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Blog PostsParenting

September 25, 2024 by Admin 0 Comments

Screen Time Savvy: Managing Your Child’s Digital Diet with Dr. Jenny Radesky

Dr. Jenny Radesky is the director of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics at the University of Michigan, and she authored the American Academy of Pediatrics’ screen time guidelines. Her research focuses on the intersection of mobile technology, parenting, parent-child interaction, and child development. Dr. Radesky chatted with Sparkler about screen time: What can families do to set appropriate limits? How can families empower their children in conversations about using screens and devices at home in safe, age-appropriate ways? How can parents regulate which games and other digital media are available to their children?

How can parents control their family's digital media & technology use?

Dr. Radesky: I’m focusing a lot of my research and advocacy on: How do we make sure the platforms that kids really love and are on all the time respect their developmental needs…A lot of it comes down to reading reviews on Common Sense Media, knowing a few developers that are really respectful of kids’ needs, and then avoiding the rest. Because a lot of the stuff on the app store is like fly-by-night app developers that are here one day, gone tomorrow, pushing out apps, and then they’re not on the App Store six months later. In our research, we’re amazed at the lack of oversight in the app stores or on the video streaming, like YouTube types of platforms.

What do you mean by the "lack of oversight"?

Dr. Radesky: If you thought of this as like a food store, another thing that’s offering products to kids — some of them are going to be really fun candy potato chip sort of products. Others are going to be healthy foods. You at least expect some degree of safety built in. They’re not going to contain toxic things like viruses. They’re not going to collect your data. Well, we have done research showing that a lot of kids’ apps [are] collecting a lot of private data. And then we also have found that these digital play things are also saying, come on, buy more, do more. It’s like as if you had an endless bag of potato chips that you could just hand to your child and they would never get to the bottom. So it just feels like a different ballgame for parents. We don’t feel like we know how to grab away that endless bag of potato chips because it never ends. Why would the child want to give that up and go eat some brown bread, you know? So it’s setting us as parents up for a really difficult, difficult battle that doesn’t feel like a fair fight.

What can parents do to protect their kids?

Dr. Radesky: Sometimes really powerful corporations get away with a lot of things that make our lives as parents harder. And we, as parents, can do a lot of things, collectively, to push back against that and to say, “You know what? We’re not going to download those janky apps from the App Store that just collect data and try to just pop up ad after ad. You know, that’s junk that would never pass FDA inspection. We’re not going to accept the endless bag of perfectly predictive, algorithmic potato chips that my child never wants to put down. That’s not fair.” I should, as a parent, have the option to turn off that algorithmic feed or to just select certain doses or samples or types of potato chips that I’m going to allow my kid to have because they’re delicious and fun and they’re fine in reasonable quantities. But the business model of just wanting kids and users to watch more and more and more isn’t really compatible with sleep or homework or other things that we really want our kids to be able to focus on and learn to do by themselves.

There's a lot parents can do — but should tech companies help, too?

Dr. Radesky: The messaging about screen time shouldn’t be directed solely at parents. It also needs to be directed at this really powerful tech system that exists and determines how much it’s trying to persuade kids to keep watching, keep purchasing.

So I’ll tell you, actually, during the pandemic, one of my main focus shifts has been less on, “Hey, parents, here’s what you need to do.” But more, “Hey, big tech companies, here’s what you need to do.”

Our kids have been dependent on this digital environment, and it isn’t always designed with their best interests in mind. It’s usually designed by adults, by engineers, for other adults, for these average human users, who are usually white male adults. That’s not the way a child lives and sees the world.

If your family needs a screen time "reset," how would you recommend going about it?

Dr. Radesky: Step one is just take stock. Pause, look around, observe your family’s day, and say, “Okay, where’s a place that we could actually put tech away so we can pay more attention to each other?” During meals or car rides, we know from research when a phone is even on the table with you or when it’s out, and you’re trying to toggle between looking at your phone and then trying to multitask with the kid in front of you or your friend, you can’t do both equally well. You’re going to be less good at both of those things. You’re going to be paying less attention to what that person sitting across from you is thinking or feeling.

So, give yourself a break. Give yourself opportunities to single-task on the people around you.

It’s so much harder to really pay attention to someone else’s mind when you have other things vying for your attention.

So I’d say take stock. Talk to your kids. Your kids are going to want some input, too. They may tell you to put your phone down at certain times of day. They may tell you to set the WiFi to have certain blackout periods so it’s easier for you to resist the call of your device. That may be your first step.

And then when you realize, “Oh, it actually really is easier to have a conversation with you,” or to feel like, “I heard what’s on your mind,” that hopefully will reinforce itself and carry on as a daily activity for families.

Just have some intentional planning on where and when tech is going to be in your day. Is it going to be in the morning when you’re getting ready? Is it going to be when you’re cooking and you want the kids occupied? The more you can plan it out and make it at discrete, predictable, consistent times of day, you won’t have kids begging you at every moment. Just make it predictable, and then kids will internalize those rules over time.

Can you explain what you mean when you say kids will internalize the rules?

Dr. Radesky: And my goal is that kids — themselves — can control and regulate their own media. Then you as the parent don’t have to be the policeman who’s saying, okay, I’m putting on the timer and I’m grabbing it out of your hands. Do some challenges with your kids to see can you hand it over to me without whining. If so, great. You can get more tomorrow.

How do you get a child to hand over a device without whining or being upset?

Dr. Radesky: So first is, if you watch the last five or ten minutes along with your child, you’ll know where that stoppage point is happening. It’s easier to stop it instead of letting the autoplay start back up again when children just want to be carried along.

Number two is notice what’s going on in the show where they might be coloring, they might be dancing, they might be doing something in nature and use that idea and launch it over to your 3D physical world so that you could say, “Hey, this character was just doing that. Let’s go do that in the yard.” So that’s another way to get kids transitioning off.

Third is if your child’s a little older, you can challenge them or give them the responsibility ahead of time and say, “Okay, here’s the deal: We’re just going to watch two episodes of X show, honor code. You are going to turn it off when those two episodes are done, and if you do, you get a sticker or you get a point towards going out for pizza at the end of the week.” Having that behavioral reinforcement for a child, self regulating their own media use, turning it off without complaint is an amazing skill to try to build. It takes a while because tech is fun and it’s hard to let go of. But I recommend trying to challenge kids to hand the device over without a big emotional reaction.

Blog PostsParentingPlay Activities

September 25, 2024 by Admin 0 Comments

Start Your Engines! Sparkler Activities for Little Engineers

Sparkler has thousands of activities designed to help children (5 and under) build important early skills and spark passions. Here are a few (off-screen) Sparkler activities that can help families help their children learn the building blocks of engineering and programming. Many of these activities include early math skills (like patterns and operations), and they also focus on children’s memory, problem-solving skills, and curiosity!

Follow the Program (for children 3-5)

This is a coding game for littles that helps children give and follow instructions.

Let’s play a coding game! First, let’s use tape or chalk to mark a path on the floor. Our path should have straight lines and 90 degree corners.
You go first! Stand at one end of the path and close your eyes (or wear a blindfold). I’ll guide you along the path by tapping on your body. I’ll tap your forehead to tell you to take one step forward, tap your right shoulder to tell you to turn right, or tap your left shoulder to tell you to turn left. Let’s try to get to the end of the path without talking or peeking!
Now let’s switch roles! I’ll put on a blindfold and you can help me follow the path from beginning to end. (If my forehead and shoulders are too high, you can tap my knees and toes!)

Machine Maker (for children 3-5)

This is an invention game, using your MIND — plus your crayons and paper.

Let’s invent a machine! What should our machine do?
Let’s draw a picture of our machine and name it.
What else does our machine do? I will write down the words.

Sock Sort (for babies 0-18 months)

Start to understand patterns with this fun sorting game.

Help me sort this pile of socks!
Here is a yellow sock. Can you find the other one? I’ll put the matching pairs together.
Here’s another sock – let’s find the match. Let’s keep going until all of our socks are sorted!

Painting Machine (for children 3-5)

See what happens when you put paint on a ramp to grow children’s curiosity and focus!

Let’s paint on a ramp! First, let’s tape the paper to a cookie sheet or other firm, flat surface and water down the paint so that it can drip.
Let’s go outside or into the bathroom and lean the cookie sheet against the wall at an angle. Now let’s use the brush to drip watery paint at the top of the ramp and watch the colors run down the paper!
Let’s change the angle of our ramp and try again with another color. Do the colors drip faster or slower this time?

Catapult (for children 3-5)

Launch a ball into the air to build connection-making and self-regulation skills.

Let’s build a machine to launch a ball. Take a ruler and put it on top of a can so one end of the ruler touches the ground and the other is in the air.
On the end of the ruler that is touching the ground, tape a small paper cup.
Now, let’s put the ball in the cup and press down on the other end of the ruler. How far does the ball go? Let’s do it again!

Rhythm Patterns (for toddlers and littles 2+)

Drum and count the rhythm to start recognizing patterns.

Let’s make a pattern by counting beats. Let’s start by clapping and counting one at a time: 1, 1, 1, 1!
Now let’s try making a pattern by counting beats in twos. Stomp your feet in rhythm: 1, 2; 1, 2; 1, 2…
We sound like drums!

Where are the Wheels? (for children 3-5)

Search for wheels to build focus and expression/storytelling skills.

Let’s go for a walk to look for wheels. What vehicles have wheels?
The wheels spin around and carry vehicles from place to place.
Let’s pick one vehicle with wheels. Let’s make up a story about where it has been and where it is going!

Blog PostsData/News

September 25, 2024 by Admin 0 Comments

Digital Media & Technology News and Resource Guide

Find useful news, research, and tools to help families help their children navigate digital tech and media in today’s fast-changing world.

Blog Posts

August 9, 2024 by Sparkler Learning 0 Comments

The Power of Stories: A Conversation with Dr. Raouf Mama

During Once Upon a Time at Camp Sparkler, Sparkler’s virtual summer learning program, we’ve been traveling around the world, hearing myths and folktales from global storytellers. This week, we were thrilled to hear a story told by Dr. Raouf Mama, a legendary storyteller, natively of Benin. Dr. Mama shared the story of Goat’s Encounter with Tiger.

After he told the story — and sang a traditional storytelling song — he generously shared his thoughts on the power of stories to teach and inspire — even in today’s modern, tech-filled world.

“Listening to stories evening after evening in the years of my childhood really helped me learn certain skills, communicative skills, listening and comprehension skills,” he said.

Dr. Mama is a unique storyteller: he tells folktales in English, French, Fon, and Yoruba. His stories are from his native Benin and other parts of the world. He’s also a best-selling author and a professor of English and Storytelling at Eastern Connecticut State University.

Highlights of Dr. Mama's insights into the power of stories:

Why are stories and storytelling important? I am a storyteller today because in the years of my childhood, I was told a lot of stories because back then, there was no tv. I didn’t have any books. So the only source of entertainment at home was storytelling. And that would be storytelling in the evening. And usually it was either mom or dad or an uncle or a grandparent who would tell a story to us. There was always a little stool in the corner in the living room. And after the evening meal, after we’ve all done our chores, you know, we would gravitate toward that corner, and we will sit in a semicircle, waiting, for mom or dad or some grown up to come and sit on that stool and tell us a story. The magical opening to my story was my ‘story takes flight,’ because once the storyteller opens the story like that, off we will be, off we’ll go to a wonderland where all kinds of wonderful things will happen.

What do you think storytelling has taught you? It improved my listening skills, because listening is very important. Not very many people ever learned listening, because listening is the key to understanding. So listening to stories evening after evening in the years of my childhood really helped me learn certain skills, communicative skills, listening and comprehension skills.

How can storytelling compete with all of today’s tech-based entertainment options? Well, you have to make sure you don’t lecture too much. Just make sure they enjoy it. If they like it, they want more of it. So I just find a way to engage them and to make them enjoy the story and I try to make it as interactive as I can.

Who inspired you to be a storyteller? I must say my two mothers, because I have two mothers. I have my biological mother and my mother’s elder sister who adopted me when I was three months old. These two, they have passed, but they have made a profound mark on me. And when I tell stories today, to me, it’s a way of honoring their memories; honoring their memories and the memories of all those wonderful storytellers of my childhood.

The Story Dr. Mama Shared at Once Upon a Time at Camp Sparkler

As part of Sparkler’s summer learning program, Once Upon a Time at Camp Sparkler, Dr. Mama shared a story from West Africa, Goat’s Encounter with Tiger. Read along or listen to Dr. Mama tell and sing the story!

Watch “Goat’s Encounter with Tiger” video in Spanish!

Goat’s Encounter With Tiger (English)

El Cabrito y el Tigre (Español/Spanish)

西非民间故事 (Chinese/ 中文)

Listen to All the Camp Sparkler Stories

Blog PostsParenting

July 25, 2024 by Sparkler Learning 0 Comments

Play & Learn Through the Summer Olympics

What 2024 Olympic sports will inspire your future athlete: Badminton or breaking? Triathlon or table tennis? Skateboarding or surfing? Families with toddlers and littles (from 1.5 – 5 years old) can find a selection of Olympics-inspired activities in their Sparkler mobile application to help them play along at home as the Olympians compete in Paris.

Inspiration for Your Own Home Olympic Games...

Home Golf: play cardboard box golf to develop perception skills and persistence
Sailing! Build (and float) sailboats out of recycled materials to build fine motor and persistence skills
Rhythmic Gymnastics: Dance with a ribbon or scarf to build pattern & operations skills and gross motor skills
Balloon Volleyball: Play volleyball with a ballon to build gross motor and persistence skills
Olympic Ring Art: Create an Olympic-inspired ring sculpture that symbolizes athletes coming together to compete to build small muscle and imagination
Triathlon: Walk, jump, and run in your own race to build muscles and persistence
Balance Beam: Pretend to be Olympic gymnasts walking on the balance beam to build perception and big muscles

How You Can Play

Sparkler families with toddlers and littles (aged 1.5 – 5 years old) will find the Summer Olympics play pack under “PLAY” starting on July 26 — the first day of the games in Paris.

If you’re a provider, you can find and share selected activities with families from Sparkler’s Library.

Questions: Email us at support@playsparkler.org.

Blog Posts

July 25, 2024 by Sparkler Learning 0 Comments

Q&A: The Olympic-Sized Power of Sports in Early Learning & Development

We’re getting ready for the Olympics! We’re so excited to watch the athletes and learn about their stories, and we were excited to talk to Anne Whalen, who played Division 1 Basketball and now coaches youth basketball and soccer to learn about the power of sports to teach people many important skills.

When did you start playing?

I started when I was in kindergarten playing everything I could: soccer, basketball, baseball/softball, gymnastics, horseback riding, ballet. You name it, I tried it. By the time I reached high school I was on the soccer, basketball, and golf team, and then continued with basketball through college. Now that I am “retired,” I play golf, and occasionally in an adult women’s league.

What do you love about the sport?

I love the rush and freedom you feel when you hit the pitch or the courts, that burst of adrenaline and the feeling you get when you know any shot you take will go in. But what I miss the most is the camaraderie of my teammates.

What was your greatest accomplishment in the sport?

When I was younger, I would have to say some of the awards I won and records I broke. But now, it is watching my players improve and become more confident in what they are doing and hoping that extends out of sports as well.

Beyond the skills of basketball itself — like dribbling and passing — what skills did you learn?

Here are a few of the most important:

To anticipate and read people/players
How to be a good teammate and work with others toward a shared goal
The importance of working hard and giving it your all
To pay attention to details
To never give up
To be there for your teammates

Research shows that sports help people learn a range of skills like perseverance, communications, interpersonal skills, etc. Do you have a story about how sports helped you develop "life skills"?

I absolutely believe it teaches you life skills and that athletes have a leg up in certain skills. I think back to all the grueling practices in college and the resilience that it built. When I have a short deadline or a large project at work or just anything to overcome, I think back to getting through those practices and know that if I can do that, this will be a breeze. Another big one that I think is important for all kids, especially young girls, is self-esteem. I was always so much taller than my other classmates and I hated it, I was shy about it and everyone would call me “big” meaning tall, but “big” sounds bad. The more I practiced my sports and the better I got, the more comfortable I got with myself and my abilities, the more confident overall I became. And once I started playing AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) and in college, I realized that being tall was a gift and to use it to my advantage (even though I was now one of the shorter girls). Now, I wish I were taller!

Have skills you learned playing sports (like learning how to cope with losing) helped you in other parts of your life? Can you share a short story about that?

I think learning how to lose with grace is somewhat a superpower. My dad and I would play H-O-R-S-E when I was growing up and he would never let me win. My sister and I used to have to pull out all the stops and do crazy trick shots to just be able to get him a letter, and I lost almost every game of H-O-R-S-E until I was in high school. I believe that losing humbles people and teaches us humility. And by losing, we learn to evolve, take risks, try new things, be willing to take the chances that need to be taken, even if we know the outcome could be a loss.

Now you coach kids. What do you coach? What age kids do you coach?

I currently coach U12 boys travel soccer, rec basketball (3^rd & 4^th grade) and travel basketball (6^th grade). I am also on the board for both our soccer and basketball clubs in town.

Why did you decide to coach kids?

I grew up with the best coaches and want to make sure my kids (and their friends) get that same experience so when they are my age, they can look back and remember how much fun it was for them and maybe become a coach themselves. Plus, I enjoy sharing my love for the game.

How do you help the kids you coach to learn important social & emotional skills in the context of your coaching?

With consistency and practice. The better these kids get at their sport, the more they are learning how to control their thoughts and emotions in all sorts of different situations. I also promote always being a good teammate. This teaches the kids to trust, cooperate, and listen to their teammates/peers.

What sports are you most excited about in the 2024 Olympics? Why?

I love the Olympics and cannot wait to watch. I will watch any sports when they are on but swimming and diving, basketball, and track and field have been my go-to’s since I was little. I also am going to make sure I support the women’s water polo and women’s rugby because Flava Flav is the best hype-man and Ilona Maher is amazing!

Blog PostsParentingPlay Activities

June 21, 2024 by Admin 0 Comments

All About Camp Sparkler: Q&A with Dana Stewart

For more than 100 years, researchers have been asking: What happens to student learning during the summer months? Researchers have found evidence of what educators call “summer slide,” “summer setback,” or “summer learning loss,” especially for children from low-income families (source).

These statistics are not destiny! Summer can be a time of growth, curiosity, exploration, and advancement! 2024 is the third summer of Sparkler Learning’s summer learning program — Camp Sparkler. Learn more about the program from Sparkler’s Education Director, Dana Stewart.

Q&A About Camp Sparkler

Sparkler: In your experience, is ” summer learning loss” real for preschoolers and young children?

Dana: Yes! I remember as a preschool teacher, we spend the whole year building up routines. By the spring, children are so practiced that they know exactly what to do in the classroom. If they go away for two weeks, and it’s like they never learned the routines. When we think about summer learning loss, we tend to think about older children and academic learning, but the same principles hold true for toddlers and preschoolers. They’re just learning different things in school.

Sparkler: As a mom and longtime preschool teacher and leader, can babies, toddlers, and preschoolers actually keep learning in the summer months?

Dana: Yes! In fact learning never stops with young children. I think that’s why it’s especially important for us — as caregivers of young children — to create opportunities for them to practice the skills that we want to promote throughout the year.

Sparkler: Why is the summer actually an important time for learning?

Dana: I think summer offers new opportunities for learning because a lot of us tend to slow down. The hustle bustle of the school year slows; children are less busy. This gives families opportunities to really dig into their children’s interests. We’re also outside more in the summer months, which gives children a chance to explore the natural world freely in a way that is more complicated when it’s colder outside. Summer can be an especially great time to involve children in sensory-rich activities like splashing in sprinklers, blowing bubbles, and playing in the sand.

Sparkler: Why have you built the Camp Sparkler program around stories?

Dana: Stories are amazing, stories are magic, stories connect people across cultures and around the world! Children are naturally drawn to stories, so they tend to be more engaging for young children, and the diversity of stories from various cultures offers lots of opportunity to explore different topics through play. Most people can’t get on an airplane and visit South America, Asia, and Africa over the summer, but through stories we’re able to give children a chance to go on this adventure and learn something about people and traditions from far away.

Sparkler: Sparkler emphasizes play — why is play important in the Camp Sparkler program?

Dana: Play is how children learn best. I think play is how everybody learns best. The physical experience of play is the best teacher. It’s the joyful self-directed practicing of skills that helps to crystalize new information. It generates new ideas and is the birthplace of creativity and ingenuity. The fact that play is FUN is maybe the most important aspect of play. We are motivated to play because it doesn’t feel like a chore. Playing WITH people you love is even better.

Sparkler: People are busy — how much time does a busy parent or caregiver have to spend playing with a child in order to make a difference?

Dana: The good news is that it doesn’t take much time at all. Even five or ten minutes a day can make a huge difference. The best is when you can spend a few minutes playing with your child and then set them up to continue playing, thinking, and processing independently for a few minutes.

Sparkler: What are some of the highlights of Camp Sparkler this year?

Dana: One of the things I’m most excited about at Camp Sparkler this year is the FAMILY TALES PROJECT, where we are encouraging children to listen to stories told by their grown-ups and turn them into a book of family lore. I’m excited to see the books that Sparkler families create this summer!

Sparkler: This will be your third summer leading Sparkler’s summer learning program. What brings you joy about Camp?

Dana: My favorite thing about camp is creating new play activities I’m really excited about and sharing those with families — and seeing their excitement as they play them together.

Sparkler: Will there be any new songs this year as part of Camp?

Dana: Yes! Last year, we had the Once Upon a Time song, which will be part of Camp again this year. We’ll also share about 3 new songs.

Sparkler: How can families access Camp Sparkler?

Dana: If a family already has a Sparkler account, they’ll start seeing camp activities on their app home screen on July 8, 2024. If a family doesn’t have a Sparkler account, they should create one, linking up with their local school or program and then they’re all set. Families can start anytime over the summer. It’s OK if they miss the first day or week. People can learn more on our website, and if there are other questions, just reach out to support@playsparkler.org.

Camp Sparkler 2024

Blog Postssocial emotional

May 23, 2024 by Julia Levy 0 Comments

Play Sparkler to Grow Your Little One’s Big Heart

Parents and caregivers tell us at Sparkler that one of their biggest areas of concern is their children’s social and emotional development. About a quarter of families who complete the ASQ:SE-2 on Sparkler — a screening tool focused on social and emotional development — raise concerns about their children’s behaviors and personal-social skills. Sparkler makes many play activities and parenting tips available to help families support their children’s development in this important domain. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Social Development

Empathy: Even at a young age, children can start to develop empathy by caring for others — family members, friends or even stuffed friends.

Nighty Night: Help your stuffed animals get ready for bed
Cheek to Cheek: Listen to your favorite songs and dance together

Trust: When you play together, read together, and spend time together, you build a trusting relationship!

One Line, Two Hands: Collaborate to draw a picture together
Pillow Cloud: Lie on a pillow together and talk about the texture

Emotional Development

Feelings: Learning about the feelings helps children to understand what they are feeling.

Read the Room: Look for feelings clues
Feelings Mirror: Make feelings faces while looking in the mirror … and discuss!

Identity: Understanding yourself is a lifelong journey that starts in early childhood. Talking with your child about who he/she is, what he/she likes, and other aspects of “self” — like family and community — help to develop an understanding of identity.

Dress Up: Dress up as a member of the family!
Family Album: Make a book about your family

Self-Regulation: Self-regulation helps people manage their emotions. Parents can help children learn skills to manage their feelings.

Stress Ball: Make a stress ball with a balloon
Freeze Dance: Play freeze dance
Just Breathe: Practice taking deep breaths

Outlook

Curiosity: Playing “I wonder games” and exploring places and ideas helps children to develop curiosity.

Veggie Taste and Guess: Vegetable taste test
Go See the World: Go explore someplace new!

Persistence: Persistence helps children stick with activities even when they are challenging. Practicing activities that take time can help to develop this skill.

Grow, Turnip, Grow: Sprout your own plant
Button Hunt: Search for 5 buttons

Independence: As children grow older, they can do more and more independently if they’re given the chance to try. Introduce age-appropriate ways to practice independence.

Library Visit: Ask the librarian for a book on your favorite topic
Brush Your Teeth: Practice brushing your teeth

Blog PostsChildrenParentingsocial emotional

May 23, 2024 by Meaghan Penrod 0 Comments

Mental Health in Early Childhood: A Q&A With Dr. Sarah Gray

Tell us a little about yourself and what you do in the field.

I am a licensed clinical psychologist and an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at UConn, with a joint appointment in Psychiatry at UConn’s School of Medicine. My primary roles are in research and teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate level, including clinical and research training of our doctoral students in clinical psychology at UConn. My areas of specialty in both my clinical practice and my research are early childhood mental health, parenting, and trauma, with a specific focus on how parents and other important caregivers support young children’s thriving under conditions of adversity. I am also a parent to two daughters, ages 4 and 7.

We’ve heard a lot about a youth mental health crisis in America. Is this something that we’re also seeing among children 0-5? Do we know if the crisis we’re seeing is related to Covid or screen time or other factors?

Recent research that has come out during and after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic did show critical disruptions to some of the most important contributors to children’s mental health during the earliest years. These disruptions include increases in family violence, decreases in parental mental health specifically among parents of young children, and broad disruptions to support networks for families. Importantly, some of this research — including work coming out of our lab — has highlighted some of the processes that buffered young children and their parents from these risks to mental health, including healthy family communication patterns, and caregivers’ material and psychological access to positive pandemic-related experiences, such as more quality time spent with family members or more time spent donating or volunteering to help those in need.

What is the relationship between social emotional development and mental health in young children?

This is a great question. Social-emotional development and mental health are deeply tied to one another across childhood, but perhaps especially during the earliest years. In many ways, children’s mental health in many ways is defined by their ability to move through developmental milestones in social-emotional development – for example, when we see disruptions in young children’s ability to share their joy or sadness with caregiving adults, or their ability to control their bodies in developmentally appropriate ways, these are signs we may be seeing emerging mental health concerns. When we support young children’s social-emotional development – their ability to use their words to tell an adult they are distressed, for example, or their prosocial connections with important adults and their peers – we are supporting their mental health, too.

What can parents and educators do to support children’s mental health?

For parents and educators alike, your relationship with a young child is the strongest tool in your arsenal for supporting their well-being. Young children learn about themselves and about the world – how safe it is, what to expect from it – through their relationships with important adults. Caring, responsive, and predictable relationships with loving adults during the earliest years are the greatest foundation for mental health across the lifespan. One of the sayings in our field is “behavior is communication.” When you are confronted with a challenging behavior, instead of immediately reacting, try taking a minute to ask yourself, “what need is their challenging behavior trying to communicate to me? How can I respond to that need?”

Common mental health challenges look different than the same mental health challenges in adults. How do young children present with these challenges in ways that are different than adults?

Young children struggle with many of the common mental health challenges that adults do – depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress, aggression – but of course, the way that they manifest looks different. In the area of posttraumatic stress, for example, we sometimes see developmental regression – this means losing skills that have already been developed, such as a return to bedwetting in a child who has already been potty-trained. Instead of re-experiencing the event through flashbacks like we may see in adults, young children experiencing posttraumatic stress might repeatedly play out scenes that they’ve experienced or witnessed in their pretend play. Sometimes this play might be healthy and constructive – helping them to make sense of what has happened – and sometimes it might be more “stuck,” repetitive, or disrupted, illustrating an unresolved narrative that might need clinical attention.

How can the mental health of the parent impact the mental health of the child?

There is a saying from pediatrician and psychoanalyst D.W. Winnicott that I and many others in the field like that speaks to this question: “There is no such thing as a baby.” That is to say, there is always someone else caring for that baby, or else the baby could not survive. Young children’s emotional worlds necessarily involve caregiving adults, and the well-being of that adult is a lens through which the child learns about and experiences the world. One of the things I am most drawn to in therapeutic work with young children is that no one pretends we can just see an infant or toddler alone in our office and fix the issue – of course we need to address their broader social environments, bring the parents and other important adults in on the work of the therapy. I think this is true of adults, too, but it can be harder to bring those broader social worlds into the treatment room with adults.

What steps should a family take if they have concerns?

Talk to the other adults on your team! Pediatricians are always a great place to start – part of their training is focused on normative developmental milestones, and if families are concerned about children’s development or their mental health, pediatricians can be a great resource about “when to worry.” Teachers and early education professionals can also be a resource.

Are there any books or articles that are family friendly that you’d recommend if people want to learn more about the mental health of young children?

Yes. Alicia F. Lieberman is a giant in the field of early childhood mental health, and she has written a very accessible book called The Emotional Life of the Toddler that I have recommended to friends and families I’ve worked with alike. The organization Zero to Three is also an amazing national resource, and they have many fact sheets and informational resources online about just about any issue facing young children and families.

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April 9, 2024 by Meaghan Penrod 0 Comments

The Power of Early Intervention: A Q&A With Dr. Marianne L. Barton

In honor of World Autism Month (April), a Sparkler family & community engagement specialist, Meaghan Penrod, spoke with Dr. Marianne L. Barton, Clinical Professor and Director of Clinical Training at the University of Connecticut Ph.D. Program in Clinical Psychology. Dr. Barton is a licensed psychologist and has worked for more than 30 years providing evaluation and treatment to young children and their families in multiple settings. Dr. Barton is one of the authors of The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers-Revised, (M-CHAT-R/F) and the Working Model of the Child Interview, as well as the Activity Kit for Babies and Toddlers at Risk.

Sparkler: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do in the field?

Dr. Barton: I am a Clinical Psychologist with specialized interest in Early Childhood. At UConn, I am the director of our training clinic, the Psychological Services Clinic and I oversee Clinical training for our PhD students. I supervise treatment and assessment services, complete assessments with students, consult to local Birth to Three programs, teach graduate courses and engage in research. My research is closely tied to my clinical interests. For example, because of our frustration at not seeing children with suspected Autism until they reached school age, several years ago my colleague Deb Fein and I developed the M-CHAT, a screening tool for young children that is now completed across the country at well-child pediatric visits. We are currently working on a series of videos that would help parents teach and engage with young children with autism.

Sparkler: How would you explain autism to someone who doesn't know much about it?

Dr. Barton: I think of Autism as a neuro-developmental disorder that interferes with a child’s ability to build reciprocal social relationships. Young children with ASD struggle with all of the behaviors that allow them to initiate and sustain social interaction, such as making eye contact, following someone’s attempt to direct their attention, showing things to others or pointing to direct attention. Some children develop communication skills, including language, others struggle to communicate. Children also develop repetitive behaviors, and sensory interests such as spinning toys, watching things fall or spin etc. Repetitive behaviors or restricted interests are required for a diagnosis of ASD. Beyond those two characteristics, there is enormous variability in children diagnosed with ASD. Some have comorbid intellectual disability or ADHD; others do not. Most develop functional communication skills; a small percentage remain minimally verbal.

Sparkler: What are some common misunderstandings people have about autism?

Dr. Barton: I think that people rely more on atypical behaviors, such as hand flapping, to identify children with autism, rather than the difficulties with social interaction. Children with many kinds of difficulty engage in atypical behaviors (for example, ADHD, Intellectual Disability, sensory concerns); unless they also have significant social deficits, they would not be considered autistic. I think people also under-estimate the extent of the progress that individuals with autism can make with intensive early intervention. A small number of children (15-20%) make so much progress that they no longer qualify for the diagnosis. Some of those teen-agers and young adults are indistinguishable from typically developing individuals. In recent years, the diagnostic criteria have been loosened to permit the diagnosis of individuals with less severe impairments. That has allowed for the identification of more children and the provision of services earlier.

Sparkler: How does early intervention support young children with autism?

Dr. Barton: If we can identify children early and provide intervention most children will make significant progress. Services typically focus on improving functional communication skills and developing skills at social interaction. When necessary, intervention may also focus on teaching adaptive skills and reducing atypical behavior. Over many years, we have learned that children with autism can learn many of the skills that typically developing children acquire on their own; children with ASD may require specific teaching to acquire those skills. Early intervention will allow children to address the social difficulties associated with autism and develop more typical friendships and social relationships. It also supports brain development which remains flexible in our youngest children. Finally, intervention provides greater support to families, teaches parents the skills they need to engage their children and reduces some of the stress and isolation that family members experience in raising a child with special needs. We have a great deal of evidence that early intervention results in significant gains in skills, healthier developmental trajectories, improved outcomes for both children and families and markedly reduced costs over the course of a child’s life.