 JJennifer Hartley wrote an article about Spectrum Insights for Ottawa Life Magazine. Jennifer is a super mom with a a very busy career, I cannot express how much this means to me as she took time out of her packed schedule to write the following!
"One man, John Anderson is changing the social landscape for autistic kids in Ottawa. He is the founder and Program Director of Spectrum Insights. In short, Spectrum Insights is an organization that provides one-on-one coaching and social integration training for autistic youth and adults alike. " You can read the rest of the article in the link below: http://www.ottawalife.com/article/j-js-gibberish-wonderful-insight-from-spectrum-insights?c=69  Someone on Facebook shared advice on how to manage a panic attack. The advice is pretty good but some key points were missing and further explanation needed. They use the term Grounding. By Grounding, you bring your attention to another part of your body, thus away from your head.
I always thought of Anxiety as a sense of not being connected to your body, another explanation is the term "derealization" it's kinda like dissociation, something common to many panic attacks. So you are either getting out of your head or focused on your head (thoughts). Grounding does not need to be a new agey catch phrase, it can have a real physiological effect. When the panic kicks in, it's hard to have rational thoughts and even harder to remember good advice. Write the advice in the image down and keep it handy for the friend or family member in need. For you...write it down like a loving prescription from yourself when things are harder to deal with. Keep it w/ you and refer to when you start to feel like an attack is coming on. One key thing to remember and ask yourself: "What triggered the attack". This can do wonders for calming yourself down and get you back to rational thinking. When you know the trigger for example, "I drank too much coffee" or "I did not sleep". Then you realize it is a panic attack, know it will pass quickly, it's just adrenaline is going through your body and will dissipate in 10 to 20 minutes. Often that thought alone can help you rationalize the experience. For many, a panic attack feels like you are going to die and often a feel of dread or doom...obviously irrational, yay panic! So getting your brain to calm down is key, connecting to your body via the tips in the image below, recognizing the trigger, remembering it will pass. be patient w/ yourself, trust you will be fine and look into Panic Prevention (my next post). Bonus exercise, walk slowly dragging your feet across the floor, the sensation in your feet can help you get out of a mental anxious state and reconnected to your surroundings and back in your body. John Anderson  I wanted to give a shout out to one of my Volunteers, Brittany. In Fall 2017 I implemented a peer to peer to coaching idea to help another student, it has been working really well. We recently teamed up to help another student and I immediately saw great results. Big thanks to Brittany for her big heart, patience and assisting me with social skills coaching, I really appreciate your time and dedication!
  Feb 2nd 2018
  Our classes are geared to teens and young adults who would benefit from knowing how to handle bullies, & predators. Students who want more confidence, want to learn how to be assertive and get an introduction to the world of martial arts.
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Spectrum Insights is in the news:
Click the image below to hear our interview on CFRA with Dahlia Kurtz 
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November 2023
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