Autism is a developmental disorder that affects learning and necessitates individualized care in the classroom by Alannah Miller | Aug 13, 2019 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Disorders, Mental Health Topics Have you seen the new hit show “The Good Doctor”? Well, if you haven’t, the show’s main character is surgical resident Dr. Shaun Murphy. Murphy is extremely intelligent and equipped with an amazing memory. He’s passionate about human anatomy and sees the body in a different light—no one’s knowledge can…
What are the most common learning problems in the classroom today? by Alannah Miller | Aug 12, 2019 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Disorders, Mental Health Topics Many school-aged children suffer from disorders and disabilities that affect learning, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, dyscalculia, language processing disorder, and many more. But what are the most common learning disabilities in the classroom today, and how can students best manage them to find success at school? 4 of…
How can family issues affect a child’s performance in school? by Taylor Bennett | Aug 1, 2019 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Family, Mental Health Topics Family challenges — such as divorce, financial issues, and sibling bullying — have the potential to negatively affect all family members, including kids. These young individuals do not have the tools or mental capacity to properly manage stress, and it shows in multiple capacities: one being their performance at school….
Playing organized sports decreases depression in boys, but not girls (Video) by Taylor Bennett | Jun 19, 2019 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Gender, Mental Health Topics Playing sports might protect boys from depression. A study from the journal Biological Psychiatry examined how exercise might impact the development of depression in children. It analyzed over 4,000 kids ages 9 to 11 and saw that sports participation was linked to fewer depression symptoms specifically in boys. Researchers found…
There are rising trends in suicide among young girls (Video) by Taylor Bennett | Jun 14, 2019 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Mental Health Topics, Suicide Disheartening research from Nationwide Children’s Hospital confirms a large increase in suicide rates for females, especially young girls. Researchers examined suicide rates among kids and adolescents ages 10 to 19 from 1975 to 2016. They found that suicide rates began to increase in both males and females in 2007, but…
Reducing screen time and blue light exposure can resolve sleep problems in teens (Video) by Taylor Bennett | Jun 12, 2019 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Media Use, Mental Health Topics, Sleep Too much screen time can lead to sleep problems in teens. But reducing screen time and blue light exposure can resolve these problems within a week. Researchers from the Netherlands Institute of Neuroscience investigated the effects of screen time on adolescents and saw that teens who were exposed to screen…
Traffic-related air pollution can increase anxiety in children (Video) by Taylor Bennett | Jun 7, 2019 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Research Exposure to traffic-related air pollution can contribute to anxiety in children. Researchers from the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center studied brain MRIs from 145 children with an average age of 12 years old. They looked specifically at levels of the metabolite Myo-Inositol, or MI: as increases…
Music can help kids better grasp concepts in math and science (Video) by Taylor Bennett | May 30, 2019 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Mental Health Topics, Research Music can help kids excel in complex subjects like math and physics. Many kids are intimidated by these subjects in school. But music can help them better understand difficult equations and theories, according to researchers from the Athena Research Center’s Institute for Language and Speech Processing. For example, students used…
More TV equals less sleep for preschoolers! (Video) by Taylor Bennett | May 28, 2019 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Media Use, Mental Health Topics, Sleep More TV means less sleep for preschoolers. This, according to researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The research team studied the rest and activity cycles of 470 preschoolers for 16 days. Additionally, they examined questionnaires completed by the parents about their child’s health and behavior, including how much TV…
Machine learning algorithm identifies depression and anxiety in children with 80% accuracy—could be used to create a smartphone app that helps detect mental illness in kids by Taylor Bennett | May 9, 2019 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Mental Health Topics, Research A machine learning algorithm was used to analyze children’s speech and identify depression and/or anxiety with 80% accuracy. Three features proved to indicate these illnesses: low pitch, repeated speech inflections and subject, and a higher pitch when surprised. Kids came up with a three-minute story on the spot, of which…
80% of kids/teens aren’t as physically active as they should be. (Video) by Taylor Bennett | May 1, 2019 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Health & Exercise, Mental Health Topics Most kids and teens aren’t getting enough physical activity. Researchers from the University of Jyvaskyla and LIKES Research Center for Physical Activity and Health analyzed activity levels in different age groups. They discovered that children and adolescents are becoming increasingly less active. The team says that four out of five…
How does divorce affect a child’s future relationships? How can it change their view of love? by Taylor Bennett | Mar 15, 2019 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Family, Mental Health Topics Children can be affected by their parents’ divorce in different capacities, depending on the nature of divorce as well as the parents’ relationship post-divorce. That said, there are often harmful effects on children of divorce, as well as struggles in coping and important lessons learned. Regardless of the cause for…