When meeting with school staff, it’s important to talk about what your child can do, not just what your child cannot do. If you focus mostly on what your child cannot do, this paints a negative picture. It may encourage others to have a negative opinion of your child. Learn how to describe your child’s behavior “problems” in positive terms. The process is called “reframing” and is similar to what you learned in Session 1 about the importance of thinking positively.

Below are examples:

• stubborn becomes determined
• angry becomes feisty, willing to stand up for herself
• asks too many questions becomes curious
• slow at processing becomes careful, deliberate with her work
• struggles becomes hard working

And, when you’re talking about your child, don’t forget to include some other positive characteristics, such as:

• friendly
• has a great laugh
• adores her older sister
• fun to be with
• great at puzzles
• enjoys baseball