Oakwood School Blog

Deborah Cohen, Ph.D., Oakwood School Counselor

Over the summer, I worried a lot about our students. I wasn’t sure what life had been like for them since we left school or how COVID had impacted their families. I could imagine, but didn’t know what kind of trauma, grief, or anxiety the children would be bringing back with them when they returned to school. I wondered if the kids would show up at Oakwood, manifesting COVID stress as visible angst or acting out. I also wondered how our students would manage wearing masks all day. Having experienced first-hand the exhaustion of continually wearing a mask, and knowing that many students have sensory issues, I felt uneasy about the feasibility of this necessary protocol. In short, as September approached, I was apprehensive that Oakwood students would return to school stressed, strained, and struggling to make sense of world events that they couldn’t easily understand or put into words.

By Kim Hiday, Owner of McLean Speech & Language

Whether a dog lover or not, you’ve got to admit that pooches can work magic with kids.

Meet Yoda, who spends many of her days at Oakwood and is owned by McLean Speech & Language, the speech therapy organization that works in house with Oakwood students.

Deborah Cohen, Ph.D., Oakwood School Counselor

The current pandemic has brought drastic changes to our daily lives that are unprecedented in our lifetime. Many adults have said that this time is “surreal”, which Webster’s defines as “unbelievable and marked by the intense irrational reality of a dream.” If the “new normal” seems surreal to us, it most assuredly is creating stress and confusion for our children. There is a plethora of advice on the internet and in the media on how to best support children through the pandemic. To minimize stress, I have boiled down child-centered advice into a Top 10 List of ideas that I think are most applicable to the Oakwood student body. I hope you will find something here that will help your family cope with the pandemic!

Michele Dausman, Occupational Therapist at Oakwood

I would not be saying anything new to remark that these are unusual and challenging times. In my own family, we have worked to be mindful in establishing new routines, to try new and creative cooking options, to stay safe, and even to make sure that we still like each other from day to day--there are a lot of “together” minutes! In addition to all of that, we are working from home, and teaching from home, and learning from home. Though valuable, this amounts to a great deal of sitting/screen time.

Deborah Cohen, Ph.D., Oakwood School Counselor

The practice of gratitude – actively reflecting on what one is grateful for –has been shown to have many emotional, social, and health benefits (see “31 Benefits of Gratitude: The Ultimate Science-Backed Guide” www.happierhuman.com/benefits-of-gratitude/ ). Specifically, an intentional gratitude practice can lead to increased feelings of well-being, decreased stress, improved sleep, and improved physical immunity – all benefits we could use right now!

Deborah Cohen, Ph.D., Oakwood School Counselor

Dr. Cohen shares some Mindfulness techniques Oakwood students and staff use. Click below to see the video.

Deborah Cohen, Ph.D., Oakwood School Counselor

The practice of making New Year’s resolutions – vowing to do better and be better  -- dates back to the ancient Babylonians, 4000 years ago. In our culture today, January is when many of us do the same. We commit to eating healthier, exercising more, giving up bad habits, acquiring good habits, etc. The list can go on and on. Often our New Year’s goals are ones that we’ve had for a while, but just can’t seem to make happen.

What if, in the New Year, instead of focusing on ways we need to improve, we reflected on what we have already accomplished in the past year?

Robert McIntyre, Founder/CEO

On January 2, 2019 Congressman Lamar Smith sent a hand-written personal letter to “My Friends at Oakwood” in which he said, “you are teaching, supporting, and changing lives for the better.”

The Congressman was Chairman of the Science Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives.   Over a period of more than a year his Committee and the Dyslexia Caucus, which includes the House and the Senate, heard from experts on how research in the area of neuroscience has led to more practical ways to better diagnose and deal with dyslexia.  The law that was passed unanimously in March of 2016 is named the READ ACT.  Some members of the Caucus, including Rep. Smith and Senator Bill Cassidy (a former Oakwood parent), personally and professionally know Oakwood students, faculty, and families. 

Dr. Deborah Cohen, School Counselor

Have you ever had a case of the Sunday Night Blues? That feeling of dread and anxiety that you feel on a Sunday —starting mid-day and stretching into the evening —as the weekend is ending and you anticipate the week ahead? This is an extremely common phenomena. In fact, a monster.com poll reported that 60-76% of Americans have the Sunday Night Blues (a.k.a. The Sunday Night Scaries) on a regular basis. It appears that MOST people experience this and it can affect children as well as adults. So, if your child is spending Sunday dreading Monday, here are some ideas of how to help.

Dr. Susan Autry, Academic Supervisor

Multisensory teaching and learning are at the heart of the Oakwood philosophy. Of the multiple senses that we use to help our students learn – and learn how they learn best – vision is a crucial component. Vision is more than acuity – a person can have 20/20 eyesight and still have difficulty “seeing”.

Dr. Deborah Cohen, School Counselor

Over the last several months, I’ve been talking to the Middle School students about the relationship between what you think (i.e., your thoughts, cognitions) and how you feel. When you think about this idea and hear a couple of examples, it makes so much sense! However, it might not be intuitive to children or even to adults. The point I am hoping to make with our students is that what you think directly impacts how you feel and you can exercise some control over it.

Dr. Deborah Cohen, School Counselor

Mindfulness is the ancient practice of focusing one’s   attention on the present moment, breathing, and accepting one’s thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations. Mindfulness also emphasizes practicing kindness, compassion, gratitude and self-acceptance. People around the world have been practicing mindfulness for thousands of years, particularly as part of Eastern religions. In the last 40-50 years, however, mindfulness has been introduced to the West and has been scientifically studied. We now know from a growing body of research that mindfulness techniques can help children to focus their attention, calm down from strong emotions, relax and de-stress, and feel happier and more grateful.

Dr. Susan Autry, Academic Supervisor

This summer, all the faculty at Oakwood School read the book “Mini Habits” by Stephen Guise.  Mr. Guise has developed the idea of using mini habits versus big goals to change our behaviors and increase healthy, positive habits.