Connecting for Kids

How do I know if my child needs medication? What side effects can we expect? Will their personality change? If your child has an autism spectrum disorder or a mental health condition such as ADHD, anxiety or depression, you may be facing the decision of whether to medicate your child. Join Dr. Veena Tripathi Ahuja of Balanced Innovative Care, as she discusses different types of medications used to...

 Do you spend a good part of your day in the car driving between activities? How can you tell if your child is overscheduled? Join Meghan Barlow, PhD, of Barlow & Adams Behavioral Health, as she discusses how to know when it’s time to say "no" to an activity. She will provide tips for helping your family decide what is too much or not enough as well as ways to find balance. Dr. Barlow will als...

 Is sleep an issue in your home? Do you want some tips so everyone can get a better night’s rest? Join Bridget Bowling and Lauren Fegely, certified Family Sleep Institute Pediatric Sleep Consultants from Little Snoozers. The two discuss bedtimes, nap times and nap transitions as well as what sleep should look like from birth to school age. They also talk about the importance of a calming routine b...

Is your child showing signs of anxiety, depression or another mental health concern? Do you need help finding a local mental health care provider? Join Karla Fitch, SWT, as she introduces CFK's tools for finding a mental health provider. Topics include identifying preferences, comparing specialties and understanding treatment options. 

 Does your child have a negative self-image? Do you want to find ways to build self-confidence? Low self-esteem is common in children who are diagnosed with ADHD. Many times, these children are punished, teased and corrected on a daily basis. Dr. Cate Brandon, of Kenneth DeLuca & Associates, will discuss common causes of negative self-talk in those with ADHD as well as strategies that parents...

 Has your child asked to go by new pronouns, but you're not sure what that means? Are you unsure of the difference between gender identity and gender expression? Join this interactive presentation with Kristen Pepera, MEd, LPCC-S, and Lisa Pepera, MEd, LPCC-S, of Colors+, where you’ll learn how to be an affirming caregiver if your child is exploring their gender expression or identity. 

 Does your child struggle to make friends or engage in social activities? Do lunch, gym and recess create more anxiety than fun in your child’s school day? If so, join Amy L. Lee, PhD, and Rebekah Bryson, LISW, of Cleveland Clinic Children’s, as they provide tips for caregivers to help ease a child’s anxiety and boost social skills. You will learn tools to support your child such as body calming,...

 Have you wondered about the “right way” to talk about your child’s disability? Do you want to learn ways to affirm your disabled child’s identity? Join Karla Fitch, MTSC, for a conversation about things you can do and language to avoid when teaching our children about disability. Connect with other families who have a child with a disability and learn how we can come together to support our child...

 Do you feel like you are always in crisis mode? Are you dealing with chronic stress, hypervigilance or burnout? All of these may be signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Parents and caregivers of medically complex children are four times more likely to develop PTSD. Amy Dillon Cody, MSW, LISW, of Amy Dillon Cody LLC, will discuss the symptoms of PTSD and available therapies. Come and co...

 Is your child ahead of peers academically but struggling to control impulses? Are you looking to connect with families of other gifted or 2e students? Join Christine Chambers, MEd, OTR/L, of Abilities First LLC, as she provides 10 tips to help high achieving students learn how to regulate their behavior and manage emotions. Find out why high cognitive skills do not necessarily equate to high emot...

Does your child get an upset stomach the morning of a big test? Does the thought of being called on to read aloud in class terrify your child? Are math struggles causing worry? Join John Zbornik, PhD, of Kenneth A. De Luca, PhD and Associates Inc., for a group discussion about academic anxiety disorders including test, reading and math anxiety. Attendees will learn how to spot these disorders and...

 Does your child have a difficult time attending holiday functions? Could you use some tips to make the upcoming holiday season better for your child? The holidays are a fun and exciting time but can also become overwhelming and confusing for those who struggle with social skills.  This program, led by Ellen Spear, MA, CCC-SLP, of Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC., is designed to help navigate the ma...

 How can you help your young child become a better listener and make sense of what they are hearing? Children may hear us, but are they really listening to and understanding what we are saying? Join CFK Early Intervention professionals Neysa McKenney, MA, CCC-SLP, and Paula C. Papp, MAEd, as they share ideas about how to foster effective listening behaviors and support a child’s understanding. 

 Do you want to learn some fun "hands-on" activities to help your child master the use of scissors and pencils? Do you want to learn how hands and eyes work together to build fine motor skills necessary for school? Join CFK Early Intervention professionals Neysa McKenney, MA, CCC-SLP, and Paula C. Papp, MAEd, as they teach you engaging experiences to help your child develop hand skills using inexp...

Do you have a beautiful family that was formed through transracial adoption? Are you looking for ways for your child to form a strong racial identity as well as a strong family bond? Join Krysia Orlowski, Volunteer Parent Coordinator, and Donikea Austin, Program Manager of Adoption Network Cleveland as they walk us through tips that families formed by transracial adoption need to thrive.

Do you wish you had a kit filled with “tools” you could use to stop meltdowns before they start? Do you want strategies to motivate your child toward positive behavior? Join us each month to learn how to use one of the tools in our Tantrum Tamer Toolbox to help your child aged 18 months – 6 years control behavior and manage emotions. This program is designed for children with or without identified...

Has this pandemic increased the anxiety level of your child? Is mask wearing, social distancing and all of the new restrictions creating stress? Or has your child always been anxious and you are eager to learn some new strategies to help? Tierney Payne, LPCC, manager of Africancentric Services at The Nord Center, will talk about practical things families can do to help a child who struggles with a...

Long summer days, no homework and a break from the routine. Even though your elementary-aged child may be looking forward to summer, the transition from the structure of school can be a rocky one. Join Rob Adams, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist at Meghan Barlow and Associates, as he provides practical strategies to make the end of the year a positive, stress-free time for your child. Join t...

Is your child struggling with pandemic-related anxiety? Is time at home during quarantine increasing your child’s impulsivity? Join Dr. Kimberly Burkhart of Rainbow Babies and Children Hospital as she teaches behavior management strategies. In addition, parents and caregivers will learn ways to teach children to monitor and modify their own behavior.

Racism has a negative effect on the well-being of non-white children and their caregivers. To help protect your child from the harmful effects of racial trauma, you must know what the roadblocks are and how to work through them. Join CFK's Family Education Research Analyst Nikki Montgomery, M.A., M.Ed, GPAC to learn five ways to effectively work towards solutions.

All parents worry about their children’s friendships. But for parents of children who lack social skills the concerns are especially pressing. Making and keeping friends requires hundreds of skills and it is easy for a child who struggles to fall behind. Ellen Spear, MA, CCC-SLP, of Lakeshore Speech Therapy, LLC, will teach parents and caregivers strategies to help their child develop and maintain...

Do you wish you had a kit filled with “tools” you could use to stop meltdowns before they start? Do you want strategies to motivate your child toward positive behavior? Join us each month to learn how to use one of the tools in our Tantrum Tamer Toolbox to help your child aged 18 months – 6 years control behavior and manage emotions. This program is designed for children with or without identified...

Do you wish you had a kit filled with “tools” you could use to stop meltdowns before they start? Do you want strategies to motivate your child toward positive behavior? Join us each month to learn how to use one of the tools in our Tantrum Tamer Toolbox to help your child aged 18 months – 6 years control behavior and manage emotions. This program is designed for children with or without identified...

¿Te gustaría tener un kit, listo para usar, lleno de herramientas que puedes usar para ayudar con los problemas de comportamiento? Únete con Abi Mendez, M.A. CCC-SLP patóloga del habla y lenguaje bilingüe de MetroHealth, para aprender a usar horarios visuales, tablas visuales de primero…luego, letreros y otros materiales para ayudar a tu hijo(a) en edades desde los 18 meses a los 6 años, a control...

Would you like to apply for funds to help with your child’s expenses but aren’t sure where to begin? How do you even determine which funding sources you are qualified to receive? Join Karla Fitch, MTSC, of Connecting for Kids as she takes participants through the Connecting for Kids "How to Find Funds for Therapy" guide which offers a step-by-step approach to the process.