When the Problem is Asthma: What Does That Mean?
NATIONAL RESOURCES
KidsHealth.org Resources
- Asthma Center for Parents and Caregivers
This website provides asthma education. - Asthma Action Plan
Guide for creating asthma action plan, which is something parents and caregivers develop with children’s doctors. The plan serves as a tool to manage asthma, reduce flare-ups, and provide instructions in the event of a flare-up or emergency.
Healthychildren.org Resources
- Asthma Management at School
Tips for managing asthma at school and working with schools to develop a plan. - Diagnosing Asthma in Babies and Toddlers
Managing asthma in babies and toddlers - Asthma Gadgets: How to Use an MDI Closed-Mouth Inhaler
Information and video about using a metered dose inhaler. Be sure to click on the “watch video link.” - Asthma Gadgets: How to Use a Spacer without a Mask
Information and video about using an inhaler with a spacer. Be sure to click on the “watch video link.” - Asthma Gadgets: How to Use a Dry Powder Inhaler-Diskus
Information and video about using a dry powder inhaler. Be sure to click on the “watch video link.”
American Lung Association Factsheet
A step-by step guide to managing asthma in children.
MICHIGAN RESOURCES
Asthma Initiative of Michigan’s Managing Asthma Through Case-Management in Homes (MATCH)
Describes the MATCH program, which provides in-home visits to assess asthma triggers and other services. Also lists MATCH programs throughout the state.
RESOURCES FOR KIDS AND TEENS
KidsHealth.org Resources:
- Asthma Center for Kids
Asthma education presented in a way to engage children. - Asthma Center for Teens
Asthma education presented in a way to engage teens
YouTube videos:
- Kids Teaching Kids About Asthma
Asthma education, much of which is provided by kids. Integrated into the video is a simulation of a child having an asthma flare-up at school. - Iggy and the Inhalers
Cartoon characters shaped like inhalers provide asthma education.
I Don't Have Time for That!: Self-Care and Stress Reduction Techniques for Busy Caregivers
SECONDARY TRAUMATIC STRESS RESOURCES
National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) The aim of NCTSN is to improve access to care and services for children and adolescents who have experienced trauma. This is a large website that has a wide variety of resources related to trauma. Resources include educational information about trauma, how parents and caregivers can help children who have experienced trauma, options for treatment, how to access services for children who have experienced trauma, and numerous other resources. There are also sections that focus on specific types of trauma.
Specific pages: Resources for Parents and Caregivers Secondary Traumatic Stress
MEDITATION AND MINDFULNESS RESOURCES
- Insight Timer Meditation App
This free app for iPhones and Androids provides guided meditation videos. There is also a social media component to it that can connect you to friends and other who use the app, though you are not require to do this. - Headspace Meditation App
This is another free app for iPhones and Androids that provides guided medication videos. - Meditation Station and Wah! on Pandora
These Pandora stations feature calming music you use to meditate.
YouTube Videos
- These are videos featuring calming songs
- Tara Brach
Tara Brach is psychotherapist and medication teacher, and she is the founder of Insight Meditation Community of Washington, DC. Her website provides education and tools about practicing meditation. - davidji
davidji is a well-known meditation teacher. This is his website and it is full of resources about meditation, including videos. - Mindful
This is a website about practicing mindfulness with a section about meditation that includes tips and ideas for practicing meditation. - Pocket Mindfulness
This is a blog dedicated to the practice of mindfulness. How to guides and tips are provided. To get started with this resource, click on the “start here” link at the top of the page. - Gratitude and Mindfulness at Time of Uncertainty: How Mind Training Can Affect Wellbeing
This is a quick discussion of mindfulness.
SELF-AFFIRMATION RESOURCES
- The Only 100 Positive Affirmations You Will Ever Need
List of positive affirmations that is subdivided to meet specific needs. - Positive Affirmations: 101 Life-Changing Thoughts To Practice Daily
List of positive affirmations that is subdivided to meet specific needs. - YouTube
Go to YouTube and search for “I AM affirmations.”
SELF-CARE AND GRATITUDE RESOURCES
- 8 Wellbeing Benefits of Practicing Gratitude
This describes what practicing gratitude means and the benefits it offers. - 22 Gratitude Exercises That Will Change Your Life
Suggestions of ways to practice gratitude. - A Simple Weekly Mindfulness Practice: Keep a Gratitude Journal
Easy to follow guide for gratitude journaling. Gratitude journaling is about writing down and keeping track of things that you feel grateful for.
SELF-ASSESSMENTS
- Health and Wellness Wheel from the College of New Jersey
The Wellness Wheel is a way to think about the factors that influence overall wellness. This resource describes the seven components of the Wellness Wheel (Spiritual, Occupational, Environmental, Social, Physical, Intellectual, and Emotional) with resources to support each component. - Wellness Self-Assessment
This tool works well with the Wellness Wheel as it evaluates each of the seven components of wellness. It also has a guide to develop an action plan to address areas you want to improve.
Caring for the Caregiver: Coping with Stress for Your Health and Well-Being
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE RESOURCES
- American Heart Association’s High Blood Pressure Resources
This section of the American Heart Association’s website is dedicated to high blood pressure management and education. There are many useful tools to help you track your blood pressure, your diet, and other aspects of managing height blood pressure. - Calculate Your High Blood Pressure Health Risks
This is a quick tool you can use to assess your risk of having or developing high blood pressure. - National Institutes of Health’s “Your Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure”
This is a booklet about how to manage your blood pressure.
DIABETES RESOURCES
- American Diabetes Association
This website is completely dedicated to diabetes education and management. - Type 2 Diabetes Risk Test
This is a quick tool you can use to assess your risk of having or developing type 2 diabetes.
OTHER HEALTH CONDITIONS RESOURCES
- American Arthritis Association
This website is completely dedicated to arthritis education and management. - National Institutes of Health
This a great resource for learning about a whole host of health conditions including high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and many others.
NUTRITION RESOURCES
- American Heart Association’s How do I Follow a Healthy Diet?
This is a fact sheet with tips on improving your diet. - American Diabetes Association’s Create Your Plate
This is an interactive tool to help you plan meals and manage your diet.
EXERCISE RESOURCES
- American Diabetes Association’s Starter Walking Plan
This is a tool you can use to start and maintain an exercise plan via walking.
STRESS MANAGEMENT RESOURCES
- The Three-Minute Breathing Space Practice
This is a quick breathing/meditation exercise that includes a video.
Effectively Addressing Symptoms of Learning, Attention, and Behavior Disorders in Youth in Kinship Settings
NATIONAL RESOURCES
- U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights
This website contains information about kids’ rights in schools.
MICHIGAN RESOURCES
- Michigan Alliance for Families
This organization seeks to connect families that are caring for children with disabilities with the goal of improving children’s education. The website contains several resources including webinars. They are also available to help caregivers and parents advocate for their children.
Big Behavior and Trauma: Similarities, Differences, and Strategies for Parenting
NATIONAL RESOURCES
- National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)
The aim of NCTSN is to improve access to care and services for children and adolescents who have experienced trauma. This is a large website that has a wide variety of resources related to trauma. Resources include educational information about trauma, how you can help children who have experienced trauma, options for treatment, how to access services for children who have experienced trauma, and other resources. There are also sections that focus on specific types of trauma.
Specific page: Resources for Parents and Caregivers - Child-Mind Institute
This is a link to an article that talks about how a child’s experience of trauma impacts their experience in school. The main website itself, namely the “For Families” section, provides information about mental health issues and learning disorders that can occur in children, with some materials that focus on specific diagnoses.
Specific pages: For Families and How Trauma Affects Kids in School - Center of the Developing Child at Harvard University
This is a research and policy focused organization that aims to improve the health, learning ability, and social and economic mobility of children and their families. There resource section is particularly useful for parents and caregivers interested in supporting healthy childhood development. Some of the resources are free videos.
Specific page: Resource Library
MICHIGAN RESOURCES
- Michigan Social Emotional Toolkit
This resource provides families and the larger community tools to support the positive social and emotional health of youth. Tools aimed at the family level provide information about what social and emotional health is along with tips as to how to support the social and emotional health of children.
Specific page: Social Emotional Health: A Guide for Families with Children Birth to Age 8