professionals to navigate our mental health journeys.

There are numerous resources out there that can help to minimize the severity of a mental health condition(s), including that of individual and family/group counseling sessions. We must work hard to ensure that these resources are easily found, known and that we are supporting one another.

, we can help to break the stigma that follows Mental Health. Mental Health is just as important as our Physical Health. Just like experiencing a physical illness that might be more apparent or obvious, being able to identify and treat mental health conditions earlier on can prevent something more serious from developing.

Some of the more or less “common” mental health conditions or experiences warranting professional support:

Knowing the “warning signs” to watch for:

Mental Health Therapy visits focus on providing encouragement and support in order to create a more balanced, loving, and overall successful home life. By working with both the child and the family using proven psychological methods, Mental Health Therapy can help manage and even eliminate a variety of mental illnesses and emotional difficulties.

Our goal is to provide parents with the confidence and best possible resources available to understand, manage, and prioritize their family's mental health.

 through both individual and family counseling sessions. A referral is not required for this discipline, and we work with many 

insurance providers, including Kentucky Medicaid

. Our clinicians are knowledgeable about clinical excellence in all disciplines.

Mental Health Matters! 

Finding balance behind a screen. Why it's important and ways that we all play a part.

It's no secret that electronics have become a significant part of EACH of our everyday lives. Due to the fact that we are constantly surrounded by technology, whether that be in our homes, at work, or out and about, it's been rather hard to avoid screens. 

 during the Pandemic, the average usage of screen time in children increased anywhere from 2-4 hours in length. Data indicates that the usage of TV and cell phone equates to an unhealthy amount of up to SEVEN hours spent in front of the screen for "play", which does not include time at school or for the purpose of education. Ultimately, the time spent behind a screen takes away the time that is necessary to spend being active. 

It is suggested that children partake in a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity EACH and every day to lessen the risk of 

Other effects of too much screen time may include or be directly linked to:

While usage of screen time in this day and age is rather inevitable, moderation is absolutely key. Avoiding screen time nearly entirely is suggested by healthcare professionals for children that are under the age of two. After the age of two, it is recommended to keep screen time to two hours or less per day. Some ways you can limit screen time is to avoid screens when getting ready for school, at the dinner table while eating, when doing homework if it's not necessary, or right before bedtime. 

When keeping screen time in moderation, a child can best learn things such as letters, shapes, colors, and numbers, explore their interests and build communication skills. A few ways that parents or guardians can ensure that screen time is beneficial or engaging can be done by: 

To speak with one of our expert clinicians, contact us today!

Screen Time for Kids: Finding Balance 

The holiday season can be especially challenging if you’re dealing with circumstances that might trigger emotions of sadness, depression, anxiety, uncertainty, or loneliness, to name a few.

Being able to prioritize your mental health and realizing that everyone grieves differently is one of THE most important things you can do during the hustle and bustle that this time of the year can bring about.

Our team of professional Mental Health experts has rounded up some ways to help cope with the heaviness of losing someone.

We hope that you find these practices to be helpful for you and your family this holiday season

At-home activities to keep your mind occupied, reflect, and maybe make new memories and traditions:

Red flag/warning signs to be on the lookout for which might indicate that professional help might be needed:

Mental Health Therapy visits focus at Marshall focus on providing encouragement and support in order to create a more balanced, loving, and overall successful home life. By working with both the child and the family using proven psychological methods, Mental Health Therapy can help manage and even eliminate a variety of mental illnesses and emotional difficulties.

https://marshallpediatrictherapy.com/services/mental-health-therapy

How do we address Mental Health at Marshall Pediatric Therapy:

Children might benefit from receiving Mental Health Therapy even without a diagnosed medical condition. Children who exhibit feelings of worthlessness that lead to depression or anxiety, have difficulty paying attention, and often show signs of physical complaints such as fatigue and withdrawal from social activities may require Mental Health Therapy. At Marshall Pediatric Therapy, we offer sessions individually or as a family if necessary. Receiving Mental Health Therapy does not require a referral. For a list of current insurance coverage and providers, you may reference:

https://marshallpediatrictherapy.com/billing-and-insurance

For a list of helpful links that could help support specific Mental Health Therapy: 

https://marshallpediatrictherapy.com/helpful-links

Ways to Handle Grief 

Disciplining and educating children on what is right and wrong are appropriate ways of instilling good behaviors in them. However, teaching good behaviors is challenging for parents without guidance from autism therapy support, considering many find it difficult to understand non-verbal communication cues. In addition, disciplining a child, especially one with autism, requires great patience, and as a result, most parents are torn between reinforcement and punishment strategies when implementing discipline.

Marshall Pediatric Therapy offers you a wide range of therapy services committed to providing support and opportunities required to promote overall development and independence from childhood into adulthood. In addition, we offer customized therapy sessions to meet individual needs since we understand children are different and might behave uniquely.

In behavior psychology, reinforcement introduces a favorable condition or stimulus to a child's desired behavior that is likely to happen or continue in the future. There are two basic types of reinforcement, namely negative and positive reinforcements. Both can be effective and useful when applied correctly in shaping a child with autism. Parents can also use reinforcement to teach a child the right skills for use in the future, such as table manners, communication, socialization, and self-helping.

Positive reinforcement involves adding a pleasant stimulant to enhance the desired behavior. For instance, a parent might reward a child by giving them access to their favorite toys for good and polite behavior. However, parents should not always reward children with something tangible. The use of verbal praise to applaud the child for displaying positive actions is highly encouraged. This lets the child know that their actions were appropriate and motivates them to continue displaying these positive behaviors. It also helps them to feel good about themselves, which is something children with autism continuously struggle with.

With negative reinforcement, parents remove an aversive or undesirable stimulus to enhance or increase a behavior. This method, however, rarely works with children with autism as they need direct instructions and ways to work within the structure their autism level requires.

How Does Reinforcement Help Change Behavior

Reinforcement is an effective tool in promoting good behavior among both neurotypical and neurodivergent children when applied correctly. Using reinforcement might not get you the most intended results, but it is the most appropriate tool to promote desirable behavior. Parents should also consider the interest of each child and identify their motivation accordingly when using reinforcement to ensure positive behavior change.

Punishing children with autism to make an undesired behavior less likely to occur is not a method that works well. It is crucial to understand positive reinforcement aims to increase a desirable behavior while punishment aims to decrease undesirable behaviors.

Positive punishment, also known as punishment by application, is the most common type of punishment people know. Positive punishment involves introducing an aversive stimulus after an undesirable behavior has occurred. For instance, a parent might scold or use verbal warning when a child with autism misbehaves. This method has been shown to be the least effective for children with autism. It lacks the structure needed for even children with a Level 1 diagnosis.

Negative punishment involves taking away a pleasant stimulus to discourage a behavior. In this case, parents might take a child's favorite toy when they get messy and fail to clear up the room after playing. In the future, the child will avoid cluttering the room or clear it up after playing to prevent their toys from being taken away. This also does not work for children with autism, no matter what level they are diagnosed with, even though this may work for neurotypical children.

The Role of Positive Reinforcement in Making Behavioral Changes

Positive reinforcement is most effective for children with autism. The goal is to teach appropriate social, academic, communication, and behavior skills that will become a regular part of their life as they grow and develop. Positive reinforcement is ideal for this because, as children, they are drawn to positive words and actions, and even as adults we tend to find ways to avoid things we don’t like.

Why Choosing Reinforcement Is Vital For Children with Autism

There are a variety of ways to encourage or discourage the behavior. However, choosing reinforcement over punishment is more effective. First, the process is painless (emotional or physical) and involves dialogue over physical action. It also promotes bonding between parents or guardians with children with autism. The key to implementing reinforcement successfully is consistency.

Call Marshall Pediatric Therapy Today For Therapy Service for Children with Autism

Parents can get in touch with our experts at Marshall Pediatric Therapy for more information since understanding the difference between punishment and reinforcement when parenting can be difficult.

 Marshall Pediatric Therapy at any of our multiple locations for all therapy services for your child with autism.

Punishment Vs. Reinforcement

Nurturing a child's growth and development through all aspects of life is both a rewarding and overwhelming parental responsibility. These continuous roles often result in parental burnout feelings. Understanding the signs of parental burnout is critical in positively identifying, combating, and overcoming it.

We offer Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Mental Health Therapy, and behavior services (ABA) through our Building Blocks Program for children diagnosed with autism.

Read on to learn more about how to manage and prevent parent burnout feelings.

There are many signs that you may be experiencing parental burnout, but the most common are:

The demands of parenthood make you anxious and reduce your daily task motivation. Your energy in tackling daily activities reduces significantly. For example, if you used to take great pleasure in preparing dinner at home but now find yourself dreading having to do it each day.

The following physical pains could indicate you are going through parental burnout:

Parent burnout feeling makes it difficult to concentrate, think clearly and make decisions. You feel like your thinking is slowing down, lacks clarity, or it's hard to keep track of multiple thoughts at once. It is possible to make frequent mistakes that are costly or inconvenient.

Exhaustion varies depending on the age of the child. Parents of young children often feel physical tiredness. At the same time, those with teens undergo emotional exhaustion due to conflicts with young adults. 

Although parents often want to get more sleep, they may sleep less than usual or differently. They may not be able to fall asleep easily or stay asleep for long periods.

How to Navigate the Feeling of Parental Burnout

It is possible to prevent and cope with parent burnout following these strategies:

Your physical and mental health is as critical as your parental responsibility. Have time for yourself to re-energize and build your well-being.

Talk about your parental burnout with family, friends, or parents experiencing similar feelings. A nonjudgmental positive engagement helps you manage the parent burnout feeling. Moderated communities and online groups are resourceful in navigating through this feeling.

If the parent burnout feeling is becoming problematic, reach out to 

. We offer mental health services in Kentucky.

Categorizing each task's priority under “Urgent”, “Important”, and “Can Wait” reduces the pressure so you don’t feel so overwhelmed. You can choose to clean the house on weekdays and do loads of laundry over the weekends. Encouraging children help with age-appropriate home chores can also be beneficial.

Design a functional schedule on a weekly or monthly basis. Know who does what and when. Involve your children in home duties like dinner ideas, grocery shopping, and picking out their outfits beforehand. When kids have a schedule and know they are helping, they are more willing to participate, and it helps them feel more accomplished,

We know just how hard it is to raise kids in today's busy world. When you're feeling stressed and overwhelmed, it's natural to wonder whether you're doing enough to give your kids the attention and support they deserve. 

Our goal is to provide parents with the best possible resources available to give them the tools they need to understand and manage the signs of parental burnout.

We are dedicated to providing high-quality therapy programs explicitly designed to address the unique concerns of each family.

Visit one of our Marshall Pediatric Therapy offices today to find relief from the stress of parenting.