Aditi Shankardass: A second opinion on developmental disorders

 

Why you should listen to her:

Aditi Shankardass is a neuroscientist trained across three disciplines of the field: neurophysiology, neuroanatomy and neuropsychology. She has also worked across different levels of the field, from cellular to cognitive neuroscience, and been based in research labs as well as diagnostic clinics. Currently, she leads the Neurophysiology Lab of the Communicative Disorders Department at California State University.
Much of Shankardass’ work has been devoted to the use of an advanced form of digital quantitative EEG (electroencephalography) technology that records the brain’s activity in real time, and then analyzes it using complex display schematics and statistical comparisons to norms, enabling far more accurate diagnoses for children with developmental disorders. She is also actively involved in public outreach to increase understanding of brain disorders as a board member of the Global Neuroscience Initiative Foundation and a consultant for the BBC Science Line.

Colin Powell: Kids need structure

 

Why you should listen to him:

Four-star General Colin Powell was the first African-American U.S. Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. Prior to his service Powell was also the first African-American to serve as Chairman to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, an office he held from 1989 to 1993. But how did young Powell, a C student from the Bronx and a child of Jamaican immigrants, reach the highest military position in the Department of Defense?

While Powell was attending university at City College of New York, he found his calling in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). He graduated to become an Army second lieutenant and later went on to serve two tours in the Vietnam War. In 1989 under President George H. W. Bush, Powell was made a full general, before being named 12th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Powell is the Founding Chairman of America’s Promise Alliance, an organization which supports children through volunteer networks

New Study Suggests Autism Can be ‘Outgrown’ | TIME.com

By Maia Szalavitz  Jan. 22, 2013

There is more evidence that a minority of autistic children may eventually overcome their developmental issues, but experts caution that such recovery is rare.

It’s long been the hope of parents of autistic children that the right care and support can reduce or even reverse some of the developmental problems associated with the condition. But while a recent study found that behavioral intervention programs are linked with normalization of some brain activity, the question of whether children can outgrow autism remains difficult to answer. Studies to date that have hinted at this possibility were plagued with lingering questions about whether the children who apparently shed their autism were properly diagnosed with the developmental disorder in the first place.

The new research, published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and led by Deborah Fein of the University of Connecticut, involved 34 people ages 8 to 21 who had been diagnosed with autism but no longer met criteria for the condition. The initial diagnosis had to be made in writing by a doctor or psychologist specializing in autism before the child turned five. And, to make sure they were studying severe cases, researchers included only children who had not spoken before 18 months or did not use phrases before age 2.

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2013/01/22/new-study-suggests-autism-can-be-outgrown/#ixzz2IoHfjc2z

New Study Suggests Autism Can be ‘Outgrown’ | TIME.com.

ADHD Diagnoses Continue to Climb | TIME.com

By Laura Blue Jan. 22

As more children are diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), researchers continue to struggle with understanding whether the rise is real, or primarily driven by greater awareness of the condition.

In the latest analysis, the rate of new cases of ADHD in California between 2001 and 2010 climbed for both sexes and for most ethnic and racial groups for children between the ages of 5 to 11.

But that rise doesn’t address what’s behind the growing number of cases. Are more kids truly suffering from hyperactivity and attention deficits, or are we simply better at catching children who show any symptoms?

The new research, published in JAMA Pediatrics, is among the first to offer hints at an answer. The study is not the first to suggest that ADHD diagnosis may be increasingly common, but it has important advantages over previous work, says the study’s lead author, Dr. Darios Getahun of Kaiser Permanente Southern California. For example, instead of counting all cases reported by parents and teachers (who may make mistakes and either under- or over-report cases), the new study counts only confirmed medical diagnoses by doctors. The new study also includes more children than earlier ones, by pooling health-record data from more than 840,000 kids enrolled in a health plan with the non-profit Kaiser Permanente Southern California. Those children resemble the general population of youngsters in California, Getahun says, and the study group is large enough that researchers could look not just at trends overall, but also at trends broken down by race, age group, sex, and more. And that provides some insights into whether susceptibility to ADHD itself is all that’s changing, or whether our diagnostic criteria are changing too.

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2013/01/22/adhd-diagnoses-continue-to-climb/#ixzz2IoJHVCYt

ADHD Diagnoses Continue to Climb | TIME.com.

In the Netherlands, ‘garbage bag’ encourages reuse of contents | Springwise

The Goedzak is a transparent bag for unwanted goods that allows passersby to see inside and decide if they could make use of them.

23rd January 2013 in Eco & Sustainability.

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The Swap-o-Matic vending machine has already provided one way to pass on unused items to others, rather than sending them to landfill. Another solution from the Netherlands comes in the form of the Goedzak – a transparent ‘garbage bag’ for unwanted goods that allows passersby to see inside and decide if they could make use of them.

Created by Waarmakers, the thinking behind the bags – which are see-through aside from the Goedzak logo — is that they are placed on the sidewalk along with other black bags containing trash. The contents are visible to those passing by, yet stay dry and clean. The Goedzak logo indicates to walkers that the goods inside are available to pick up. If no-one takes advantage of the freebies, the sack is collected by garbage trucks along with the rest of the trash.

The Goedzaks help homeowners act more sustainably when throwing out perfectly usable property with minimum effort. Could this kind of scheme work in your neighborhood?

Website: www.degoedzak.nl
Contact: simon@waarmakers.nl

In the Netherlands, ‘garbage bag’ encourages reuse of contents | Springwise.

Environmental Working Group’s Healthy Living Tips: Cosmetics – YouTube

Published on 23 Jan 2013

 

Ever looked at the labels on your shampoos, moisturizers and cosmetics? Do you really know what chemicals you’re putting on your body?

EWG scientist Nneka Leiba explains some helpful tips on what to watch out for before you buy.

Most Americans use about 10 personal care products a day. And they think that the government is making sure these products are safe — but the scary truth is, it’s not.

That’s why Environmental Working Group scientists have put together easy-to-use tips on how to read labels on personal care products.

For more tips, get EWG’s Healthy Living Tips Booklet: http://www.ewg.org/HHTBooklet

For more information on cosmetics and other health products: http://www.ewg.org/skindeep

via Environmental Working Group’s Healthy Living Tips: Cosmetics – YouTube.

Open source distiller uses solar energy to make salt water drinkable | Springwise

Eliodomestico is an eco-distiller that uses solar power to make salt water drinkable.

15th January 2013 in Eco & Sustainability.

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We’ve seen numerous efforts over the years to purify water and make it safe for drinking, but it wasn’t until just recently that we came across one invention designed specifically with desalinization in mind. Sure enough, Eliodomestico is an eco-distiller that uses solar power to make salt water drinkable.

Created by Italian designer Gabriele Diamanti, Eliodomestico is an open source project designed to provide safe drinking water for people in developing countries. Essentially, the device works like an upside-down coffee maker to produce five liters of fresh water every day. Users begin by adding sea water in the morning. Over the course of the day, the heat of the sun causes steam to rise into a water-tight boiler. The steam is then forced down through an expansion nozzle and condenses against the lid of a collection basin. At the end of the day, users can remove the basin, which is full of fresh water and designed for transport on the head. In the video below, Diamanti explains the premise in more detail:

Eliodomestico is made from widely available materials and requires no electricity or filters; maintenance is simple, Diamanti says. So far, it has already won a Core77 Design Award and was a finalist at the Prix Émile Hermès 2011 competition. Social entrepreneurs: one to get involved in?

Website: www.gabrielediamanti.com/projects/eliodomestico
Contact: info@gabrielediamanti.com

Spotted by: Smith Alan

Open source distiller uses solar energy to make salt water drinkable | Springwise.

Calming UK store campaign includes quiet shopping areas and debranded products | Springwise

Selfridges outlets will soon launch the company’s No Noise campaign, hoping to take the stress out of high street shopping.

4th January 2013 in Retail.

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UK airline Virgin Atlantic has already trained its staff to whisper to customers in order to allow its customers to rest while flying. Hoping to take the stress out of the high street, UK Selfridges outlets will now launch the company’s No Noise campaign, which will include quiet sections and debranded products.

Taking into consideration the fact that retail therapy is these days often more stressful than relaxing, the department store has reintroduced a concept first thought up by its founder Henry Gordon Selfridge in 1909. In place from 7 January to the end of February, outlets in London, Manchester and Birmingham will all feature silent shopping areas, where customers will have to take off their shoes and hand over their cell phones before entering. Available in the quiet zones is a specially-created collection of unbranded products from recognizable labels. The spaces will also offer meditation sessions, relaxation pods and even a performance of John Cage’s famously silent piece, 4’33″.

While the norm in the world of retail is to encourage as many customers as possible through the doors, Selfridges has recognized that providing a pleasant shopping experience is one way of encouraging return visits. How else could the shopping experience be made less stressful?

Website: www.selfridges.com
Contact: www.twitter.com/Selfridges

Spotted by: Raymond Kollau

Calming UK store campaign includes quiet shopping areas and debranded products | Springwise.