On the Lighter Side...  Therapist / Teacher Humor!

Vestibular Stimulation in the News: Effects of Platform Swing on Independent Work in Children with Autism

[Source:  Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities via Your Therapy Source]

Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities published research of the effects of using a platform swing on independent work behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).  The research was a pretest - posttest randomized design with 30 children with ASD.  All individuals in the 

Mystery Illness in the News:  Polio-Like Illness Found in Several California Children  

[Source:  CNN]

Doctors are looking for more information about a "polio-like syndrome" that has caused paralysis in a few children in California.

Neurologists have identified five patients who developed paralysis in one or more of their limbs between August 2012 and July 2013. All five children had been vaccinated against the poliovirus. Treatment did not seem to help the children regain their motor function.

Neurobiology Research in the News:  Identification of a Brain Region Essential for Social Memory Could Help Treat Autism, Etc. 

[Source:  Medical News Today]

Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers have determined that a small region of the hippocampus known as CA2 is essential for social memory, the ability of an animal to recognize another of the same species. A better grasp of the function of CA2 could prove useful in understanding and treating disorders characterized by altered social behaviors, such as autism, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. The findings, made in mice, were published today in the online edition of Nature.

Scientists have long understood that the hippocampus - a pair of seahorse-shaped structures in the 

ADHD in the News:  Doctors Train to Spot Signs of ADHD in Children 

[Source:  New York Times]

by Alan Schwarz

Jerry, 9 years old, dissolved into his Game Boy while his father described his attentional difficulties to the family pediatrician. The child began flitting around the room distractedly, ignoring the doctor's questions and squirming in his chair - but then he leapt up and yelled: "Freeze! What do you think is the problem here?"

Autism in the News: New APA Autism Guidelines 'Reduce Diagnosis by More Than 30%  

[Source:  Medical News Today]

Last year, the American Psychiatric Association issued new guidelines for the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. But new research from Columbia University School of Nursing in New York, NY, suggests that these guidelines could leave thousands of children who have developmental delays without autism diagnosis, meaning they will miss out on social services, educational support and medical benefits.

The study findings were recently published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

PediaStaff News:  TSHA 2014 is HERE! And It's Big, Just Like Texas!  

We are having a ball!   So many enthusiastic visitors and genuine Texas hospitality too!

Are you there?  Stop by!  We are at Booth # 437 and at this writing we still have Toobaloos and headsets left!

PediaStaff Therapy Placements of the Week:  Let's Talk More Texas!  

Congratulations to Bilingual Licensed Physical Therapist Monica S., and SLP Hannah S., on their new positions with one of PediaStaff's clinics in the greater Houston area!

Monica will serving children (many of them Spanish speaking), primarily aged 2-6 with motor skills, balance, coordination, strength and endurance.   She will also address sensory integration as well as developmental delays.  utilizing a variety of treatment techniques and equipment in a safe and fun environment in order to achieve age appropriate functional goals.

Hannah will help children integrate all aspects their speech and language development, including receptive and expressive language, pragmatic language, articulation, respiration and fluency.   With some clients she will work on cognitive components such as problem solving and reasoning.  Other types of treatment will provide include the development and training of alternative and augmentative communication, oral motor abilities, swallowing and feeding skills.

Best to both of you ladies!  Congratulations!

Seasonal Activity of the Week:  Green Eggs & Ham  

• Cut up students' target articulation words and put inside eggs
• Clues for a treasure hunt.  Hide Seuss goodies (pencils, Seuss book of the day, etc)
• Gross Motor Activities inside each egg
• Rewards...open an egg at the end of every session or after good behavior

Therapy Activity of the Week:  A Food Literacy Activity for the Picky Eater  

[Source:  Therapy & Learning Services]  

Food should be fun and there is no better way to put this into action than building with food. Don't worry, I'm not suggesting complicated food art that looks like a professional has spent hours building. I'm talking about simple structures that children can build themselves or with very little help from a parent.

Kids should play with their food.

Assessment Review:  Social Language Development Tests (SLDT) 

Book Review:  When My Worries Get Too Big  

Review by: Connie Mistler Davidson via Amazon.com

[Source:  Amazon.com]

How many kids do you know with Attention Deficit Disorder who don't live with anxiety? I know very few. Anxiety and ADD go hand-in-hand for many children, especially in the classroom. The National Association on Mental Illness stated that, "According to a 2008 NIMH-supported study, over 30 percent of children living with ADHD also live with anxiety."

Anxiety in the school setting doesn't help the child with Attention Deficit Disorder. It makes them look unmotivated, since they are anxious about turning in a substandard assignment. Often, they don't turn in assignments and get into trouble. This can lead to absences at school or the child becoming defiant. Anxiety needs to be dealt with for the child to work effectively in school. Starting early can help, since the young child does not have years of anxious failure to work through.