The 1.5 million-person mystery: How to recognize and treat autism in children By Peggy Wilkins, PhD Once thought to be relatively rare autism affects as many as 1.5 million Americans. Although we know it is a developmental disability based in abnormal brain development, the exact cause remains a mystery. Up to 5 percent of cases [...]
Balancing Act by Alison Lebovitz My closet has become a veritable three-ring circus. Every morning as I enter my not-so-big tent to get dressed, I wave to the animal print garments and faux-fur accessories surrounding me, nod approvingly at the crowd of shoes below me and then begin my daily high wire act. This precarious [...]
Family fun with Languages Learning a new language can be rewarding for adults and for children but learning as a family can build memories and expand experiences, providing a unifying activity for everyone in the family. Children are natural linguists and research indicates that learning languages at an early age boosts brain activity, stimulating neural [...]
The Acne of Defeat by Alison Lebovitz They say with age comes a clearer understanding of the world around you. This may be true, but at this point I would settle for a clearer complexion of the skin around me. As a teenager I never had more than the occasional pimple, so I just don’t [...]
Battle the bulge Parents often don’t realize their kids are overweight, studies show By Nita Shumaker, MD Is your child overweight—or even obese? Childhood weight problems are reaching crisis proportions, yet studies show that parents frequently don’t realize their children are overweight. Tennessee ranks in the top five states in the nation for childhood obesity, [...]
Why Eating a Rainbow is so Important Eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables diverse in color is a tremendous health benefit for children’s developing bodies. Creative Discovery Museum supports this ideology through educational programs focused on healthy meal choices and physical activity. Eating the recommended full rainbow servings gives the body the vitamins, fiber [...]
Fueling passion in life is a father’s job by Chuck Tuttle I’ve been working with children in theatre for thirty years and I thought that I understood kids until I had my own. I don’t know if I understand kids any better now, but I understand parents better. Sometimes I get calls from parents of [...]
Childwise: Smart advice for Chattanooga parents by Mohsin Ali, M.D. Sister squabbles frustrate Mom Dear Childwise: I have two daughters, five years apart, who fight single day. They talk horribly to each other, and each one has announced that she hates the other one, although I have told them that I will not tolerate that [...]
Party Like a Rock Star The complete guide to planning a birthday party in Chattanooga Chattanooga is a fun place to be a family and birthdays are a great time to celebrate with friends, family and fun. There are some important ingredients to a successful party but the key starts with you and your child. [...]
“Go outside and play” a hard sell Dear Childwise: Do you have any suggestions for getting a child to go outside and play? I do the “good mom” thing and limit my son’s screen time to two hours (TV, computers, Game Boy, etc.), but he would almost always rather draw or read a book than [...]
