Parents that I've worked with this week have reminded me how much they take for granted that their children "know" what to do in certain situations. I had a 14 year old guy experience negative mental & emotional consequences while visiting Disney for Spring Break. He didn't have the sensory tools to block the noise nor did he remember to take a break from the anxiety influenced by the crowds. He would have benefitted from increased use of self-management skills and parental prompting of those skills. The Lesson is that we're all in a learning process and family members must work together in skills building to meet the needs of the experience. Let's keep pushing towards building skills together!!

I just watched the 60 Minutes report on Mental Health and AI. Although AI can be informative and useful to understand problems a person may be experiencing, AI does not replace a conversation with a parent or licensed psychologist!! Too many people “trust” the information on the internet & AI and we’ve got to remember that people help people. Autism Awareness Month demands we reinforce the importance of developing relationships that are trustworthy and to educate about potential dangers using AI. Together we can make a positive impact!!

Welcome to our SKOOL Community for parents with children, teens, or adult children with Autism, ADHD, & Sensory Processing issues! I am your host, Brian Monteleone, Ph.D., and am very excited to work with parents on becoming more skillful managers of their kids & themselves. I have been private practice over 25+ years working with individuals in the Autistic Spectrum, ADHD, & Sensory Processing Disorder and this work is a passionate specialty of mine. I’ve been searching for a more effective way to help parents teach their children essential independent & self-management skills. Effective educational and therapeutic opportunities are missing for parents and the need for parental support through community learning is vital in the growth of the family. In my opinion, becoming part of our community will hopefully connect you with other parents across the world that want to learn in a healthy, safe, collaborative way to improve life for the entire family. Membership includes: 1. Educational materials at each level of the community. 2. I will host at least two 1 hour virtual training sessions per month with a specific topic for learning with interactive QNA. Another two virtual training sessions will be added when membership is greater than 25 members. 3. Member Only exclusive article, videos, & resources. 4. Structured parent training program facilitated on essential topics for all parents. My vision for the community is foundationally grounded in the following areas: 1. Respect for all community members is a non-negotiable expectation in all forms of communication. Membership is dependent on compliance. 2. We will work towards enriching & enhancing the lives of parents through education, skills training, communication, support & encouragement. 3. Evolution of the community is paramount to improving the delivery & effectiveness of information, education, and support. Community members are encouraged to be actively involved in the growth by providing feedback and suggestions to create greater value in the training.