In this video, I share ten practical interventions that people with mood disorders should consider implementing that involve changing your environment in some way (either your inner or outer environment). They include: medications, meditation, the arts, aromatherapy, nature, social connections, exercise, nutrition, psychotherapy, feeling gratitude, and having a purpose in life. As a person with […] The post Video #40 – Environmental Modifications for Mood Disorders first appeared on Thoma...| Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.
In this video, I highlight nine extraordinary individuals, four from the past and five from the present, who have struggled with mood disorders. At the same time, for each person, I include something that they’ve done with help bring them out of their depressed state. For Lincoln, it was his reciting sad songs and poems, […] The post Video #39 Nine Positive Role Models with Mood Disorders first appeared on Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D..| Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.
This video describes five assistive technology apps that are particularly well-suited for people with mood disorders like major depression or bipolar disorder. These apps include: meditation-mindfulness apps (e.g. Insight Timer), mood trackers (e.g. Moodfit), online live therapy platforms (e.g. TalkSpace), cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)-based apps (e.g. Sanvello), and music apps (e.g. Amazon Music). ___________________________________________ To […] The post Video #38- Assistive Tec...| Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.
In this video, I emphasize the importance of making good career choices if you happen to have a mood disorder (or know someone who has one). I make four suggestions to guide your thinking as to job possibilities: jobs that involve helping others manage their emotions (counselor, therapist etc.) since you’ve likely had lots of […] The post Video #37-Good Career Matches for People with Mood Disorders first appeared on Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D..| Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.
In this video I talk about Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection and how it can help explain why the genes for major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder are still in the gene pool. I explore five possibilities including: the positive advantages of contemplation (”positive rumination”), a more realistic sense of life, higher creative expression, […] The post Video #36 The Evolutionary Advantages of Mood Disorders first appeared on Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D..| Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.
In this video I emphasize the importance for neurodivergent individuals of creating positive and ”rich” social networks (which consists of all the relationships we have with friends, family, teachers, therapists, counselors, and others). Once we understand our network (and we can draw a ”sociogram” to give us a picture of it) we can ”tweak” so […] The post Enriching Social Networks of the Intellectually Disabled first appeared on Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D..| Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.
In this video I describe six different assistive technologies for people with intellectual disabilities. They include (with the specific product highlighted and discussed in parenthesis): online tutorials (the Khan Academy), social media platforms (Hello, It’s Me), alternative augmentative communication devices (Proloquo2Go), indoor navigation apps (Evelity), emergency contact apps (Red Panic Button), and social problem-solving apps […] The post Assistive Technologies for Intellectual Dis...| Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.
In this video (#33 in my series ”The Power of Neurodiversity’’), I focus on the issue of employment for people with intellectual disabilities. Only 19% of those with intellectual disabilities work, compared with 61% for neurotypicals. This isn’t right. Many of those who do work, end up in sheltered workshops doing menial tasks like assembling […] The post Video #33 – Positive Careers for the Intellectually Disabled first appeared on Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D..| Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.
In this video (#32 in my series on The Power of Neurodiversity) I talk about the stereotypes that neurotypical people have about those with Down syndrome, which holds that they’re limited in what they can accomplish, that perhaps they can work at a sheltered workshop assembling cardboard boxes or bussing dishes at a fast food […] The post Video – 25 Positive Role Models with Down Syndrome first appeared on Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D..| Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.
In this video I discuss the strengths associated with intellectual disabilities. It is especially important to do this because people with intellectual disabilities have been denegrated for over a century because of the dark history of I.Q. testing in America, wherein eugenically-minded psychologists used words like ”moron” and ”imbecile” to describe these individuals, and where […] The post Video #31 – Five Strengths of the Intellectually Disabled first appeared on Thomas Armstro...| Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.
This essay is based on my book Mindfulness in the Classroom: Strategies for Promoting Concentration, Compassion, and Calm.| Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.