Dyslexia in the News:  Video Games Found to Help with Dyslexia

[Source:  UPI.com]

Playing action video games can make dyslexic children read better, Italian scientists say, and even short spells with games can greatly increase reading skills.

Writing in the journal Current Biology, the researchers reported 12 hours of video game play did more for reading skills than is normally achieved with a year of spontaneous reading development or traditional reading treatments.

Previous studies have linked dyslexia to early problems with visual attention rather than language skills, they said.

Physical Fitness in the News: Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, and Aerobics: Evaluating the New 'R' in Academic Performance

Editor's Note:  PediaStaff frequently reprints this research articles as "odes to the obvious."  Take a hard look at this article however.  The data on this one is really quite remarkable.

[Source:  Science Daily]

Although the long-term consequences of childhood obesity are well documented, some school districts have reduced physical education classes to devote more time to the 3 Rs in education - reading, writing, and arithmetic. However, there is new evidence that leaving out an important fourth R - aerobics - could actually be counterproductive for increasing test scores.

A new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics studied the associations between aerobic fitness, body mass index (BMI), and passing scores on standardized math and reading tests.  

Feel Good Story of the Week:  Children with Down Syndrome Taking the Modeling World by Storm   

[Source:  The Sun (UK)]

With their gorgeous faces and cheeky grins, it's not hard to see why they got snapped up.
 

But unlike the kids we are used to seeing in ad campaigns, all these were born with Down's syndrome.

Last year saw more DS children than ever before gracing the catwalks and catalogs and demand from fashion retailers is at an all-time high.
 

Xanthe Breen, of the the Down's Syndrome Association said: "Around one in 1,000 babies is born with Down's syndrome - a genetic condition caused by an extra chromosome. People with Down's need a little extra help to achieve their full potential.

"At the association, we have seen a real change in attitude towards DS since we started in 1970.

"When you look at these children, the first thing you notice is their beauty.

"By being photographed and then being part of various advertising campaigns, the models are helping to break down barriers and promote positive inclusion.

Autism Treatment in the News:  Physical Therapy In Autism Spectrum Disorders  

ADHD Research in the News:  Children With ADHD Require Long-Term Treatment Well Into Adulthood  

Autism Related Language Delay in the News:  Speech Emerges in Children On the Autism Spectrum With Severe Language Delay at Greater Rate Than Previously Thought   

[Source: Science Daily]

Brain Development in the News:  The Brain Adds New Cells During Puberty To Help Navigate The Complex Social World Of Adulthood    

[Source: Medical News Today]

Two Michigan State University neuroscientists report in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Scientists used to think the brain cells you're born with are all you get. After studies revealed the birth of new brain cells in adults, conventional wisdom held that such growth was limited to two brain regions associated with memory and smell.

But in the past few years, researchers in MSU's neuroscience program have shown that mammalian brains also add cells during puberty in the amygdala and interconnected regions where it was thought no new growth occurred. The amygdala plays an important role in helping the brain make sense of social cues. For hamsters, it picks up signals transmitted by smell through pheromones; in humans,

Autism Research in the News:  Encouraging Eye Contact May Disturb Thinking in Children with Autism     

[Source My Health News Daily]

 

Children with autism look away from faces when thinking, especially about a challenging problem - just as people without the condition do, according to a recent study.  

Avoiding eye contact is a common behavior of people with autism, and children with the condition are sometimes trained and encouraged to meet others' gazes.  

But the new findings show that looking away sometimes serves a purpose, and encouraging eye contact can interfere with a child's thoughts.

Book Review of the Week:  Teaching The Difference Between Honesty and Being Frank   

Often as speech pathologists we are called upon to teach kids the nuances of language. What does someone REALLY mean when they say something? Can we get some clues from their face and body language?

PT Activity of the Week:  Slow Motion - Muscle Strengthening Game   

[Source:  Your Therapy Source]

Here is a fun, simple strengthening exercise that requires no equipment - slow motion.  When you slow down a motion it requires more muscle control and a longer muscle contraction.  Pretend to act out the following activities in s-l-o-w motion:

1. Running a race
2. Shooting a basketball
3. Walking up or down stairs
4. Bicycle riding laying on your back
5. Ballet dancing

App Review of the Week:  Social Skill Builder   

Over the past month I've had the opportunity to use Social Skill Builder's App!  Both the Full and Lite versions are compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad (iOS 4.3 or later).  I had previously used the Lite version but was provided the Full version for the purpose of this.

SLP Resource of the Week:  Eggs Everywhere - Free Printable Book