Author name: Devora Samet

(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

(30-second read) Summer Break — Not a Break from Values Yes, school is over (or just about over), and if we needed a reminder that summer has begun, this week’s heatwave in the Tri-state area made it loud and clear. While our kids are on break from tests, homework, and early morning bus stops, they’re

(2-minute read) It’s that time of year again—camp season is here! Here’s a social story I wrote for one of my students to help her prepare for camp. You’ll notice her specific challenges reflected in the red behaviors she’s working on. Feel free to use this story as-is or modify the red and green behaviors

(1.5-minute read) How ODD Can Affect Social Skills In previous blog posts, we’ve explored how ADHD and anxiety can interfere with a child’s ability to connect with others. This week, I want to take a closer look at Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and how it can impact social development. Children with ODD frequently lose their

(1-minute read) Why Anxious Kids Sometimes Struggle Socially In last week’s blog, I addressed how ADHD affects social skills. This week, I’d like to focus on anxiety—and how it can impact social development as well. Although we all want our children to thrive socially and have friends, for kids who experience anxiety, social situations can