Parents have a powerful and amazing influence in shaping the behaviors of their children.  The PEP™ course, (Parent Empowerment Program™), is a series of private meetings with the parent or primary caregiver to learn positive ways to replace some of their child’s more difficult behaviors with ones that are more desired by the parent.  A renewed focus on positive behaviors will ultimately make a child more attuned to and successful in daily environments.  To do this, the PEP course helps the parent to:

• identify [negative] target behaviors and to see why they keep occurring        
• identify why current efforts to deal with these behaviors may not be working
• identify what desired behaviors can be used to replace the undesired ones
• learn the “A-B-C’s” of changing behaviors
• learn ways to better motivate their child to behave in more responsible ways
• learn how to keep tract of behaviors to better see progress in changing them
• gain improved confidence and influence in changing their child’s behaviors
• learn some discipline ideas that can be used to get a better response and more respect from their child
• know how to maintain the positive behaviors as the child grows after the six-session program has ended.

If your child is causing difficulty and frustration at home that seem to be getting worse as he/she grows, or is having behavioral difficulties at a day program, then this PEP™ course may be helpful to you.  The earlier these ideas are discussed with you, then the sooner that positive behaviors may be learned!

SPACE (SENSORY PORCESSING AND CAREGIVER EDUCATION)

What is sensory processing and how can it affect your child's reaction to the world around him or her?  Why does your child react negatively to some stimulations (lights, noise, tags on clothing, crowds, foods)?  Do you often think "Is my child being difficult?" or is something else going on?  Connections offers SPACE to families to tease out what's happening and provide strategies to support your child. 6 one-hour sessions are designed to answer questions and shed light on sensory processing skills in children.