Children & Adolescents
Dr. O'Riordan has experience in working with children, adolescents and their families at the Palo Alto School District, Los Altos School District and in private practice. He had worked and consulted with the distinguished child psychiatrist from Vienna, Austria, Hans Steiner, MD., at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.
Dr. O'Riordan helps children express their needs, and feelings through art, drawing, sand-play and role-play. He likes to treat the child by using the system theory approach. He teaches the parents gentle listening and communications which match the child's developmental level. For example, many times children need gentle directions to be helpful around the house or doing their school studies.
Many times the culture blames the parents for their children's miss-behavior. There are few community services available to help parents who are left to fend for them selves. We often hear "where were the parents" when their children needed help during a time of crises. How about "where was the community." Young children of immigrant parents adjust much easier than their parents or grandparents. The communication becomes difficult for the immigrant family when the children take on more of the host country's language and culture.
Adolescents don't like to be lectured or pressured to express their feelings and they do want their parents to know what they are thinking and feeling. They like to communicate with parents who demonstrate leadership and guidance. Adolescents like to be understood and have adults listen silently to them and allow them to fully express their side of the story.
It is also important to be attentive to the needs of children and adolescents, who are autistic, have rett's-disorder, aspergers, tourettes, and who are having attention difficulties, reading problems or problems with communication. There are also concerns about physical and sexual abuse, incest, child neglect, eating disorders (anorexia & bulimia), alcohol dependence or alcohol abuse often needs to be given attention. Psychological assessment can be useful in making an intervention.
Contact Dr. O'Riordan by telephone at (650) 948-9989,
or by email at tubrid@stanford.edu
Resources
Bulik, Cynthia M., et al. (2005). Runaway eating: The 8 point plan to conquer adult food and weight obsessions. Rodale Press, Emmaus, Pennsylvania.
Blume, E. S. (1990). Secret survivors: Uncovering incest and its aftereffects in women. J. Wiley, New York.
Coburn, Karen L., et al. (2003). Letting go: A parent's guide to understanding the college years. Harper, New York.
Chansky, Tamar E. (2004). Freeing your child from anxiety: Powerful, practical solutions to overcome your child's fears, worries and phobias. Broadway Books, New York.
Cohen, Lawrence J. (2001). Playful parenting. Ballantine Books, New York.
Crary, Elizabeth. (1993). Without spanking or spoiling: A practical approach to toddler and preschool guidance. Parenting Press, Inc., New York.
Gordon, Thomas (2000). Parent effectiveness training. Three Rivers Press, New York.
Hockey, Kathleen P. (2003). Raising depression-free children: A parent's guide to prevention and early intervention. Hazelden Publishing & Educational Services, New York.
Lock, James., et al. (2004). Help your teenager beat an eating disorder. Guilford Press, New York.
Lynn, George T. (2000). Survival strategies for parenting children with bipolar disorder: Innovative parenting and counseling techniques for helping children with bipolar disorder and the conditions that may occur with it. Jessica Kingsley Publishers, New York.
Panzarine, Susan. (2000). A parent's guide to the teen years: Raising your 11 to 14 year olds in the age of chat rooms and navel rings. Books, New York.
Raeburn, Paul. (2004). Acquainted with the night: A parent's quest to understand depression and bipolar disorder in is children. Broadway Books, New York.
Riera, Michael. (2003). Staying connected to your teenager: How to keep them talking to you and how to hear what they 're really saying. Perseus Publishing, Cambridge, Mass.
Spencer, Elizabeth D., et al. (2003). The anxiety cure for kids: A guide for parents. J. Wiley, New York.
Thompson, Michael. (2002). Mom, they're teasing me: Helping your child solve social problems. Ballantine Books, New York.
Wolf, Anthony. (2002). Get out of my life, but first could you drive me and Cheryl to the mall: A parent's guide to the new teenager. Straus & Giroux, New York.
Websites
Children & Adolescents
Parents Helping Parents www.php.com
Palo Alto Family Resources www.city.palo.ca.us/familyresources
Children, Adolescents & Anxiety www.adaa.org
Children, Adolescents & Depression www.wingofmadness.com/articles/children.htm
EMQ Children & Family Services (AKA) Eastfield Ming Quong 251 Llewellyn Ave., Campbell, California www.emq.org (800)-383-2945
National Depressive & Manic-Depressive Association www.ndmda.org or www.DBSAlIiance.org (800)-826-3632
Attention-Deficit & Hyperactivity
Children, Adolescents & Attention-Deficit & Hyperactivity Disorder www.chadd.org
Council for Exceptional Children www.cec.sped.org
General Information on ADHD www.ncpamd.com/adhd.htm
International Dyslexia Association www.interdys.org
Learning Disability Association ofAmerica www.ldaamerica.org
Learning Disability Association of California www.ldaca.org
National Attention Deficit Disorder Association www.add.org
Recordings for the Blind & Dyslexic www.rfbd.org
Schools & Education
Association on Higher Education & Disability www.ahead.org
California Association of Independent Schools www.caisca.org
California Association of Private Specialized Education & Services www.che.ca.gov
California Department of Education www.cde.ca.gov
San Mateo County Office of Education www.smcoe.kl2.ca.us
Santa Clara County Office of Education www.sccoe.kl2.ca.us
Educational & Psychological Testing
Bodin Associates, Educational Consulting & Assessment, Los Altos, California (650) 937-1111, www.bodinassociates.com
Children's Health Council, Palo Alto, CA (650) 326-5530, www.cde.ca.gov
Educational Testing Services www.ets.org/
The Pratt Center for Psychological & Educational Testing, Los Altos, California (650) 949-2997, www.prattcenter.com