Child Development Institute Parenting Today

News and Research Articles of Interest to Parents

Child Development  Child Psychology  Learning/School Issues
Child/Teen Health&Safety  Parenting/Family  Kids & Media

Child Psychology – Child/Teen Mental Health

• Social-Emotional Developmental Screening Recommended for Infants, Toddlers Developmental objectives for infants and toddlers include more than just meeting physical goals. Social and emotional growth are important factors, too. A study from the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parents have babies screened for risk factors in these areas. Here is a guide about infant and toddler social and affective development and how early assessment and intervention can help.
• 'Co-Occurring' Disorders May Explain Change in Autism Diagnosis Many children with autism also have other developmental or psychiatric conditions, including learning disabilities, speech delays, attention or seizure disorders and anxiety.
• Experts urge BMI method for calculating weight in kids with eating disorders Researchers compared three common methods for calculating expected body weight of adolescents with eating disorders and found that the body mass index percentile method is recommended for clinical and research purposes.
• Childhood hypersensitivity linked to OCD Medical researchers have established a direct correlation between sensory processing and ritualistic behaviors in children. A new study suggests that when children experience heightened levels of sensitivity, they develop ritualistic behaviors to better cope with their environment -- one potential pathway to OCD.
• Nap-deprived tots may be missing out on more than sleep A new study indicates missed naps by toddlers leads to more anxiety, less joy and interest and a poorer understanding on how to solve problems.
• Autism redefined: New diagnostic criteria more restrictive Getting an autism diagnosis could be more difficult in 2013 when a revised diagnostic definition goes into effect. The proposed changes may affect the proportion of individuals who qualify for a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, according to preliminary data.
• Training Parents Effective For Treating Young Children With ADHD Formal training in parenting strategies is a low-risk, effective method for improving behavior in preschool-age children at risk for developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), while there is less evidence supporting the use of medications for children younger than 6 years old, according to a new report from the U.S...
• Adding cognitive behavioral therapy to drug treatment of pediatric OCD appears to improve symptoms Children and teens with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) who were receiving some benefit from treatment with medication had a significantly greater reduction in OCD symptoms with the addition of cognitive behavior therapy, according to a new study.
• New findings validate the accuracy of autism diagnosis in children with Down syndrome New findings from a 16-year study confirm that the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders, the gold-standard for the classification of mental health conditions, can be used to accurately identify autism spectrum disorders in children with Down syndrome, according to new research.
• More insight into the secret life of the American teen Researchers have found that when adolescents argue with friends, it can spillover and turn into arguments with family. (And vice versa.)

Print PDF