Insights & Tips

Practical strategies and perspectives from our work with families, clinicians, and communities. Blogs that help you make sense of therapy, behaviour, learning, and everyday challenges.

Helping Kids Question “Tricky Thoughts” 

Helping Kids Question “Tricky Thoughts” 

Help kids challenge “tricky thoughts” (“I’m dumb,” “Nobody likes me”). Use the Check-the-Facts Sorter to build resilience and flexible thinking by checking evidence.

Making Anger a Safe Feeling 

Making Anger a Safe Feeling 

Anger is normal! Teach kids safe expression by providing outlets (hitting a pillow, scribbling) and using the Cool-Down Comic to process feelings without shame.

Calm the Body, Then the Brain 

Calm the Body, Then the Brain 

Help children calm overwhelm before communicating. Use Dash’s Calm-Down Menu—sensory-based strategies (movement, breaths) to safely regulate the body first.

Calm Starts with Now 

Calm Starts with Now 

Help kids find calm during overwhelm using grounding. Teach Dash’s 5-4-3-2-1 sensory strategy to anchor focus, reduce stress, and rebuild safety in the body.

Feelings Are Messengers, Not Monsters 

Feelings Are Messengers, Not Monsters 

Teach kids that feelings are messengers, not monsters. Use the Messenger Map to help them decode what emotions (anger, fear, sadness) are trying to tell them.

Body Clues — Where Feelings Begin 

Body Clues — Where Feelings Begin 

Help kids spot “body clues” (tight jaw, tummy butterflies) before big feelings turn into outbursts. Teach emotional regulation & body awareness with our simple guide.

Do violent video games result in higher aggression levels in kids with autism at home?

The relationship between violent video games and aggression in children, including those with autism, is a topic of ongoing research and debate. While there is evidence suggesting that exposure to violent media can increase aggression in some individuals, the effects may vary depending on a range of factors such as the individual’s personality, cognitive abilities, and the context in which the games are played.