Early Language Intervention in the News:  Preterm Babies' Language Skills Better When Exposed to Adult Speech

Mindfulness/Meditation Training in the News: Low-Income Schools See Big Benefits in Teaching Mindfulness

[Source:  Mindshift]

On his first day teaching at Coronado Elementary School in Richmond, Calif., students threw rocks at Jean-Gabrielle Larochette, pretending he was a police officer. He spent fifteen minutes of every class calming down a handful of kids in this low-income-neighborhood public school who wouldn't follow directions or behave.

Larochette began practicing meditation and mindfulness to cope with his own stresses of teaching and supporting traumatized kids. He believed the breathing techniques that helped calm his fears might work for his students too, so he founded the Mindful Life Project.

CBT in the News:  Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Aids Patients with Body Dysmorphic Disorder  

[Source:  Psych Central]

In a new study, researchers at Rhode Island Hospital found cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) significantly improved outcomes among patients with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD).

BDD is a common, often severe, and under-recognized body image disorder that affects an estimated 1.7 percent to 2.4 percent of the population.

The study, published online in advance of print in the journal Behavior Therapy, showed that CBT resulted in significant improvements in patients' BDD symptoms and level of disability, as well as high levels of patient satisfaction.

Autism Research in the News:  Synesthesia Linked to Autism 

[Source:  Psych Central]

New findings suggest that people with autism have a higher than average chance of also having synesthesia, the condition in which the senses are mixed.

Professor Simon Baron-Cohen of Cambridge University and colleagues explain that synesthesia involves input to one sense triggering a response in a different sense.

For example, a person with "colored hearing" synesthesia sees colors after hearing sounds. Most mixed responses are visual, although synesthesia can involve any pair of senses, such as tasting flavors when hearing sounds. Autism is a condition involving "social-communication disability, alongside resistance to change and unusually narrow interests or activities," explain the researchers.

Feel Good Story of the Week:  Kids Read to Homeless Cats and Everybody Wins 

Pediatric Stroke in the News:  Common Infections Linked to Pediatric Strokes - Vaccines May Reduce Risk  

[Source:  Medical XPress] 

Common infections are associated with a significantly higher chance of stroke in children, but routine vaccinations may help decrease risk, according to preliminary research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2014.

"The protective association of routine vaccination against childhood stroke provides a widely available means of prevention, and this information can easily be dispersed by pediatric healthcare providers," said Nancy Hills, Ph.D., M.B.A., lead researcher and assistant professor of neurology at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center.

PediaStaff News:  Looking for SLP Jobs? Find PediaStaff at Texas Speech and Hearing Conference  

With more than 4,500 speech-language pathologists, audiologists, consumers, and speakers from Texas and surrounding areas attending, the convention will serve as an exchange of ideas, information, and technology. Attendees can register on TSHA's website.  Register by February 12 to receive a 

Featured Placement the Week:  Atlanta!  

Congratulations to Carlyn H, LPT on her full-time, Physical Therapy position with PediaStaff's private therapy client in suburban Atlanta!

Our client is a clinic committed to a "complete approach" for children with special needs. Although this is a primarily sensory clinic, included among their provisions are neuro-based therapy, hippotherapy, aquatic therapy, and sound, among other approaches.  She will work with a great group of Pediatric Therapists!

It's a great opportunity for Carlyn.  Congrats!

SLP Resource of the Week:  Caroline Bowen's Resources Index  

Freebie of the Week:  Emotions PECS Cards

Basic PECS Faces
Eight different faces representing basic emotions. These faces are kept basic and exaggerate the emotions. They also come in 2 inch PECS size.    

 Download these PECS Through a Link on our Blog

Featured Book of the Week:  Whole Body Listening Larry at Home  

by Kristen Wilson and Elizabeth Sautter

Being a good listener means much more than just hearing what is said with the ears. It is important to break down ALL of the components of listening, to teach your kids to listen with their eyes, hands, feet, brains, hearts - indeed their whole bodies!

Designed to stimulate discussions at home and at school about how we listen as a member of our family and in groups, Whole Body Listening Larry at Home teaches children with fun lessons wonderfully illustrated to bring the concepts to life. This book can read with ALL younger students by parents, teachers, etc. The book can be read with the child and the child can then read the book on his or her own, with siblings, friends, grandparents Developed from years of using Whole Body Listening Larry to teach children in their practice, speech-language 

Pinerest Pinboard of the Week:  Therapy Activities & Ideas to Celebrate the Olympics  

Just because it's cold out, doesn't mean you can't celebrate the Olympics indoors!

Check out our recently beefed up Pinterest Pinboard of Therapy Ideas to Celebrate the Olympics.  

From indoor versions of winter sports to get the kids moving, a miniature sensory 'ice rink' for toddlers, great make and take crafts for cutting, tearing and handwriting practice,  and lots of books, speech and literacy activities, you will find something for everyone on this board to get your students and clients into the Olympic spirit!