In her Ted Talk on childhood trauma Doctor Nadine Burke Harris discusses the long term affects of childhood trauma on an individuals psyche along with the types of care that can help someone combat the negative affects of adverse childhood experiences. Dr. Harris describes how trauma can trigger a fight or flight response in individuals and if this response is constantly activated, individuals can experience long term negative health affects such as chronic stress, anxiety, depression, heart disease and even death.

However, Dr. Harris also discusses methods to combat these adverse childhood experiences. She emphasizes the importance of more holistic approaches in regards to treating individuals with trauma based disorders and how these approaches can assist in breaking the cycle of trauma that many individuals who are victims of adverse childhood experiences often go through.

 

Jay Schieffelin

There are many types of family support services that can aid children’s mental health, starting in the 1980’s. Parents that are included in their child’s treatments are quite common. In this literature review, the authors discovered and discussed five important types of familial support: informational, instructional, emotional, instrument, and advocacy. 

The authors were curious if family support programs were more effective than regular clinical practices/treatment. Family support services differ from traditional clinical care since it helps the parents with their personal well-being as well as learning about child management. Family-led programs also highlight advocacy and instrumental support. Even with the lack of research of the use of family programs, there is great potential for it to be utilized more in the future to help families! 

To read more, click here! 

Ashley Bejar, UConn KIDS Research Assistant 

Welcome back to Trivia Tuesday!

The answer to last week’s Trivia Tuesday is… 6-7 years old! This is usually when children are in first or second grade. At this age, children are able to recognize common words, use phonics to decode new words, and are able to read simple sentences smoothly.

 

This week’s question is: At what age are children able to recognize and label different gender groups?

1. 6-12 months
2. 12-18 months
3. 18-24 months
4. 24-30 months

Tune in next week to find out the answer to this week’s question!

One of the most common psychiatric disorders in the United States is major depression. It can inhibit one’s daily functioning, regardless of age. Due to the high prevalence of the disorder, there’s an abundance of research aimed at discovering effective and efficient treatments. In this article, the researchers look at past literature that focus on the efficacy of family therapy for depression in multiple studies.  

Based on six studies, family therapy is more effective when compared to no treatment/waiting list. However, when compared to group/behavioral/cognitive interventions, there was no clear conclusion that family therapy is better/as effective as these other treatments. This does not mean it’s not used in treatment, in fact it’s used widely for many patients, but only when clinicians deem it useful. More research is needed to determine if family therapy is the best treatment for individuals with major depression.  

To read more, click here! 

Ashley Bejar, UConn KIDS Research Assistant 

Kathleen Gallagher’s Ted Talk, “The Healthy Child: Assembly Required” takes a reflective look at how in order the nurturing of a healthy child does not only involve physical well-being but psychological well-being as well. Gallagher discusses the many benefits of raising a child in a healthy, nurturing environment with these benefits ranging from an expanded vocabulary in preschool to lower rates of heart disease as adults.

Gallagher goes on to explain that issues preventing children from being raised in nurturing environments are often systemic and challenging these issues needs to be tackled with an understanding that these issues are often systemic. Poverty, racial prejudice, and prejudice against LGBTQ+ individuals are examples of systemic problems that hinder healthy child development.

Examples are also provided of healthy non-physical care that parents who promote healthy environments instill in their households. A few of these examples include nurturing strong emotional bonds, promoting language use, and providing access to resources that help children learn both social skills and academic skills.

Overall, Gallaghers Ted Talk discusses how a healthy child is created through a sum of different forms of care provided in their households.

Children’s language development is essential for children, as it helps them develop communication skills and the ability to understand the world around them. It is also a communication tool that is important in shaping a child’s character. Good language skills allow children to build healthy interpersonal relationships, understand differences, and adapt to their environments.

 Implementing character education through language development is essential in primary education. Character education includes activities that combine the development of children’s language with character learning, such as reading stories, singing, and group games. It plays a key role in shaping elementary school children’s development, helping them build the skills needed to navigate various obstacles that will come up in their lives. Additionally, it fosters self-reliance and encourages them to contribute positively to society. However, integrating character education in primary schools faces several obstacles, including teachers’ limited understanding and expertise, heavy curriculum demands, and time constraints. This article goes into detail about the potential solutions in order to overcome these challenges. 

It was found that the implementation of character education through language development can be accomplished by combining language development activities with character learning activities such as storytelling, singing, and group games that involve all students. In addition, the results showed that through language development, children can learn communication and social skills that help them build good character. This means that language development can be an effective medium for implementing character education in primary schools.

To read more, click here!

Alexandra Lagaros, UConn KIDS Research Assistant

There is no such thing as a perfect parent; mistakes and struggles are just part of the job. That being said, there is almost nothing as impactful as interpersonal relationships, as repair can be. Repair can be defined as the act of going back in a moment of disconnection, taking responsibility for your behavior, and understanding the impact it had on the other person. This is different from an apology, which aims to shut a conversation down due to the desire to move on, while a good repair opens a conversation up. 

Repair also helps to avoid self-blame, which is something that works in childhood, as it is a survival mechanism in which a child feels safer internalizing the blame and thinking that they are bad rather than perceiving their parents and the world as unsafe. This helps them build a sense of security. However, this is not healthy going on in adulthood, as it fuels feelings of unworthiness, anxiety, and depression Recognizing that self-blame might be an old, adaptive story rather than a current truth is the first step towards healing, allowing us to understand our past and strive for a more self-compassionate present without needing to achieve perfection.

Learning how to repair allows for compassion and understanding, models emotional regulation for your child, and is a model that is ideal to pass down to the next generation!

To watch the full Ted Talk, click here!

Alexandra Lagaros, UConn KIDS Research Assistant

Play and toys are very important for children’s development. When children play, they have fun and also learn new skills. Play helps them be creative, solve problems, and get better at interacting with others. For example, building toys can help improve their motor and cognitive skills. In addition, the toys children play with can help them learn how to solve problems, understand emotions, and learn to share and take turns.

While toys with screens can also be fun and educational, it is significant for children to play with regular toys that involve hands-on activities. These toys help children learn to move their bodies and interact with the world around them. The toys children play with can be different depending on their culture and where they live. Parents should give children a variety of toys to help them grow in different ways. Watching how children play can help adults understand what they need.

Overall, toys are not just for fun—they help children learn and grow in many ways. By giving children different kinds of toys and encouraging different types of play, adults can help children develop important skills.

To read more, click here!

Jess Vo, UConn KIDS Research Assistant

Welcome back to Trivia Tuesday!

The answer to last weeks Trivia Tuesday was… 12-18 months. At around 12 months many babies can begin to produce very simple words such as mama, dog, and ball.  By 18 months many babies can recognize up to 50 words and even begin to understand certain one word commands.

This weeks question: At what age do most children achieve basic reading fluency

A. 3-4 years old

B. 5 years old

C. 6-7 years old

D. 8 year olds

Tune in next week for the answer to be revealed!

Jay Schieffelin – Research Assistant

 

Though it’s not often talked about often, sleepwalking is quite common in children. In fact, 1 in 10 school aged children experience sleepwalking episodes. Parents generally notice more noises/sounds from the rooms of their young children rather than their older ones, so it’s more common for younger children to be caught sleepwalking by their parents. It’s important to note that the earlier sleepwalking is treated, the better the outcome for the child will be. 

In this study, the researchers have discovered that sleepwalking is associated with night terrors, restless sleep, and sleep talking. Aside from nighttime activities, it’s also associated with emotional/behavioral issues, usually caused by the sleep problems that affect the children. A stable sleep routine is important for children to minimize any problems that may occur without proper sleep. If they don’t get adequate sleep, they’re more likely to experience daytime problems.  

To read more, click here! 

Ashley Bejar, UConn KIDS Research Assistant