Children with speech and language problems may have trouble sharing their thoughts with words or gestures. They may also have a hard time saying words clearly and understanding spoken or written language. Reading to your child and having her name objects in a book or read aloud to you can strengthen her speech and language skills. Helping your child love books You’ll find sharing books together is a great way to bond with your son or daughter and help your child’s development at the same time. Give your child a great gift that will last for life — the love

Occupational therapy is not just for kids with disabilities, it can benefit a wide variety of children. Lisa Dahlstrom, 42, is worried about her 3-year old son, Levi, entering preschool this fall. He has little interest in picking up a pencil or crayon, and when he does, he still holds it in a toddler’s fisted grip. He struggles with tracing lines and using scissors. He has trouble pulling shirts on and off himself, and shows absolutely no desire to begin potty training. “He wasn’t doing well with these skills when he was in day care before the pandemic, and now,

Children later diagnosed with autism and/or ADHD visit doctors and hospitals more often in their first year of life, research finds. The findings, which appear in the journal Scientific Reports, provide evidence that patterns of health care use in a baby’s first year can be gleaned from electronic medical records, serving as a roadmap to provide timely diagnoses and treatments that could improve outcomes and reduce health care costs. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects approximately 1.5% of children in the United States and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects about 11% of US children. ADHD symptoms are also present in up to 60% of children with