Conferences & Training

Understanding and managing oppositional behavior in primary-aged children (5-12 years)

Description:

Oppositional behavior in children is often a source of distress for adults. Why does the child act this way? How can I get him to respect my requests? Approximately 3 to 5% of children have an oppositional defiant disorder, but in the vast majority of cases, oppositional behaviors are not a disorder in themselves, but rather are attributable to another cause that generates unhappiness or distress in the child. During this training course, participants will be equipped to better understand the real issues underlying a child's challenging behaviors. Understanding the real cause of unpleasant and problematic behaviours then enables the intervener to act and intervene in a targeted and effective way with the young person. 

Understand and manage oppositional behavior in adolescents and establish a framework of legitimate authority based on trust. 

Description:

Adolescence is a special time, when a young person's brain is wired to react differently from that of an adult or child. The greatest challenge of adolescence is to acquire the autonomy needed to become an adult, and this raises all kinds of issues. Adolescent decision-making is emotional, impulsive and risk-based. Friendships take precedence over many other priorities, and a new way of thinking develops that allows for opinions and the questioning of rules and values. The teenager then enters into a confrontation with the adult, and these two people speak a different language due to different connections in their brains and different daily life issues.  

In this conference, I will also discuss the concept of legitimate authority. The concept of legitimate authority has been studied in the business world, in particular, in order to identify the traits of a good leader. A parallel can be drawn between managing a work team, and managing, as a parent, the team that is the family. A legitimate authority is one that teenagers want to follow, not out of fear of punishment, but because they trust that authority. Young people in this type of environment want to follow the rules, even when they don't like them, and even when the authority figure isn't present.  

Managing anxiety in children and adolescents

Description:

In Quebec between 2015 and 2019, the proportion of people with a diagnosed anxiety disorder rose from 6.4% to 8.7%. In 2021, a study by the Université de Sherbrooke suggested that nearly one in two young people (in the 12 to 25 age bracket) had symptoms of anxiety or moderate depression. The two-year pandemic we've just been through has significantly increased rates of distress and anxiety among young people. The reality of the 2020s also means that the omnipresence of social networks is transforming young people's social relationships, and creating image pressure that can generate anxiety. In fact, generation Z seems to be the most affected by anxiety of all generations. 

Anxiety in young people often goes unnoticed because they are little aware that this condition deviates from "normality". Symptoms of inattention and agitation may be mistaken for ADHD, and symptoms of anger may be mistaken for opposition. Interventions are then non-targeted and non-specific to anxiety difficulties, and therefore not very effective.  

This training aims to update professionals' knowledge of the latest scientific literature on anxiety in young people. The training will equip professionals to adequately identify anxiety symptoms for screening or diagnostic evaluation. We will also review, on the basis of evidence-based data, the various existing therapies and interventions, both those applicable to young people, and those designed to equip their parents or teachers. 

Time out to take care of yourself as a teacher or facilitator

Description:

Those who work with children face many challenges (workload, classroom management, etc.). These can be a source of stress on a daily basis, affecting their level of well-being and sometimes even their motivation to work, or even leading to burnout. Every day, schoolchildren are called upon to take a break during recess. Now it's the turn of the workers to take time out for themselves, and to reflect on their day-to-day strategies for coping with challenges. 

Initially, this training aims to strengthen the strategies used by caregivers to support them and improve the experience at work. First, we'll take a look at the current state of well-being and mental health among school workers. We will then explore the potential sources of stress in everyday life and the mechanisms most frequently adopted in different situations. Then, models for deconstructing stress will be presented, and various concrete tools and resources will be explored. 

In a second phase, this training looks at the meaning given to work by the workers. What are the values guiding their day-to-day work? What motivates them? How can they stay true to these values, despite the challenges they face? Practitioners will be asked to reflect on their daily lives and identify some personal avenues for action, all with a view to taking care of themselves "as a tool for their work" (Lebel, Bélair and Goyette, 2012). 

Duration and prices

ADHD in adults. Its impact on couples, families and the workplace

Description:

Attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulty in modulating attention (inattention), behavior (impulsivity of gestures and words) or movement (motor hyperactivity - physical fidgeting). There is a steady increase in ADHD over time. In 2015-2016, there were 240,535 children aged 1 to 24 with a diagnosis of ADHD in Quebec, with a ratio of two boys to one girl. Research indicates that ADHD persists in more than half of cases into adulthood, and even two-thirds. The prevalence of adults with ADHD worldwide is 3.4%.  

This training aims first and foremost to update knowledge of the latest scientific literature on ADHD in young people and adults. The training will equip parents, individuals themselves and education professionals to help them manage the difficulties inherent in ADHD on a daily basis, at work and at school. We will also review, on the basis of evidence-based data, the various therapies and interventions available, both those applicable to people with ADHD, and those designed to equip their parents or teachers.

Brain and learning - optimizing teaching through the principles of neuroeducation

Description:

Over the past few years in Quebec, we've been hearing a lot about the concept of diversity in the classroom. Teachers find themselves confronted with increasingly heterogeneous classes. It's true that our brains are different and can learn differently. However, the similarities in your students' brain function are actually far more numerous than their differences. There are neuroscientific facts that apply to every learner, and which, if known, can have a wide impact when integrated into your teaching practice. 

Neuroeducation is a new discipline, at the crossroads of neuroscience, cognitive psychology and educational science. Data from neuroeducation research allow us to characterize the foundations of learning in order to offer teaching that will facilitate success for your students. 

The objectives of this training course are firstly to provide an overview of recent knowledge on brain function, neuro-educational principles and school motivation. Secondly, effective strategies will be taught to participants, with the aim of improving their students' memorization, concentration and organization. Finally, concrete activities will be suggested to participants, who will be able to reinvest them easily in the classroom with their pupils. 

10 questions about ADHD

Description:

There's been a lot of talk about ADHD over the past fifteen years. In Quebec, between 2000 and 2020 the percentage of young people (aged 1 to 24) taking medication for ADHD each year quadrupled, according to the INSPQ. In 2017, a survey by the Institut de la Statistique du Québec revealed that nearly one in four high school students had already been diagnosed with ADHD by a healthcare professional. This raises a lot of questions! Is there really more of it than before? How can we detect, assess and avoid false diagnoses? And what interventions work with these young people? Is this a lifelong disorder? Can attention be trained? Should a certain diet be encouraged? In this talk, I'll attempt to answer 10 of the most common questions about ADHD, based on recent, evidence-based data from the scientific literature.
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I'll also take time to address participants' other questions and concerns on the subject during an interactive discussion period with the audience.There's been a lot of talk about ADHD over the past 15 years or so. In Quebec, between 2000 and 2020 the percentage of young people (aged 1 to 24) medicated each year for ADHD quadrupled, according to the INSPQ. In 2017, a survey by the Institut de la Statistique du Québec revealed that nearly one in four high school students had already been diagnosed with ADHD by a healthcare professional. This raises a lot of questions! Is there really more of it than before? How can we detect, assess and avoid false diagnoses? And what interventions work with these young people? Is this a lifelong disorder? Can attention be trained? Should a certain diet be encouraged?

In this lecture, I will endeavor to answer 10 of the most common questions about ADHD, based on recent evidence from the scientific literature. I'll also take the time to respond to participants' other questions and concerns on the subject during an interactive discussion period with the audience.

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DYS disorders

Description:

The prefix DYS stands for "disorder in the acquisition of...". So the various learning disorders are labelled DYSlexia, DYSorthography and DYScalculia. In this training course, we'll look at learning disorders affecting the acquisition of reading, writing and mathematics. Participants will be better equipped to understand these disorders, identify them and target certain interventions. Education professionals will also be better able to explain these disorders to parents, and suggest effective study methods at home.