Autism Risk Spotted at Birth in Abnormal Placentas

Emotional Awareness Influences Dev't of Attention in Pre-Schoolers

[Source:  Medical News Today]

Young children, who possess a good understanding of their own emotions and of those of their fellow human beings early on, suffer fewer attention problems than their peers with a lower emotional understanding. Evidence of this phenomenon was found through a study of Leuphana University of L?neburg and George Mason University, USA, under the auspices of Prof. Dr. Maria von Salisch, Professor of Developmental Psychology at Leuphana University of L?neburg. The study was recently published in the journal Kindheit & Entwicklung (Childhood & Development).

REM Sleep Can Be Critical to Memory Formation in Young Brains

[Source: Psych Central]
 

Rapid eye movement or REM sleep actively converts waking experiences into lasting memories and abilities in young brains, according to new research.
 

Washington State University researchers say the finding expands the understanding of children's sleep needs and calls into question the increasing use of REM-disrupting medications such as stimulants and antidepressants.
 

The National Institutes of Health-funded study appears in the journal Science Advances.

Brain Imaging Shows How Children Inherit Their Parents' Anxiety

[Source:  Science Daily]

The study from the Department of Psychiatry and the Health Emotions Research Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison shows how an over-active brain circuit involving three brain areas inherited from generation to generation may set the stage for developing anxiety and depressive disorders.
 

The study is being published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). It shows that elevated activity in this prefrontal- limbic -midbrain circuit is likely involved in mediating the in-born risk for extreme anxiety, anxious temperament that can be observed in early childhood.

Research Shows Learning and Memory Six Weeks Prior to Birth

[Source:  Medical XPress]
 

If you've ever been pregnant, did you have a saying you'd repeat to yourself-something about taking things one day at a time, or maybe even wishing that men could know what it's like to carry a child? Or did you have a favorite song you'd listen to obsessively? Well, if you said or heard something like that over and over again during pregnancy, your newborn may remember it too.
 

A study funded by the National Science Foundation's Social Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate suggests babies begin to acquire knowledge in the womb earlier than previously thought.

Its Summertime, So It's ASHA Schools Time

Hot Location of the Week: Alaska is for SLPs!

Hot Jobs! Pediatric PT & OT Home Health Several Locations in - TX

Come and join an established home health provider who is committed to providing superior care to pediatric patients in their home.  We are currently interviewing for a  Physical Therapists and Occupational Therapists to work in several areas in Texas.  PTs are need in Texarkana, Nacogdoches, Crocket and Lufkin.  OTs are needed in Tyler and Greenville.  (Links to all the jobs can be found below)

Some of the diagnoses are: Cerebral Palsy Autism Premature Infants Torticollis Coordination Disorders Developmental Delays Metabolic Disorders Muscular Dystrophy Trach & Ventilator Care Oxygen 

Placement of the Week: Contract School Based PT - Illinois

Congratulations to Allison U., on her placement with a PediaStaff client South of Chicago, Illinois as a School Based PT for the 2015-6 school  year.  The setting has a caseload of children with multiple therapy needs and will give her the opportunity to co-treat with other therapists.   This is a great employer that we have done quite a bit of work with.

Great Job, Allison!!

Activity of the Week: Paper Roll Despicable Me 2 Puppets  

Editor's Note:  These would be great for conversation work and fine motor skills!!

[Source:  Tutus & Tea Parties]

I am going to share with you my latest craft creation, Despicable Me 2 puppets. We just had the chance to see the movie this week, and really enjoyed it.  We love Gru and the girls, but our favorite characters have to be the minions.  After the movie, I had the idea to create some minions of my own.

PT Activity of the Week: Kid Created Outdoor "Laser" Maze 

ADL Idea of the Week: Lock and Key Coin Match 

[Source:  No Time for Flash Cards]
 

Identifying coins is something I never remember learning because I always seemed to know it. I think the reason why was that I used them much more than my kids do at the same age. I bought candy with coins, we used pay phones, got on the bus with 40 cents, paid for milk at school... the list goes on. Now even when I do ask my children to pay for something small at the store and hand them a few bills they don't bother to look at the coins because they just seem insignificant. I decided to fix that. 

We started rolling the coins in our piggy banks, we counted coins, played store with real money, talked 

Collection of the Week: Low Prep Fine Motor Activities

[Source:  The Measured Mom]
 

Fine motor activities are so important to strengthen little hands before they're ready to do all the writing that's waiting for them in kindergarten and beyond. Try some of these simple, low-prep activities!

For years, I've seen fun fine motor activities all over the Internet.  Truthfully, we didn't take time to do many of them.  My three oldest kids seemed to have strong fine motor skills without much extra attention from me. I still remember our middle son fitting a tiny earplug jack into its spot when he was just one year old.