Therapies and Programs

Estimates suggest that around 1 in 8 to 10 children may have a diagnosable anxiety disorder, although pinpointing an exact number can be challenging. It's worth noting that anxiety is a common reason for parents to seek mental health support for their children.

Remarkably, 75-80% of children with anxiety disorders also experience other psychiatric conditions. Left untreated, anxiety in children is a significant predictor of depression in teenagers and young adults. At Wee Rays, our mission is centered on breaking the patterns that contribute to anxiety and depression.

Our goals are to coach children, adolescents and their families into:

1. Implementing practical, age-appropriate strategies tailored for children and adolescents. These techniques aim to reduce or prevent anxiety symptoms while fostering a sense of personal control and security.

2. Approaching and managing physical symptoms from a different perspective, rather than trying to eliminate or avoid them.

3. Equipping both children and parents with essential skills based on a guiding principle that emphasizes the process of intervention rather than specific content or diagnostic categories.

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  Is your child finding it difficult to communicate their feelings verbally?
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  Do they experience frequent emotional outbursts?
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  Are their negative behaviors often triggered by stress, changes in their environment, or intense emotions?

The good news is that change is possible! We can assist your child in developing the skills to regulate their emotions. Emotion regulation is a skill, much like reading, tying shoes, or walking, and i​t can be learned. For children who struggle with emotion regulation, it's recommended that they learn a variety of strategies and have opportunities to practice them regularly. This can be particularly challenging for children with conditions such as Autism, Early Childhood Trauma, Sensory Processing Disorder, Anxiety, and other Special Needs.

Our program provides strategies that empower parents, caregivers, teachers, and children to:

• Recognize, acknowledge, express their emotions and the underlying causes for them.
• Deal with intense emotions.
• Plan for emotional responses.
• Maintain composure.
• Utilize calming and breathing techniques.
• Employ coping strategies, including self-soothing and mindful awareness, among others

Occupational therapy (OT) is a therapeutic approach used to address issues related to movement and coordination. Its primary goal is to assist children in developing, improving, and maintaining the motor skills required for everyday activities like writing and dressing.

The need for occupational therapy can arise at any age and for a wide range of reasons. Nonetheless, research indicates that it is particularly effective when applied to children.

Occupational therapy is individualized to meet the unique needs of each child, based on a comprehensive assessment of their strengths and weaknesses. Typically, it focuses on the following areas in children:

• Fine motor skills
• Gross motor skills
• Motor planning
• Balance
• Self-regulation
• Hand/Eye coordination
• Foot/Eye coordination
• Participation, Kinesthesia and Body Awareness
• Eye Tracking
• Bi-lateral integration and Crossing the Midline
• Core Stability and Balance
• Spatial Awareness
• Rhythm, Auditory/Visual sequencing

Bullying can be summarized by the following behaviors observed among children and adolescents:

• Teasing other children.
• Discussing causing harm to other children.
• Spreading rumors about children.
• Deliberately excluding children from activities.
• Physically assaulting children
• Verbally abusing them.

It's important to note that bullying is not limited to in-person interactions. Cyberbullying is a prevalent form of mistreatment that children and adolescents may encounter online, through text messages, or via emails. It involves actions such as posting rumors on platforms like Instagram, sharing embarrassing photos or videos, and creating fake profiles or websites.

Children who understand what constitutes bullying are better equipped to recognize it when it occurs. They can openly discuss bullying experiences, whether they are personally affected or have witnessed it happening to themselves or others. Additionally, they should possess strategies to respond to bullying safely and appropriately, as well as the ability to seek help when needed.

Our Bullying Management Program provides children and adolescents with:

• Effective coping​ mechanisms.
  
• The skills to identify, acknowledge, and cultivate inner strength.
• Techniques for responding to the bully in a safe and appropriate manner.
• Strategies for navigating challenging situations.
• Increased awareness and mindfulness of ongoing circumstances.

In the development and persistence of many childhood and adolescent disorders, deficits in social skills and social competence play a significant role. The primary objective of social skills training is to enhance the capacity of children and adolescents to effectively engage in key social behaviors that contribute to their success in various social situations. To put it simply, Social Skill Training is designed to improve social interaction and communication skills, boost social motivation, and increase self-awareness and awareness of others.

During these training sessions, the focus is on:

• Gaining an understanding of social rules and relationships.
• Initiating social interactions and gestures.
• Enhancing conversational skills.
• Recognizing and interpreting verbal and nonverbal social cues.
• Effectively managing conflicts.
• Developing strategies for effective social communication.

Self-esteem and self-confidence, while often used interchangeably, are distinct concepts. Self-confidence measures our belief in our own abilities, whereas self-esteem relates to our overall sense of self and our interactions with the world. Children and adolescents who possess healthy self-confidence and positive self-esteem feel more capable and valuable as compared to their peers.​ They have a clear understanding of their values and capabilities.

When these young individuals possess confidence and a secure self-identity, they are more likely to embrace a growth mindset in life. This mindset empowers them to self-motivate, take on new challenges, effectively manage and learn from their mistakes.

Nurturing resilient children who are prepared for the challenges of today's world and the future hinges on equipping them with such essential skills.

Our Self-esteem and Self-confidence Program is designed to:

• Foster problem-solving and decision-making skills in children and adolescents.
• Assist children and adolescents in coping with moments of embarrassment.
• Teach children and adolescents how to navigate failures effectively.
• Provide strategies for children and adolescents to handle rejection.
• Educate children and adolescents on how to transition from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset.

As children and teenagers grow, they experience a range of emotions, including strong feelings that can sometimes become overwhelming. Parenting an angry child or teenager can be challenging and disruptive to the family dynamic. However, it's important to recognize that kids can learn to manage their emotions, including anger, rather than allowing those emotions to control them.

Anger itself is not inherently bad; what matters is how we express it. Anger is a powerful emotion, and if a child or adolescent doesn't know how to handle it, it can pose challenges for parents, leading to arguments, physical confrontations, abuse, and even self-harm. However, when children and teenagers learn to control their anger and stay calm, it becomes a valuable skill that motivates them to make positive changes in their lives, leading to improved relationships and family dynamics.

Understanding why your child feels so angry can be complex. It could be triggered by various factors, such as a significant loss like divorce or death, traumatic experiences, underlying conditions like depression, anxiety, or ADHD, or simply a low frustration tolerance without adequate coping tools. Some believe that children who display aggression may possess strong leadership skills that need redirection into constructive behaviors.

Wee Rays offers an Anger Management Program specifically designed to help young individuals aged 9-18 find healthier alternatives in challenging situations. These structured coaching sessions focus on enhancing positive conflict resolution skills and reducing aggressive behavior. The program involves group discussions, role-playing, games, brainstorming, and confidence-building activities.

Upon completing the program, your child or teenager will acquire new coping skills that can improve their relationships within the family and at school. They will learn how to identify and express their feelings, employ conflict resolution techniques, recognize mood patterns, assertively communicate with peers, identify signs of anger, practice calming techniques, practice forgiveness, and develop a plan for personal change."

Some parents may be facing the challenge of raising a child who is grappling with ADHD, anxiety, and/or various behavioral difficulties, including Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD), Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED), or Conduct Disorder (CD).

Parent Management Coaching is an evidence-based, short-term program tailored for children with moderate to severe behavioral issues. It involves direct interaction between parents or caregivers and a Coach on a weekly basis, typically lasting 45-50 minutes, conducted in-person, online, or over the phone. Whether you are addressing mild behavioral concerns or more significant behavioral problems in your child, we are here to support you on this journey. Our step-by-step training has been proven to bring about significant changes in even the most challenging behaviors.

Through these coaching sessions, parents and caregivers will gain the skills to:

1. Effectively address anxiety and negative behaviors, leading to a significant reduction in these issues.

2. Learn how to promote positive behaviors 3. How to foster a natural inclination toward such behaviors in their child.

We provide organized programs which take place after school for children. This helps them to use their time constructively and creatively while being supervised.

• The activities in after-school programmes could also lead to skill development, school engagement and pro-social behaviour.
• Our After-school programmes are typically implemented at Wee Rays and is delivered by our efficient and loyal staff . Programmes often take place regularly throughout the school week from 1-5 pm and involve activities, such as academic support, tutoring or help with homework, enrichment activities including sport or art and activities to develop social and conflict resolution skills.

We offer:

• Homework Help
• Art classes
• Extra Language
• Reading and Math
• Science club
• Kids minndfulness & Yoga

Book an appointment to find out more or feel free to give us a call.

Personal Learning Assistants (PLA) or Shadow Aides are educational professionals or para-educators who serve as co-teachers in the classroom. They are primarily responsible for monitoring and supporting the progress of a specific child, often one with specific delays or special needs. These dedicated professionals work alongside the child within a regular classroom setting, ensuring that the child receives the necessary social, educational, and physical support required for their development. The ultimate objective is to help these children eventually integrate into mainstream classrooms and empower them to function independently in such an environment.

Key responsibilities of shadow teachers typically include:

1. Setting tasks and addressing the unique challenges faced by the child.
2. Tailoring the teaching curriculum to meet the individualized needs of the child.
3. Assisting children who may have difficulty un​derstanding instructions or processing signals and cues.
4. Facilitating the gradual transition of the child towards greater independence, with the long-term goal of self-sufficiency.
5. Serving as a vital link between the classroom teacher, the student, and the parents, ensuring effective communication and coordination."

At Wee Rays, we provide a range of workshops for NGOs, mental health agencies, schools, hospitals, corporations and professional organizations. These workshops are tailored to align with the specific needs of your organization which we can also deliver through seminars, or webinars. Our workshops are designed to offer parents, caregivers, teachers, educators, and other professionals the chance to enhance their understanding of various topics while also creating a supportive environment where attendees can interact with others who may be facing similar challenges and share their experiences. 

We offer Workshops and seminars about:

• Coping with Stress , Anxiety and Depression (Separation Anxiety, Social Anxiety , Specific Phobia)
• Emotion Regulation and Mindfulness
• Bullying and Abuse ( Physical and Emotional abuse, Sexual Abuse, peer/sibling conflicts)
• Social Skills and Communication (Self-discovery, Building Bridges, Peer Interaction, Exploring perspectives)
• Anger Management
• Self-esteem and Building Coping skills and Resiliency
• School Refusal
• Conscious Parenting ( Understanding the child, Family dynamics, Digital Parenting, blended
• Families, Divorced families, Sibling Conflicts)
• Children Mental Health Awareness (Autism, Intellectual Disability Disorder, ADHD, Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Learning Disorders, Depression, anxiety, Childhood Trauma, Obsessive-compulsive Disorder, Sleep Disturbance, Obesity, enuresis and speech and language delays)
• Cognitive skills in children (Flexibility, Thinking Patterns, Planning and Sequencing Time Management)

For additional details, please refer to our "Contact Us" section.