Author name: Devora Samet

(20 second read) Don’t Pop the Trust Balloon! Question: Hi Devora, Thanks for the idea regarding the Popped Balloon Method. You mentioned in the last blog post that you use the “popped balloon” idea for kids who struggle with honesty. How do you present this concept to a child with honesty/dishonesty challenges? Answer: I show […]

(3 minute read)  The ‘Popped Balloon’ Method The following was a message I received a couple of weeks ago from an amazing and devoted mom who has invested a great deal of time, money, and energy into her young adult daughter who has some slight special needs. Although this young lady has grown by leaps

(1 minute read) Question: Hi, Devora. I attended your workshop recently, and it was fantastic. However, I cannot see myself doing this with teenagers. I’m a little confused about how you present this to teens and why they would respond to such a system. To me, it seems to be too childish. Answer: Thank you

(1 minute read) In a recent session, I spoke with one of my moms about her 5-year-old daughter, Sarah. Although Sarah had made great progress on Friday nights after her mom implemented the Friday Night Plan, Saturday mornings were still a challenge. So I presented another plan — simple and clear: if Sarah gets wild

(1 minute read) Question (via phone call from a principal): Hi Devora, You had told us that if Rivky (age 12) hits any of the school staff, we should immediately send her home, since there needs to be zero tolerance for aggression—especially because she’s mainstreamed in a general education setting and capable of self-control. This

(1 minute read) Question (via text message from a dad): “Hi Devora, I restarted the gold coin reward system and the evening went so much smoother! When Shlomo (8) got silly at the supper table, I told him to take a break, jump on the trampoline, and come back when he was ready to follow

(1.5 minute read) Question: Hi Dr. Devora, I hope Yom Tov (the holiday season) was nice for you. I wish I were texting you under better circumstances, but I wanted to be upfront and honest about where things are holding. Honestly, it was really hard with (5-year-old) Moshe over Yom Tov — he regressed a

(1.5 minute read) Welcome Back: A Quick Game to Teach Social Awareness As we begin a new school year, here’s a simple yet powerful game you can play with children. It helps them adjust to classroom expectations and figure out how to behave during the holiday season. Many children with social challenges struggle to “read

(2 minute read) When “What Do You Want to Do About It?” Doesn’t Work After the last blog post on solving children’s boredom, a mom emailed me the following: I’ve been doing that in all different ways… more subtle or less—spread out, not annoyingly repetitive—and all attempts have gotten my daughters to just get annoyed.

(1.5 minute read) “I’m Bored!” — Why Your Suggestions Make It Worse (And What to Do Instead) Summer is meant to be a time to relax, recharge, and enjoy. But with all that downtime… comes the inevitable complaint: “I’m bored!” Actually, a mom came to our session this week, frustrated that her daughter kept complaining