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Foster Your Child’s Intellect Through Environment

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It has been shown time and time again that it takes more than a school to highly educate a child. The best education that a child can receive will be a dual relationship between school and home. Those children who are flourishing in academics are receiving positive reinforcement in all areas of their environment. My last article discussed how at one point in time researchers felt that a child’s intellect is a born trait. However studies have shown that a child’s intellect can be enhanced by a positive and nurturing environment. Many studies will group children based on their home’s … Continue reading →

Has Your Child Been Screened for Fragile X Syndrome?

When my son Kyle was first being evaluated and diagnosed, one of the things he was tested for was fragile X syndrome (FXS). It’s a good idea for any child who falls on the autism spectrum or has unexplained mental retardation to be screened for this condition. Fragile X syndrome is the most common known single-gene cause of autism or autistic-like behaviors, and is typically associated with mental impairment. 2% to 6% of children diagnosed with autism are eventually diagnosed with fragile X. What is fragile X syndrome? Like the name indicates, fragile X syndrome is a congenital condition resulting … Continue reading →

The Genetic Risks for Inheriting (or Passing Down) ADHD

Sometimes when a child is diagnosed with ADHD, the parent thinks, “I remember having similar problems in school,” or “My brother and I had the same behaviors when we were kids.” Often people don’t recognize their own symptoms of ADHD until their child is diagnosed. Yet statistics show that when a child is diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) there is two to eight times increased risk that one of the parents also has the condition. Evidence has shown a strong genetic link indicating that ADHD is passed through families. Even though some environmental factors may play a minor role … Continue reading →

Depression in babies and young infants

Could you ever imagine a tiny baby being depressed? Although hard to believe, researchers have noted classic signs of depression in young babies, even those under the age of six months. Although most people associate the occurrence of depression with a series of negative life events, it has now been recognized that even babies as young as six months can display symptoms of depression. In particular, infants of depressed mothers exhibit depressive behaviors, such as a lack of responsiveness and interaction with others, lack of interest in their environment, unhappy facial expressions (as opposed to outright crying), and slow movements. … Continue reading →

Ten Ways to Help Your Child with Epilepsy Succeed in School

Childhood epilepsy can have a wide variety of causes. Head injury, infections of the brain, brain tumors, and genetic history could potentially be factors. However, in a great number of cases, no medical explanation for a child’s seizures can be determined. Children with epilepsy are eligible for special education, according to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA). As the parent of a child with epilepsy, there are adaptations in the regular classroom setting which you can request (and insist upon) for your child. An IEP meeting should be conducted where you can discuss these adaptations specifically … Continue reading →

Should Partners Of Women Of Advanced Maternal Age Attend Genetic Counseling Sessions?

In 1975, genetic counseling was defined by the American Society of Human Genetics as “a communication process which deals with the human problems associated with the occurrence or risk of occurrence of a genetic disorder in a family. This process involves an attempt by one or more appropriately trained persons to help the individual or family to: (1) comprehend the medical facts including the diagnosis, probable course of the disorder, and the available management, (2) appreciate the way heredity contributes to the disorder and the risk of recurrence in specified relatives, (3) understand the alternatives for dealing with the risk … Continue reading →

Should You Seek Genetic Counseling?

Genetic counseling is a guidance service offered to prospective parents who are concerned about whether they might pass on a family disease, defect, or trait to their future children. It is also for parents who already have one child with an illness or disability, who want to know their risks of having a second child with the condition. Genetic counselors also work with parents who are closely related, or who have had a previous miscarriage or infant death. They deal with parents who have had multiples (twins or triplets, etc.), or those who have been exposed to an environmental hazard … Continue reading →

Intellect is Not all Inherited

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There are some things that no matter how hard you try you simply cannot change about people or children. For example, you cannot change a person’s genetic make-up. Some things are given to us at birth and are nonnegotiable. For years the debate has existed to determine if a child’s intellect is one of these unchangeable aspects. However, studies since then have shown us that intellect may be influenced by much more than the genes and traits given to us by our parents. It seems that the environment that a child interacts in also plays a part. For example a … Continue reading →