Teen Brain, Podcasts, Stress

THE TEEN BRAIN REDUX — yet again, even. An article in the Washington Post summarizes recent research into the teen brain and highlights some interesting conclusions and possibilities. For one, the research indicates that teens learn well from positive feedback; this certainly has implications for both parenting and education. Some of the reward comes from risk-taking — which can be healthy. One expert quoted in the article says that fearlessness can make adolescents “thrive in the space of creativity.” The article presents a more nuanced view of the teen years than we usually get; find it.

TiLT PARENTING’S newest podcast is with Debbie Kuntz on “When School Isn’t Working,” a topic often relevant to 2e families; find the podcast.

PARENT FOOTPRINT. Besides her conversation with Debbie Reber at TiLT, Debbie Kuntz also appeared on a podcast with psychologist Dan Peters, discussing, in a nutshell, supporting 2e children. Find the podcast.

THE CLAY CENTER for Young Healthy Minds is hosting a Facebook Live series with Ellen Braaten. The first event, on March 31, is titled “How to Advocate for Your Child in School.” More information (from Facebook); we don’t see anything at the moment at the Clay Center site about the event.

TOXIC STRESS is something we don’t like to think as existing in the environment we provide for our children; even the word “toxic” is controversial. Quartz, in its “Obsession” feature, ruminates on stress in children. From the piece: “The effects are not the same in every child, and can be buffered by the support of a parent or caregiver, in which case the stress is considered ‘tolerable.’ But toxic stress can have profound consequences, sometimes even spanning generations. Figuring out how to address stressors before they change the brain and our immune and cardiovascular systems is one of the biggest questions in the field of childhood development today.” Read more.

SCIENCE, RESEARCH
— ADHD, LDs, from a CDC report via Physician’s Briefing: “Nearly 14 percent of children aged 3 to 17 years had ever been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or a learning disability in 2016 to 2018…” The report breaks down the overall figures by race and ethnicity. The figure is lower than the usual 20 percent proportion we often see for learning challenges in the general population. Find the study write-up.
— Seratonin, anxiety, sleep, via Brain and Behavior Foundation. “Investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School have published results of new research in mice that suggests that by acutely activating serotonin neurons located in a part of the brain called the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), it may be possible to generate an anti-anxiety effect that has the benefit of promoting sleep.” Find the study write-up, which includes what we take to be an interesting image of neurons connected by axons and dendrites; either that or a bunch of ticks.

Spotlight on 2e Series Booklets

This series consists of 13 booklets in softbound, 8.5×11 inch format, 30-40+ pages in length, addressing various aspects of twice-exceptionality. Three booklets address specific “e’s” — ADHD, Asperger’s, and dyslexia. All are published by Glen Ellyn Media, which also brings you The 2e Resource.

Find out more!