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Parents as Therapists
I help parents solve common problems in children. Solving problems in children is often thought to require professional treatment or therapy, but parents can solve many problems themselves; with appropriate parenting, discipline, and guidance. What all of my programs and products have in common is that they can be used directly by parents to help their children; solving problems, improving behavior, or developing skills without expensive and often inappropriate or damaging "professional help". |
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Thumb Sucking
Thumb sucking results in low self-esteem, social problems, and conflicts in parent-child relationships. Correcting dental problems can cost of thousands of dollars, and speech problems are common because thumb sucking changes the oral cavity and tongue mobility. Thumb suckers often develop an odd appearance because their noses grow up rather than out, adding to their social and self-esteem problems. On a day to day basis, thumb suckers have more colds, earaches, strep infections and viruses because they are constantly exposed to germs and viruses via their thumbs. This means more expensive trips to the pediatrician and pharmacy, missing school, and days home from work for parents.
At an extreme, some children who continue to suck their thumbs must have their jaws broken and reset to correct damage caused by this habit. Despite what you may have been told by others, you should not wait for your child to "outgrow" this problem; the costs can be too great (for example, many children who are allowed to "grow out of thumb sucking" become severe fingernail biters). Other professionals tell parents to wait and be patient only because they don't know how to solve this problem. I do, and my treatment program will teach you how to help your child!
My written home based treatment program is guaranteed and does not involve anything unpleasant for you or your child. I do not recommend punishment, rewards, charts and stickers or icky-tasting stuff applied to the thumb. You probably tried such approaches and learned they don't work. My treatment program is a written recipe for success, describing exactly the steps you must take to solve this problem; all in the comfort of your own home, at a one-time cost of just $49.95, postpaid in the United States. International sales are welcome but shipping charges will be added.
To purchase by mail, send order and payment to Victor M. Dmitruk, Ph.D., Post Office Box 265, Plainwell MI 49080. You may also purchase by fax. Fax order and credit card information securely to (269) 373-4122.
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Temper Tantrums
Temper tantrums are common in children and the "Terrible Twos" are real. However, this doesn't mean you should be patient or tolerate tantrums, hoping they will go away when your child is three or four. Children grow out of their shoes and clothing; with time, bad habits and temper tantrums get worse.
Parents often get very bad advice about managing tantrums...all of it intended to put a stop to tantrums when they occur. They are told to ignore tantrums, to redirect children, or to offer rewards or threaten punishments to get children to stop. One local social worker teaches a "Barrel Hold", instructing parents to wrap their arms and legs around screaming children, holding them until tantrums stop.
Children's tantrums eventually do stop on a day to day basis, fooling parents into thinking what they did worked. It didn't, because the key to dealing effectively with tantrums is not putting a stop to tantrums day after day. That's easy. The objective in dealing with children who have tantrums is to teach them not to start having tantrums.
My written home based treatment program will guide you in teaching your child this important lesson in self control, guaranteed, for a one time cost of just $49.95, postpaid in the United States. International sales are welcome but shipping charges will be added.
To purchase by mail, send order and payment to Victor M. Dmitruk, Ph.D., Post Office Box 265, Plainwell MI 49080. You may also purchase by fax. Fax order and credit card information securely to (269) 373-4122.
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Bed Wetting (Enuresis)
Thirty-five percent of children wet their beds at age five and 10% stop wetting each year thereafter. If my math is correct, 20% will be bedwetters at age 10 and 15% will still wet their beds as teenagers. Is it really a good idea to wait for children to outgrow this problem? Pediatricians often tell parents to wait and be patient. When physicians do address bedwetting, it is often through medications that reduce bedwetting as long as the drugs continue to be taken (often with negative side effects).
However, children taking these drugs are not learning to stay dry; they remain bed wetters and wetting often returns when medication is stopped. Parents are also encouraged to use reward charts and stickers, rewarding children for dry nights. This is also ineffective. Children do not wet their beds on purpose, waiting for the right reward or incentive to stop. They wet their beds because they have not learned to stay dry.
My written home-based treatment program will show you how to teach your child exactly that, guaranteed, at a one-time cost of just $49.95, postpaid in the United States. International sales are welcome but shipping charges will be added. The program is entirely natural; no medications, rewards, or punishments are used. Nothing in the treatment program will cause discomfort for you or your child.
To purchase by mail, send order and payment to Victor M. Dmitruk, Ph.D., Post Office Box 265, Plainwell MI 49080. You may also purchase by fax. Fax order and credit card information securely to (269) 373-4122.
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School Success
This written home and school based treatment program is intended to help children with school problems in fourth grade and beyond who were more successful in earlier grades (If your child is younger, use your free consultation to describe his or her school problem). They typically have subtle or "low severity" learning differences and are experiencing what is called High Output Failure. Examples of low severity learning differences that result in High Output Failure and underachievement are problems with handwriting, memory, language, paying attention, etc.
These learning problems don't matter in early grades because the children are intelligent and excessive demands are not placed on them in areas of learning ability weakness. However, output demands increase dramatically beyond third or fourth grade and intelligent children begin to struggle, underachieve, and fail. Bright children experiencing High Output Failure typically stop doing their work and parents don't find out until it is too late. These children also frequently begin to act out at home and in school; many behavior problems in children beyond fourth grade are the result of learning differences and underachievement.
This written recipe for school success is for you if you have a bright underachiever who is struggling and not completing school assignments. For a one time cost of just $49.95, it will teach you motivate your child for success and to communicate with teachers so you can all pull together to help your child succeed. Children experiencing High Output Failure are frequently misdiagnosed (Often with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder), misunderstood, and punished for failure instead of being helped to succeed.
To purchase by mail, send order and payment to Victor M. Dmitruk, Ph.D., Post Office Box 265, Plainwell MI 49080. You may also purchase by fax. Fax order and credit card information securely to (269) 373-4122. Programs are postpaid in the United States. International sales are welcome but shipping charges will be added.
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Reading
Many children are reading by three or four. Others read poorly or have not learned to read by middle school. My Reading Program can be used to teach children to read before they enter school. The Program is also intended for school-age children struggling with reading.
Reading is not a visual skill; it is auditory, and children reading at an early age have excellent auditory discrimination. They easily discriminate the different sounds in the English language and talk early and read early. Children with poor auditory discrimination talk later and have difficulty with reading and spelling. Because children with reading difficulty have poor auditory learning skills, they find phonics-based approaches to reading frustrating and confusing. My Reading Program is not based on phonics and does not require good auditory skills. It will help your struggling school-age child or give your toddler or preschooler a head start. It is based on well established psychological principles of verbal learning and will make perfect intuitive sense to you. You and your child will have fun with the activities suggested, and your satisfaction with the Program is guaranteed!
The Reading Program is just $49.95, postpaid in the United States. International sales are welcome but shipping charges will be added. To purchase by mail, send order and payment to Victor M. Dmitruk, Ph.D., Post Office Box 265, Plainwell MI 49080. You may also purchase by fax. Fax order and credit card information securely to (269) 373-4122.
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Consultation and Coaching
The results of surveys of parent concerns about children alway rank behavior problems in the top two or three positions. Some problems in children are highly defined, making possible the development of specific written treatment plans and programs. Most thumb suckers and bedwetters can be helped using the same programs or procedures. Other problems are more complicated, requiring individual treatment plans developed through ongoing consultation between parent and professional. For example, school problems are complex and varied. Sibling rivalry develops for many reasons, and oppositional, defiant and disrespectful behavior in children can have many causes.
Parents frequently look to others for parenting help and advice. Parents talk to friends, relatives, and their pediatricians. They watch Nanny 911 and Super Nanny looking for new ideas about discipline. Parents are also increasingly turning to parent coaches and consultants online and elsewhere. A recent Google search for "Parent Coach" returned almost 400,000 hits. Among the coaches offering services to parents were grandparents, nurses, teachers, other parents, and even a few veterinarians and psychics. These "coaches" might be well intended but they are untrained and poorly equipped to provide the insightful guidance needed to help children.
Parents seeking advice and answers also read parenting books. Research shows reading changes what parents say they do, but it does not change what is actually done with their children. Studies also show the most effective approach to solving problems in children is for parents to communicate regularly with competent professionals while applying new parenting techniques to their particular concerns. This is what I offer through Online Consultation and Coaching. Become a subscriber if you have questions about behavior, school performance, sibling or social relationships, or any other complex child related issues.
WHY LIVE LIKE THAT?!
Stop yelling, spanking, or taking things away from your kids and depriving them of privileges. Throw away the naughty chairs and charts and stickers. I will provide you with new insights and effective techniques for disciplining your child. Your satisfaction and your child's improvement is guaranteed!.
Subscription to Online Consultation and Coaching includes a copy of my Noncombative Child Management Parenting Manual as a guide, and unlimited email consultation with me at a cost of less than $100 a month. Subscribers can email me as often as needed for ongoing advice while they apply my recommendations. I will respond within 24 hours. As learning problems, behavior problems, social difficulties, etc., are relatively complex, I do ask parents for a minimum three month subscription so we have enough time to successfully evaluate and improve behavior. Remember, your satisfaction is guaranteed. If my recommendations do not lead to significant improvement, your payment will be refunded at the end of your subscription period. I also offer one FREE online consultation if you are considering becoming a subscriber. Email your questions and concerns and I will reply promptly to explain how I can help you help your child.
To purchase by mail, send order and payment to Victor M. Dmitruk, Ph.D., Post Office Box 265, Plainwell MI 49080. You may also purchase by fax. Fax order and credit card information securely to (269) 373-4122.
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Teen Career Planning
This is another important area in which parents can be instrumental in helping their children succeed. Very few teens know what they want to do in life. Parents don't know how to help their teens because they lack a clear picture of their interests and abilities. Students might turn to high school counselors, but the advice given is often biased and intended only for college bound teens. Not everyone is motivated for college, and many highly successful adults make their marks in life by pursuing their dreams and interests instead of a degree.
How does a parent respond when asked "What should I do?", or "What should I be?" We can't answer because we are not aware of the hundreds of vocational possibilities available to our teens. The Teen Career Assessment is a paper and pencil test taken by your teen in the privacy of your home. It is returned to me for scoring, and you then receive a 20 to 30 page report identifying your teen's interests and suggestions for possible career paths.
There are alternate forms of the test for teens planning on college, and for those who would rather not attend. The Teen Career Planning package is $69.95, postpaid.
To purchase by mail, send order and payment to Victor M. Dmitruk, Ph.D., Post Office Box 265, Plainwell MI 49080. You may also purchase by fax. Fax order and credit card information securely to (269) 373-4122.
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