Ask the Child Psychologist
School Avoidance
by Lisa Medoff
February 23, 2009
Dear Dr. Medoff,
It is becoming more and more difficult to get my eleven-year-old son to school in the morning. He will hide under the covers or throw a tantrum, and he even threw up last week when I was trying to get him dressed. What can I do? From, K.
Dear K.,
You and your son are definitely not alone in your struggle about getting to school; most parents will agree that getting their children out of bed and out the door in the morning is not the most pleasant part ...
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Lisa Medoff, Ph.D holds a B.A. in psychology, a master's degree in school counseling, and a Ph.D. in child and adolescent development. Although she’s worked with all types of children, for the past eight years, she has worked with students with special needs, such as ADHD, learning disabilities, depression and anxiety. She has taught courses in psychology and child/adolescent development at Stanford University, Santa Clara University, San Jose State University, and DeAnza College. She currently works as a resilience consultant for the non-profit Cleo Eulau Center, helping teachers at a low-performing elementary school understand issues of connectedness, special needs, and cultural sensitivity in order to build resilience in their students.
Column Archive
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Signs Of Schizophrenia
March 16, 2008, 12:00 am
My wife’s older brother is schizophrenic. We do not have any contact with him, and my wife’s family does not like to talk about him at all. I have heard that this disease is hereditary, and I am worried about watching out for it in my son, even though my wife does not even want to consider the possibility, and refuses to talk to me about anything related to the subject. What should I be looking for? Read More
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Fostering Social Skills
March 10, 2008, 12:00 am
I have a son in third grade. When I picked him up last week, his teacher mentioned that he is doing quite well in school, but we need to focus more on his social skills. I am not really clear what she meant by this. What can do I to help my son? Read More
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Asperger's Syndrome
March 3, 2008, 12:00 am
Dear Dr. Medoff, My son has a child in his class that has been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. I have heard of this disorder, but don't know much about it. What is it? Read More
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Teens Working
February 18, 2008, 12:00 am
Dear Dr. Medoff, My husband and I want our son to appreciate what he has, and we are considering requiring him to get a part-time job. However, many of our friends have expressed concern over this idea, telling us that he should only be concentrating on getting into college right now. What should we do? Read More
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Violence in the Media
February 11, 2008, 12:00 am
I have been noticing lately that my 12-year-old son really enjoys watching extremely graphic violent movies and television. Should I be concerned about what he is watching or am I just overreacting? Read More
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Sensory Processing
February 4, 2008, 12:00 am
Dear Dr. Medoff, One of the other parents in my son’s class told her that her child was diagnosed with sensory processing disorder. I have never heard of this before. Should I be worried about this disorder in my son? Read More
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Bullies at School
January 25, 2008, 7:43 pm
Dear Dr. Medoff, I think my son is having trouble with a bully at school. What can I do to help him? Read More
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Online Safety
January 21, 2008, 12:00 am
Dear Dr. Medoff, I have heard a lot about predators looking for kids online, and I am worried about my 12-year-old daughter. How can I protect her? Read More
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Learning Two Languages At Once
January 14, 2008, 12:00 am
Dear Dr. Medoff, My husband does not want to speak to the kids in Spanish because he thinks it will confuse them at such a young age. I think he should speak to them in Spanish so they can be bilingual, and that it wouldn’t be a problem to learn two languages at once. Read More
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Cutting and Self-Injury
January 7, 2008, 12:00 am
Dear Dr. Medoff, A co-worker has been sharing concerns with me about her daughter cutting. She doesn’t know what to do, and I’m not sure what to tell her. Read More
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