Ages & Stages

While many think of yoga as an adult activity, the meditative practice can offer children numerous health and mental benefits. A recent study found that yoga equips children with skills to help with stress management, as well as improves self-esteem, classroom behaviors, concentration and emotional balance. ...

Many parents will have to make a decision to allow their children to walk to and from school. There are safety risks in the form of traffic, strangers, bullying and several other factors they can be exposed to along their route, and communication is the number one way to help mitigate any concerns. ...

Since speech-language problems can impact social and academic abilities, early detection and intervention are critical. Early intervention can help prevent difficulties with reading, writing and interpersonal communication. Children are evaluated as young as 12-18 months of age, and treatment begins with the abilities your child has and then builds on those. ...

Have fun this month with a visit to your local library, museum or area attraction, many of which offer storytimes, crafts, and other fun activities for young children. ...

Researchers in a recent study found that by age 5, children who spent two hours or more per day looking at screens were 7.7 times more likely to meet criteria for a diagnosis of ADHD than children who watched screens for 30 minutes or less each day. ...

If you are having difficulty understanding your child, you might want to consider a speech-language evaluation, which is a normal step to pursue when parents or caregivers suspect difficulty with communication. Ask your pediatrician for a referral to a speech-language pathologist, a professional who diagnoses speech and language difficulties. ...

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Sensory integration, or the way in which the mind communicates with the senses, begins developing before birth and shapes the way a person interacts with the environment. Parents can help their kids’ neurological growth, as well as appeal to their sensory inclinations, by exposing them to summer sensory activities. ...

Parents are always instructed to keep their child's screen time to a minimum. Now, experts are recommending screen time limits for parents, too, as the amount of time that caregivers spend on their electronic devices directly impacts the quality and quantity of interaction with their children. ...

After a healthy pregnancy and birth, Christie and Josh Hersman welcomed Ava, an energetic baby girl with big blue eyes. When a newborn hearing screening indicated Ava might need further testing, the Hersmans took her to get an auditory brain response test, which confirmed Ava had moderate to severe hearing loss. Learn what resources the family used as part of Ava's early intervention program. ...