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In the natural course of life, we humans can be expected to grow and change. We develop and mature over time--our brains, our bodies, the sense of who we are and who we want to be. Development is a beautiful thing, really, exciting and creative, and it makes parents, friends, and teachers look on in awe.

Parenting can be a very rewarding experience, but it can also be very difficult at times. Children do not come with instructions and many people who become parents do so with little or no formal training. Many parents do not have the support of family members living in the area or may not have had appropriate parenting models growing up. All parents -- and their children -- deserve the support and guidance a Nuturing Parenting class offers. The Family Tree Center offers 4 different parenting classes (babies, toddlers, grade-schoolers, and adolescents) utilizing the evidence-based best practice Nuturing Parenting Curriculum. Classes meet two hours a week for fifteen weeks and cover topics such as: Empathy, Brain development, Child development, Discipline, Safety, Family morals and values, Family rules, Drug and alcohol abuse, Stress and anger management, Routines, and Problem solving. Highlights include: Free childcare and dinner for children Snacks for the parents Family interaction time during each class Activities for grade-school age children and older where they learn, at their level, the same information their parents are learning Classes are offered at no charge to all self-referred parents and for a nominal fee of $10 per class for parents who need a certificate Materials fee is $20 If you are interested in these classes: Contact Tonia at 406-252-9799 or email the Family Tree Center office at ftcoffice@qwestoffice.net.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Autism are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development. Yet, for as far as we've come in learning about this unique disorder -- much more is still a mystery to us. That's why the puzzle piece is such an appropriate image for Autism awareness, since just like no two puzzle pieces are the same, no two people with Autism are the same.

Gone are the days of teaching students to simply memorize math facts. Brain research has shown that it’s important that students first develop “number sense,” because after gaining a firm grasp of math concepts (like multiplication), young minds are better prepared to put math facts into long term storage. Also gone are the days when teaching meant showing students a single procedure for solving a math problem.

About S’cool Moves: S’Cool Moves is a research-based program developed by a reading specialist and an occupational therapist. S’Cool Moves brings together the best practices in educational theory, brain integration, developmental movement, and self-regulation techniques. The activities strengthen visual, auditory, sensory, and postural systems of the body. These systems need to be fully functioning for focus control and academic success. An important S’cool Moves concept requires children to assume responsibility for their behavior. When children monitor their own behavior, teachers have more time to teach and children have more time to learn. These activities flow seamlessly into the school day. Simply add sensory-based techniques to what you already use in your daily routines. Rather than TELLING children to focus, teach them HOW to focus.

As the parent of a school-age child with learning disabilities (LD), you know that basic patterns of thought such as controlling impulses, flexibility, planning, and organizing must steadily develop and improve as a child advances in school. If they don’t, children fail in small ways and larger ones. Each assignment not completed — or completed but not turned in — each lost notebook and late, hurried project, takes a toll on a child’s self-esteem (and a parent’s patience). Performance anxiety becomes more and more exhausting. The stress of feeling overwhelmed leads some children to misbehave, others to withdraw. Some children decide it’s less scary not to try than it is to try and fail.These brain-based habits of thought are crucial to all learning. They are called executive skills.

Click here to download the full brochure (PDF) Topic: In this engaging workshop, national expert Dr. Douglas Gentile will discuss the scientific research on many of the ways in which the media can affect children, adolescents, and adults. Topics covered will include brain development and the media, the psychology of advertising and what educators should learn from advertisers, the multiple effects of media violence, the positive and negative effects of  video games, how the media fit into the larger picture of risk and protective factors, and how the media can influence school readiness and school success.

Click here to register for this webinar What: Join Occupational Therapist and Inclusion Advocate Ingrid M. Kanics, OTR/L for this enlightening webinar. Participants will learn about the seven senses as well as how the brain integrates and uses this sensory information in everyday activities. The webinar will provide participants with activities in each sensory area that can be used to help children explore and integrate sensory information in their daily lives. When: June 1, 2011 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Mountain Cost: $30 per person (free for Lekotek affiliates) Special-FREE for all caregivers of children with disabilities (just email domahen@lekotek.org to resgister) Presenter Bio: Ingrid M. Kanics, OTR/L is an Occupational Therapist who has worked for 10 years helping communities create and run amazing places where all children can play together. She was senior consultant on the national advisory team for the Center for Creative Play, Pittsburgh, PA. During that time she worked with numerous communities and children's museums helping them expand their understanding of Universal Design and the importance of Sensory Play in every childs' development. She continued this work as Therapy Director at Hattie Larlham, Mantua, OH, where she oversaw therapy and recreation programs for children of varying abilities. She now owns her own consulting business focusing on great play spaces in communities. She has presented at local, state, and national conferences on the topics play, sensory integration and Universal Design. Conferences include the Association of Children's Museums, American Occupational Therapy Association, Parents As Teachers, and National Association of the Education of the Young Child (NAEYC).

Click here to register for this event What: Montana state government is hosting a one-day disability employment seminar for state employees and others interested in promoting employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Jim Marks, Director, Disability Transition Programs, Department of Public Health and Human Services, will kick off the event at 9 a.m. The featured keynote speaker, Lois McElravy, will speak from her personal experience illustrating how the complexities of brain injury cause confusion and chaos with the simplest of tasks, like writing notes and making lists. Participants will gain a better understanding of how they can partner with employees with disabilities to identify accommodations needed to create a productive work environment. Other sessions include small-group exercises based on complex workplace issues, a presentation on reasonable accommodations by Anne Hirsch, Job Accommodation Network, a presentation on People without Limits, by Paul Gelderloos, People without Limits, and a panel of local experts will address commonly asked questions through locally developed case studies. The expert panel includes: Marieke Beck, Montana Human Rights Bureau Jim Marks, Department of Public Health and Human Services Anne Hirsch, Job Accommodation Network Michelle Pickell, Job Opportunity Based Services When: Thursday, May 26, 2011 9:00am - 4:00pm Mountain Where: Gateway Conference Center 1710 National Avenue in Helena, MT Registration: $50 and includes breakfast and lunch. You can register online at http://pdc.mt.gov/default.mcpx or call (406) 444-3871.