Memory and Cognition in the News:  Working Memory Differs by Parents' Education; Effects Persist into Adolescence

Language Processing in the News: Listener, Speaker's Brains in Sync When Speech is Predicted

[Source: Psych Central]

When you are predicting what another person is going to say, your brain activity is very similar to the activity of the speaker, according to new research by New York University.

"Our findings show that the brains of both speakers and listeners take language predictability into account, resulting in more similar brain activity patterns between the two," said lead author Suzanne Dikker, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher in New York University's Department of Psychology and Utrecht University.

Outdoor Play in the News:  A Child's Spirituality Likely Affected by Outdoor Play  

[Source:  Medical News Today]

Children who spend significant time outdoors could have a stronger sense of self-fulfillment and purpose than those who don't, according to new Michigan State University research linking children's experiences in nature with how they define spirituality.

In the study, published recently in the Journal of the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture, children who played outside five to 10 hours per week said they felt a spiritual connection with the earth, and felt their role is to protect it.

Pediatric PT in the News:  Helmets Do Little to Help Moderate Infant Skull Flattening, Study Finds 

[Source: New York Times Well Blog] 

Pediatricians have long urged parents to put newborns to sleep on their backs to help prevent sudden infant death syndrome. While the practice undoubtedly has saved lives, it also has increased the numbers of babies with flattened skulls.

Roughly one baby in five under the age of 6 months develops a skull deformation caused by lying in a supine position. Now a study has found that a common remedy for the problem, an expensive custom-made helmet worn by infants, in most cases produces no more improvement in skull shape than doing nothing at all.

DMD in the News:  Erectile Dysfunction Drug May Help Treat Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy 

[Source:  Medical News Today]

Approximately 1 in every 3,600 male infants worldwide is affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy - an inherited condition that causes severe muscle weakness. At present, there is no specific treatment for the disease. But new research published in the journal Neurology suggests that certain drugs usually prescribed for erectile dysfunction may be effective.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is caused by a defective gene for dystrophin - a protein that helps maintain healthy muscles. Low levels or absence of dystrophin means the muscles lack nitric oxide - a chemical that signals blood vessels to dilate during exercise so blood flow can increase.

Autism Research in the News:  Minority Children with Autism More Likely to Regress than Whites    

[Source: Medical News Today]

Some children with autism appear to be developing normally when they are very young. They babble or even talk, make eye contact with their parents, and crawl and walk on schedule. Then suddenly, these skills seem to vanish.

Described as developmental regression, this loss of language, motor or social skills occurs more often in black and Hispanic children compared to white children, according to a study presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in May.

PediaStaff Therapy Placement of the Week:  North Carolina!  

Congratulations to Kristen G, SLP on her rehire at one of PediaStaff's school-based clients in North Carolina.

Kristen, we thought this picture of your town in the winter was super pretty. So, now when it gets hot in the summer you can remember what the snow looks like! 

Ask PediaStaff:  What About Early Intervention Jobs for New Grads?  

Question:   "I am a new graduate OT and would love to work with babies.  A friend of mine told me I should wait a couple of years before looking for an early intervention (EI) position in the child's natural environment.  What do you think?

Answer:  You have a wise friend - and depending on the organization you work for, she may be correct. Many EI jobs will not have the mentorship and support you need.   In general, EI in the natural setting, just like working in a Skilled Nursing Facility - is a solitary work environment, and  generally requires a level of independence that is not ideal for a new graduate therapist.   Even if you know your stuff inside

Free Poster for Better Hearing and Speech Month:  Being an SLP Means...  

We loved it, and asked her to make a poster of it, and she did!

Therapy Activity of the Week:  Rainy Day Gross Motor Fun!  

Can we go one month without finding something wonderful to share through No Time for Flashcards?   Maybe not..

Alison has recently posted 25 Gross Motor Rainy Day Activities that you have to check out.  Several of them are from another one of our favorite blogs, Hands On As We Grow.

Here are my two favorites from her post:

App Review of the Week:  Dr. Panda's Supermarket - "Appdapted" for Core Vocab  

[Source:  The Speech Guy]

Appdapted for Core:  Dr. Panda's Supermarket ($1.99) is available for iOS, Android, Kindle, and Windows. It provides 10 mini games around the supermarket, which includes things like ringing up the customer to throwing out the trash. It provides plenty of opportunity to work on core vocabulary from the one word level and beyond. This isn't the greatest shopping themed game but the children I work with like it because of the different animals and the different kind of tasks you can do around the store.  

Instagram Post of the Week:  The Hungry Caterpillar!  

Thank You @noralyssia for this great photo.   

Today in speech! the very hungry caterpillar!  La oruga muy hambrienta!

I got the clip art set from this website: