Parent Weekly Update 12/30/16

Hi Parents,

I don't know about the rest of you, but the holidays went by pretty quickly for me. I know some of you are out of town still, but we're going to be having group this week and next. Here is the upcoming schedule:

• 6-8: Next week, Jan 10, 4-6

• 8-11: This week, Jan 3, 4-6
• 11-13: This week, Jan 4, 4:15-6:45
• Teens: This week, Jan 5, 4:15-6:45

Some of you have already let me know your child will be unable to attend the next session. If anyone else will not be attending either this week's or next week's groups, please send me an email.

The parent webinar is next week, on Wed, Jan 11th. Look at a previous posting (just search for the word "webinar" to find the sign up information.

We'll be doing parent drop in meetings a little later in the month. I'll provide the dates in next week's update. Meanwhile, if you haven't been able to attend and wish to request a specific date/time, let me know and I'll do my best to accommodate.

That's it for now. Looking forward to seeing everyone soon!

Parent Weekly Update 12/23/16

Hi Parents,

Well, here we are... official full-on Holiday Season. Hope things are going well. The office is mostly closed down until Jan 2, but I'm easily reachable via email.

January Schedule

Group Sessions

Here are the upcoming January Meetings

6-8: Meets January 10th and 24th

8-11: Meets January 3rd* and 17th

11-13: Meets January 4th* and 18th

Teen:  Meets January 5th* and 19th

* Group Absences: For those groups meeting January 3rd through 5th, please send me an email as soon as you can if you know your child will not be attending. 

Webinar

As usual, we will have our monthly webinar on the 2nd Wednesday of the month. For January, it will be on the 11th at 7:30pm. If you haven't signed up for it, please refer to one of the previous weekly updates for details or click here.

(A funny thing happened when I clicked to register -- it showed the wrong time zone. So, I made a short tutorial on how to fix that problem, takes only seconds. You may click here to view it.)

Parent Meetings

I haven't set the parent meetings yet for January, I will do next week. However, if you have a preference and haven't been able to attend, please send me an email. I typically hold meetings on a 1) weekday morning or early afternoon; 2) a weekday evening, usually the 2nd Wednesday just before the webinar; and 3) a Saturday or Sunday morning time.

Staffing Changes

As I had a chance to tell some of you, Laura, one of our support staff, needed to stop participating and we used backup staff recently in December. I'm happy to say that Karen is continuing and don't expect any changes there. Also, for our younger groups, where we typically provide higher staff:student ratios, Stasi Harrell, MA, one of our long-time clinical staff, will be working Tuesdays for the next few months. Of course Dr. Mazor and I remain in place to co-lead the sessions.

Final Thoughts

Staying Up to Date on Webinar Information

I have tried to go at a slower pace for the Parent Webinars to make certain that everyone is "up to speed." If you haven't logged in via the Parent Portal and viewed all of the current videos (only necessary if you haven't attended the parent sessions or are an Alumni Parent who knows all of this), please use this holiday time to catch up.  If there is anything you don't understand, just make a comment on the video (remember, everyone can see it) because others might be confused or need clarification in the same area or send me a (not too long) email).

Group Update Reports

In early January, we will be sending you Rapid Screener® to complete. This is a slightly different version of the program than the one you initially completed. By early February, we will send everyone progress update reports. These include information on 1) target behaviors being addressed; 2) general observed progress; 3) interventions used; and 4) areas to continue addressing by parents.

Community Outings

Starting in February, we will begin our community outings. Most likely there will be two of them, one in February and one in late March/early April. We will provide you with complete information and directions as we get closer to those events.

Happy Holidays!

Wishing you a safe and enjoyable holiday season and a year ahead with lots of pleasant surprises.

Parent Weekly Update 12/16/16

Happy Holidays Parents,

I sincerely hope everyone has an opportunity to relax and recharge. Based upon our most recent parent webinar survey, the majority of you are feeling pretty stressed at present. As you know, there are no more groups or activities for LUNCH GroupsⓇ until January. If you haven't attended the recent webinars or viewed the recordings, this might be a great time to catch up. If you aren't certain how to access anything, just send me an email.

LUNCH GroupsⓇ Parent Magazine

Did you know that there is a parent magazine I keep updated with articles that may be of interest?

Just click here or the image on the www.lunchgroups.com website anytime to access. A new article usually appears every couple of days. You can also subscribe to receive updates automatically.

In the update next week, I will post the upcoming dates for January. You may also check the calendar for current information.

Meanwhile, I'm around, just on a reduced schedule. So if you have any questions, don't hesitate to be in touch.

Mid-Week News Flash 12/13/16

Hi Parents,

Just two quick follow ups:

Parent Meetings on Wednesday at 5pm and Thursday at 12:30pm

As you probably now from the last weekly update, I had to cancel the Friday Parent Drop In Meeting. I have received enough interest from parents to reschedule it for Thursday, 12/15, from 12:30pm-2:30pm.  Please RSVP if you plan to attend by clicking here.

Using LUNCH Points™and accessing Video

Based upon recent parent information, I have determined there is confusion among a few parents between accessing one versus the other. Remember, you can get to both by visiting www.lunchgroups.com and going through the "login" (which will be changing to be labeled "Parent Portal" by the weekend).

• LUNCH Points™- You input the password, which is the same for everyone, when requested. If you don't know the password, please email me and I will send it to you.
• Parent Videos - These require you input your email address and a password of your choosing. If you are having trouble getting in, my current success rate at helping parents is 100%, so the odds are pretty good we'll be able to figure out why you're having a problem.

That's it for now. For other details, please read last Friday's Weekly Update.

Next Update will be this coming weekend, published between Friday and Sunday.

Parent Weekly Update 12/9/16

Upcoming Groups For The Week Ahead

We have completed groups for the month for our 8-11 and 11-13 groups (they met only one time). We will be meeting Tuesday as usual for our 6-8 group and on Thursday as usual for our Teen group.

After this upcoming week, there are no more groups or parent meetings until January.

Parent Webinar Wednesday and Parent Meetings This Week

Upcoming Webinar on 12/14

The next Webinar is on 12/14 at 7:30pm. Please see last week's update for the link to sign up and related details.

If you have not registered, click here to do so now. You will receive a notice that your registration is "pending." Once I approve it, you will receive a confirmation (need to do this since I am posting the link on a public blog rather email).

If you have been missing the webinars and haven't watched the recordings, please start viewing so you don't get too far behind. These are the techniques we are using in group. We know from past data and experience, the more involved a family is in learning the techniques we demonstrate and discuss, the greater their child's behavior change.

You access the recordings via the parent portal. You will need to use your email address and your chosen password.

Parent Drop In Meetings This Sunday and Wednesday

I sent out a RSVP survey two weeks ago and again last week.  Presently, 17 families out of 60 have responded. We are expecting about 10 parents for Sunday, Dec 11 and just a few families for Wed, Dec 14. If you have signed up for Fri, Dec 16, see the important message below.

To RSVP for Sunday or Wednesday, please click here.

Parent Meeting for Friday, Dec 16, Canceled

I have been requested to attend an IEP on 12/16 in the morning. Since I never know how long such meetings last, I cannot reschedule the parent meeting for later in the day. You are welcome to attend either of the meetings scheduled for Wednesday early evening and Sunday morning. If neither of those work, I may be able to hold a meeting on Thurs, 12/15. Send me an email, and if I get at least 3 families who are interested, I will hold a meeting. Please state whether you can make 12:30pm-2:30pm or if you would need a morning time (currently I only have the 12:30pm time available, but will see if it's possible to accommodate an earlier time).

Are you Receiving this Email Automatically?

I have been requesting that families sign up for automatic delivery of this weekly update. If you haven't done so, scroll to the bottom of this page and follow the directions to add your email address.

LUNCH Points™: Do you know how it works?

As more families are using the LUNCH Points™program, we are seeing a few things happen that I'd like to address.

1. Please remember, you cannot change the password. If you don't have it, send me an email with the subject line "Password Request." I receive quite a bit of email each day, so that just makes it easier and means I will respond more quickly.
2. A fair number of families are not actually providing their children with a LUNCH Points™ Certificate, rather saying it was "forgotten," or it is being completed just a couple of minutes before that child's group begins. In one of our recent groups, a total of 9 LUNCH Points ™ Certificates were awarded. However, 6 parents forgot to give their children the certificate.
• The purpose of giving the Certificate to your child is to help them practice using their working memory skills, for you to provide them with a compliment using the Certificate as a guide/template, and to increase their level of motivation.
• This requires that the Certificate be given at least several hours prior to group. It's really better to give it at least a few days before their group meets. Doing so gives your child a chance to remember what behavior that caused you to give them the certificate. 
3. In order to help your child have the type of experience our research indicates is more helpful to them, we are planning to stop accepting certificates that are given less than 4 hours prior to group. Since you have two weeks each time to give your child 1 certificate, please try to find a time that isn't right before the group meeting. It will most likely be a more valuable and meaningful experience for your child.

Please contact me if you need information, review or have questions.

And Finally, Did You See the Bonus Webinar (Recorded)?

A couple of weeks ago (actually, in the 11/25 and again in the 12/2 weekly updates), I announced that I had put up a webinar entitled, "Responsible Technology Use." I originally recorded it in August 2015. While I am planning to include elements of this webinar in an upcoming presentation, I thought it would be useful for you to have this information now, especially with the holidays approaching. But, very few of you have viewed it. To find it, go to the Parent Portal under www.lunchgroups.com or just click here.  You'll need your email and password to get in.  Also, I added "chapters" to make it easier to find your way around the video. Hope you find it useful. I will be announcing some new information to help you manage the Internet in your home during a future webinar.

Signing Off

I think that brings us up to date for now. The office will be closed from Dec 19 through New Year's Day. However, we'll be checking in, just not as frequently. I hope you have a wonderful holiday break and find time to relax and enjoy. If there is anything you need regarding the program, please reach out and I'll be happy to assist.

Weekly Parent Update 12/2/16

Hi Parents,

Holidays Are Around the Corner

Do you know the Holiday Schedule?

December is a funny time of year. As I go to visit schools, everything is just a little bit off kilter, what with celebrations, parties, and assemblies. It seems for many families, it's that way around home too. Due to the way that the dates fall in December, Some of our groups won't be needing twice and others will meet only once. If you have been following previous updates, you know that I pull families previously to determine whether an alternate date might work, but that only happened for one group.

Here is our holiday schedule, one last time (you can always check the LUNCH Groups® calendar):

• 6-8 - Next meeting is on 12/13. Then no more meetings until January. (We already met on 12/2).
• 8-11- We meet on 12/6.  Then no more meetings until January.
• 11-13 - We meet on 12/6.  Then no more meetings until January.
• Teens - We meet on 12/15   Then no more meetings until January. (We already met on 12/1).

Upcoming Webinar on 12/14

The next Webinar is on 12/14 at 7:30pm. Please see last week's update for the link to sign up and related details.

If you have not registered, click here to do so now. You will receive a notice that your registration is "pending." Once I approve it you will receive a confirmation (need to do this since I am posting the link on a public blog rather email).

If you have been missing the webinars and haven't watched the recordings, please start viewing so you don't get too far behind. These are the techniques we are using in group. We know from past data and experience, the more involved a family is in learning the techniques we demonstrate and discuss, the greater their child's behavior change.

You access the recordings via the parent portal. You will need to use your email address and your chosen password.

Bonus Webinar Already Posted

I posted a webinar on Responsible Technology Use. You may access it through the same portal as the other videos. It is from 2015. I will be referring to this recording in an upcoming webinar early next year, so please take time to view it if you haven't already seen it.

Upcoming Parent Meetings in the Office

There are three 2 hour parent drop in meetings available during December at the following dates and times:

• Sunday, 12/11, 10:30am-12:30pm
• Wednesday, 12/14, 5pm-7pm
• Friday, 12/16, 10:30am-12:30pm

You may have noticed that the weekend meeting is on a Sunday rather than a Saturday. Just trying to insure that everyone who wishes to attends has a chance.

Please RSVP for the Parent Meeting by clicking here. So far, I have heard from 5 out of 59 families. We can do better than that, yes? You will also receive a separate invite. It is only necessary to RSVP one time per person/family, unless you and another adult are coming on different days.

Please remember, no children are permitted at the parent drop in meetings. The only exception is if you feel comfortable dropping your child off at a business nearby where they can hang out while you attend.

LUNCH Points™

Some of you are confused about how to use this program. Please remember, it isn't a reward for your child in the typical sense. It is designed to help with their level of motivation and to increase their awareness, plus acts as an opportunity for them (and you) to practice discussing their behavior in a positive, nonthreatening manner.

The "reward" occurs in the office when they are awarded raffle tickets by the other students after reading their certicates and having access to the Anki Overdrive race cars. But, it's also an opportunity to remain in control, be considerate to others, plus other related prosocial behaviors.

You access LUNCH Points™by visiting the Parent Portal under the www.lunchgroups.com login. Send me an email if you require the password.

Mid-Session Progress Reports

In January, when everyone returns, we will be sending out a special version of Rapid Screener®, the survey that everyone filled out when you started the program. This will be used as part of of our information for developing progress reports, which will go out in February. It will be important that we receive this back in a timely manner in order to analyze your data and include it in the update.

Weekly Parent Update 11/25/16

Happy Post Thanksgiving Everyone,

Getting Ready for the Holidays

December Group Meetings

Please look at the December Schedule (visit www.lunchgroups.com and click on "Calendar"). Our Teen group meetings are unchanged, but there is a special meeting date for our 6-8 year old group. Also, the 8-11 and 11-13 year old groups have only one meeting due to the way the calendar is organized.

Do we still pay a materials fee for the two sessions in December?

The answer is "Yes," for the following reason. Not all of the money each session is used for snacks or meals. We "bank" some of the money for raffles and upcoming community outings, which begin in February. So, if you are a 6-8 or 8-11 year old family, you were charged $30 for the month of December, $40 if you are an 11-13 or Teen family. Please let me know if you have any questions.

December Webinar and Parent Meetings

The next Webinar is on 12/14 at 7:30pm. Please see last week's update for the link to sign up and related details.

I didn't hear back from any families with special requests for Parent Drop In Times, so I moved them around a little bit and have scheduled them. They are as follows:

• Sun, 12/11, from 10:30-12:30pm
• Wed, 12/14, from 5-7pm (Yes, the Webinar is at 7:30pm)
• Fri, 12/16, from 10:30-12:30pm

You may have noticed that the weekend meeting is on a Sunday rather than a Saturday. Just trying to insure that everyone who wishes to attends has a chance.

Please RSVP by clicking here. You will also receive a separate invite. It is only necessary to RSVP one time per person/family.

Mid-Session Progress Reports

In January, when everyone returns, we will be sending out a special version of Rapid Screener®, the survey that everyone filled out when you started the program. This will be used as part of of our information for developing progress reports, which will go out in February. It will be important that we receive this back in a timely manner in order to analyze your data and include it in the update.

Bonus Webinar - Responsible Technology Use

Back in 2015, I created a comprehensive Technology Webinar for parents. I have made it available after hearing from families that they are feeling overwhelmed about their children's technology use. You may access this via the Parent Portal or by clicking here. Log in required. Feel free to use the comments section on the video.  I have created "Chapters" for it so you can skip around more easily, plus added a few updates. I will be referring to this information in an upcoming webinar on tech use and your children as it pertains to social skills.

See you in December (Starting this coming Thursday)

Weekly Parent Update 11/18/16

Hi Parents,

We've had a few last minute families join and now the groups are closed. Some of you have referred families to our program and I greatly appreciate it. We will place these families on a summer wait list or (believe it or not!) for next school year. I also try to direct them to other resources.

Parent Rosters

Over the next week, Terry will be creating Parent Rosters that will be sent to each group. This will include the following information:  Child's name, parent Name(s), primary email contact, home and cell phone contact. child's current age, and zip code. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please call Terry at 818-788-2100 x2 to discuss so we can accommodate your requests.

December Group Meetings

The schedule for this month is mostly unchanged, please see below:

6-8 Group 4-6pm

Meets on Dec 2 (Friday, special time) and Dec 13 (Tues, regular time. This is occurring because our normal 4th Tuesday meeting would fall during the holiday break and this group started later than the others initially.

8-11 Group 4-6pm 

Meets on Dec 6 (Tues) only for this month. The second meeting time would have occurred during holiday break.

11-13 Group 4:15-6:45pm

Meets on Dec 7 (Wed) only for this month. We had polled families to see about having a second meeting, but less than 50% indicated they would be able to attend.

Teen Group 4:15-6:45pm

Meets on Dec 1 (Thu) and Dec 15 (Thu), which are our regular meeting dates.

If you know that your child will be missing group, please call Terry to inform us.

Remember, you can always view the current calendar by visiting www.lunchgroups.com.

December Webinar and Parent Meetings

The next Webinar is scheduled for the next Wed in December, on 12/14 at 7:30pm. Everyone should have registered for the webinars, however only 1/2 of our families have done so. You only have to register one time, then you are automatically registered for all the webinar meetings until May.

If you have not registered, click here to do so now. You will receive a notice that your registration is "pending." Once I approve it you will receive a confirmation (need to do this since I am posting the link on a public blog rather email).

In the next weekly update, I will confirm our Parent Meeting dates. Last month, we held a meeting on a Wednesday evening from 5-7pm, Thursday at 10am and Saturday at 11am.  If none of these times work for you and you wish a different time for December, please send me an email or call the office and I will change one of the times/days if I received enough input.  The upcoming December dates will be posted in the next weekly update, dated 11/25.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Weekly Parent Update 11/11/16

Hi Parents,

Parent Drop In Meetings

It was wonderful seeing parents at the recent drop in meetings held over the past few days. The purpose of them is to have an opportunity to view videos of your children in group, ask questions, clarify information from the webinars, and bring up any other topics of interest related to your children.

Our next series of parent meetings will occur in December. As we get closer to that period, I will again send out an email requesting that you RSVP. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of parents are following through on this request.

New Families

We had a couple of families need to drop out, so some of the families from the wait list were contacted and joined our programs. Accordingly, you may see a couple of new faces. We won't be accepting any new families for the rest of the School Year program.

New families should be receiving information about signing in for webinars and related information. Let me know if you haven't gotten this information.

Monthly Webinars

The monthly webinars are continuing. We had the November webinar last week. We covered the basics of behavioral management and reviewed some of the more critical concepts from the October Parent Orienation. If you missed it, click here to access (you will need your username and password. Contact me if you have any questions or problems).  You can make comments right on the video (just remember all parents can see them).

Some of you haven't registered for the webinars yet. Once you have registered, you will receive your login information plus reminders just before the webinar occurs each month. These will continue through May. See if you can find the link in one of the recent emails. If not, send me an email and I will send it to you.

Upcoming Meetings This Month

We'll be meeting this coming week for the 8-11, 11-13, and Teen Groups. Our 6-8 group meets on Nov 22, just a couple of days prior to Thanksgiving.

8-11 and 6-8 Groups: We're going to to Libbit Park for our next groups. Please make certain that your kids are wearing shoes and socks. You've heard me mention this before, but we still have just a few who are showing up in shoes that aren't suitable for walking and especially for running around a bit at the park. Also, they tend to shuffle along in these shoes and slow the group down. Thanks for your help.

Thanks it for now. Please be in touch if you have any questions.

Bruce

Weekly Parent Update 11/4/16

Hi Parents,

Please take a minute to read through this important information.

A reminder about LUNCH Points™ Certificates

All the groups seem to be running smoothly and your kids are generally settling in. Hopefully you're feeling comfortable with the LUNCH Points™ program and how that works.  We're getting a small number of group members coming in with certificates, although it could be more. Remember, one certificate is plenty and two certificates should be considered the maximum. The main reason your child is receiving it from you doesn't have anything to do with "reinforcing them," and everything to do with increasing their motivation to change their behavior outside of group sessions.

I’d be happy to “walk through” any parents who are having difficulty, just send me an email.

Upcoming Parent Webinar

Webinars will be held on Wednesdays from 7:30-8:30pm. You will receive an invitation Monday night. Just enter your name, email, and answer a couple of questions. You will receive a registration confirmation and follow up reminders about the webinar.  You will be able to watch it from any portable or desktop computer, but there will be a small piece of software you must download. It’s a good idea to try to join the meeting prior to the actual time since this will install the necessary software on your computer, tablet, or phone. Don’t worry, you’ll be able to use the link again when it’s time for the webinar.

Wrong time on Calendar?

If you are seeing incorrect times on the calendar, it is most likely due to an incorrect setting on your time or date function (most likely only a problem on Mac and PC computers).  Open up your date and time settings and confirm that it is set for California. Some people accidentally leave their settings on the wrong time zone, then adjust their clocks for the current time. That will cause appointments that haven’t been set by you to appear to be a few to several hours off. If you are having problems with this, again, just send me an email and I will walk you through the process.

Upcoming Parent Drop In Meetings

I have scheduled three Drop in Meetings for parents this week. Please remember that these meetings are only for parents. Children may not come to the office during these meetings and there are no exceptions.  If your child is old enough to wait by him or herself at a nearby store, e.g., Gelsons or Starbucks, of course that’s fine, but we cannot be involved in this.

For the month of November, meetings will be held on the following Dates/Times:

• Wednesday, November 9, 5pm-7pm
• Thursday, November 10, 10am-12pm
• Saturday, November 12, 11am-1pm

During each meeting, you will have an opportunity to see videos of your children, plus you are welcome to bring up any topics you wish about ways to help your child.

RSVP for Parent Drop In Meeting

Please click here to RSVP, it greatly helps me to plan for how many are attending and which groups to emphasize. While any parent can ask questions, I typically plan the video segments according to the proportion of families who are attending each individual parent meeting.

Special Information for Parents of the 11-13 year old Group

The meetings are as usual for November, but December presents an issue. The first Wednesday in that month is 12/7 and normally, we would meet on 12/21 for our second meeting. However, since this is right in the middle of holiday break, our office will be closed. So, we are proposing that there be a second meeting on 12/14. 

If you are in the 11-13 year old group, please CLICK HERE to complete this very quick survey to let us know if you can have your child attend on this date.

Starting Blog for LUNCH Groups® Parents

Hi Parents,

I have decided to begin providing updates via this blog. That way, if you miss an email, you can always visit this link and review anything you may have missed.

I will also use this site for providing information about any updates, such as new tutorials.  You will be able to access the parent blog two ways:

1. Through the Parent Portal that you will find on the www.lunchgroups.com website (click here to access directly)
2. Directly via the link below:
   http://lgsy16-17.blogspot.com/

Let me know if you have any questions.