Robotics for Therapy in the News:  Robotic Therapy Aids Kids' Handwriting Skills

[Source:  Science Daily]

Researchers from Leeds and Bradford are working with colleagues from the United States to develop an exciting new robotic device that helps children to practice and improve their manual (hand) coordination.

The findings of a pilot study are being presented today at the British Psychological Society's Annual Conference in Reading, detailing the first time this innovative new technology has been trialled in a UK school.

The Brain - Body Connection in the News: Children With Behavioral Problems More at Risk of Inflammation, Health Problems Later in Life

Children with behavioral problems may be at risk of many chronic diseases in adulthood including heart disease, obesity, diabetes, as well as inflammatory illnesses (conditions which are caused by cell damage).

Analyzing data on more than 4,000 participants in the Children of the 90s study at the University of Bristol, researchers from Harvard and Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health found that children with behavioral problems at the age of 8, had higher levels of two proteins (C-reactive protein - CRP; and Interleukin 6 - IL-6) in their blood when tested at the age of 10. This was the case even after a large number of other factors, including sex, race, background, and medication use, were taken into account.

Language Research in the News:  Look at What I'm Saying: Engineers Show Brain Depends On Vision to Hear   

[Source: Science Daily]

University of Utah bioengineers discovered our understanding of language may depend more heavily on vision than previously thought: under the right conditions, what you see can override what you hear. These findings suggest artificial hearing devices and speech-recognition software could benefit from a camera, not just a microphone.

Hippotherapy in the News:  With Horses and iPads, Children with Autism Learn to Communicate  

[Source:  Science Daily]

Luke, a 7-year-old boy with autism had primarily only expressed requests to his parents (e.g., I want a drink), but this past year he was given a 1-pound iPad, introduced to a 1,000 pound horse and a special program called Strides�. During the concentrated eight-week Strides� program, Luke used the iPad to have his first two-way conversation, share his feelings and tell his new friends about how he lost his tooth.

Bilingualism in the News:  Think Twice, Speak Once: Bilinguals Process Both Languages Simultaneously  

[Source:  Science Daily]

Bilingual speakers can switch languages seamlessly, likely developing a higher level of mental flexibility than monolinguals, according to Penn State linguistic researchers.

"In the past, bilinguals were looked down upon," said Judith F. Kroll, Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Linguistics and Women's Studies. "Not only is bilingualism not bad for you, it may be really good. When you're switching languages all the time it strengthens your mental muscle and your executive function becomes enhanced."

More Mind - Body Connection in the News:  Aerobic Fitness Boosts Memory and Learning in Children   

Researchers say that physical fitness in children can boost their memory and learning abilities, particularly when initially learning a task that is more challenging.

The research, published in the journalPLOS ONE, was conducted by Lauren Raine and colleagues from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The study involved 48 children aged 9 and 10-years-old. On the first day, a test was carried out to measure the children's aerobic fitness. This involved conducting a maximal oxygen consumption test, which was done while the children carried out physical activity on a treadmill.

Cerebral Palsy in the News:  Closing in On Risk Factors for Cerebral Palsy and Infant Death    

[Source:  Science Daily]

Karin B. Nelson, M.D., scientist emeritus at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health, and her colleagues from the University of Sydney, the University of Western Australia and Sydney Adventist Hospital in Australia examined the degree to which four specific risk factors contributed to cerebral palsy and young infant death. The risk factors were asphyxial birth events (incidences during labor and delivery that had the potential to interfere with oxygen getting to the newborn's brain), inflammation (signs of infection), birth defects, and poor fetal growth (low birth weight plus some other factors related to expected size).

PediaStaff Social Media News:  The "My Therapy Share Room" Board is UP!   

PediaStaff Featured Job of the Week:  Pediatric Outpatient Occupational Therapist - Fayetteville, NC   

Speech Language Therapy Resource of the Week:  Therapy Ideas for Adolescents on Speech Drive.net  

Karen Clark has a great site with loads of free ideas on how to engage secondary school students in speech and language therapy.  From ideas on how to use vintage advertisements to commercials, cartoons, videos and more, this site has a ton of great idea designed to get kids talking!

App Review of the Week:  Toca Kitchen   

Video To Share:  Basketball Phenom With One Hand Beats the Odds   

Editor's Note:  Here is some nice inspiration for our kiddos when they are feeling down! Apparently the University of Florida Gators have already offered him a spot.

[Source:  ABC News]

When it comes to basketball, Zach Hodskins' skills are undeniable. The 17-year-old hits 60 percent of his shots, and his passes are electrifying.

The high school student from Georgia has turned into a national sensation. His highlight reel has been viewed more than 3.5 million times on YouTube. The big shocker: He is playing with just one hand.

"After he became active and could crawl out of his crib and he could crawl around, we could tell almost immediately, you know, everything was going to be fine. This kid was awesome, he could do anything,"  

Therapy Idea of the Week:  Picture Chat - Promoting Receptive and Expressive Language Using a Fun and Interactive Ice-Breaker Activity   

Materials Needed: 

• Camera (or Ipad/Iphone)
• A screen or TV that will allow the projection of the pictures you take
• PowerPoint

Steps:
 

1)     Take individual pictures of the students (as allowed by a photo release if required) in your group prior to your session and place them in a PowerPoint presentation (One picture per page)

2)     On the day of your session, tell the students you are going to show them a picture of one of their classmates for 3 seconds (these pictures should be projected on a screen where the whole group can see them).

3)     The students will try to identify the specific classmate pictured and give three things they know about their classmate and three things they want to know.