Welcoming Emily to the SQPsych team

Just a quick note to inform you that SQPsych is accepting new referrals and to introduce you to the newest member of the SQPsych team.

Emily Millar – Counsellor

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Emily Millar is an enthusiastic new graduate counsellor well placed to work with children, adolescents, and adults supporting them to address a variety of concerns including:
• Depression.
• Anxiety.
• ADHD.
• Trauma. 

Emily is also a registered non-practicing nurse, and has an interest in body based therapies, art, play and talk therapy.

You can view her full bio on the SQPsych website here: https://sqpsych.com/practitioners/

If someone you know or care for would like to make an appointment with Emily, please contact me via one of the channels below to arrange an initial appointment. 

Enquiries

SMS your name and email address to: 0485 865 156

Call and leave a message on: 0466 055 687

Or

Email: enquiry@sqpsych.com

SQPsych is moving!

SQPsych has secured office space in Mount Gravatt.

As many of you know, SQPsych is continually growing and changing, much like we do as people. Over the next couple of months I will be setting up the new office space in Mount Gravatt to welcome clients (new and existing) and begin operating. The plan is to make the process gradual starting with a couple of days per week out of the new office with full hours of operation starting late November 2022.

Crestpoint House Wellbeing Centre
1420 Logan Road, Mount Gravatt, 4122

Full hours starting Tuesday 29 November 2022

Hours: 10am-5:30pm Tue-Thur and 10am-2pm Fri

Deciding on the location was not easy, as SQPsych currently has clients from locations all over Brisbane (and throughout QLD via telehealth). Crestpoint House Wellbeing Centre is conveniently located 11km from Brisbane CBD, and 19km from the eastern suburb of Manly, QLD. Additionally, SQPsych continues to operate via telehealth (Zoom) and is also committed to maintaining a strong referral network so that clients are able to access psychologists at times and locations convenient to them.

Thank you for your patience during the process, I look forward to welcoming you to the new clinic in Mount Gravatt.

Shannon Quinn, Psychologist, M.P.Psych

Expressions of Interest

Coordinators, support staff, educators, and caregivers. Calling for expressions of interest for group bookings for SQPsych’s Introduction to Autism training.

Although the general population has more knowledge now than ever about Autism, there is still exists a lack of understanding and knowledge in identifying and supporting individuals with Autism. #Autism #training

My ADHD brain: 4 areas of the brain affected in ADHD

Individuals with ADHD who come to see me for therapy often ask what is going on in their brain, and how their brain is different from “normal people’s” brains. I struggle to answer this question because 1. I don’t want to spend too much of our time together lecturing about the latest literature on the neuroscience of ADHD. I fear that the information I provide may be too general and not specific to their personal profile of strengths and weaknesses, and 2. I also have to acknowledge the limitations of my own coherent understanding of this aspect of the disorder: however I do continue to learn!

On the other hand I do find the neuroscience of psychological disorders both interesting and enlightening, and potentially useful information for clients regardless of whether it is applied to ADHD, depression, or any other psychological disorder. Somehow being able to locate and see the disorder in the brain can be of high value with clients often exclaiming “oh, this isn’t just me (…a flawed character trait) there is something going on in my brain which I had no choice in and I can see it there in front of me now”.

So here goes: below I present to you four brain areas which are impacted in ADHD, with animations of their location within the brain, and some bits and pieces that I hope readers, clients, mental health professionals, and general community members will find interesting and useful to know in their journey learning about ADHD.

1. The Cerebellum

Highlighted in red in the animation on the left, the cerebellum monitors and regulates motor behaviour. Some studies also link the cerebellum with learning and attention. One theory is that the cerebellum is like a “neuronal learning machine” with the ability to influence the development of other brain regions including areas in the frontal lobe.

The cerebellum is associated with the following functions:

  • Coordinating voluntary movement.
  • Motor- learning.
  • Balance.
  • Reflex memory.
  • Posture.
  • Timing.
  • Sequence learning.

Most people with some knowledge of ADHD have heard about the use of stimulant medication as a treatment for ADHD. Neuroimaging studies show that (e.g. Rubia et al, 2009) one of these medications, Methylphenidate (think brand names like Ritalin, Concerta), increases activation in the cerebellum.

Animation: By Polygon data were generated by Database Center for Life Science(DBCLS)[2]. – Polygon data are from BodyParts3D[1], CC BY-SA 2.1 jp, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8956692

2. The Splenium

A sub structure of the corpus callosum, abnormalities in this region of the brain have been observed in ADHD. The corpus callosum connects the right and left sides of the brain.

The corpus callosum is associated with the following functions:

  • Allowing information to pass between the left and right hemispheres.

Ever poke your tongue out when you were concentrating on something really hard like a tricky puzzle, drawing, or when cutting something out with scissors?

Some scientists (e.g. D’Agati et. al., 2010) have found that people with ADHD with dysfunction in this area seem to move more than is required for a particular task. They may suffer from “overflow movements” where body parts that are not specifically required to complete a task are moving unnecessarily. This overflow has implications for response control and inhibition.

Animation: By Images are generated by Life Science Databases(LSDB). – from Anatomography[1] website maintained by Life Science Databases(LSDB).You can get and can edit this image through URL below. 次のアドレスからこのファイルで使用している画像を取得できますURL., CC BY-SA 2.1 jp, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7762096

3. The Caudate Nucleus

Highlighted in green, the basal ganglia includes the substructure: the caudate nucleus. The basal ganglia is a group of structures which regulate the initiation of movements, balance, eye movements, and posture.

Other functions associated with this part of the brain include:

  • Regulation of movement.
  • Skill learning.
  • Habit formation.
  • Reward systems.

Ever had the feeling that you just cant keep your eyes off something no matter how hard you try?

Several studies indicate that individuals with ADHD have difficulty controlling their eye movements (e.g. Mahone et al, 2011). For example in one eye movement task (the antisaccade task), the individual is presented with a motionless target such as a dot on a screen. A picture is then presented to, say, the right side of the dot and the person is instructed to look to the left of the dot and not at the picture when it is presented. Individuals with ADHD are more likely to make errors, unable to inhibit their reflex action to look at the picture on the right.

Animation: By Danielsabinasz – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=103150668

4. The Frontal Lobe

The frontal lobe is the largest brain structure and associated with the “higher cognitive functions”. The executive functions are located here. The frontal lobe is broadly associated with attention, thought, voluntary movement, decision making, and language.

The frontal lobe is associated with the executive functions which include:

  • Attention.
  • Emotion regulation.
  • Flexibility.
  • Inhibitory control.
  • Initiation.
  • Organisation.
  • Planning.
  • Self-monitoring.
  • Working memory.

Do you ever find that you give yourself encouragement by saying things like “come on you can do it” either silently in your “inside voice” or out loud so others can hear you?

Most of us would be aware that we sometimes encourage or guide ourselves through difficult tasks using our silent inner voice. In young children this capability is not yet developed. However as children grow they are expected to inhibit audible self-talk and begin to engage in silent inner dialogue more and more to support successful task completion. Studies show (e.g. Berk & Potts, 1991) that children with ADHD engage in more audible self-talk than those without ADHD and those with ADHD experience less attentional gains from self-talk than children without ADHD.

Animation: By Polygon data were generated by Life Science Databases(LSDB). – Polygon data are from BodyParts3D.[11], CC BY-SA 2.1 jp, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9499837

So there we have it. A little about four areas of the brain which are impacted in ADHD. I would encourage anyone to familiarise themselves with the brain and to wrap up this post I am passing on the details of a couple of resources:

One is an app which I have had on my a mobile devices for years called “3D Brain” (Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory). This app is a collection of interactive 3D models of different brain structures so that you can really see and get to know what they look like. I got my version from the apple app store.

Another is the “Whole Brain Atlas” (Harvard Medical School) which is a data set of brain image topographical slices. One of the links contained on this page is a database of the ‘top 100 brain structures’. Here’s the link: https://www.med.harvard.edu/aanlib/

Happy learning!

Shannon Quinn – Psychologist – M.P.Psych

Free for Download: Prompt Cards for Conversations about Cognitive Distortions

Earlier this year I employed an illustrator to help me develop some prompt cards to use in session with clients, stimulate conversation, and add a visual component to further explain some of the unhelpful thinking styles commonly seen in anxiety, depression, and other psychological difficulties. I think they have come together really well and the illustrations do help to explain each distortion in a different way. Now I am offering them up for free download. If you have any questions or comments about the cards, I would be glad to hear from you. Simply send me an email here:

Challenging Behaviour – Functional Behavioural Assessment

At times, individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders (i.e. Autism, Intellectual Disability, ADHD) can behave in ways that are challenging to those around them. The behaviours may be directed toward others, or toward themselves and can be highly distressing for the individual, carers, and those around them. Behaviours are most distressing and challenging when they cause harm to other people or the individual. Common harmful behaviours include:

Behaviour toward others

  • Hitting others with hands
  • Hitting others with objects
  • Scratching others
  • Pulling hair of others
  • Pinching others
  • Biting others
  • Pushing or pulling others
  • Head-butting others
  • Choking others

Behaviour toward self

  • Skin picking self
  • Biting self
  • Head punching/slapping self
  • Head to object banging self
  • Body to object banging self
  • Hair removal self
  • Body punching or slapping self
  • Eye poking self
  • Banging with tools self
  • Lip chewing self
  • Nail removal self
  • Teeth banging self

Often individuals with these types of neurodevelopmental disorders are unable to communicate the reason’s why they are completing these behaviours, and so a behavioural practitioner is employed to complete a functional behavioural assessment to make some hypotheses about why. The practitioner is interested in the function of the behaviour, (or the motivation behind the behaviour) and this is where the name functional behaviour assessment comes from.

So, WTF?

No, not that what the… actually we are always asking: what is the function?

Behaviours can generally be separated into four or five functional categories:

  1. Social Interaction

Individuals may display behaviours as a means to communicate with others and gain social attention or interaction. For example, the boy who throws an object in another child’s direction as a way to get their attention, or the girl who pulls another girls hair.

2. Escape

Behaviours may be used as a means to escape certain undesirable activities or environments. For example, the teenager who yells and screams when asked to start doing their homework, or the adult who runs toward traffic when getting in the car to go to the GP.

3. Non-social (Sensory)

Self-stimulation and repetitive behaviours may be used to reach a desired level or arousal, or as a way to reduce discomfort or anxiety. For example, the woman who picks at her skin, or the boy who isolates to his room and plays video games repetitively.

4. Tangible

Behaviours may be used to gain access to tangible resources such as money, food, games, or toys. For example the toddler who kicks and screams until they are given their favourite snack, or the man who hits himself in the head when he is not able to buy a soft drink, only to be given the soft drink to de-escalate the situation.

Its not just people with neurodevelopmental concerns who display challenging behaviours. We all do at times. Have a think about a time when you became frustrated and instead of communicating with language, you communicated with behaviour. If you drive a motor-vehicle, have you ever tooted your car horn at a fellow motorist in anger? This could be considered a challenging behaviour to other motorists and may cause some distress. Of course this is quite benign example but I hope it illustrates my point that challenging behaviours exist on a continuum from and can be considered normal in many ways.

Fortunately, most of us have reasonably well developed skills to problem solve, navigate the world, inhibit our impulses, and express our needs through language. However, when individuals are unable or unwilling to communicate the reasons why they perform certain behaviours, those who care and support the individual can be left perplexed and feel powerless to make change. They wish to reduce or contain the behaviour so that the individual and those around them are safe.

This is where the behavioural practitioner can help to determine the function of the behaviour. Once a hypothesis is made about the function of the behaviour, the behavioural practitioner can then make recommendations to reduce the likelihood that the behaviour will occur. Identified triggers can be minimised, and alternative behaviours which meet the individuals needs can be taught. Any factors that may be inadvertently rewarding the behaviour(s) can be avoided. Staff can also be trained in appropriate ways to respond to challenging behaviours and trained in strategies to teach alternative behaviours.

Working to reduce challenging behaviours is an ongoing process, and is grounded in the scientific method where hypotheses about the function of the behaviour are made, interventions are applied, and reviewed for their effectiveness. If the interventions are effective, brilliant! If not, the hypotheses and interventions are modified and trialled again. Of course, in the end, this process is about improving the quality of life of the individual, and equipping supports and caregivers with the tools necessary to keep the individual and those around them safe and well.

Study Habits – PATS

Employing focussing strategies can help students maximise their study time and remember more information. If an environment is less distracting, students are more likely to be able to manipulate information in their mind. In turn, students will be better able to remember the information over time. Furthermore, if students employ strategies to self-monitor how distracted they are, it is more likely they will be able to focus. This strategy uses the mnemonic acronym, PATS, which stands for:

Pick the right environment to study:

  • Pick a good place to study that is comfortable. Consider how quiet the place should be, how busy it should be, and how bright it should be (bright light can be distracting and low light can make it difficult to see).
  • Set aside a dedicated place to study. A student’s mind might be confused and distracted by trying to study in bed, for example, because a bed is associated with sleeping.

Always reduce visual distractions:

  • Find a place such as at a desk facing away from other distracting activity.
  • Only have the necessary material. Other books, toys, magazines, and computers can be distracting.

Try to eliminate noise around you.

  • Study in a quiet room. Lights and fans may contribute noise, so earplugs may be helpful.
  • Some people like to study with music. Be sure it is not distracting. If it is, pick a quieter volume or different style of music.

Self-talk to control internal distractions.

  • Some students may be distracted by internal factors such as thoughts about other things, hunger, or worry. Students should monitor their internal distractions and use positive self-talk to focus.
  • For example, if a student is eager to e-mail a friend, the student should say to themselves, “I’m distracted by wanting to e-mail, but I need to study more. I’ll study for 15 more minutes and then take a break to e-mail.” In this example, a timer would be a great way to help quantify study time and focus.

Students should be explicitly taught PATS and guided to use it. During class or study at home, a teacher or parent can remind the student to use PATS when they need to really focus and remember information.

Source: The Comprehensive Executive Functioning Inventory

Autism – Teaching Daily Living Skills

For some people on the spectrum, daily living skills may be more difficult to learn than for normally developing individuals their age. To teach a skill that has not yet developed, caregivers should be able to help the individual break the skill down into multiple steps. By breaking the task down into each step, caregivers can teach the skill in phases so the individual can become increasingly independent. Caregivers can learn about task analysis implementation to improve their teaching skills. Task analysis includes the following six steps:

  1. Task identification
  2. Required prerequisite skills and materials needed
  3. Breaking the task into steps
  4. Confirming that the task is completely analysed
  5. Determining how the skill will be taught
  6. Teaching the skills and monitoring progress 

So how do we teach these skills…….

My suggestion is video modelling

Most of us carry a mobile phone with us throughout the day, and people on the spectrum often have an affinity with technology. Besides, video modelling is well supported by the academic literature as an evidence-based intervention for teaching new skills to those on the Autism Spectrum. A brief search of the ProQuest Medline database yielded 1809 results for the search term “video modelling and video prompting autism”. The first 20 results included video modelling interventions for a wide variety of behaviours including:

  • General Task Completion
  • Functional Skills
  • Role Playing Skills
  • Social Language Skills
  • Vocational Skills
  • Imitation
  • Finding a Word in the Dictionary
  • Safe Pedestrian Skills
  • Transitional Skills
  • Active Video Game Skills
  • Play
  • Toilet Training

The following table presents four types of video modelling appropriate for learning different skills in different settings:

TypeDescription
Basic Video ModellingOther adults, children, or animations demonstrate the behaviour or skill
Video Self-ModellingThe individual models the behaviour while being guided and recorded by a trainer
Point of View Video ModellingThe video is recorded in first person view, so that the individual can learn what the behaviour looks like (particularly useful for seeing hand movements)
Video-PromptingDirections are given by a trainer in a stepwise fashion
Types of Video Modelling

There are four main steps to implementing video modelling interventions to develop new skills. The first is to plan the intervention, next the video is made, followed by implementing the video with the person with ASD, and then follow-up.

Step 1.Select a target behaviour, choose the equipment, break down the target behaviour by writing a task analysis.
Step 2.Decide on the type of video modelling, consider other factors (i.e. location), and then create the video.
Step 3.Decide on the equipment used to show the video, prepare (i.e. ensure the devices are charged), show the video on a regular schedule.
Step 4.Monitor the intervention, troubleshoot and resolve barriers to learning, fade the video, decide whether to expand the video to a related skill or move to a new one.
Video Modelling Process

Effective implementation has been demonstrated through a single case study design by Shrestha, Anderson, and Moore (2013), ‘Using Point-Of-View Modelling and Forward Chaining to Teach a Functional Self-Help Skill to a Child with Autism’ in ‘The Journal of Behavioural Education’ as demonstrated by the following direct quote.

“Three videos were produced, one for each phase, with John’s mother as the model. As the videos were intended to represent the participant’s point-of-view, the camera was held over the model’s shoulders showing two hands completing the tasks, with a voiceover explaining the steps. The first video, which began with a voiceover providing an initial prompt to start the task, saying, ‘‘I’m hungry! Let’s get some Weetbix without any help!’’ included a visual representation of Steps 1–4, and was 2 min 6 s in duration. The second video included Steps 1–10 and was 3 min 28 s long. The final video was 3 min and 45 s and included Steps 1–13. All three videos included verbal praise, ‘‘Great job!’’, at the end.

1) Get a bowl from the drawer

2) Get a spoon from the drawer

3) Get Weetbix from the cupboard

4) Get soy milk from the fridge

5) Put two Weetbix in the bowl

6) Open the lid of the milk bottle

7) Pour some milk in the bowl just enough so the Weetbix can still be seen

8) Close the lid of the milk bottle

9) Break the Weetbix up

10) Eat

11) Take the bowl over to the sink

12) Put the Weetbix back in the cupboard

13) Put the milk back in the fridge”