Understanding Why Lasting Behavioural Change Begins with Relationships, Expectations, and Environments By Dr. Bob Carey There is a question I have returned to many times throughout my career, particularly when working with children, adults with developmental disabilities, and families struggling with persistent behavioural or emotional difficulties. Why is it that an individual can function reasonably well in one environment, yet experience considerable difficulty in another,

What new research on nature, social connection, and well-being tells us about the importance of looking beyond the individual. By Dr. Bob Carey We have become very accustomed to thinking about mental health in terms of what is happening within the individual. When someone is experiencing anxiety, depression, stress, or difficulty coping with everyday life, our attention quite naturally turns toward their thoughts, emotions, behaviour, and ability to manage the demands being

By Dr. Bob Carey There is a point in many conversations about a young person's mental health when someone says, quite reasonably, that the child needs help. Perhaps a teenager has stopped attending school regularly, seems increasingly withdrawn, or no longer enjoys the things that once mattered to them. Parents become concerned, teachers notice changes, and a referral is made. We tend to think of that referral as the beginning of a solution. Yet for some families, it is the b

The Complex Landscape of Parenting There has always been something slightly uncomfortable about how we discuss parenting when a child is struggling. When a young child becomes anxious, aggressive, withdrawn, oppositional, unusually demanding, or difficult to manage, attention often shifts quickly to what the parents should be doing differently. Maybe the parents need to be more consistent. Perhaps they need to set firmer limits or use consequences more effectively. Sometimes

The Changing Landscape of Mental Health A recent article in The Globe and Mail described the experience of a young woman in her twenties living in Fredericton. She earns just under $50,000 a year, which she considers reasonable for her location. However, approximately $500 each month goes toward therapy and medication related to her mental health. She explained that without these supports, she struggles with sleeping, eating properly, and functioning well enough to work. For

by Dr. Bob Carey One of the greatest risks in working with children is believing that we already know why they behave the way they do. A child who cannot sit still is often labeled as having ADHD. A student who refuses to complete schoolwork may be described as oppositional or unmotivated. Another child who withdraws from classmates might be viewed as shy, anxious, or socially awkward. While these descriptions may contain elements of truth, they often do not tell the whole s

In a recent longitudinal study titled "Identifying Candidate Mediators Linking ADHD Symptoms and Internalising Problems in Adolescence," researchers Murray, Dryburgh, and Sonuga-Barke (Murray AL, Dryburgh K, Sonuga-Barke EJS. Identifying Candidate Mediators Linking ADHD Symptoms and Internalising Problems in Adolescence: An Exploratory Longitudinal Mediation Analysis. J Atten Disord. 2026 Mar 6) explored the complex pathways that lead from ADHD symptoms to internalizing issue

by Dr. Bob Carey The recent New York Times investigation into the booming autism therapy industry raised deeply concerning questions about the commercialization of childhood behavioral and developmental challenges. (5 Takeaways From a Times Investigation on Autism Therapy Clinics, by Sarah Kliff and Margot Sanger-Katz, May 23, 2026) (5 Takeaways From a Times Investigation on Autism Therapy Clinics). According to the investigation, some autism clinics and therapy providers in

The Ethical Dilemma of Prolonged Isolation A recent Toronto Star investigation (2025–2026) has raised serious concerns about the use of prolonged seclusion at Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care. This investigation focused on patients—particularly those in forensic psychiatric care—being held in prolonged isolation (often termed “seclusion”) for extremely long periods, sometimes years or even decades. These conditions resemble solitary confinement, raising serious ethical

By: Dr. Bob Carey In a recent Globe & Mail opinion piece (Nov. 10, 2025), Rob Whitley and Erin O’Toole highlight a sobering reality: men and boys in Canada carry a disproportionate share of the country’s mental health burden. They point to statistics showing that roughly three out of four suicide deaths in Canada are among males, and that male suicide rates remain nearly three times the rate for females. These trends extend to other harms too—such as higher rates of toxic dru

Over the past month, several compelling articles and research findings have emerged in the world of child psychology—many of them circling around a common theme: children are carrying more emotional weight than ever before, and it’s showing up in their behaviour. But what stands out in this new wave of research is not just the rising rates of distress, but the growing acknowledgment that behaviour cannot be understood apart from the systems surrounding the child. In other wor

Over the past several weeks, I have run across a wave of new reports and research studies that have been released on the state of children’s and adolescents’ mental health. The themes are familiar by now—rising anxiety, more school refusal, emotional dysregulation, and the continuing strain on families trying to navigate it all. But as concerning as these headlines may be, they also point to something deeply important, something that resonates strongly with the Positive Syste

Yesterday, The New York Times published an important opinion article documenting an unsettling trend: the resurgence of the “R-word,” a slur long understood as hurtful and demeaning to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/us/r-word-slur-disability.html) The authors (Dan Barry and Sonia A. Rao, Jan. 26, 2026) describe how this word — once broadly regarded as taboo — is now reappearing across social media, public commentar

A recent Globe and Mail article (“N.B. Hospital Used Seclusion Rooms and Physical Restraints, Report Shows” The Globe and Mail, Sept 24, 2025) highlights a painful reality: adults with complex needs are still being subjected to seclusion rooms and physical restraints in care settings across Canada. These measures are often explained as “last resorts,” but in truth, they are a direct symptom of inadequate resources, insufficient staff training, and a lack of systemic knowledge

Motivating Kids Can be Hard!! Meta Description Discover how one family used positive reinforcement and intrinsic motivation to turn daily battles into cooperation and connection. Background The Martins — parents Julia and David, with their 14-year-old daughter Lily and 9-year-old son Ben — were stuck in a rut. Daily life felt like a grind of reminders, warnings, and negotiations. Chores were a battle — Julia often found herself repeating the same requests five times before an

In the face of rapid societal change and technological advancement, the landscape of behaviour management is evolving dramatically. Traditional punitive models are increasingly being replaced with proactive, constructive, and empathetic strategies. Positive Behaviour Management (PBM) and the Positive Systems Approach (PSA) lead the charge, creating more inclusive and supportive environments across educational, clinical, and organizational contexts. This article explores emerg

The recent case reported by 1130 NewsRadio in Vancouver, British Columia about the exclusion of eight-year-old Luca, an autistic and non-verbal student in Nanaimo B.C., shines a harsh light on systemic gaps in how we respond to complex behavioural challenges in schools. Luca has now been out of his Life Skills Program for more than 60 days, barred from returning due to what the school describes as "Level 3 Behaviours." His family, frustrated and distressed, has been navigati

Introduction Behavioural challenges in children and adolescents can disrupt learning, strain relationships, and impede emotional development. This case study highlights how the Positive Systems Approach (PSA), as described by Dr. Bob Carey and Terry Kirkpatrick, was applied to support Liam. Liam was a vibrant 14-year-old boy with a love for animals, a fascination with animals and nature. He had an extraordinary ability to recall facts about his favorite topics. Diagnosed

As a person who has long been involved in helping people with autism and their families, I can't help but notice how "plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose" (sorry, Francophones, I don't know how to use the proper accents and so on with my Anglophone - tete carre - keyboard). Many of you will know that this means, "the more things change, the more they remain the same". I refer to the divisiveness, rancour, nastiness, and general hostility that often (thankfully, not alway

In arguments over “free speech” being constrained or restricted on campuses and elsewhere, these days, the claim by opponents of certain speakers is that their speeches promote hate or their words are a form of violence against others (usually people who are different from the mainstream, white, male, “holders of privilege”). A word commonly used to refer to words that insult, offend, “put down”, or otherwise leave some form of negative perception by the receiver, is “microag