Keystone Pediatric Behavioral Health

How can we best support children and educators with developing inclusive learning environments? A qualitative review provides some direction. More professional development on autism and learning effective ways to modify the learning environment are needed. Check out the review for more information:

Strategies in supporting inclusive education for autistic students—A systematic review of qualitative research results - Linda Petersson-Bloom, Mona Holmqvist, 2022 Background and Aim Strategies to modify and adjust the educational setting in mainstream education for autistic students are under-researched. Hence, this revie...

Children with ADHD might experience more obstacles than the average student in their path to success, especially when going through changes in the learning environment. Check out resources from the CDC on helping your child succeed at school:

ADHD and school changes How to help children with ADHD with changes in schooling

Dozens of genes linked to ASD:

LinkedIn This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

Researchers found that, for preschoolers, the quantity of communication exchanges with a preschool teacher was related to the preschooler's language (vocabulary) development. As therapists, teachers, and parents we can help our children's language development by talking, commenting, labeling, and narrating with our kiddos all throughout the day.

New research links early vocabulary skills to teacher-child interaction in preschool classrooms “For all of us who care about the millions of children who spend most of their waking hours in child care, this is a call to action,” said Dr. Jill Gilkerson, Chief Research and Evaluation…

New research has identified a drug that can alleviate some social-communication deficits in mouse models. This is intriguing and exciting as it can contribute to our knowledge about the underlying neurological mechanisms of ASD and help to develop drug therapies that can be used to treat the core symptoms of ASD in the future. Check out the article!

New research has identified a drug that can alleviate some social-communication deficits in mouse models. This is intriguing and exciting as it can contribute to our knowledge about the underlying neurological mechanisms of ASD and help to develop drug therapies that can be used to treat the core symptoms of ASD in the future. Check out the article!

Drug Shown to Alleviate Autism-Associated Behavior - Neuroscience News A newly developed drug that blocks sodium channels in the cell membrane that can reverse MYT1L failure alleviates social behavior deficits in mouse models of ASD.

New findings that provide more information about the neurological underpinnings of ASD:

Found ‘Clue’ That Can Fundamentally Treat Autism Spectrum Disorder - Neuroscience News A newly discovered cell-specific molecular network associated with ASD could lay the groundwork for finding an effective treatment for those with autism.

Great strategies for teaching and correcting behaviors for children impacted by ADHD:

The Secret to Better Behavior? No Punishment at All If you’re exhausted and running out of ideas to correct your child’s difficult behaviors, you’re not alone. As I’ve learned, disciplining children with ADHD often means trying a few key strategies with one great twist – there’s actually no punishment involved at all!

Some research is showing the pandemic may be impacting developmental progress for so called "COVID babies":

https://lnkd.in/g_pGt9iv

Looks like we continue to learn about the impact of COVID and are just realizing some of the long term effects across a variety of life areas. An interesting read with implications for early intervention.

New study may change how ASD is defined/ categorized:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inspectrum/202205/new-research-may-change-how-we-think-about-the-autism-spectrum

New Research May Change How We Think About the Autism Spectrum INSAR keynote reveals brain differences correlate with cognition, not diagnosis.

CDC Revises Developmental Milestones for Kiddos making it easier to identify potential delays and start intervention sooner.

https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2022/02/10/cdc-revises-developmental-milestones-for-young-kids/29698/

CDC Revises Developmental Milestones For Young Kids A CDC effort to help identify children with autism and developmental disabilities early so that they can access appropriate supports and services is getting its first-ever update.

Children learn through play and when they are having fun! Check out this article on guided play.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/nickmorrison/2022/01/12/children-learn-more-through-play-than-from-teacher-led-instruction/?sh=10a0021430bb

Children Learn More Through Play Than From Teacher-Led Instruction Children learn more effectively through guided play than from traditional, teacher-led instruction, according to a new study, with particular gains in math skills.

More research suggesting the link between brain and gut health. Another important piece to the puzzle.

https://neurosciencenews.com/asd-microbiome-19823/

Research That Potentially Links Autism and Brain-Gut Microbiome - Neuroscience News A new review of almost 200 publications suggests the gut microbiota may play a critical role in modulating brain function, social behavior and other symptoms of autism.

Great tips and strategies for play time with our little ones!

https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/1081-tips-on-playing-with-babies-and-toddlers

Tips on Playing with Babies and Toddlers Try these tips the next time you play with your child and watch how even the simplest interactions encourage them to learn and explore the world around them.

Important news alert! Researchers in Israel have identified some signs of autism under 12 months old. Earlier identification can lead to even earlier intervention.

https://neurosciencenews.com/asd-early-detection-19860/

Autism Can Be Identified as Early as the First Year of Life - Neuroscience News Study reveals symptoms of autism can be detected within the first year of a child's life, and early detection can help with interventions that may significantly reduce the severity of lifelong developmental deviation.

ADHD a condition of childhood? Research suggests 90% of children will continue to have ADHD symptoms into adulthood.

https://www.additudemag.com/can-you-grow-out-of-adhd-study/

Study: Only 1 in 10 Children with ADHD Will Outgrow Symptoms Roughly 90% of children with ADHD will not outgrow the disorder by adulthood, according to a new study that also found that ADHD “waxes and wanes” for many individuals as they age.

The importance of early detection and treatment highlighted yet again! Children diagnosed with autism before age 2.5 and treated showed greater improvements in social-communication skills. More support for early screening and early intervention.

https://neurosciencenews.com/autism-age-social-19672/

Autism Diagnosis by 2.5 Years of Age Leads to Dramatic Improvements in Social Symptoms - Neuroscience News Children diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum by the age of 2.5 were three times more likely to exhibit improvements in core social symptoms than those diagnosed later.

Some great tips for encouraging a growth mindset in children:

https://www.verywellfamily.com/tips-for-teaching-your-child-to-have-a-growth-mindset-4014842

How to Teach Your Child to Have a Growth Mindset Having a growth mindset means your child knows how to work and persevere. Learn how to instill a growth mindset in the midst of challenges.

Great tips for a peaceful Holiday season for children on the spectrum from the autism society:

https://www.autism-society.org/holiday-tips/

Holiday Tips - Autism Society. Twelve Tips for Helping Individuals with Autism Have a Happy Holiday Season While many happily anticipate the coming holiday season,...

Great podcast on the important role of fathers in child development. This is a topic that is not often discussed enough, but so important to highlight:

https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/290-the-influence-of-fathers-on-young-children-s-development

The Influence of Fathers on Young Children’s Development In this podcast, Dr. Kyle Pruett talks about the important and unique role fathers play in the lives of young children.

Some good tips on parenting styles and how they can impact kiddos:

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/05/child-psychologist-explains-why-authoritative-parenting-is-the-best-style-for-raising-smart-confident-kids.html?__source=sharebar|email&par=sharebar

Here's what makes 'authoritative parents' different from the rest—and why psychologists say it's the best parenting style A child psychologist and mother of two breaks down what authoritative parenting means — and why researchers agree it's the best type.

Great resource for helping our little ones channel frustration and upset in a healthy manner:

https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/12-helping-young-children-channel-their-aggression

Helping Young Children Channel Their Aggression Parenting strategies for managing aggression in young children.

Novel research finds another early clue that an infant may be developing symptoms of autism. Study finds that unusual visual inspection of objects predicts later diagnosis. Another puzzle piece that could lead to additional and earlier interventions.

https://neurosciencenews.com/asd-visual-inspection-19347/

Unusual Visual Examination of Objects May Indicate Later Autism Diagnosis in Infants - Neuroscience News The way in which an infant visually examines an object may predict a later autism diagnosis, researchers say. Unusual visual inspection of items at 9 months was a strong predictor of an ASD diagnosis later in childhood.

Great strategies for helping kiddos develop emotional intelligence. A must read for parents out there:

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/07/the-emotional-intelligence-skill-parents-need-to-teach-kids-according-to-parenting-experts.html?__source=sharebar|email&par=sharebar

Parents who raise emotionally intelligent kids teach this important skill, says neuroscientist and parenting expert—here's how Kids are more likely to succeed in life if parents help them cultivate emotional intelligence starting at a young age, neuroscientist William Stixrud says.

New study finds a great new strategy for therapies:

https://neurosciencenews.com/asd-puppets-19070/

Children With Autism Respond Well to Puppets - Neuroscience News Puppets could be a useful tool to help young children on the autism spectrum improve their social engagement and attention.

New study finds babies prefer baby talk or "parentese"/ infant-directed speech even when exposed to multiple languages. The sing-song quality of infant-directed speech is more interesting and engaging than adult-directed speech.

Babies prefer baby talk, whether they're learning one language or two A study finds babies prefer baby talk, whether they're learning one language or two. Scientists knew infants learning one language preferred the sing-song tones of parents' baby talk, and now scientists have found babies learning two languages are developmentally right on track. Bilingual babies sho...