Written by Dr. John Carosso The Essential Ingredients -Start with a fun-loving, intelligent, inquisitive child who wants nothing more than to please his or her parents. -Add-in a demanding, critical parent. -Keep adding the parental demands and expectations. -Add only a pinch of some subdued praise, and praise only for the highest of achievements. -Add […]

Written by Dr. John Carosso Nothing to fear…? Y’ know, Franklin Delano Roosevelt may have been on to something. You see, anxiety is considered to be based in fear and, more often than not, there really is nothing to fear but the fear itself. Anxiety can manifest in worry, obsession, irrational fears (phobias), compulsive behavior, […]

Written by Dr. John Carosso Gotta like Tim McGraw All of you Tim McGraw fans know his song, Drugs or Jesus, where he sings: In my home town For anyone who sticks around You’re either lost or you’re found There’s not much in between In my home town Everything’s still black and white It’s a […]

Written by Dr. John Carosso Been saying for years... I’ve been espousing for years that children with mild autism can demonstrate substantial progress and, in a few years, no longer meet diagnostic criteria for the diagnosis. Now some back-up New research findings in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry looked at 34 children who […]

Written by Dr. John Carosso Get them talking, not hitting When hearing of toddlers and preschoolers becoming aggressive, the first question I ask is usually related to language; how well can the child communicate his or her frustration? It stands to reason that a child who has difficulty ‘using his words’ is more prone to […]

Written by Dr. John Carosso The change of season blues How many of you can relate to the dismay of darkness settling-in as early as 5:00 pm? I know it gets me down in the dumps. For some, however, it's more than just feeling somewhat 'blue' in mood; some struggle with severe bouts of depression […]

Written by Dr. Carosso New Years Tradition It’s a time-honored tradition to stay awake on New Year’s Eve to welcome the new year. However, now that New Years is over, it’s time to get our kids to sleep on-time, and ensure they stay asleep. A Common Problem Wish getting to sleep were that easy. Sleep […]

Written by Dr. John Carosso Recent events and speculation The recent events in Connecticut are abhorrent and troubling beyond words. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the parents, families, and all those affected. This incident is also raising speculation and fears that people with autism, or more specifically Asperger’s Disorder, are more likely to […]

Written by: Dr. John Carosso What I’m expected to do… As a psychologist, I’m expected to talk about traditional and clinically-relevant approaches to help kids, and parents, work through difficulties. This of course would include helping people to think in more reasonable ways (cognitive therapy), behave in ways that are productive and healthy (behavioral approaches), […]

Written by Dr. John Carosso First, what is it, and what’s with the name? Pica is an unusual compulsion to eat nonfood items. It goes beyond ‘mouthing’ objects to actually swallowing; most common items include dirt, clay, paint chips, chalk, baking soda, feces, hair, glue, toothpaste , and soap. However, the list of potential items […]