The Infona portal uses cookies, i.e. strings of text saved by a browser on the user's device. The portal can access those files and use them to remember the user's data, such as their chosen settings (screen view, interface language, etc.), or their login data. By using the Infona portal the user accepts automatic saving and using this information for portal operation purposes. More information on the subject can be found in the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By closing this window the user confirms that they have read the information on cookie usage, and they accept the privacy policy and the way cookies are used by the portal. You can change the cookie settings in your browser.
Last October, an Indiana woman was charged with two felonies for her infant's death related to co‐sleeping, after she had lost another infant to the same cause in 2020. The rationale for her indictment was that she should have been cognizant of the risk. This was also the case with an Ohio woman early this year for the same set of tragedies, and a FL woman in January as well, also two infants. A quick...
Recently, my niece, a graduate student in clinical psychology, sent me an article she published with her undergraduate faculty mentor. The article is cited below (Walters & Dallaire, 2024) and summarizes the outcomes of a specialized group intervention for children with an incarcerated parent called Milk and Cookies (MAC). Her mentor provides evaluative support for MAC via her research lab at...
Amid the ongoing Israel–Hamas conflict, images and videos circulating on social media show graphic violence. Exposure to images of injured, maimed, and deceased children also includes photos of the destruction of places like homes, hospitals, and entire neighborhoods that are typically considered safe spaces for children. Children will inevitably become consumers of some of this material, some unmonitored...
I recently did a media interview related to an earlier CABL commentary (Walters, 2018) focused on the underdiagnosis of ADHD in girls, prompting me to look at the recent research on the topic. Interestingly, the journalist I spoke with shared an article that noted the rising numbers of women ages 23–29 years and 30–34 years diagnosed with ADHD. Although still a relatively small percentage compared...
In a weekly staff meeting, we recently discussed the concept of attention‐seeking in children. Our child psychiatrist had noted that this term was coming up a lot in staff descriptions of behavior in the therapeutic milieu.
In the field of behavioral health, as with any other field, some topics seem to capture the attention of both the layperson and the expert for a period of time — a recent example has been the effects of social media on children.
In this month's CABL, an article by Lewis‐de Los Angeles et al. (see page 1) addresses the increase in school refusal or avoidance over the last few years. This is undoubtedly a significant issue, and in addition to this month's article, we also discussed absenteeism more generally in a commentary last winter (see https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cbl.30684).
Social media has become an integral part of our daily lives. As its influence grows, so too have concerns about the effect on mental health, particularly for children. This newsletter and the commentaries from month to month have tackled this subject with varying viewpoints. Last month we discussed the recent statistics on mental health in teen girls and how social media may contribute. Nevertheless,...
Every major medical organization involved in providing health care to youth, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Psychiatric Association, supports gender‐affirming care for youth. However, states advancing bans on gender‐affirming care also promote the view that this approach is medically unproven, potentially dangerous, and in some views,...
In February of this year, the CDC released sobering data: nearly three in five teen girls experienced sadness and hopelessness in 2021. This is double the number of boys and represents an almost 60% increase as well as the highest level over the past 10 years. Further, nearly one in three considered death by suicide, an increase of almost 60% over the past 10 years. One in five girls was the victim...
Several months ago, I promised to return to a discussion about the role of curiosity in connecting with children for treatment. In a podcast I referenced in an earlier commentary (see Parenting opportunities: Apologizing, CABL. March, 2023; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cbl.30697), Harriet Lerner and Brene Brown discussed apologizing and noted that curiosity about the other person's...
I was fortunate to grow up on a pond in New England, the site of many enjoyable days of ice skating in the winter. On weekends there were bonfires, hot chocolate, and pick‐up hockey. After a snowfall, enterprising neighbors shoveled off rinks, and sometimes we were still skating as the spring crocuses started to bloom. Summer weather was equally lovely — warm days contrasted with cool nights. We had...
Recently, I listened to a two‐part podcast about apologizing by Harriet Lerner and Brene Brown (2020), based on Lerner's book (2017) on the topic. Two concepts from the podcast have continued to resonate with me. One is the act of apologizing itself, and the other is curiosity. So, this month's commentary will focus on apologies, and we will return to curiosity at a later date.
Though the #metoo movement focused largely on adults, as accusations were made public it became clear that the prevalence of sexual harassment has an impact on young people, particularly adolescents. Sexual harassment is defined as “unwanted and unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature that interferes with the right to receive an equal educational opportunity. It is a form of sex discrimination that...
At the last revision of the DSM‐5, social (pragmatic) communication disorder was included as a new psychiatric disorder under the broader category of communication disorders (APA, 2013). Symptoms are designated as deficits in social aspects of communication, examples of which are greeting and sharing information, changing communication to meet the needs of the listener, using verbal and nonverbal...
Last month's commentary focused on the link between gun reform and prevention of school shootings, with a promise to follow up this month on how we talk to children about tragic events. There is no question that school violence is impacting our nation's youth, with recent discussion outlining the mechanisms by which this can occur. For example, a recent APA's Monitor on Psychology article noted the...
Perhaps the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas in May of 2022 will lead to lasting change with the signing of the bipartisan gun bill on June 26 by President Biden. Though not as far reaching as some hoped it would be — it does extend requirements for background checks for prospective buyers under the age of 21, funds increases in mental health and drug courts to carry out red flag laws and confiscate...
The purpose of the current study was to integrate recommendations from the joint attention literature into a set of procedures suited for a clinical setting serving children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. In baseline, the two pairs of children did not engage in any form of joint attention with one another during the target play context (i.e., a treasure hunt). A treatment package consisting...
When learning how to write, school‐age children are often told, “Do not write in the margins.” This guidance is important because it instills in a child the sense of where text is best placed on a piece of paper. The same is true for chemical processes—normal operating limits define the area where a process is best operated. However, processes may occasionally stray into the margins beyond the operating...
Among those working with children across a variety of disciplines, an increase in children presenting with symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been questioned. Further, questions about whether this is truly an increase in incidence or related to improvements in diagnosis and identification have been widely discussed. At times professionals are reluctant to assign a diagnosis because we...
Set the date range to filter the displayed results. You can set a starting date, ending date or both. You can enter the dates manually or choose them from the calendar.