SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAM

School readiness is foundation across early childhood systems and programs. It means children are ready for school, families are ready to support their children's learning, and schools are ready for children. ... Physical, cognitive, social, and emotional developments are all essential ingredients of school readiness.

Why are school readiness skills important? The development of school readiness skills allows school teachers to expand and further develop a child's skills in the specific areas of social interaction, play, language, emotional development, physical skills, literacy and fine motor skills.

·         Self Regulation: The ability to obtain, maintain and change emotion, behaviour, attention and activity level appropriate for a task or situation.

·         Sensory processing: Accurate processing of sensory stimulation in the environment as well as in one’s own body that influences attention and learning that effects how you sit, hold a pencil and listen to the teacher.

·         Receptive language (understanding): Comprehension of spoken language (e.g. the teacher’s instructions).

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·         Expressive language (using language): Producing speech or language that can be understood by others (e.g. talking to friends).

·         Articulation: The ability to clearly pronounce individual sounds in words.

·         Executive functioning: Higher order reasoning and thinking skills (e.g.What do I need to pack to take to school?).

·         Emotional development/regulation: The ability to perceive emotion, integrate emotion to facilitate thought, understand emotions and regulate emotions (for a child’s own responses to challenges).

·         Social skills: Determined by the ability to engage in reciprocal interaction with others (either verbally or non-verbally), to compromise with others and to be able to recognise and follow social norms.

·         Planning and sequencing: The sequential multi-step task/activity performance to achieve a well-defined result (e.g. a cut and paste task or a simple maths worksheet).

Factors determining school readiness

·         Physical factors; Is your child tall or look older than others of the same age.

·         Independence; Your child's ability to perform self-help skills unaided.

·         Social Maturity; The way your child interacts with peers and other children.

Social/Emotional Development

A positive sense of well-being will contribute greatly to a child's school readiness (National School Readiness Indicators Initiative, 2005). Social and emotional development is fostered in reciprocal and cooperative play (e.g., turn taking, sharing, dramatic play, games with rules).

School readiness is more relevant to characteristics such as: listening and asking questions, expressing thoughts and communication with others, thinking before performing actions, possessing curious eagerness to learn, being experienced with books, knowing how to share and take turns, being able to work alone and with ...

The three dimensions of school readiness are: (1) Ready children, focusing on children's learning and development. (2) Ready schools, focusing on the school environment along with practices that foster and support a smooth transition for children into primary school and advance and promote the learning of all children.

Any support or help needed, feel free to write us:                   

psychologistinhyderabad@gmail.com; spmhcs@gmail.com.

For Child/Adolescent/Adult Psychological problems, Approach:

Sailaja Pisapati Mental Health Center [SPMHC]

Our branches are:

Saikrupa Nilayam, Nagender Nagar Colony, Habsiguda X Roads,

Landmark: Line beside Bharat Petrol Bunk, Hyderabad.

Contact: 9550950732/040-48510690.

www.spmhc.com

DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY

Developmental Delay: A developmental delay is any significant lag in a child's physical, cognitive, behavioral, emotional, or social development, in comparison with norms.

The term developmental delay refers to when a child does not achieve developmental milestones within the normal age range.

Developmental delay is usually initially noticed by parents or health visitors, and will then need to be assessed in order to ascertain which milestones they are missing. The child may only be delayed in one area of development, such as gross or fine motor, or in more than one.

Developmental screening can be done by a trained healthcare professional, in which they will play with the child to see how they speak, move, and respond. If this indicates a delay, the child should then be assessed with a developmental evaluation, done by a highly trained professional such as a developmental psychologist or paediatrician, or a paediatric neurologist.

The specific management of children with global developmental delay will depend on their individual needs and underlying diagnosis. Early intervention is essential to support the child to reach their full potential. Specialists involved in the management of GDD in children includes:

·       Speech therapists

·         Physical therapists

·         Occupational therapists

·         Hearing specialists

·         Developmental paediatricians

·         Neurologists

·         Providers of Early Intervention Services (depending on location)

As well as involving professionals, parents can support the development of their child by playing with them, reading with them, showing them how to do tasks, and supporting them to participate in activities of daily living such as washing, dressing, and eating.

Cause of Developmental Delay:

The primary cause for developmental delays in school-aged children is genetic abnormalities. For example, phenylketonuria (PKU) is a single-gene disorder also referred to as an “inborn error of metabolism.”

Some of the most common known causes of intellectual disability include fetal alcohol syndrome; genetic and chromosomal conditions, such as Down syndrome and fragile X syndrome; and certain infections during pregnancy.

Signs and Symptoms of Developmental Delay

Some of the most common symptoms can include: Learning and developing more slowly than other children same age. Rolling over, sitting up, crawling, or walking much later than developmentally appropriate. Difficulty communicating or socializing with others.

If you suspect your child is developmentally delayed

Remember that children develop at different rates. However, if you think your child is developmentally delayed, talk to your doctor.

If your school-age child is diagnosed with developmental delay, you may be eligible for special services. Specialized services vary according to need and location.

Check with your physician and your school district to find out what services are available. Specialized education, especially when started early, can help your child progress and achieve more in school.

Treatments for developmental delays vary according to the specific delay. Some treatments include physical therapy for help in motor skill delays, and behavioral and educational therapy for help with ASD and other delays.

Any support or help needed, feel free to write us:

psychologistinhyderabad@gmail.com; spmhcs@gmail.com.

For Child/Adolescent/Adult Psychological problems, Approach:

Sailaja Pisapati Mental Health Center [SPMHC]

Saikrupa Nilayam, Nagender Nagar Colony, Habsiguda X Roads,

Landmark: Line beside Bharat Petrol Bunk, Hyderabad.

Our Branch:

C/o. Pallavi Aware Intrnational School, Saroornagar Branch

Contact: 9550950732/040-48510690.

Website: www.spmhc.com .

Let’s Understand about Stress

It’s a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances.  Stress, in everyday terms, is a feeling that people have when they are overloaded and struggling to cope with demands.These demands can be related to finances, work, relationships, and other situations, but anything that poses a real or perceived challenge or threat to a person’s well-being can cause stress.

There are different types of stress: Acute, Episodic and Chronic.

Causes of stress:

Some typical causes of acute chronic stress include:

• living through a natural or man-made disaster
• living with chronic illness.
• surviving a life-threatening accident or illness
• being the victim of a crime
• experiencing familial stressors such as:
• an abusive relationship
• an unhappy marriage
• prolonged divorce proceedings
• child custody issues
• care giving for a loved one with a chronic illness like dementia.
• living in poverty or being homeless
• working in a dangerous profession
• having little work-life balance, working long hours, or having a job you hate
• military development

There’s no end to the things that can cause a person stress because they’re as varied as people are. Whatever the cause, the effect on the body can be serious if left un-managed. Explore other persons, emotional, and traumatic and causes of stress.

Symptoms of Stress:

Just as we each have different things that stress us out, our symptoms can also be different.

Although you’re unlikely to have them all, here are some things you may experience if you’re under stress:

• chronic pain
• insomnia and other sleepless problem
• lower sex drive
• digestive problems
• eating too much or too little
• difficulty concentration and making decision
• fatigue

You might feel overwhelmed, irritable, or fearful. Whether you’re aware of it or not, you may be drinking or smoking more than you used to. Get a better understanding of signs and symptoms of too much stress .A therapist or mental health professional can also help you find ways to manage your stress.

Before your stress levels escalate, reach out to someone you trust, such as a friend, family member. Sharing your feelings or venting your concerns may help to reduce your stress.

Any support or help needed, feel free to write us:

psychologistinhyderabad@gmail.com; spmhcs@gmail.com.

For Child/Adolescent/Adult Psychological problems, Approach:

Sailaja Pisapati Mental Health Center [SPMHC]

Saikrupa Nilayam, Nagender Nagar Colony, Habsiguda X Roads,

Landmark: Line beside Bharat Petrol Bunk, Hyderabad.

Contact: 9550950732/040–48510690.

Website: www.spmhc.com .

DEPRESSION : Persistent Sadness & Loss of Interest in Life

Depression is more than just feeling sad. Everyone feels upset or unmotivated from time to time, but depression is more serious. It is a mood disorder characterized by prolonged feelings of sadness and loss of interest in daily activities. If these symptoms persist for a period of at least two weeks, it is considered a depressive episode.

Depression that word we throw around so easily now a day. But as anyone with depression knows, it’s much more than any one word can describe. Depression can be normal, and is only an indicator of underlying disease when feelings become excessive, all-consuming, and interfere with daily living. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, or someone you love is in danger, we strongly suggest that you reach out to a qualified mental health professional. There is no shame in taking medication to manage your depression. People routinely take medication for physical ailments, and having a mental illness isn’t any different. If you’re worried about the possible side effects, call your doctor to discuss them. Any medication can be tapered down or ceased, and there are different types available to suit your individual needs and chemistry.

Therapy from a Licensed Clinical Psychologist or Certified Psychotherapist can work wonders, to manage or overcome depressive symptoms.

Any support or help needed, feel free to write us: psychologistinhyderabad@gmail.com ; spmhcs@gmail.com.

For Child/Adolescent/Adult Psychological problems, Approach:

Sailaja Pisapati Mental Health Center [SPMHC]

Saikrupa Nilayam, Nagender Nagar Colony, Habsiguda X Roads,

Landmark: Line Beside Bharat Petrol Bunk, Hyderabad.

Contact: 9550950732/040-48510690.

Website : www.spmhc.com .

Does Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) bring changes in the Brain?

Individuals who are suffering with psychological disorders or the family who are supporting them may sometimes have thoughts how psychotherapy or cognitive behaviour therapy change the brain and how far the significant and evident results in such cases......

The recent advances in neuro-imaging techniques have helped to increase the understanding of the neuronal correlates of mental disorders.

Psychological interventions can promote changes in the thoughts, feelings, and behaviours of patients. Can we then say that the psychological treatment promotes brain changes? Unfortunately, the biological mechanisms related to psychotherapy are little known. On the other hand, the arrival of neuro-imaging techniques makes it possible to investigate the neurobiological consequences of psychological treatment.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) proposes to treat various mental disorders. The literature has reported that CBT has treatment models with high efficacy rates.

One of the basic assumptions of CBT is that feelings and behaviors are largely influenced by the way the situations are interpreted. It is believed that individuals respond to the cognitive representations of the events, instead of responding to the events themselves. Consequently, they can process information in a way that does not match their reality, characterizing the cognitive distortions. Thus, the ways in which the facts are construed play an important role in the formation and maintenance of psychiatric disorders

The literature shows that many mental disorders are involved with the inability to control fear and difficulty in regulating negative emotions. These data suggest that the conditioning of fear and the difficulty in regulating emotions play a major role in the formation and maintenance of anxiety disorders.

It is important to highlight that CBT treatment contains specific techniques (exposure, distraction, and cognitive restructuring) which allow both the extinction of conditioned fear and the cognitive regulation of emotions.

Cognitive behavior therapy has proved to be effective in the treatment of various mental disorders, although the neurobiological effects of its action are little known.

CBT favors the restructuring of thought, modification of feelings and behaviors, and promotes new learning. Consequently it involves synaptic changes. The investigation of changes in brain activity resulting from successful CBT treatment allows us to clarify the neural substrates underlying psychotherapy.

Neuroimaging studies provide a means to observe and characterize changes in brain functioning related to psychological and pharmacological interventions. Consequently, to understand how individuals process a stimulus can be an important piece of information for therapeutic response. The neuroscientific findings associated with the neuroimaging studies can enhance our knowledge of the neurobiological foundations of psychotherapies, as well as improve interventions in order to increase treatment efficacy.

Sailaja Pisapati Mental Health CenterHabsiguda, Hyderabad040 – 48510690 / 9550950732www.spmhc.com

Spell-Reading - (Learning Difficulties in Children)

Children with Learning Disabilities usually find challenging to read, copy, write and that includes spellings.  Some of the children also have issues with Mathematics and etc.  But as of now, we look and learn how to make the student good in spell-reading.

What’s the purpose of Spell-Reading are:

-         To train the child in left to right eye movement

-         To enable the child to recognize letter groups as words.

Time-limited to a maximum of 15 minutes.  In the given activity and at this point,  understanding what the student reads is of no concern.  Your goal is only to get the student to recognize the letters in a word and then to repeat the word after you.  Remember this is not a phonetic process, as its a letter and word recognition.

If the student had previous instructions or habit in sounding out words and attempts to do this, simply say “ you don’t need to sound out the word.  Only say the name of the letters one at a time

Procedure:

Just as a computer must receive data in a proper sequence, the brain of dyslexic needs the data in the order it was meant to be read.  The proper sequence for reading in most languages is from left to right.  Of course, this procedure also can be adapted for learning to scan the lines of a second language that is arranged from right to left, or from top to bottom.

Dyslexic students commonly have two reading habits that limit their ability:

1)     Trying to go too fast

2)     Working too hard by concentrating heavily on the reading material.

These can be eliminated by Spell-Reading.  Before starting the session, tell the student, “I want you to go slow and easy.  Being sure of what you're reading is more important than going fast.  Going slow and easy will make this easy for you”.  Whenever a student makes an error or shows signs of concentration, have him check orientation.  Just say, “Check your point”.

If you are looking for support for your child, contact us:

Sailaja Pisapati Mental Health Center

Habsiguda, Hyderabad

040 – 48510690 / 9550950732

www.spmhc.com

Early Language Exposure

Most of the parents eagerly wait for their baby to say a few words such as calling them mama, papa and etc.  This usually we see in the children between nine (9) months and a year.  By the time, the child reaches two (2)  years, he or she should be using simple phrases and at the age of 3 years, the child should start speaking full sentences.  Grammatical mistakes even though we observe at the age of four, the child must be able to speak sentences. This means the child should have acquired basic language by the age of 5 years. 

Language acquisition takes place in 6 stages:

• -          Prelinguistic (1^st year of life)
• -          Holophrase or one word (between the age of 10 and 13 months)
• -          Two-word sentence (18 months)
• -          Multiple-word sentences
• -          Complex grammatical structures
• -          Adult-like language

Let’s understand this, the more toddlers exposed to the complex and rich conversation, the better cognitive and language skills they develop in later childhood. 

If your child has not developed the speech or other milestones (i.e. gross motor, fine motor, etc.,) age-appropriately, consult a Clinical Psychologist and go for the detailed evaluation in each domain. 

Our Center for Special Children (SPMHC) has an expert team who can help you, call 9550950732 /  040-48510690; www.spmhc.com.  Our clinic is located in Habsiguda, Secunderabad-Hyderabad.

We also have other services such as Child Psychologist, Rehab Psychologist, Physiotherapy, OT, Sensory, Behaviour Therapy and Special Education Services.   

SPMHC worked with the children of Cerebral Palasy | Down Syndrome | Developmental Delays | Autism Spectrum Disorders | ADHD | Learning Disabilities | Other Neuro-Developmental Disorders.