[Source: Medical X Press]
 

While most Down syndrome research has focused on the brain, a new report by Johns Hopkins University biologists uncovers how the disorder hampers a separate part of the nervous system that plays a key role in health and longevity.
 

The paper, to be published Dec. 14 in the journal Nature Communications, traces complex biochemical signals leading to peripheral nervous system dysfunction found in people with Down syndrome.

[Article Source:  Science Daily]
 

New research from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlights a substantial gap in how the United States currently estimates the nation's burden of pediatric concussions. Among 0- to 17-year-olds who have a CHOP primary care physician and were diagnosed with a concussion within CHOP's regional pediatric network, 82 percent had their first concussion visit at a primary care site, 12 percent at the emergency department, 5 percent within specialty care (sports medicine, neurology, trauma), and 1 percent were directly admitted to the hospital.

Many current counts of concussion injury among children are based solely on emergency department (E.D.) visits or on organized high school and college athletics data. Thus, the authors say, we may be vastly underestimating child and youth concussions in the US.

[Source:  Science Daily]
 

Assessments of language learning in 18-month-olds suggest that children are better at grasping the names of objects with repeated syllables, over words with non-identical syllables.
 

Researchers say the study may help explain why some words or phrases, such as 'train' and 'good night', have given rise to versions with repeated syllables, such as choo-choo and night-night.
 

[Source:  British Journal of Occupational Therapy via Your Therapy Source]
 

The British Journal of Occupational Therapy published research on in class sensory activities and on task performance of 4 students with autism using a non-concurrent, AB single system research design across multiple baselines.  Data was collected by school staff using video recording during classroom tasks.  

Stage one of the Perceive, Recall, Plan, Perform (PRPP) System of Task Analysis was used as a repeated measure of student performance.  The PRPP system allows a therapist to identify errors in task performance in relation to occupational performance.   Ratings were carried out by independent raters who were blinded to the  condition of performance.

[Source:  Your Therapy Source]
 

Need some quick, easy, ideas for summer time to practice handwriting, fine motor, gross motor and visual perceptual skills?  Check out all of these free printables that are all set to go to entertain and encourage learning in children over the summer.