Giving kids the social skills they need to succeed
Sometime during the late 1990’s, Academy MetroWest came into possession of a copy of the movie Heavyweights. No one really remembers how it came to us or who brought it in but it’s exerted a powerful presence at our summer camp ever since. It’s one of those rare gems that’s ostensibly for kids but is just as funny for adults. All of our […]
» Read moreA confluence of two seemingly unrelated events made this week a momentous one for us here at Academy MetroWest. This past Tuesday, we finished up our school year program. It marked the end of our 20th year running weekly social skills groups. We start our summer program on June 23rd so, technically, we have to get through the next 7 weeks […]
» Read more
On June 4th, my daughter Lucy turns 8 years old. The day after she was born, we were still staying at the hospital. At night, the staff gave us the option of having her spend the night in the nursery or in our room. We opted for the nursery, figuring that we’d have plenty of sleepless nights ahead of us […]
» Read more
There are few things I like less than making small talk at parties. Since we became parents, my wife and I haven’t gone to as many as we used to but before my daughter was born, it was a fairly regular occurrence. When Sarah would mention a party we were supposed to attend, my response was often “Is this going to be […]
» Read moreOn April 2, The U.S. Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) issued a statement regarding changes to the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorders stemming from the publication last May of the DSM5. I found one section of the statement particularly curious. Here’s what it says: “…the Committee cautioned clinicians to pay special attention to individuals with obvious ASD symptoms who narrowly […]
» Read more
“I said Lord please give me what I need. He said there’s pain and misery. Oh sweet oblivion feels all right.” – Shadow of the Season – by Screaming Trees “Self knowledge is a dangerous thing. The freedom of who you are.” –There is No Time – by Lou Reed Helping children develop insight into their strengths and weaknesses is a […]
» Read moreThe other day, the new issue of Psychology Today arrived at the office. Among the stories on the cover was one entitled “Can Yogurt Cure Depression?” I caught a quick glance at the title and it almost didn’t register. Then I thought, “Wait a minute! Did I really just read what I think I just read? That’s the most ridiculous […]
» Read more
For many human service professionals, state licensing boards require the completion of a certain number of continuing education units in order to maintain licensure. Personally, I’m required to attend 30 hours of continuing education programs every 2 years in order to renew my license as a mental health counselor. Some of these presentations are excellent and the best of them […]
» Read more
A couple of weeks ago, I was listening to NPR on the way home from work and heard a piece that has been lodged firmly in my brain since then. In the segment, Melissa Block interviewed Jennifer Senior, a contributing editor for New York magazine, about her new book about parenting entitled All Joy and No Fun. According to Ms. Senior, the book set […]
» Read more
Academy MetroWest uses cooperative, non-competitive physical activity as a vehicle to help kids see themselves in a more positive light and to interact better with their peers. While there’s more to any improvements in social skills and self-image than playing a bunch of games with other kids, using games that bring the focus away from kids vs. kids competition is our […]
» Read more