You try to take your child to get their haircut at the child-friendly salon your mom-friend recommended, but when you get there your child tries to run away, scream, and hit the hairstylist. You resort to cutting their hair in the privacy of your home, or letting it grow to avoid going back to the salon.

You try to potty train your child at the same age that your older kids learned using all of the same successful strategies, but this child can’t seem to make it to the potty on time, refuses to sit on the toilet, and screams when it is time to flush. You give up and decide to wait until they are older.

You try to cut your child’s nails with child safety clippers, but they squirm and scream so much you are still worried that you will hurt them. You end up cutting their nails while they are asleep to avoid the battle, or let them grow and hope that they will get filed down naturally as your child plays outside.

If you could sympathize with the frustration, exhaustion and embarrassment of any of these scenarios, you are not alone! This website was created out of a need to have an all-encompassing resource to support families as they navigate through challenges that aren’t necessarily listed in baby books, or discussed at parent/child play groups. It can feel isolating, and confusing to have a child that does not seem to follow the same trajectory as their peers, and especially frustrating if you have already raised older siblings who didn’t have the same issues.

The good news is, this website can help you to understand why your child might be struggling to adapt to a new experience, and what you can do to support them. Use the “I Can…” dropdown list to access a step-by-step guide to prepare your child for each experience (i.e. get a haircut, get their nails trimmed, learn to swim, use the potty), with links to books, toys, videos, and additional references. Each “I Can…” page also includes a “Behavior Decoder” to help break down the process for figuring out which modifications and supports might help your child be successful.

Welcome!