Services for Children and Special Needs

Children's Clear Thinking Programs

This program empowers kids to solve interpersonal problems by focusing on positive solutions and without the need to blame themselves or others. These positive thinking skills will help students deal with interpersonal problems effectively in school with peers and adults as well as at home with siblings and parents.

Students learn how to respect themselves and others, to avoid common pitfalls, and to think clearly about problems and frustrations as they arise. The program builds thinking and problem solving skills for such issues as anger, frustration, disappointment, and jealousy.

An antidote to negativity, this program can improve self-esteem and reduce oppositional behavior. The program empowers kids to choose a positive perspective toward home, school, and the community. Positive behaviors naturally will follow the positive outlook.

The program is based on Albert Ellis’ Rational Emotive Therapy (RET), which holds that emotional problems stem from irrational thinking processes. In his theory, the way to solve and avoid problems is to practice rational thinking.

Learning Objectives

1. Learn to recognize negative and irrational thinking patterns, such as focusing
   on blaming self or others instead of focusing on problem solving.

2. Learn that these negative thinking patterns lead to frustration and unhappiness.

3. Learn clear, rational thinking patterns and positive actions that can deal
   successfully with problem situations.

4. Learn to recognize negative thinking patterns in their own behavior and change
   them into positive, more effective patterns of thought and behavior.

The program has a clinical game-based presentation with direct skill instruction and suggestions for between-session practice. A pre and post program screening is completed to chart progress and provide appropriate recommendations for further support. This program can be incorporated into home behaviour plans and school Individual Education Plans (IEP).

While some parents call these sessions “counselling for kids” or services from a “child counselor”, the structured programs used are considered educational in nature.