Leanne Tattrie Psychological Services Ltd

11/28/2025

Report Card Season is Upon Us: Understanding Your Child Beyond the Grades

As report cards begin to come home, many children (and parents) experience a mix of pride, stress, and uncertainty.

Academic feedback can be helpful, but it often reflects only one piece of a child’s broader learning profile. When a child is struggling, appearing inconsistent, or feeling overwhelmed, it can leave families wondering why and what to do next.

A psychoeducational assessment can offer meaningful clarity. By exploring how your child’s brain processes information, where their strengths lie, and which challenges may be affecting their academic performance, families gain a deeper and more compassionate understanding of their child’s learning needs. This insight also helps to guide targeted supports, effective school strategies, and a plan that truly aligns with how your child learns best.

If you notice increased stress, frustration, or questions about your child’s progress this report card season, it may be an ideal time to consider an assessment.

Understanding your child’s unique learning profile can bring reassurance, direction, and a stronger pathway forward.

11/18/2025

If your child or teen is struggling with attention, learning, organization, or keeping up with school demands, a comprehensive assessment can make a meaningful difference. These evaluations can provide clear answers, identify strengths, and outline practical, evidence-based supports to help students feel more confident and capable at school and at home.

11/17/2025

Birchwood has some limited (but immediate) openings for speech therapy. Give Bailey at call at the office to book your child's spot.

Do you have concerns about your child’s communication skills and/or how they pronounce their words? You may have been told to “wait and see”, but early action can make a world of difference!

Research consistently shows that the sooner a child with a communication difficulty receives professional support, the better their long-term outcomes. Early intervention helps build a strong foundation for clear communication, literacy, and social skills.

If you have concerns about your child’s ability to,

-be understood by unfamiliar listeners

-form specific sounds (pronunciation)

-use words to communicate needs

-follow simple directions,

then it is best to consult with a speech language pathologist.

At Birchwood Psychology we provide private SLP services to toddlers (18 months+), preschoolers, and school-aged children.

Call to book a consultation at 902 304 5527!

11/03/2025

Supporting executive functioning skills really is essential and we can be working on these skills even in early elementary.

Planning, organization, task initiation, emotional regulation and time management (among others) do not simply “emerge” with age. For many students, particularly those with learning or attention related challenges, these skills require direct instruction, practice and modelling.

Just as we would never expect a child to learn math or reading without explicit teaching, we should not expect students to independently master complex executive skills. Providing structure, visual tools, predictable routines and coaching helps students strengthen their ability to plan ahead, focus, manage impulses and follow through on tasks.

When we intentionally build executive functioning skills, we promote confidence, independence as well as academic (and life) success. If we empowering students with the right strategies and supports today, it can establish the foundation for greater resilience and capability later.

10/21/2025

Many children struggle fine motor skills. Developing a strong pencil grasp with good control is important. Here are some great ideas from The OT Toolbox presented in a nice visual for reference.

We love to work on fine motor skills using everyday objects in play. Here are some additional ideas: https://www.theottoolbox.com/tripod-grasp-fine-motor-skills-everyday-items/

10/19/2025

Free sessions

Join us for Free Virtual Autism Education Sessions

Hosted by the Provincial Preschool Autism Service (PPAS) – a partnership between IWK Health, Nova Scotia Health, Hearing and Speech Nova Scotia, and Autism Nova Scotia.

Learn practical, evidence-based strategies from health professionals to support your child’s development and everyday routines. Open to all families and caregivers.

Each session is free to attend, but space is limited, registration is capped at 50 participants per session.

https://iwkhealth.ca/provincial-preschool-autism-service/autism-education-series

10/19/2025

Some perspective when it comes to our ADHD children's "big emotions". By the time they get home, they likely do not have a whole lot of mental or emotional energy left in the "tank" and little prompts or requests can result in big reactions. Remember to try and look beyond the behavior in order to respond rather than react.

10/15/2025

Free sessions being offered through NSHealth!!

10/15/2025

Oct 12-18 is OCD Awareness week, and landmarks around Nova Scotia (and the world) are being lit up teal in recognition, including Province House in Halifax and the Big Fiddle in Sidney. So what do we want you to think about when you see them? That the only way to defeat OCD is together.

The first step is recognizing that OCD is a real problem. It’s not fun, like obsessing over Taylor Swift’s new album or your favorite sports team. Having OCD is miserable: you are consumed by thoughts you don’t want to have and behaviours you don’t want to do. Many of the families we work with describe it like a form of mental torture they go through every day. It takes over the person’s life and seeps into the lives of everyone who cares about them. That’s the bad news.

The good news? We know what to do to help! There are evidence-based treatments available throughout Nova Scotia. CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) with ERP (exposure and response prevention) is the gold-standard treatment, and you can find someone who is trained in it throughout our free public health services. For some, medication is needed as well - so talk to a family doctor or nurse practitioner.

Most importantly…gather your people. The road to recovery is challenging and having family and friends who will join you in your fight against OCD is so important. Get them on your team.

Together, we can defeat OCD.



A message from Dr. Ann Marie Joyce, Psychologist, IWK OCD Specific Care Clinic

09/18/2025

09/08/2025

Is your child displaying school avoidance or school refusal? Or perhaps their level of stress going to school is escalating and you are looking for some information or strategies?

Send a message to learn more