Articles by John Sharry

How should I manage my nine-year-old son’s angry outbursts?

Parent Question I am struggling to manage my nine-year-old’s angry outbursts. He has been diagnosed with autism and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and he has a lot of sensory issues. His outbursts are mainly directed towards me (his mother) and not anyone else. He screams at me and can be really intimidating in the middle of an outburst. … Continue reading How should I manage my nine-year-old son’s angry outbursts?

My 10 year old takes his stress out on his younger brother

Parent Question I have two boys aged eight and 10. The eldest has a diagnosis of autism and anxiety. He is academically bright and, with supports, he is doing well in school. The difficulty I have is in how he treats his younger brother. When he comes home from school he can be stressed and in a … Continue reading My 10 year old takes his stress out on his younger brother

I get called in during rows between my daughter and my wife

Parent Question:My 12-year-old daughter can be really disorganised and oppositional. This leads to big rows over getting homework done or getting my daughter out in the morning, particularly for my wife who does more of the parenting (I work full time and she works part time). Things can escalate quickly between them and it can often end … Continue reading I get called in during rows between my daughter and my wife

My 12 year old needs constant dopamine hits and struggles to regulate.

Parent Question:My son is 12 and on the waiting list for an ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) and autism assessment. I would appreciate guidance around helping my son with constantly needing dopamine hits and his emotional regulation. We are good at home with helping regulate when possible. We have a peanut ball, weighted blanket, he loves throwing a small bean … Continue reading My 12 year old needs constant dopamine hits and struggles to regulate.

How do I best help my son who has been diagnosed with dyslexia?

Parent Question:My 10-year-old son has just been diagnosed as dyslexic. It does explain a lot as doing homework with him was always a bit of a torture. He was really struggling with reading and writing. He would often come home from school totally confused about what homework to do and would not have written in his … Continue reading How do I best help my son who has been diagnosed with dyslexia?

My son complains about going to see his dad

Parent Question:My husband and I separated five years ago and our nearly 11-year-old son stays with him every second weekend. His dad collects him from school on the Friday and takes him to school on Monday. In the last few months, my son has been complaining about going to see his dad. He is not … Continue reading My son complains about going to see his dad

Should we tell our children the reason for our separation?

Parent Question:My husband and I have made the painful decision to separate. We had been in therapy for over a year and have been unable to resolve our issues stemming from my husband having an affair with a work colleague. Now my husband and I are talking about how to separate well for our two children aged 12 and … Continue reading Should we tell our children the reason for our separation?