Four Rivers Therapy and Psychological Services

11/26/2025

This is a great analogy to help explain why sudden transitions between tasks can be so difficult. It’s a great reminder to give kids warnings before transitions instead of expecting them to drop what they are doing to do something you want them to do.

If you’re NOT autistic, ADHD or whatever else…congratulations, your brain works like a pond!
All of the things you do each day are like lily pads, and they float close together on the surface.

So, for example, since the “chores” and “hobbies” lily pads are side by side,
once you’ve finally assembled that Lego set,
you can easily hop over to that pile of dirty dishes without falling in the water.

Unfortunately, if you ARE neurodivergent, your brain is a lake, not a pond.

In lake-brains, the lily pads are farther apart, meaning in order to switch tasks,
you need to cover more cognitive surface area.

You gotta:
▪️Notice when you’re done or are needing to be done.

▪️Mentally detach from the thoughts, momentum, and sensory input from the first task.

▪️Identify what’s next and what it requires

▪️And then get your body to actually initiate the process

Each of those steps uses mental energy (planning, redirecting attention, stopping one thought pattern and starting another.)

For neurotypical people, a lot of those steps happen in the background automatically.

But when you have a lake brain, every time you need to switch tasks, you’re mentally fighting to keep your head above water.

I wish I had a magic solution, but my overall point is, understanding this cognitive difference is the first step in giving yourself, and others, a bit more patience. 💚

11/17/2025

Check out www.chasethecalm.com or https://signup.com/go/hXiHPkt to sign up. Bring your badge and your baggage! (I am not affiliated with SDOW, I am a private business owner in town and this is not a sales pitch, just a way to give back as I respect all you do). What organization should I head to next?

10/27/2025

10/25/2025

All of our Halloween items are in the hallway FREE for the community!

We prefer not to store these seasonal items and instead hope all kids have a costume!

500 Clark Avenue, Suite C

Building hours are 8-5:30 M-F.

If you want to leave a donation for your items, we do have a secure lock box in the hallway as well. 

10/15/2025

"Legal Docs Every Young Adult Should Have." Be prepared! Lawyer Jennifer DiCarlo from Special Trust Legal LLC will be here to answer questions and give advice on important documents your young adult (18+) may need. Adult/Teen

10/12/2025

10/08/2025

Seven in ten teachers currently have at least one student in their class who is grieving the death of a parent, guardian, sibling, or a close friend who has died within the past year.

Our student grief support groups offer a structured, compassionate environment where students can connect with their peers who are experiencing similar feelings. Each six-week series is activity-based and tailored to address each group's unique needs.

Parents/Guardians: If your child is interested in joining a group, talk to your school counselor, social worker, or other school professional.

School professionals: Contact Annie's Hope to learn more and schedule a support group for this school year. Call 314.965.5015.

09/25/2025

Join us for our next group meeting on October 12 when we will be discussing healthy and unhealthy relationships.

09/07/2025

We got too excited so we went ahead an opened up trivia night ticket sales!!!!

Gather your friends and get your tickets for a fa-BOO-lous fundraiser!!

www.lovewillfoundation.org/trivianight2025

08/29/2025

Let’s get one thing straight, when we say “autistic people have a strong sense of justice,”
it means sticking to firm beliefs about what is right and wrong, no matter the situation. That’s it. That’s all it means.

The scene in the photo depicts what most of us would call “vindictive” behavior.
But from the perspective of the autistic character I’m playing…
intentionally dumping my classmate’s markers onto the floor is justice being served.

As the story goes, my “classmate” left his toys out, causing me to trip…which messed up the jumping jacks that I was actively attempting to demonstrate.
So naturally, since HE left out the toys,
(which messed me up)…I have to do something to mess him up in return.

In terms of autistic people having a “strong sense of justice”, for many, there’s almost no room for flexibility, nuance, or context — it’s about following the rule exactly as it is understood, even if it causes problems.

So here’s a general framework for how to help folks in these types of scenarios:

▪️Both/And Thinking
Example: “Yes, cleaning up is important and sometimes people make mistakes when they don’t mean to.”

▪️Perspective taking
Instead of “he left his toys out on purpose”…maybe, “he meant to clean up, but got distracted by something else and then forgot”

▪️Model Flexible Language
There are “must/always/never” rules
and there are also “sometimes/often/usually.” rules.
SOMETIMES, mistakes happen.

In conclusion, rules matter deeply to many autistic people.

For those in a support role, show how rules can bend, shift, or make room for compassion.

If we can build skills like perspective-taking, and flexible language,
we can learn to navigate rules in ways that work better for everyone.

08/20/2025

We’re back!!
Playgroup starts again on Tuesday September 2!
See you soon.