When we think about managing challenging behaviours, it’s easy to get caught up in quick fixes or reactive strategies. But what if there was a way to look deeper, to understand the whole system around the behaviour? That’s where the Positive Systems Approach comes in. It’s like stepping back and seeing the entire forest, not just the trees. This approach invites us to explore how every part of a child’s environment interacts and influences their behaviour, helping us create l

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

New research on parental stress and childhood ADHD raises important questions about how we understand challenging behaviour and why supporting parents may be an essential part of helping children. By Dr. Bob Carey For many parents raising a child with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), everyday family life can become an exhausting series of reminders, negotiations, frustrations, and attempts to keep things moving in the right direction. Getting ready for school

By Dr. Bob Carey New research suggests that the everyday experiences we sometimes overlook may have a much greater influence on children's emotional well-being than we realize. Most parents are familiar with those mornings when everything seems to go wrong. One child cannot find their shoes, another is refusing to get dressed, breakfast has barely been touched, and the clock seems to be moving much faster than everyone else. A parent who began the morning determined to remain

What School Connectedness Can Teach Us About Mental Health and Behaviour Dr. Bob Carey Over the years, one of the things I have learned from working with children and adolescents who experience significant behavioural and mental health difficulties is that it is very easy to become focused on the behaviour itself. When a student is refusing school, becoming increasingly anxious, withdrawing from others, disrupting the classroom, or simply appearing to have lost interest in th

There is something about September that often makes parents and teachers suddenly notice things that may have been much less apparent during the summer. A child who seemed relatively happy and relaxed in July may begin complaining of stomach-aches as soon as school starts. A child who enjoyed spending time with friends may suddenly become reluctant to go to school, while homework becomes a source of conflict, mornings become increasingly difficult, and behaviours that seemed

One of the questions I hear most often from parents and professionals is, “How can we help this person communicate what they need without relying on challenging behaviour?” It is a particularly important question because, in many situations, the behaviour that concerns us most is also the person's most effective means of communicating. A child may scream when they want something, push materials away when a task becomes too difficult, leave the classroom when they feel overwhe

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 things I have learned over many years of working with children, families, and professionals is that the hardest part of helping with challenging behaviour is often not figuring out what might work. The greater challenge is helping the adults around the child use those strategies consistently, confidently, and in ways that actually fit into the realities of everyday life. It is entirely possible to develop an excellent behaviour support plan that ma

by Dr. Bob Carey Over the past four decades, I have had the privilege of working with thousands of children, adolescents, and adults whose lives have been affected by developmental disabilities, autism, mental health challenges, acquired brain injuries, and complex behavioural concerns. Throughout those years, I have witnessed significant changes in how psychology and behaviour analysis understand and respond to challenging behaviour. Some of these changes have been driven by

By Dr. Bob Carey There is a question I have been asked countless times over the past four decades. It usually comes from exhausted parents who have reached the end of another difficult day and are searching for something—anything—that might make tomorrow a little easier. "What do I do when my child refuses?" Sometimes the refusal involves homework, sometimes getting dressed in the morning, sometimes going to bed, and sometimes something as simple as turning off a video game.

When you’re navigating the complex world of challenging behaviours in children, it can feel like you’re trying to solve a puzzle without all the pieces. You want to help, but where do you start? How much will it cost to get the right support? These questions often linger in the back of your mind. Today, I want to walk you through the costs involved in Positive Systems Approach consultations, helping you understand what you’re investing in and why it matters. What Is the Cost

When parents come in for a consult about their child's emotional wellbeing, the conversations typically focus on the factors most people naturally think about. They talk about family relationships, friendships, school experiences, learning challenges, anxiety, stress, behaviour, and self-esteem. Occasionally they discuss sleep, exercise, or the impact of technology. What rarely comes up, at least initially, is nutrition. Yet nutrition is becoming an increasingly important pa

The Alarming Statistics Over the past several years, researchers have documented a troubling increase in emotional distress among adolescent girls. The statistics are difficult to ignore. According to the most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), four in ten high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness during the previous year. Among girls, the numbers are even more concerning, with n

By Dr. Bob Carey, C.Psych. Over the past several years, many parents, educators, and mental health professionals have noticed a concerning shift in the emotional lives of children. Increasingly, children who appear bright, capable, and conscientious are presenting with significant levels of anxiety related to performance, achievement, and fear of failure. While anxiety surrounding grades, sports, auditions, and social acceptance has traditionally been associated with adolesce

Over the years, I have noticed a common pattern in the conversations with parents. They rarely begin by talking about relationships, emotional regulation, executive functioning, family stress, developmental differences, or environmental factors. Those things usually emerge later. The conversation almost always begins with behaviour. A parent describes the explosive tantrums that seem to appear out of nowhere. Another talks about a child who argues endlessly over even the sm

When parents are concerned about their child's wellbeing, the conversation often begins with something concrete. A child may be experiencing frequent headaches. Another may seem exhausted much of the time despite spending long hours in bed. Some struggle to fall asleep, while others wake repeatedly during the night or find it difficult to get going in the morning. In many cases, families have already begun searching for answers. They may have consulted medical professionals,

When we think about changing behavior, especially in children with challenging behaviors, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Change can seem like a mountain too steep to climb. But what if I told you that understanding the systemic behaviour models could be the map you need to navigate this terrain? These models don’t just look at isolated actions; they consider the whole system around the individual. This perspective can transform how we approach behavior change, making it more

by Dr. Bob Carey Across North America, teachers in early-grade classrooms are describing scenes that would have been almost unthinkable a decade ago: children bolting from rooms, dissolving into tears during minor transitions, screaming when routines shift unexpectedly, hiding beneath desks, throwing furniture, or shutting down entirely when overwhelmed. In a recent Washington Post article, one teacher described the experience as “walking on a tightrope every day,” while anot

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