It is commonly known that movement is beneficial for the body. Whether this may be through exercise, yoga, meditation, or dance. In this article, researchers observed the outcomes of a recreational dance program for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Long-term participation in The Ballet for All Kids (BFAK) program was reported by parents as psychologically, socially, and physically beneficial for their children with ASD. 

 

Parents involved in BFAK gave interviews describing their child’s experiences in the program. Many parents mentioned that a well-liked aspect of the program had to do with the familiarity and routine it involved. Similar music and exercises were used during every session. Children with ASD typically adhere to these routines, meaning the program gave them the structure they required. Another reported benefit among all parents involved in the study was the increase in self-esteem observed in their children. This is significant as it counters the low self-esteem that children with ASD are at risk for developing. 

 

The BFAK program is simply one of the many pieces of growing research on dance therapies for children with ASD. Long-term benefits of participation in these sorts of programs for overall health seem to be growing among this young population.

 

Read the full article here!

Nolyette Verastegui

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

Dance is something that can benefit children of all age groups regardless of skill levels. It provides structure like a school environment, where children learn from a teacher, while also having the ability to create movement and use their creativity. In an environment like this, children are not just stuck to learning facts rather they can explore and figure out various ways to creatively express and respond to prompts. For example, in a dance class, a dance instructor may ask the student how they would travel across the room without walking. This gives the child the ability to explore their limits and figure out how they would solve this problem without doing the obvious.

This article written in the Transworld Institute of Technology demonstrates how varius skills and aspects of dance can help children develop further skills outside of the regular structured school setting. Children are used to learning in such a static setting that it can be harder for them to expand on different skills. By schools integrating dance into physical education or other aspects of the child’s learning, it allows for the children not only to further creative skills but also further the promotion of a healthy lifestyle, emotional expression, and working with peers.

Children have such a vast imagination; they come up with various games and stories all while exploring the world around us. Unfortunately, it is so common for a child to sit down and learn in a traditional way that we often forget about alternative ways to integrate learning in settings other than a classroom. By integrating dance into a child’s everyday learning routine, it allows for them to expand their horizons and learn in new ways that are not as commonly practiced in a new, fun way that allows for growth, creativity, and other important life skills.

 

Read the full article here!

Mikayla Clemens

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

Today’s Friday Feature is Mikayla Clemens!

 

Mikayla Clemens is a research assistant here at UConn KIDS. She is a junior psychology major on the research track with a minor in human development and family sciences with a concentration in early childhood. This is her first semester working with UConn KIDS and is so beyond excited to work with her team and further her research journey here at UConn!

Mikayla knew she wanted to work with kids for most of her high school career. She began as an assistant dance teacher at her dance studios and currently works with kids at the UConn Child Lab. Eventually, her end goal is to conduct her own research involving our education systems and classrooms to improve learning for all students as well as becoming a school or child psychologist.

Typically, Mikayla spends a lot of her free time with her friends, family, and boyfriend. She also enjoys hiking, going to the gym, and dancing with the UConn Dance Company. Over breaks, she loves traveling and going to find new places around New England including hidden coffeeshop gems. Locally, she recommends Silk City in Manchester, CT and RaonJena Coffee and Dessert in Glastonbury, CT!

       

If you have ever been around parents, you may have heard them refer to their children as “sponges”, because of how they soak up loads of information from the world around them. This is particularly true during the early years of development. Children learn new things through constant interaction with their environment. One significant way kids learn is through play.

The article, Using Toys to Support Infant-Toddler Learning and Development, emphasizes how children’s cognitive development can be facilitated through carefully curated play toys and activities. For instance, simple house materials, such as cardboard, can be shaped into small blocks for children to stack. This assists children in learning about spatial relationships, shapes, and dimensions. Some of the many basic skills that children acquire through intentionally designed play include object permanence, hand-eye coordination, and perspective-taking. Implications for where this well-thought-out play could be used are in the classroom setting. Both parents and teachers are encouraged to recognize the stage of development children are in, to then be able to identify the appropriate form of play for the child.

It is important to keep in mind the significance that these toys play for children during their developmental years. Exposing kids to different kinds of play can be thought of as giving them the tools for the world that awaits them in the future!

Read the full article here!

 

Nolyette Verastegui

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

 

One of the first senses you receive in the womb is sound; whether that be your mother’s voice or muffled talking and noise coming from outside the womb, your unborn infant can hear it. Plenty of studies have been conducted by researchers about what they can hear, respond to, and prefer, but what about newly born infants?

In the article, Neonatal Musicality: Do Newborns Detect Emotions in Music?, the goal of the study is to determine the emotional effects of various background music on neonates that are deemed healthy. This was examined through analyzing the baby’s’ movements frame by frame paired with their heart rate in two different experiments (one experiment for behavioral responses and the other on heart rate). Behavior that was recorded was yawning, sucking, arm stretching, arm flexion, finger movement, finger clench, finger stretch, smiling, leg flexion, leg stretch, toes curled, toes stretched, and eyes open, barely open, and closed. The emotions that were used in the study were happy and sad and songs were pulled from a various large collection of lullabies and children’s songs. A control (referred to as ‘baseline’ in the study) was also used that monitored the neonates’ responses with no music playing.

The study found that infants’ heart rate would decrease along with decreased their movement and forms of self-regulatory behavior while sad music there was stillness and longer leg stretches. There were no differences in heart rate examined while infants listened to sad music. Further discussion on this experiment goes deeper into why this may have occurred as well as other various aspects that may explain the results.

What is interesting is how this is how like how we respond to music. Later the study mentions that with happier music the infants were more likely to have stronger response and are noted to “absorb” the sad music. With how today’s society is, music is something we constantly are exposed to and listen to on an everyday basis. Next time you listen to music, think about how your child may be interacting and responding to music and how your responses, even close to your first day of life, are quite similar!

 

Read the full article here!

Mikayla Clemens

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

Stress is an aspect of everyones lives. The amount of stress we all have differs and so does the way that we respond to it. As a baby being born into a family of abuse or where resources are scarce will change the way that your brain reacts to stress and the emotions you have.

A study done by Ross A. Thompson looked at the way that children respond to the struggle of living in poverty. It was found that it can change their neurobiology in a way that can hurt their physical health, social competence, and their ability to succeed in school and life. It can also make them have a hard time controlling their emotions, focusing, and creating relationships later on in life.

The study found that this neurobiological change can be altered. Creating warm and nurturing relationships in children’s lives can help to reverse this change. Programs to build this relationship have been very helpful for children. These programs don’t only focus on biological parents or caregivers but move onto grandparents or distant relatives to make it a multigenerational program. Thompson suggests this multigenerational approach to helping children living in poverty cope and thrive with their chronic stress.

Learn more by reading the article Here!

Ben Solomon

Research Assistant, UConn Kids

With fair season right around the corner (some of them are already here), there are plenty of opportunities to get outside and enjoy the remaining summer weather and the upcoming cool fall air! With that being said, without these fun fall activities, it can be harder to get outside with your kids. As screens are constantly around us, it is so easy to forget to connect with nature and let our kids explore the world around us.

In this literature review, the importance of allowing children to connect with nature and exploring the ecosystems around them is described as necessary and often overlooked in importance. Exploration of the environment reaps multiple positive benefits such as enhanced cognitive development, increased levels of social esteem and self-management skills, and even independence and/or skills in team building. Not to mention, it is proven that children who had access to the outdoors were able to have focused, direct attention as well as increased cognitive ability.

These skills are deemed important and necessary for development but can be forgotten about and overlooked as kids may seek an altered sense of connection to nature virtually or within a video game. As mentioned in the review, fear of injury by parents or lack of access to an accessible outdoor area can inhibit the availability for outdoor exploration. As children still have their curious nature and ability for fantasy and role playing, the lack of an outdoor play area may lead children to turn to video games and virtual reality.

With the outdoors providing a space for children to explore and grow, it brings to the table new ways for children to expand their cognitive abilities as well as provide a way for kids to unplug and de-stress naturally.

Read the full article here

Mikayla Clemens

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

Today’s Friday Feature is Nolyette Verastegui!

Nolyette Verastegui (Noly) is a research assistant with UConn KIDS. She is a junior at the University of Connecticut majoring in Psychological Sciences. She is also a proud member of the UConn honors community. This is Noly’s first semester working as a research assistant and she is excited to meet new people and represent UConn KIDS.

Nolys interests include working with the youth in her community of Windham, especially with bilingual students at the middle school level. This past summer, she worked with school psychologists in the Windham Public School district. Alongside her mentor, she enacted a summer program called “Problem Solving in Middle School”, where students were able to engage their problem solving skills through prepared discussions and activities. Noly also enjoys learning about industrial and organizational psychology and human behavior in the workplace. After graduating, she plans to further her education in either I/O Psychology or continue her work with young children and become a school psychologist in her community. 

During her free time, Noly enjoys traveling. She has had the opportunity to travel to Germany, Puerto Rico, Peru, Mexico, and the Bahamas. She also loves fitness and exercise. Weightlifting, yoga, and pilates are some of her favorite ways to start her mornings. Aside from her hobbies, Noly loves spending time with family and friends.

 

 

 

Taking care of a baby can be overwhelming. With screen time so prevalent today, Is giving your kid a screen to watch a good solution to calm them down? Will giving your child more screen time affect their development?

In August 2021, Jama Pediatrics published a longitudinal study looking at a little over 7,000 mother/child pairs between 2013 to 2017. The study found that heavier screen use was associated with poorer communication and fine motor skills measured at both two and four years old. Social skills and problem solving delays were found at one and two but no longer at four. “Screen Time” is a very broad statement that can mean many different things. A baby watching violent movies vs educational shows will make a difference. Parental input and screening are important. Different children can view the same exact program, one will see it as a positive program and the other child can see it as an anxiety inducing punishment.  Media can be effective when used in the right way although it will not be surpassed by playing with pets, siblings, adult nuzzling, or simply enjoying life.

 

Read the full article here!: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/life-refracted/202308/babies-screens-parents-and-developmental-delays

Ben Solomon

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

 

Having a newborn baby can be one of the most exciting yet scary times in a parent’s life. For parents, so much of the neonatal period involves learning to bond, care for, and get to know their baby. There is also much uncertainty as babies discover the world around them and parents learn to manage caring for a new baby. One certainty is that being cautious is crucial during this time as babies are rapidly growing, developing, and changing. 

The World Health Organization and UNICEF recently launched a new progress report detailing the need to improve nurturing care around the world. This improvement would require investing more in care, especially in poorer countries. The two organizations emphasize that the first year of a child’s life provides numerous opportunities to improve lifelong well-being.

The report focuses on using the Nurturing Care Framework, which aims to support young children’s physical, emotional, and intellectual development. It promotes overall child health by covering nutrition, security, learning, and responsive caregiving. The report found that utilizing the Nurturing Care Framework has increased commitment to early child development worldwide. 

Improving the health of a child goes far beyond enhancing physical health. Their emotional health needs to be considered as well. We must help them develop positive relationships with those around them to improve their physical and emotional well-being.

Read the full article here

Emma Dineen

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS