Blog

Usha Patel, Neurocognitive Therapist and Director of Raviv Practice London shares her first-hand experience of working with children /adults and the latest research and upcoming events in her series of blog posts.

Breathing, Sleep Usha Patel Breathing, Sleep Usha Patel

How Much Sleep Should Your Child Get?

Putting a child to bed at 7:30 pm doesn't mean they'll be asleep by then. Many parents say bedtime routines take ages—bath time, a story (or reading), and then waiting for their child to drift off. An hour later, they check in and find their child still wide awake!

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Bridget Jones:_Mad About the Boy (an ADHDer?)

The film opens with classic Bridget chaos: She's late, her hair unbrushed, and frantically trying to dress while simultaneously cooking for her kids. She burns the spaghetti and sets off the smoke alarm, and her children—wise beyond their years—step in to salvage the situation.

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How to teach a child to do their own shoelaces.

At age 2, her son caught meningitis, which caused him to lose his hearing. Around age three, doctors fitted him with a cochlear implant, allowing him to hear again. Before his implant, he had already learned sign language proficiently and communicated as best he could using it.

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Helping your child through GSCEs

Do you feel like you're taking your GCSE exams all over again? Revision demands discipline. Parents across the country work hard to help their teenagers cram in the facts before the mocks. The actual exams follow straight after the mocks.

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Understanding your child’s circadian rhythms

Do you have difficulties getting your child up in the mornings? Knowing that your child may not be getting sufficient sleep is worrying.

Sleep is a vital process for children, especially regarding memory consolidation.

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Dyslexia, Fast ForWord, Working Memory Usha Patel Dyslexia, Fast ForWord, Working Memory Usha Patel

Can you tell if your child has Dyslexia just by looking at their handwriting?

While issues with handwriting are certainly considered when it comes to diagnosing dyslexia, they are not actually key indicators themselves. Letter or number reversals can occur for a number of different reasons, and concerned parents should look elsewhere for signs of dyslexia in their children.

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My child is now four but still doesn’t speak.

When Miriam, a mother of four, called me, she was at the end of her tether: her 4-year-old could not speak. She had already waited a year for her doctor to refer her to a speech and language therapist and, despite pinning all her hopes on this, she was deeply disappointed when no tangible progress seemed to come from it

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Dyslexia, Cogmed, Working Memory Usha Patel Dyslexia, Cogmed, Working Memory Usha Patel

Are you Neurodivergent and struggle with Time Management?

MANY individuals with dyslexia often continue to struggle because of a weak working memory, even long after good literacy skills have been established. So, in a busy work environment that is increasingly flooded with information, professionals need to stay on track, prioritise activities and overcome the constant distractions that slow productivity.

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