news.vumc.org

Together with the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and ACM Lifting Lives, SENSE Theatre recently presented a two-night performance Circus del Sé. Written by Blythe Corbett, PhD, James G. Blakemore Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and director of the SENSE Lab, the play about a young boy with aspirations of joining the circus featured 12 typically developing peer students and actors and 12 children with autism. Through theatrical games and role play, they entertained the crowd and, according to a study published the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, sharpened their social skills in measurable, meaningful ways. One in 36 children in the United States have autism spectrum disorder, a neurodevelopmental condition that effects cognitive function, communication and social skills. "The purpose of the study was to see if SENSE Theatre, a unique social skills program that includes trained typically developing peers, theatrical techniques and active performance of a play, can enhance social competence in youth 10 to 16 years of age with autism spectrum disorder," said Corbett, who was the principal investigator. The final sample in the study involved 207 autistic youth from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, University of Alabama and Stonybrook University who were randomized to SENSE Theatre® or Tackling Teenage Together, an active control treatment condition. "The findings show that the interactive theatrical intervention enhances social salience for relevant social information, such as faces, and this increased social interest results in greater motivation to engage with others," Corbett said. "As clinicians, it is important to consider novel ways to treat social skills beyond individual and group didactic approaches. Moreover, it is valuable to develop and study innovative ways to provide treatment for our patients that may otherwise be overlooked." This summary was generated by [Smmry](https://smmry.com/)

www.myaspergerschild.com

"My ASD son continues to be bullied at school, but nobody there seems to take it seriously. His teach said that 'he seems to start the arguments by annoying some of the other students.' O.K. Fine. Maybe this is true, but that doesn't justify bullying. How can I get the school to take this seriously?". P.S. Warning to parents: According to statistics, it is very likely that YOUR child with ASD HAS BEEN or IS BEING bullied. You need to investigate this now - BEFORE your child has been tormented for weeks or months or years! If after your investigation, you discover there has been no bullying against your child, then thank God for it. We changed schools to one that has zero tolerance for bullying and our son is in the playground without supervision and doesn't hit anymore, he is happy and wanting to go to school, stomach up sets are no longer and it was affecting him mentally and physically. The child with autism that is being bullied is being blamed for starting it by annoying others. Not only have there always been the bullying kids, there have been bullying adults who must interact him. Anonymous said... Putting it blunty,the little bastards who make these poor kids life a living hell,usually have 1 or maybe 2 big bastard bullies at home learning them there greedy bombastic bullying ways. This summary was generated by [Smmry](https://smmry.com/)

Approximately 20% of people identify as neurodivergent, representing one-fifth of the entire world's population. Given this, it's shocking that most professional environments don't put more effort into accommodating neurodivergent people, whose abilities can contribute in significant ways to the company's success. Unemployment rates among neurodivergent adults are alarmingly high, ranging from 30 to 40%, a rate three times greater than that of individuals with physical disabilities and eight times higher than those without disabilities. As if we needed more proof that workplaces across the globe are simply engaged in diversity theater, a recent study discovered that 50% of leaders and managers express discomfort with hiring individuals who are neurodivergent. Neurodivergent individuals possess unique talents, perspectives, and problem-solving abilities that can give organizations a competitive advantage. Leaving these skills untapped does a huge disservice to neurodivergent individuals and employers who are constantly exhorting employees to think outside the box. Supporting neurodiverse employees Many resources exist on how employers can support neurodiverse team members, but as someone who only recently discovered that I am neurodivergent, the most effective way I've found to overcome my dyslexia-related challenges has been to talk about it with my colleagues. This summary was generated by [Smmry](https://smmry.com/)

www.cbsnews.com

A 13-year-old boy with Autism has been forced to live at UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital in Longmont for three weeks after his dad abandoned him and human service workers told hospital employees it would take months to secure placement for the boy due to a lack of resources. A hospital employee emailed State Representative Judy Amabile of Boulder last week asking her to intervene. The employee said Boulder County Human Service workers initially agreed to take custody of the boy and then refused saying he was safe in an emergency department. Amabile says state and county human service workers told her they are working on finding placement for the boy but she says it is unconscionable that he has been forced to live in a hospital for nearly a month, "I don't know whether the dad may or may not have reached out and ask for help but may not been able to get any help. Like we just... we don't know, but what we do know is that you can't just leave a 13-year-old in an ER for weeks on end with no end in sight." She says she also reached out to both Boulder County and State Human Service workers but they would only say that they were working on it. Madlynn Ruble with the Colorado Department of Human Services said while the state is working to increase residential treatment, it lacks options for children with highly complex medical and behavioral health needs, due in part to a lack of providers. "Every month there are children and youth who are either living in residential settings out of state, sleeping in county offices or hotels overnight, or staying in hospital or detention settings past when it is appropriate for them to be there," she said. This summary was generated by [Smmry](https://smmry.com/)

"That led me to start reading a lot about the gut microbiome, the autonomic nervous system, and their connection with the brain and mental health," she says. Today, Holingue has joined the ranks of scientists seeking to understand the interplay between the brain and the gut microbiome - that is the vast array of organisms, including bacteria, fungi and viruses, that thrive in the human gut. It's clear there's a physiological connection between brain and gut, says Dr. Glenn Treisman, a professor of medicine and psychiatry at Johns Hopkins. For Holingue, the connection between the gut and mental health is both scientific and personal. Ultimately we may be able to understand how the composition of the gut microbiome or metabolites that are produced by the gut microbiome helps cause mental illness or neurodevelopmental conditions, or the ways those conditions manifest in different people. We're wrapping up a study at Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins where we're collecting physical health data, behavioral health data and gut microbiome data from a relatively small sample of autistic boys and girls, and trying to see if we find patterns between the types of microbes in their stool and what kind of co-occurring symptoms they have, like GI symptoms, sensory sensitivities, anxiety, and so on. Have you used your understanding of the gut microbiome and mental health connection to help with your own mental and digestive health? This summary was generated by [Smmry](https://smmry.com/)

To see your personal experience reflected back to you in clear cut language can be empowering, because if there is a term for what you experience, then a conclusion can be made that you are not strange, which is how it can feel sometimes. The sound of perfect harmonies makes me feel like I'm being massaged in my head. I can feel tubas in my stomach. If someone raised their voice in anger, I could feel it physically. Within a couple years, I began studying with a sound healer and I started to understand the tremendous impact sound has on each of us. Using the word "Feel" to describe a sound was strange to them. I'm sharing this now because I feel as if I live in a world rife with misunderstanding and miscommunication. If you are someone who is sensitive to sound, you might seriously consider sound healing as a daily management tool as well as a healing modality the next time you're feeling unwell. This summary was generated by [Smmry](https://smmry.com/)

www.theguardian.com

Judy Singer is several thousand miles from her Australian home, on a two-week trip around the UK, which includes an onstage interview at Cambridge University and her receipt of an honorary fellowship from Birkbeck, University of London. The neurodiversity movement is a political movement for people who want their human rights. To some extent, what people were discussing online was centred on their own psychologies, but it was also about wider society: the ways that its organisations, institutions and attitudes made many people's lives all but impossible, and how those things could be changed. In the meantime, Singer had decided to write a thesis focused on the online communities she was now part of, and her sense that they were cohering into a new social movement, comparable to those focused on feminism and gay rights. One of the writers involved was Steve Silberman, who contributed a piece titled Neurodiversity Rewires Conventional Thinking About Brains, which began by crediting Singer with the idea's invention. "They said, 'Did you know you've just been cited in Wired magazine?' I thought, 'Oh wow.' Then I contacted Steve, and said, 'That's me.' He said, 'I've been looking for you.' And that was that." Silberman has since paid tribute to Singer by not only telling her story in Neurotribes - which was a bestseller - but paying glowing tribute to her work: "Few can claim to have coined a term that changed the world for the better. Judy Singer can." Singer then watched as neurodiversity began to snowball, including in Australia. This summary was generated by [Smmry](https://smmry.com/)

www.sheknows.com

A child whose parent suffers from anxiety is more likely to develop the disorder, and studies show that genetic changes from experiencing trauma can be passed down to children or grandchildren. While you may dread small talk and happy hours, you probably don't want your child to feel the same way about playdates and parties. This may limit social opportunities for the child, putting them at a disadvantage in terms of building social skills, and potentially passing down social insecurity. Somich says you can enlist the help of a trusted adult to provide your children with healthy exposure to social situations: "This way your child can see that it is possible to feel comfortable and regulated in social environments. You can talk through your fears with your child by saying, "I am feeling anxious right now because I'm not used to flying. If you see your child modeling your own fears, anxieties, and neuroses, Turner says it is never too early to seek professional help. "Just because a parent may struggle with some fears does not automatically mean the child will develop similar fears," Turner says. This summary was generated by [Smmry](https://smmry.com/)

Autism saplith • 1 year ago • 100%

embrace-autism.com

cross-posted from: https://discuss.divergentparenting.space/post/29407 > Take a moment and imagine that someone calls you disabled. Ask yourself, do you agree or disagree? What feelings come up for you? Based on your lived experiences, like your interactions with family, teachers, doctors, friends, and society more generally, how has your relationship with the concept of disability been shaped?\n > \n > Even though many governmental organizations officially recognize autism as a disability, this doesn’t mean that all autistic individuals identify as being disabled. Members of the autistic community have such varied lived experiences, which contributes to whether we each identify as being disabled or not. Moreover, how we relate to the concept of disability differs as well.

embrace-autism.com

> Take a moment and imagine that someone calls you disabled. Ask yourself, do you agree or disagree? What feelings come up for you? Based on your lived experiences, like your interactions with family, teachers, doctors, friends, and society more generally, how has your relationship with the concept of disability been shaped?\n > \n > Even though many governmental organizations officially recognize autism as a disability, this doesn’t mean that all autistic individuals identify as being disabled. Members of the autistic community have such varied lived experiences, which contributes to whether we each identify as being disabled or not. Moreover, how we relate to the concept of disability differs as well.

Parenting has its complexities and challenges, and a caretaker needs to be able to apply child guidance that is age and need appropriate. A child's growth progresses through executive-function efficiency. A child mastery in EF requires the child to engage in continuing strengthening and practicing. Without the practiced moments, parents may see, for example, child melt downs when tasks do not go effortlessly because they do not have scaffolds that help them persist through failures and mistakes. If a parent wants to work on planning skills set of EF with their child, it is crucial to remember that in-the-future anticipation for children is age-determined. Scaffolding might include colors or articulating a dialogue with the child on what they might do if they lose a toy or made a mistake-even playing board games scaffolds planning, organizing, and important emotional self-regulation. In the modern age, executive functioning requires worthy exploration in order to help the child develop to their full potential. This summary was generated by [Smmry](https://smmry.com/)

medicalxpress.com

Thanks to inclusion in such popular TV shows, the game often associated with geeks and nerds now attracts an estimated 50 million players worldwide. TTTRPGs are games of imagination, played in an imaginary world using characters created by players. One person takes on the role of game master who is responsible for guiding players through the story and is the lead referee. The research is part of a collaboration between UniSA and social gaming company Minds At Play to better understand how roleplaying games can boost confidence and self-esteem in players to improve their mental well-being. "There is a significant opportunity for further research to be pursued and the area to be more deeply investigated. " However, Minds At Play, one of the leading social gaming companies in Australia that runs online TTRPG sessions, has seen the benefits firsthand. Minds At Play Ambassador of Amazement, Dwayne Fernandes, says he has observed the impact TTRPGs such as Dungeons and Dragons have on promoting social growth in players. "Minds At Play has witnessed players who were initially socially isolated due to anxiety about social interactions grow in confidence and actively seek out face-to-face social groups, such as those in local libraries, " he says. This summary was generated by [Smmry](https://smmry.com/)

Parenting saplith • 1 year ago • 100%

cross-posted from: https://discuss.divergentparenting.space/post/20248 > My daughter is 4. By reflex, I call my child "baby" often. She calls me a pet name that came from toddler logic and toddler mispronunciation. Neither of us is happy about this, but we accept this about each other. > > This past year, a little boy got placed in her class who had the boy version of her name. To topic it off, this name recently became gender neutral and her name is obscure in the US. After a few weeks, of being call the wrong name and being polite about corrections, she's gotten really aggressive about people "calling her the name she likes" as she puts it. > > Well... This came to a head this past weekend. Apparently she had had enough of this baby nonsense and she wanted me to call her her preferred name as well. When this happened a lightbulb moment went off on her and I did a reverse uno on her. Sure, I can call you the name you like... if you'll call me the name I like, which is mom. > > What followed is in retrospect a very funny time. Neither one of us was very good at keeping our side of the deal. She reflexively called me my pet name. I reflexively called her baby. We both corrected each other. We have both come to a quiet truce about it where we agree that neither of us will be pleased about what the one is calling the other. > > Does anyone else have any funny stories like this with your kid?

www.spectrumnews.org

Mutation minimization: Prompting specialized loops to form in the genome can help remove genetic repeats associated with fragile X syndrome. Hun-Goo Lee did not set out to discover a new way to potentially treat fragile X syndrome. He just wanted to solve a mystery: Why do some cells with a fragile X mutation remain unaffected? The mutation - more than 200 copies of the trinucleotide string 'CGG' in the FMR1 gene - typically silences the gene's expression and prevents production of the protein FMRP. Under some lab conditions embryonic cells that carry these long CGG repeats still produce FMRP. That FMRP production arises because the culture conditions enable the cells' DNA repair machinery to spot the CGG repeats and remove them, according to a new study from Lee and his colleagues. In fragile X syndrome, the CGG repeats in FMR1 accumulate epigenetic tags called methyl groups, which silence the gene. This genomic 'bump' - stabilized by the large number of CGG repeats in the fragile X cells - activates a cell's DNA repair machinery, which removes repeats. People with 55 to 200 repeats have a fragile X "Premutation" - one that may not result in intellectual disability but can cause other symptoms early in life, including fragile X-associated neuropsychiatric disorder, anxiety and depression. This summary was generated by [Smmry](https://smmry.com/)

www.sciencedaily.com

Children taking a prescription stimulant to manage symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder do not have more substance use or substance use disorder as adolescents or young adults, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Published today in JAMA Psychiatry, the study may provide some reassurance to parents and clinicians who may be hesitant to prescribe ADHD stimulant medications for fear that they may lay the groundwork for future substance use. Molina and her colleagues assessed patients with ADHD over a 16-year period from childhood through adolescence to early adulthood to see if there was any association between stimulant treatment and subsequent substance use. The study conducted at Pitt is among the first to address the relationship between childhood use of prescription stimulants and later SUD by accounting for dozens of demographic, clinical and psychosocial factors that may predispose an individual to treatment and substance use. When factoring in age and other time-varying characteristics, such as household income, behavior problems and parental support, Pitt researchers found no evidence that prescription stimulant treatment in childhood provided protection against developing a SUD for adolescents or young adults with ADHD. However, researchers likewise did not find an association between stimulant use during childhood and increased substance misuse in the future. While some study participants self-reported an increase over time in heavy drinking, marijuana use, daily cigarette smoking and using other substances, an association with age was also found for stimulant treatment, with older participants being less likely to continue taking medication. When these trends were paired with rigorous statistical analysis, results provided no evidence that prolonged stimulant use is associated with reduced or increased risk for SUD. "We hope the results of this study will help educate providers and patients," Molina said. This summary was generated by [Smmry](https://smmry.com/)

www.brytfmonline.com

Specialists from the University of Rochester in the United States claim that the visual illusion test can help quickly identify mild autism, especially in children. According to the researchers, if a person is unable to easily locate the white square while focusing on the black markers, they likely have mild autism. The study authors explain that individuals with autism process information differently. According to Knight, the findings suggest that children with autism "May not be as able to predict and fill in missing visual information as their neurotypical peers." The study involved 60 children, 29 of whom were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The team used a classic optical illusion technique, involving simple lines or shapes like circles with missing parts. From the brain activity of 7- to 17-year-olds with autism, the researchers noted a delay in delusional processing. This summary was generated by [Smmry](https://smmry.com/)

medium.com

One time, we had a grand time at therapy when Joaquin attempted to tell a groupmate, also autistic and nonverbal, about his fingers. At another time, Joaquin took his therapist's fingers, which were painted with red nail polish. When I shared this to Tammy, a friend who's an autistic adult, he helped me reconcile in my mind what I previously struggled to understand: how is it possible for autistic people who struggle with social blindness to also be empathetic? Given that many autistic people feel very deeply for others, how does that square with difficulty socializing? Tammy explained, and I quote verbatim: "The incident with the therapist's nails sounds just like autistic hyper-empathy - difficulty with understanding the perspectives of other people in a social setting, but experiencing a strong transference of emotion when somebody looks like they might be in pain. " He talked about when as a child, he held a funeral for a balloon he was to deflate. "So is this why autistic people get overwhelmed easily? " I asked Tammy. "Because autistic people with hyper-empathy feel others' pain like it's a bodily sensation? " "100% on the overwhelm, " he replied This summary was generated by [Smmry](https://smmry.com/)

Even though Connor's "Diagnosis" of ADHD occurred in 1987, little has changed in the way we diagnose that cluster of behaviors we refer to as ADHD. Parents, pediatricians, and teachers still use a checklist of behaviors to determine if a child does indeed qualify as having ADHD. And in many schools and families across the United States, stimulant drugs such as Ritalin, Adderall, and Concerta are still the first line of treatment for children over six, with an additional recommendation for behavior therapy both at home and in school. All you really know after going through the checklist is that your child has a certain set of behaviors that are supposed to indicate a condition called ADHD. But what caused these behaviors? And if doctors can't tell you the cause, why do they so often tell parents that the child has a chemical imbalance in the brain? And how does a doctor know, based on a checklist of behaviors, that a stimulant drug is the correct measure needed to help the child? Roman Wyden, father, entrepreneur, and host of the podcast ADHD is Over, has interviewed many experts in psychology, child development, trauma, and education. The first is detailed in Avigail Gimpel's book HyperHealing: The Empowered Parent's Guide to Raising a Healthy Child with ADHD Symptoms, with an overview of the data behind ADHD in a concise book called HyperHealing: Show Me the Science. Gimpel first asks you as a parent to look at the "Habit loops" you are in as far as your child's behavior and how you respond. His books Notching Up the Nurtured Heart Approach and Transforming the Difficult Child Workbook: An Interactive Guide to the Nurtured Heart Approach offer more streamlined guidance on working with challenging kids in both the school and at home. We all want to help our kids or our students, and sometimes finding the right key to unlock a child's gifts is a matter of time, patience, trial, and error. This summary was generated by [Smmry](https://smmry.com/)

Neurodivergent employees are often not provided with what they need to work most effectively, so they lack the same level of equity as neurotypical coworkers. The term "Neurodivergent" describes people whose brains develop and work differently, and who have different strengths and struggles, from neurotypical people. Include neurodiversity in your DEI hiring efforts Tapping the strengths of neurodivergent workers begins with inclusive hiring. While a number of corporations have piloted programs that show teams with both neurotypical and neurodivergent workers reach solutions faster, the movement toward neurodivergent inclusion is still in its infancy. Neurodivergent people often need accommodations to be successful. This summary was generated by [Smmry](https://smmry.com/)

www.salon.com

"These are people who would rather have their kids get vaccine-preventable diseases and potentially die than do something that they think erroneously risks their kids becoming autistic. That's a pretty bleak view of autism." RFK Jr. has never retracted his views or apologized for his incorrect statement that thimerosal in childhood vaccines can be linked to a rise in autism. RFK Jr. "Presents himself as an advocate for the disenfranchised following in the footsteps of his late father, but his lies about vaccines have the effect of reinforcing the oldest and most damaging stereotypes of the people that he claims to be defending." "The main problem that autistic people and their families face is the lack of support and resources across the life span, but Kennedy condemns the 'crippling' cost of providing disabled students with access to education, using an ableist slur to complain about resources that were fought-for by generations of disabled people and their families," Silberman pointed out. "You can see that these are people who would rather have their kids get vaccine-preventable diseases and potentially die than do something that they think erroneously risks their kids becoming autistic. That's a pretty bleak view of autism." Silberman's and Gross' views were confirmed by an academic who has devoted her career to studying autism. Mitzi Waltz is a docent/researcher at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and formerly a senior lecturer in autism studies at the United Kingdom's Autism Centre of Sheffield Hallam University. The entire conspiracy theory that vaccines cause autism can be traced back to 1998, when a British doctor named Andrew Wakefield published a study in the medical journal The Lancet claiming that children who were given the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine developed autism. Even anti-vaxxers who do not know RFK Jr.'s name almost certainly have been influenced by his work: A 2021 study by the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate found that two-thirds of the vaccine misinformation on social media comes from just twelve people, including RFK Jr. Yet despite these setbacks, legitimate autism rights activists and scientists continue to learn more about how autism actually works. "There is no 'autism gene' but instead a pattern of well over 100 genetic differences that can, in different patterns and in response to different environmental stressors, cause autism. Many of these differences are shared with our primate relatives and have been part of the human genome since the very beginning, so they are almost certainly functional, not 'errors.'" Instead, autism is a result of normal human variation. This summary was generated by [Smmry](https://smmry.com/)

www.dailyherald.com

According to new research, kids who may not be able to fully control their impulses - acting without thinking through the results of those actions - may be at a higher risk for critical health and social issues as adults. Impulse control often is a key indicator of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. The research, which collected data and followed up on more than 15,000 people who took part in a national child development study in the United Kingdom, reports adults who had experienced impulse control difficulties as children reported difficulties their peers didn't experience as adults, including issues in the areas of education, career, finances and their physical and mental health. "There have been similar studies reaching the same conclusions. We see increased anxiety, depression and self-esteem issues with girls who have ADHD. Boys may be less depressed, but they can show anxiety, impulsivity and behavioral issues. We work to catch and correct these behaviors before they become serious issues when the kids get older." Gio said untreated ADHD can lead kids to self-medicate, which can turn into serious substance abuse issues as adults. According to Gio, early intervention is essential, including screening for ADHD and anxiety. "In some cases, medication is essential and earlier intervention is best. Catching ADHD when children are young leads to a more successful adult later in life." "And not every child who has ADHD is set up for difficulty as an adult. But it is important to recognize there might be an issue and there may be things we can do to help and support them and set them up for success in life. Getting help early is the key." This summary was generated by [Smmry](https://smmry.com/)

Reposted from [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Autism_Parenting/comments/14oc6t7/update_to_birthday_party_invite/) This is an update to a [previous post](https://www.reddit.com/r/Autism_Parenting/comments/14e8944/i_never_id_get_a_plea_to_come_to_a_birthday_party/) where I got invited to a birthday party. It went better than I could have ever imagined. Here are the highlights before I give a longer blow by blow: - The birthday boy R had a choice between inviting the whole class or a few friends. He chose to invite 3 friends and my kid E was one of them. - R and E basically never left each other's side the entire party. - We went and hung out at R's house for a few hours after the party. - Sadly R will not be attending the same school as E next year, but I did get R's mom's number, so they'll definitely keep in touch. R's mother was late to the party and E was having a slow build up to a meltdown over the idea that she wouldn't get to see R that day. None of my normal de-escalation techniques helped at all. Luckily R appeared before we hit critical mass. When they say each other, they shouted each other's names and ran to give each other a hug. What was shocking to me and R's mother was really how close they were. Although we had been told by the teacher separately that they were extremely close, neither of us knew who the other kid was or the parent lol. But R and E were so close. they hugged and then held hands and talked. They'd hold hands every moment they weren't actively playing and actively keep track of each other in the trampoline park. One particularly adorable thing to me was how they'd climb obstacle courses together and then link arms going down. One moment I think back on in awe is the first conversation they had that day. They immediately showed off their shoes to each other. R had switched out his croc jewelry for a set of robots. E showed off her new light up Paw Patrol sandals. Guys, E's special interest is planes, trains, automobiles and all things mechanical. R's absolute favorite shoe is Paw Patrol. I had a lightning strike moment about why she was so insistent on getting those sandals when we were in Target when she never cared about Paw Patrol before. So many things happened at the party. It was a happy party where E got on with the whole group and they seemed to genuinely enjoy her. What is interesting to me is that her classmates are so accepting of when she's just done socially. E has a socialization limit and at that point she's just done and disengages from everything. About when she hit that I saw R and all the other kids give her space and accept that she wasn't gonna play with them much anymore. Something that also amazed me is how dedicated that E was in making R's party a happy one despite that. She was genuinely upset she missed the cake cutting because no one could find her. She cheered R on when he opened gifts (which he was not supposed to do, but apparently he wanted to show everyone the cool stuff he got lol). She displayed an unusable amount of grace in thanking R and his mom for the party favors. I did get a chuckle when the party ended and I asked if she wanted to go to the pool. She said know. I explained that it would be at R's house and then she immediately changed her answer lol. R's mom had invited us to come over after everyone exchanged numbers. E was friends with all the kids there, but of course R was her favorite and the feeling definitely seemed mutual. R was so hype for E to come over. He showed her his room and they had some kind of conversation, but I decided to let him have some privacy. We didn't leave until 8pm. It was a long, long day. When we left it was very dramatic. R declared that he loved E. E burst into tears. I had to drag E out of the door. R declared that he was coming over to our house next time. Me and R's mom agreed that although I realized I had left some of E's stuff at her house, it was best if I collected them later. R had put on a brave face and apparently he had cried too the moment the door closed. Please keep in mind that this is a group of 4 year olds lol. It's been an exhausting day, but I wanted you guys to know about it. I didn't type of so many sugary sweet moments between E and R and the other kids in attendance. It really warmed my heart to see that she doesn't have just a single friend, but she has a friend group. All of the kids seemed so accepting of her quirks. I'd been debating on whether or not to pull E out of this montessori school she's in and put her into public school, but I think the decision is kind of made for me. She's really thriving there.

www.ibtimes.com

An expert suggested that parents whose children are experiencing anxiety should never tell their kids to "Calm down." Rachel Romer, CEO and co-founder of educational assistance benefits company Guild, said in a CNBC report that calming down is best taught through demonstration and not by imposing it on one's child. "I'm in the middle of parenting two little 4-year-olds, and I think about when they are anxious, saying 'calm down' is about the worst thing you can tell a 4-and-a-half-year-old," she said in an episode of the company's "Opportunity Divide" podcast with leadership researcher Brené Brown and organizational psychologist Adam Grant from Wharton. "What she found was, when you ask people, 'What do you do when you're anxious and what do you tell other people to do?,' of people said 'calm down,' but they couldn't do it, because we all know anxiety is an intense, highly activated emotion, and it doesn't just go away," Grant said. They recommended two exercises to help children manage their emotions, such as breathing together and reframing anxiety as excitement. "Anxiety is a very contagious emotion," Brown said, but quickly added, "Calm is also contagious." Parents can do exercises like talking to their child, and instead of saying, "I know you're anxious, but..." or "Let's try to calm down," it is better to say, "I know you're excited, and...". This summary was generated by [Smmry](https://smmry.com/)

www.cntraveller.in

As she got older, anxiety started to set in, and it started to affect how she felt about flying. So much so that Roy always keeps their anxiety medication on hand when travelling. Here's an extensive guide to surviving an anxiety attack while you're on a flight. If you're someone who experiences high levels of stress, fears flying, enclosed spaces or lives with mental health ailments, then it's more likely that you can anticipate an anxiety attack, says Gupta. "Tapping helps, especially on the famous triple-calmer point - that's under the eye, collarbone, and under the arms." EFT helps calm the person down in the midst of the anxiety attack. Srivastava always tells her clients who have experienced anxiety attacks on planes to keep the flight attendants informed and let them know that they need to keep you hydrated. You can try to prevent the anxiety to your level best, but sometimes it's out of your control. This summary was generated by [Smmry](https://smmry.com/)

After raising $11 million in a Series A round earlier this year, Richmond behavioral therapy company AnswersNow is aiming to launch in several new states. The company built a telehealth platform for the treatment of children with autism, pairing behavioral health clinicians with families. Beck said the company is set to launch in several new states over the next year but declined to provide details. Beck founded the company after working within the autism community and witnessing problems with care. Prior to the pandemic, insurance companies did not support telehealth treatments for children with autism. The company had to convince the counseling community that telehealth worked in the autism treatment field. The company is working on several partnerships with insurance companies, and Beck is hoping those will allow AnswersNow to provide greater access to the company's platform. This summary was generated by [Smmry](https://smmry.com/)

theconversation.com

One hot topic is whether ADHD is being over-diagnosed. When we reflect on the fact it's impossible to have ADHD and not experience negative effects, we can see ADHD is not a condition that can be over-diagnosed in the way a disease such as cancer can. Of course, there are other ways we could define overdiagnosis, so that it could apply to ADHD. One 2021 article on ADHD and overdiagnosis defined it as occurring when the "Net effect of the diagnosis is unfavourable". Some people experience negative side effects from ADHD treatments, or experience stigma as a result of ADHD diagnosis. One finding sometimes quoted as evidence for overdiagnosis of ADHD is that children who are youngest in their class are the ones most likely to be diagnosed. Some concerns about ADHD overdiagnosis appear to be based on a belief ADHD should not be considered as a medical condition. It is true some children who currently have an ADHD diagnosis might in fact be hyperactive, impulsive, or inattentive, but these traits may have neutral or positive effects on their lives. This summary was generated by [Smmry](https://smmry.com/)

thinkingautismguide.com

> What exactly is PDA, or Pathological Demand Avoidance? How can we have conversations that are useful to people who identify with PDA, and that mesh with their experiences and support needs? We talked with Dr. Deborah Budding, an assessing neuropsychologist who specializes in sensorimotor and other underpinnings of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions, and who has PDA conversations with clients and professionals alike.

**Summary** Donald G. Triplett was the subject of a book titled "In a Different Key," a PBS documentary film, BBC news magazine installment and countless medical journal articles. Triplett worked for 65 years at the bank where his father Beamon Triplett was a primary shareholder. "Don was a remarkable individual," CEO Allen Breland said of Triplett, who was known as a fiercely independent savant. "And he kept things interesting." Triplett, a 1958 graduate of Millsaps College, enjoyed golf and travel and was frequently flying to exotic locales, Breland said. How "Unmasking" leads to freedom for autistic and other neurodivergent people LIFE KIT How 'unmasking' leads to freedom for autistic and other neurodivergent people Triplett's autism diagnosis arose from a detailed 22-page letter sent to a Johns Hopkins researcher in Baltimore containing telling observations by his parents about his aptitudes and behavior. Oliver Triplett, Triplett's nephew, told The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate that his uncle's story offers hope to parents of children who are different. "As a whole, Forest encouraged him and accepted him. It gives people who have children on different levels of the spectrum hope that their children can live happy and full lives." Funeral services for Triplett will be at 11 a.m. Monday at the Forest Presbyterian Church.

> Parent involvement in social skills training programs for autistic children has been associated with improvement in child and family functioning. However, limited research has explored parents’ treatment experiences, which may elucidate key therapeutic elements mediating long-term maintenance of outcomes. This study examines parent perspectives on the University of California, Los Angeles Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) for Preschoolers, a group-based social skills intervention for young autistic children with social challenges. Twenty-four parents reported on outcomes and participated in semi-structured interviews 1–5 years after program completion. Inductive thematic analysis was used to categorize parent responses across four domains: Parenting behaviors, Child Outcomes, Parent Perspectives, and Challenges within Treatment. Results demonstrated an overall positive impact of PEERS® for Preschoolers, with children displaying increased social competence in peer interactions and parents emphasizing greater positivity, new parenting strategies, increased understanding, and more robust community support. Mixed methods analyses revealed that parents who endorsed continued use of social coaching skills, in particular priming and preparing their child for social interactions, showed greater improvements in long-term child functioning and parenting stress. Findings validate the efficacy of PEERS® for Preschoolers, while emphasizing the value of providing strengths-based coaching and social supports to parents participating in social skills treatment for children on the autism spectrum.

www.axios.com

Cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/1626220 **Summary** A group of Georgia parents of trans children filed a lawsuit Thursday night seeking to block the state's new law restricting gender-affirming care for minors - days before it's set to go into effect. Why it matters: Nearly 20 states have passed laws restricting access to this care for minors and many have already faced trouble in the courts. Driving the news: In a lawsuit that the families filed under pseudonyms, they argue the law "Infringes parents' fundamental right to make medical decisions in the best interests of their children" and violates the Equal Protection Clause of the constitution by singling out transgender minors. The big picture: Federal judges in Kentucky and Tennessee temporarily blocked similar laws in those states this week. Context: Georgia's law, which prohibits doctors from administering hormone therapy or transition-related surgery to Georgia minors, is set to go into effect Saturday. What they're saying: In their request for a preliminary injunction, the plaintiffs point out that trans minors already receiving hormone therapy before Saturday are grandfathered in. "If these treatments are appropriate for transgender minors already receiving them, there is no justification for denying them to transgender minors who require them in the future, even under the lowest level of review, much less under the heightened scrutiny that applies here."

www.youtube.com

Cross-posted from: https://lemmy.link/post/15259 **Summary** Well before the first climbing frame was patented as "jungle gym", mathematician Charles Hinton thought they might be able to teach kids four-dimensional thinking

www.bbc.com

Cross-posted from: https://fediverse.boo/m/bbc_news/t/23981 **Summary** There has been an unusual rise in the number of children and teenagers around the world diagnosed with type 1 diabetes since Covid, say researchers. The incidence rate of childhood type 1 diabetes was already increasing - by about 3% a year. Researchers from the University of Toronto say, regardless of the cause, more resources and support may be needed for the growing number of children and adolescents affected by type 1 diabetes. Another hypothesis is that exposure to some germs in childhood can help guard against a number of conditions, including diabetes. Hilary Nathan, Policy Director at type 1 diabetes charity JDRFUK, said: "This research reflects a life-changing reality for so many families here in the UK.". Theo, now 9, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes a year ago. Dr Faye Riley, from Diabetes UK, said: "Research worldwide has identified higher than expected numbers of diabetes diagnoses in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. This study adds to the evidence."Future studies that examine longer-term trends will be important to disentangle the impact of the pandemic from natural fluctuations in incidence of type 1 over time, as well as establishing the range of factors that could be behind any apparent rise.

www.channelstv.com

Cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/861825 The head of state, Macron, emphasized that around a third of the arrested individuals were young or very young. He urged parents to keep them at home and urged social media firms to remove sensitive content related to the riots. Macron claimed video games played a role in the riots, which followed a fatal shooting of a teen by police. Police unions have highlighted that many of those arrested are aged 14 or 15.