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Your Child's Brain Each month Your Child's Brain will bring together experts in child brain health, including researchers, educators, physicians and therapists as well as families to discuss contemporary topics about child and youth brain health and development. Your Child's Brain is produced by Kennedy Krieger Institute with assistance from WYPR.
Your Child's Brain

Podcast Directory
Your Child's Brain

Your Child's Brain

From WYPR - 88.1 FM Baltimore

Each month Your Child's Brain will bring together experts in child brain health, including researchers, educators, physicians and therapists as well as families to discuss contemporary topics about child and youth brain health and development. Your Child's Brain is produced by Kennedy Krieger Institute with assistance from WYPR.

Most Recent Episodes

The Impact of a Physician Shortage on Children

In the United States alone, there are nearly 20 million children with developmental, cognitive, behavioral, and/or learning disorders. It is widely recognized that the needs of children with these issues are growing in number and complexity while, at the same time, a critical shortage of access to physician specialists is resulting in delayed diagnoses, longer wait times for treatment and, consequently, poorer outcomes. On this month's episode, Kennedy Krieger president and CEO, Dr. Brad Schlaggar is joined by colleagues Dr. Miya Asato, a pediatric neurologist and Dr. Mary Leppert, a developmental pediatrician to discuss the critical shortage and what is being done to address it and more importantly, what parents can do. Resources: Center for Disease Control – Concerned about Your Child's Development https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/concerned.html Learn the Signs – Act Early https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/index.html Milestone Tracker App https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones-app.html See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Functional Neurological Disorders (FND)

On this month's episode, we are going to discuss Functional Neurological Disorders or FND. Patients with this disorder are often stigmatized and, unfortunately, criticized for seemingly faking a disorder. The reality is that the symptoms of functional neurological disorders are real, can cause significant morbidity, but, thankfully, can most often be remedied by prompt identification, education, and appropriate treatment. Kennedy Krieger president and CEO, Dr. Brad Schlaggar is joined by Dr. Souraya Torbey, a child and adolescent psychiatrist in the Center for Developmental Behavioral Health and the director of the FND Clinic at Kennedy Krieger and Dr. Caitlin Thompson is a staff clinical psychologist in the FND Clinic. They are also joined by a parent of a child diagnosed with FND. Together the group will delve into FND and its impact not only on the individual but the entire family system. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Navigating Childhood: Insights into Challenging Behaviors and Family Dynamic

May is Children's Mental Health Awareness month and as part of that recognition, join Dr. Brad Schlaggar, president and CEO of Kennedy Krieger and his guest Dr. Matt Edelstein, director of the Brief Treatment Clinic at the Institute, as they discuss challenging behaviors in children and how those behaviors can have a cascading impact at multiple levels of a family system. For the child, such behaviors can impede social, emotional, and academic functioning. For caregivers, they can influence stress, mood, feelings of confidence, and even undermine a sense of parental competence. Aggressive behaviors can cause injury. Finally, for the family as a whole, challenging behaviors can tax relationships and have negative repercussions both within and beyond the walls of the household. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Navigating Childhood: Insights into Challenging Behaviors and Family Dynamic

Listen · 28:14

Inside the Mind: Anxiety and Autism

April is known internationally as Autism Acceptance Month. As part of that recognition, join Dr. Brad Schlaggar, president and CEO of Kennedy Krieger and his guests Drs. Amy Keefer and Roma Vasa from the Center for Autism, Services, Science and Innovation, to discuss the anxiety disorders common in individuals with autism and discuss why this population may be particularly vulnerable to the comorbid symptoms of anxiety, as well as treatment options and research being done in this field. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sleep Disorders in Children

On this month's episode Kennedy Krieger President and CEO, Dr. Brad Schlaggar is joined by Dr. Janet Lam, a pediatric neurologist and an expert in sleep medicine and the director of the Sleep Disorders Clinic and Laboratory at Kennedy Krieger. The two will delve into sleep disorders in children, especially for those with neurodevelopmental conditions. Resources Kennedy Krieger Sleep Disorders Clinic and Lab About Sleep Disorders National Sleep Foundation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it mean to have a rare disease?

There are over 7000 identified rare diseases that impact over 300 million people worldwide. And a disproportionate number of those rare diseases affect the developing brain and nervous system. Having any given rare disease is indeed rare. But having a rare disease is, in fact common. February, is rare disease awareness month and the last day of February is recognized internationally as Rare Disease Day. For this month's episode, Dr. Brad Schlaggar, pediatric neurologist, and president and CEO of Kennedy Krieger Institute is joined by Dr. Anne Comi, a pediatric neurologist, to discuss a specific rare disease and some potentially very promising progress in its treatment. Additionally, we will hear from Megan Lewis, mother of Tucker, who shares some insights of their journey with a rare disease. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unlocking the power of early childhood education: Its impact on lifelong development

We've known for some time now that the first years of a child's life constitute a very important period for the development of that child's brain. Because the brain is responsible for cognition, language, movement, emotion, self-regulation, and essentially every aspect of human behavior, it stands to reason that optimizing those first few years can have a significant impact on the rest of that child's life. In this episode, Kennedy Krieger CEO and President Brad Schlaggar will be joined by colleagues Marcella Franczkowski, Assistant VP, and Executive Director of PACT, Sharon Holloway-Gentemann, the Director of PACT World of Care, Dr. Jackie Stone, Chief Clinical Officer as well as Sarah Monaghan, a parent of a graduate of PACT. The discussion focuses on how early childhood programs help optimize developmental outcomes, and will also look at some of the challenges faced by these programs and why such programs are so worthy of enhanced societal investment. Resources to visit: Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children www.dec-sped.org National Association for the Education of Young Children Developmental Milestones Checklist and Family Guidance from Early Head Start NAEYC – Questions to Ask Your Child Care – checklist National Association for the Education of Young Children - Readiness: Not a State of Knowledge, but a State of Mind Children's Defense Fund-State of America's Children 2023--Early Education Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Public and Private Preschool Enrollment From 2019-2021 at Its Lowest Since 2005* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Fast Facts: Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences* Kaiser Family Foundation: Disparities in Health and Health Care: 5 Key Questions and Answers* See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unlocking the power of early childhood education: Its impact on lifelong development

Listen · 43:46

Reflecting on Progress: 30 Episodes of Insights into Your Child's Brain

Join us for the 30th episode of Your Child's Brain. In this episode, we reflect back on the topics that we discussed over the past 2 ½ years and talk about the progress that has been made in understanding and treating disorders of the developing brain and nervous system. Dr. Brad Schlaggar, president and CEO of Kennedy Krieger, is joined by his colleague Dr. Ali Fatemi, a pediatric neurologist and neuroscientist, who, in addition to serving as Chief Medical Officer at Kennedy Krieger, holds the Blum-Moser Endowed Chair in Pediatric Neurology at Kennedy Krieger, and leads the Moser Center for Leukodystrophies at Kennedy Krieger. Dr. Fatemi is also professor of neurology and pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Links to visit: Rare Disease Network https://www.rarediseasesnetwork.org National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) https://rarediseases.org/ Eunice Kennedy Shriver Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Research Centers (EKS-IDDRCs) https://www.nichd.nih.gov/research/supported/eksiddrc Kennedy Krieger Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Research Center https://www.kennedykrieger.org/iddrc See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tourette syndrome

Tourette syndrome and tics—what are these two neurological disorders, how do they differ and how are they treated is the subject of this month's episode of Your Child's Brain. Join Dr. Brad Schlaggar, president and CEO of Kennedy Krieger, along with four of his colleagues from the Institute's Tourette Syndrome Center of Excellence. They are: Dr. Harvey Singer Dr. Marco Grados Dr. Joseph McGuire Dr. Shannon Dean Links to visit: Tourette Syndrome Center of Excellence at Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins Medicine Tourette Association of America See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cerebral Palsy

People with disabilities or chronic health conditions, such as cerebral palsy, may be as much as 3-4 times more likely to develop depression and anxiety disorders. Research suggests this link is not necessarily related to the severity of a person's disability but is instead tied to things like levels of stress, management of pain and fatigue, coping skills, or family and social support. In this episode of Your Child's Brain, Dr. Brad Schlaggar, President and CEO of Kennedy Krieger, is joined by two of his colleagues: Dr. Heather Riordan, a child neurologist and medical director of the Phelps Center for Cerebral Palsy and Dr. Aaron Hauptman, a pediatric and adult neuropsychiatrist, and the associate director of Neuropsychiatry to discuss cerebral palsy with a special emphasis on the mental health challenges with the disorder. Related links: Phelps Center for Cerebral Palsy https://www.kennedykrieger.org/patient-care/centers-and-programs/cerebral-palsy-and-neurodevelopmental-medicine Bennett Blazers https://www.kennedykrieger.org/community/initiatives/physically-challenged-sports See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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