Blog

  • Community Guidelines

    Community Guidelines

    Be Happy Don’t we all want to be happy?  curaJOY is all about joy, and long-lasting happiness, and we are a non-profit formed to build and support children’s inner strengths—emotional fitness—in fun yet effective ways so they experience and fulfill their maximum potential.  To make sure curaJOY’s community is a happy, safe and supportive place,…

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  • Why Won’t You Admit You’re Autistic Like Me?

    Why Won’t You Admit You’re Autistic Like Me?

    My Journey with Autism: Learning Empathy and Finding Understanding I have autism, it’s not a sercret I try to hide. Growing up with autism, I didn’t really understand other people and their views, and I had a hard time expressing my ideas. But I didn’t see it that way. When it was my turn to…

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  • Can ABA Be Harmful

    Can ABA Be Harmful

    Understanding the Complexities of ABA: Positive Impact and Potential Harms Short answer? Yes, it can potentially be, but it’s a lot more complicated than that. While the application of the science of ABA can be positively life-changing for many individuals and their families, there are a number of ABA recipients who have been harmed by…

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  • I’m Not OK🥹

    I’m Not OK🥹

    Dealing With The Suffering of My Beloved Cat I’m so sad. My cat is dying before my eyes from a very aggressive form of lymphoma. We are going through chemo and a demanding home care routine. There are so many injections to give and pills and syrups to shove down his throat. I wish I…

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  • I’m there for you–the whole you

    I’m there for you–the whole you

    Challenges and Reflections on Caring for a Dying Pet My cat in Taiwan was diagnosed with large-cell lymphoma last month.  It’s a disease with a grim prognosis, even with aggressive and successful treatments.   I know he is just a pet, but he helped me survive the difficult periods early in my marriage and move…

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  • curaJOY Announces New Programs For Healthcare Equity In Marginalized Communities

    curaJOY Announces New Programs For Healthcare Equity In Marginalized Communities

    curaJOY, a non-profit organization that focuses on building emotional wellness in marginalized families, aims to reduce social disparities in healthcare with its latest programs. Amazon’s Health Equity Initiative has selected the organization to support its digital wellness solutions.

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  • Talking  Back

    Talking Back

    If you can’t regulate your emotions, your kid will struggle to regulate their own.  You ask your kid to do something. They say something rude or snippy in return. You feel the need to correct this behavior, so you shout back at them for being rude, they shout back at you, and you’re back in…

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  • If Yes or No Questions Backfire, Give Choices Instead

    If Yes or No Questions Backfire, Give Choices Instead

    “Can you start your homework?” (alternatively, “Have you finished your homework/ Homework.”) “No.” “Do you want to clean your room now?” “Nah.” “Wanna go to work and attend to all of your responsibilities today?” “Uh… no.”  Offering choices to our children instead of asking yes/no questions can transform how they respond to you. Choices foster…

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  • State of ABA Industry

    State of ABA Industry

    The behavioral healthcare industry is in trouble. For kids and families, the dire shortage of providers and difficulty obtaining services means long wait times for necessary evaluations for speech, behavior, occupational, and other therapies, prescriptions for services, and their services to begin. They may get through the entire process and not qualify for treatment. Many…

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  • Yes, When

    Yes, When

    If your child struggles when you tell them “no”, try saying “yes, when” instead. For example, your kid might ask for junk food or more time on Minecraft. Instead of saying “no,” which triggers immediate negative behavior and a stressful power struggle, tell them when they can fulfill their request. “Yes, you can have more…

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  • 7 Ways to Boost Emotional Well-being

    7 Ways to Boost Emotional Well-being

    This article was written by Tchiki Davis, Ph.D. and originally posted at Psychology Today. Boosting emotional well-being is not about stopping or avoiding emotions. Emotions are a normal and necessary part of life. Emotional well-being comes from enhancing emotional awareness, emotion regulation, and emotional recovery. That means increasing emotional well-being is entirely possible. Here are some ways to…

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  • Why Asian Americans Don’t Seek Help for Mental Illness

    Why Asian Americans Don’t Seek Help for Mental Illness

    This article was originally written and posted by McLean Hospital. Mental health stigma affects all ethnicities, cultures, and nationalities, but Asian Americans may be more impacted than most. The National Latino and Asian American Study reported that while 18% of the general U.S. population sought mental health services and resources, only 8.6% of Asian Americans did so.…

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