Parent Child Excursions are stand-alone courses on common topics in developmental and behavioral pediatrics: ADHD, anxiety, autism, social success, sibling relationships, eating, sleeping, violence, adolescence, gender, sexuality, and more. These in-depth courses are for parents of children with challenging temperaments or developmental differences. Each Excursion starts with a review of background concepts then dives deep into specific strategies. As with all Parent Child Journey courses, the emphasis here is on individualizing the approach for each child. Choose the topics that interest you. Real-life challenges. Real-life solutions.
As children learn differently, so do parents. Dr. Shapiro has designed options to fit different parent needs, schedules, and financial resources. A wide range of topics. Live discussion groups. Recorded at-your-own-pace video courses. All programs are offered on a pay-what-you-can basis.
Starting January 2026, the weekly Free Parent Support Group will continue as before but all Excursions courses will be offered
only as pre-recorded videos. See below.
Dr. Dan is not retiring but he is scaling back on the number of live discussion groups.
Live discussion with Dr. Dan by Zoom
Every Monday at 1:00 PM (USA Eastern Time)
Different topic every week. Informal discussion. You are not alone.
Join other parents and Dr. Dan for a participant-led discussion. Different themes are selected by the group each week. Share experiences and ideas. Support each other. Brainstorm solutions. You are not alone.
Just click the link next to the course title(s) of your choice. Then, scroll down to view the course outline and a sample video. Want to get all the Excursions? Note “complete package” option below all course listings.
Choose from the menu below. Pick what you like. Just $20 per course gets you two months of access. For registration, just click on individual course titles below.
Get six months of access to the whole buffet! If you are interested in viewing more than a few of these courses, you can purchase all the Excursions in one big bundle. Pay-what-you-can. Suggested range: $100-$350. To those of you who can pay more, thanks for helping those who can’t.
This video course provides a comprehensive discussion of ADHD medication. How to decide when to treat? How to run a carefully controlled medication trial? How to avoid blood level dips and provide even medication coverage? How to manage medication side effects? When, how and why to try stopping medication? Dr. Dan answers these questions and more.
Anxiety is the most common developmental challenge of childhood- but it is also the best understood and the most manageable. In this video course, Dr. Dan discusses the many causes of anxiety and what to do about it. His approach goes beyond child-centered cognitive behavioral therapy to include the whole family, school, and others.
ADHD, Anxiety and Autism often travel together. In this video course, Dr. Dan shows how to move beyond these diagnostic categories and think about a spectrum of excitation-inhibition. This way of thinking about developmental difference helps us find the right balance – with medication and other therapies – for each child.
Thanks to people with developmental differences, the world is changing. Hear Dr. Dan’s thoughts on: “What people with autism have to teach the rest of us about sexuality and gender.” Autism is common; so are differences in gender and sexuality. Is there a connection? How to support your child’s self-discovery.
Many children exhibit aggressive behaviors. They have violent thoughts. They say scary things. In this video discussion, Dr. Dan explores play-fighting, media exposure to violence, and more. When to just “let kids be kids.” When to worry. What to do.
Siblings can be the best of friends and the worst of enemies. Parents often struggle deciding when to take a step forward and when to take a step back. Using a family systems framework, Dr. Dan discusses how to individualize behavior management and teach children how to do collaborative problem-solving.
There are many reasons why some children struggle making friends. By understanding the source of these difficulties and your child’s current level of social development, you can set the stage for successful peer interactions. Dr. Dan shows how assessment of social development guides the choreography of “just-right” social challenges.
Whether your child eats too little or too much, this video course will help you understand why. How to take a balanced, practical, and individualized approach? Dr. Dan discusses the important difference between short-term calorie intake and long-term habit formation. Growth and nutrition matter. But social and emotional health should “weigh” at least as much.
Does your child have difficulty falling asleep and/or staying asleep? Should you be tough or soft? As with all of Dr. Dan’s programs, effective management depends upon the source of your child’s sleep problems – and a bit about you too! One approach does not fit all children or all parents. Here’s how to find what’s right for your family.
It’s no secret that the adolescent years can be stressful for teens and parents. However, this period between childhood and adulthood can also be a time of positive growth and development. In this video course, Dr. Dan reviews normal development then shares ideas on how to navigate common challenges. Little kids, little problems. Big kids, big problems. Parenting do’s and don’ts.
Get your copy of Dr. Dan’s book on ADHD, Anxiety, and Autism. This is an in-depth guide to medication management for ADHD, parallel exposure therapy for anxiety, combined therapies for management of coexisting conditions, social choreography for autism, plus the intertwined issues of autism, sexuality and gender. Available in paperback or Kindle e-book.
Graduates of the ten session Journey parent training program may be interested in more focused discussion of specific topics. But you don’t have to be a Journey graduate to sign up for these Excursions. All are welcome. These seminars are for parents of children of all ages with challenging temperaments or developmental differences. Each Excursion covers one topic, including some of the most common and difficult issues facing parents today. When you register for the live discussion group, you get the recorded video course free.
Each session will begin with a brief review of background concepts and specific strategies. Then, Dr. Dan leads the group discussion about individualized approaches to implementation. Conversation is informal. Parents are encouraged to share. By the end of the program, parents should understand where problems come from and what to do. Real-life challenges, real-life solutions.
All topics are always available through the recorded at-your-own-pace video courses. If you want to join a live discussion group, all the special topics are offered in rotation. Check out the list of Live Excursions to learn about upcoming topics and times.
You may also be interested in Parent Child Journey: An Individualized Approach to Raising Your Challenging Child – a ten session integrated course.