AVERY Family and School Psychology Services

03/03/2026

Accessible books and audiobooks open the door for students to engage with rich, grade-level content even when decoding is a barrier. Tools like Learning Ally, Bookshare, and Libby provide professional-quality audiobooks with human narration or high-quality text-to-speech that are often paired with synchronized text so students can listen and follow along.
These resources allow learners to access novels, textbooks, and classroom reading materials at the level where they can understand and not just the level they can currently decode. This not only builds vocabulary and background knowledge but also boosts confidence and keeps students included in classroom discussions.
Audiobooks support more than reading: they help students review complex concepts in science and math, and they offer models of fluent language that strengthen writing skills.
These resources can be great for: Students who comprehend more than they can decode, students with dyslexia, emerging readers, and anyone who benefits from listening while reading.

02/24/2026

Today we’re starting our Assistive Tech series with one of the most impactful supports for readers: Immersive Readers and Text-to-Speech tools.
These tools, such as Immersive Reader, Google Read&Write, Kurzweil 3000, NaturalReader, and Speechify, allow students to hear text read aloud while each word is highlighted on the screen. This reduces decoding demands, boosts comprehension, and helps students access grade-level material with greater independence.
Text-to-speech also benefits learners beyond reading. Students can use it to check their writing for clarity, follow along with word problems in math, and stay engaged through multi-sensory input. Many tools also allow adjustments to font size, spacing, background colour, and contrast, which are essential supports for visual comfort and sustained attention.
These supports are especially powerful for students with dyslexia, visual processing needs, attention challenges, or anyone who benefits from multi-sensory learning.

02/17/2026

Not sure which assistive technology (AT) tools will support your child? Colleen offers individualized AT consultations designed to pinpoint each student’s strengths, challenges, and learning needs. Whether your child needs support in reading, writing, math, or executive functioning, she recommends tools that are practical, accessible, and aligned with how they learn best.
“Hi, I’m Colleen — and I’m passionate about empowering students to thrive in every part of their educational journey. With over 20 years of experience, including 11 years in post-secondary settings, I specialize in helping learners build confidence, independence, and ownership over their learning. My approach is strengths-based and student-centered, ensuring that every recommendation is tailored and meaningful.”
Want to learn more about AT consultations and student support services? You can explore everything on our website!

02/10/2026

Our next social-media series is all about simple, practical learning supports and bringing awareness to assistive technology that can make school feel easier and more accessible for students. These are the kinds of strategies that help children across all subjects. We can set them up for success with the reading, writing, and math tools we’ll be sharing over the next several weeks.
We’ll talk about things like keeping the focus on a task, using visuals, step-by-step directions, or read-aloud tools to make work clearer. We’ll also highlight ways to build skills before expecting full independence, using tools such as dictation, Immersive Reader, and keyboarding to take pressure off.
You’ll also see ideas for reducing copying, offering digital response options, supporting planning through hands-on tasks and simple guiding questions, and using short breaks to help students stay focused and confident, whether they’re writing, reading, or working through multi-step math problems.
As this series continues, we’ll show how these supports look in reading, writing, and math, and introduce the assistive-tech tools that can make each area more accessible and student-friendly.

01/13/2026

Managing Caregiver Burnout
Caring for a child with ADHD can be rewarding and exhausting. Caregivers need care, too.
Why does this happen?
Constant supervision, emotional regulation support, and advocacy can take a toll. The stress of managing ADHD-related behaviours can lead to fatigue and resentment.
Strategies for Managing Burnout:
• Self-care: Prioritize rest, exercise, and personal time.
• Support Network: Connect with other caregivers or support groups.
• Delegate Tasks: Share responsibilities when possible.
• Professional Support: Therapy can provide coping tools for both caregiver and child.
Supporting caregivers strengthens the entire family system.

01/06/2026

Managing Secondary Characteristics of ADHD
Addressing anxiety, perfectionism, and emotional regulation can make a big difference for people with ADHD.
What helps:
• Therapy: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can reduce anxiety and improve coping skills. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) helps with emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and managing intense reactions, especially when ADHD-related stress feels overwhelming.
• Mindfulness: Builds awareness and emotional control.
• Medication: Can reduce impulsivity and improve focus.
• Parent Training: Helps caregivers manage behaviour and reduce stress.
Supporting the whole person, beyond symptoms, can lead to better well-being and stronger relationships.

12/16/2025

Sleep Disturbances
Sleep issues often go hand in hand with ADHD. Recognizing this link can improve both focus and mood.
Why does this happen?
Difficulties winding down, racing thoughts, or inconsistent routines can disrupt sleep patterns. Medication timing can also play a role. Recent research has also indicated that the ADHD brain ineffectively produces melatonin, the hormone essential for sleep onset. Therefore, good daily sleep habits and sleep hygiene, which promote melatonin production in children may improve ADHD symptoms. Additionally, long-term administration of melatonin at night reduced the hyperactivity score in the Aberrant Behaviour Checklist of children with neurodevelopmental disorders, including ADHD.
The impact:
Poor sleep can exacerbate inattention, irritability, and emotional dysregulation, creating a frustrating cycle.
What helps:
• Establishing consistent bedtime routines
• Limiting screens before bed
• Practicing mindfulness or relaxation techniques
• Consulting healthcare providers about medication timing

12/09/2025

Low Self-Esteem and Shame/Rejection Sensitivity
Feelings of failure and fear of rejection are common but misunderstood parts of ADHD. Addressing these can improve emotional resilience and confidence.
Why does this happen?
Years of academic, social, or organizational challenges can lead to internalized shame and a low sense of self-worth. Emotional regulation difficulties can also heighten sensitivity to criticism.
The impact:
This can result in withdrawal, a fear of trying new things, or an overreaction to minor feedback. Over time, it can damage self-esteem and relationships.
What helps:
• Fostering self-compassion and strengths recognition
• Teaching emotion regulation and coping strategies
• Encouraging supportive peer and family relationships
• CBT and DBT - Here’s how DBT helps with rejection sensitivity through emotion regulation:
• Builds emotional awareness: Helps individuals notice early signs of emotional escalation triggered by perceived rejection.
• Teaches distress-tolerance skills: Supports staying grounded during intense emotional waves instead of reacting impulsively.
• Improves regulation of rapid mood shifts: Skills like opposite action and checking the facts reduce emotional reactivity to criticism.
• Strengthens interpersonal effectiveness: Provides tools for assertiveness, clarifying needs, and reducing fear-based assumptions in relationships.
• Promotes self-validation: Encourages acknowledging one’s own feelings, decreasing shame and self-blame tied to RS.
• Enhances mindfulness: Helps create space between trigger and response, lowering sensitivity to perceived rejection.
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12/02/2025

Developing Secondary Mental Health Conditions: Depression

Depression can develop alongside ADHD when long-term struggles begin to feel unchangeable. Understanding this link helps reduce stigma and increase support.
Why does this happen?
When people with ADHD experience repeated frustration in school, work, or relationships, it can erode their sense of competence. This ongoing cycle of “trying but failing” can create hopelessness.
The impact:
Individuals may experience feelings of sadness, fatigue, or disconnection. What appears to be “laziness” is often the emotional exhaustion that results from years of struggle.
What helps:
• CBT and behavioural activation to rebuild motivation
• Strength-based approaches to highlight successes
• Supportive environments that celebrate effort, not perfection
• Working with a doctor to discuss medication options

11/25/2025

Developing Secondary Mental Health Conditions: Anxiety
Living with ADHD can sometimes lead to chronic stress that turns into anxiety. Recognizing this connection can help us respond with empathy instead of frustration.
Why does this happen?
The challenges of ADHD, including having trouble focusing, staying organized, and managing relationships can create ongoing stress. Over time, this can lead to a constant feeling of being “on edge” or worrying about making mistakes or being criticized.
The impact:
Individuals may develop generalized anxiety, social anxiety, or performance-related anxiety. They might overthink, avoid tasks, or worry excessively about disappointing others.
What helps:
• Teaching relaxation and mindfulness skills
• Using cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) strategies to reframe anxious thoughts
• Setting realistic goals and expectations
• Providing reassurance and structured support
• Working with a doctor to discuss medication options

11/18/2025

ADHD can make communication feel like navigating a maze. Thoughts come quickly (or not at all), conversations go off track, and important details get lost. This can affect both expressive and receptive communication, making it harder to connect, express needs, or solve problems effectively.
Why does this happen?
ADHD affects working memory, processing speed, and attention, which are all crucial for staying present in conversations and managing social cues.
The impact:
Individuals may interrupt, miss key information, or struggle to organize their thoughts. In group settings, they might feel left out or misjudged, especially if others assume they're not listening or engaged.
What helps:
• Providing wait time during discussions

• Using visual aids or written instructions

• Encouraging collaborative problem-solving approaches

• Teaching and modeling active listening

Clear communication is a skill that comes with practice. With support, students with ADHD can thrive socially and academically.

11/10/2025

Many people associate ADHD with distractibility or hyperactivity but less talked about is the difficulty many have with managing big emotions. Frustration, disappointment, or excitement can feel overwhelming and hard to control.
Why does this happen?
Emotion regulation is part of the brain's executive functioning system, which is something that ADHD directly impacts. That means it’s not just about being “overly emotional”; it’s about having a harder time hitting the brakes.
The impact:
This can lead to emotional outbursts, difficulty calming down, or mood swings. It may also cause conflict in classrooms, peer groups, or families.
What helps:
• Teaching emotional vocabulary and self-monitoring

• Using visual tools like feeling thermometers

• Providing calm-down spaces or sensory breaks

• Practicing mindfulness or grounding strategies

Emotion regulation isn’t about “trying harder”. It’s about learning strategies that actually work for ADHD brains.

Assessment and coaching for students struggling with neurobiological, learning and psychological disorders. Find school success strategies for children and teens struggling with ASD, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, anxiety, depression and other psychoeducational disorders.