Category Archives: Uncategorized

Rising Autism Rates: Factors Impacting Diagnosis, Treatment, and Intervention

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released 2 reports yesterday looking at the rate of children diagnosed with ASD. These findings are based on surveillance data from 11 communities that participate in the CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities … Continue reading

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World Down Syndrome Day: A Spotlight on Awareness and Advocacy  

Many if not most people are familiar with Down syndrome. However, for those who are not, a few facts:  World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) is celebrated annually on March 21 to bring global awareness about Down syndrome, a condition in … Continue reading

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The Shamrock: An Enduring Symbol of Faith, Hope, Love, and Community 

With Saint Patrick’s Day quickly approaching, I wanted to focus on the legacy of the shamrock. More specifically, I wanted to share some history about the Barber National Institute shamrock.  We all know that the shamrock is the familiar emblem … Continue reading

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Starting Strong: It’s Never Too Early to Focus on Literacy   

Early literacy: is it ever too early to start?  My response would be a definite “No.” A baby’s brain begins forming connections very quickly after birth, and these are the connections that will build the foundation for life-long learning. It’s … Continue reading

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The Teen Mental Health Crisis:  How the Barber National Institute Can Help

For this week’s blog, I have invited Cecelia Hollands, the Director of Clinical Programming for Barber Behavioral Health, to discuss the teen mental health crisis and what services the Barber National Institute can provide in helping address mental health needs … Continue reading

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Widening of the Gender Gap: Persistent Sadness Among Teen Girls a Major Concern 

In my last two blogs, I discussed some of the latest research in ASD. Today, I am following up with a look at the mental health challenges during the teenage years. These years can be challenging for anyone, but recent … Continue reading

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Making Kindness A Habit

Ryan and I have been looking forward to Random Act of Kindness Day on February 23. Each year we discuss how we shall celebrate.  Often, we decide that for the entire week, we will practice random acts of kindness and discuss them … Continue reading

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Looking Further into Factors Contributing to ASD

Last week, I discussed the fact that Autism rates have tripled. It is not clear whether this is due to better detection and reporting or an increase in the number of Autism cases.  There is no known single cause of … Continue reading

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Closing the Gap: Emerging Methods of Identification and Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Over the last 2 weeks, I discussed some of the key research for 2022.   However, there was an additional study recently published in the Journal of Pediatrics that I wanted to bring to your attention.  A team from Rutgers University looked … Continue reading

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2022 Autism Research Continued

This week, I am continuing our discussion of some of the 2022 research that provided me with new insights into the many facets of autism. The science of Autism is constantly evolving.   Parental Genetics   Environmental Factors   Underserved Communities   Disorders Associated … Continue reading

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