Dr. Jeffery M. Bruns, PhD (Psychologist, Lecturer, and Author), Certified Educational and Behavioral Therapist, Director Parenting Intervention Clinic
During my time as a behavior therapist, I identified four characteristics of children who grew to become successful adults. The children (1) looked at learning as a process, (2) they were goal oriented, (3) they were focused, and most importantly, (4) they learned to earn privileges rather than expect privileges. The concept of learning to earn privileges is best taught during the critical stages of learning, ages seven through sixteen. In this stage of learning, children must become able to do some things well such as: read, write, calculate, and perform household chores. These are normal life skills. Yet, in our society where the individual is often catered to, the positive ethic of contribution is not always learned. The negative ethic of instant gratification and entitlement are becoming more the norm. It is through a child’s contribution to home, to school, and to a social group, that children gain a positive sense of self. Giving into instant gratification and allowing an entitlement attitude can damage a child’s self esteem.
Dr. Ali Hashemian, Ph.D. (ADHD Expert), American College of Behavioral Medicine, Director of Attention & Achievement Center
"An excellent tool to bring much needed and often missing order and structure to any household. An exceptionally easy tool for teachers to use, it teaches children how to be accountable for their behaviors, preparing them for real life. It removes uncertainty about rules and classroom expectations. By having clear, concise rules, expectations and rewards or consequences, uniformly and consistently applied, it eliminates teacher's guilt in discipline!"
Debra Levinson, Speech-Language Pathologist, Educational Therapist, Author
"One of the first things I learned as a graduate student in speech-language pathology was to avoid power struggles with my young clients. We were taught to use a timer, to have written rules and policies, to provide incentives, and to build our therapeutic environment in a way that would support our goals regardless of which activities a child might choose during any particular session. This gave us gentle control while allowing our clients to maintain their sense of self-respect and autonomy. EasyClassroom provides a similar set of behavioral supports to teahcer. The rules are clear. Incentives are built in. Decision-making builds the dignity and self-worth of the child. Simple. Effective. Efficient. Good stuff!"
Deirdre Brown-Bridges, Resource Specialist Supervisor for Dept of Juvenile Services
"As the Resource Specialist Supervisor I am responsible for making placement decisions regarding juvenile offenders, maintaining relationships with current residential and community based programs, and researching potential programs that can provide additional services to the population we work with. I am always seeking information that will allow youth to be served in the classroom setting with wrap around services. Having had grown up with a strong value system, I can attest to the classroom cohesion and respect level that was once a part of our communities. I think that the EasyClassroom program has the potential to reinstall those types of qualities within the classrooms of our present day problematic youth. EasyClassroom may be a way to keep our youth inside standard Classrooms and avoid outside placement by implementing a hands on easy to use system that teaches youth values, respect, and responsibility, all of which, I believe can help to prevent recidivism with juvenile offenders."