Pasadena Child Development Associates, Inc.
Pasadena Child Development Associates, Inc.
PCDA Media - In the News
Dr. Diane Cullinane, MD, publishes "Closing Circles" article for the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders
Thinking About Your Child's Health:
Considerations for the Child with Special Needs
Click for the full article.
Here is a brief excerpt:
"...Particularly challenging for children on the autism spectrum is their inability to recognize and express pain. Some children "under register" pain due to their sensory arousal profile. Illnesses, such as ear infections or dental pain, are more difficult for a parent to notice and therefore seek medical advice, if the child does not complain. Pain from GERD (gastroesophagealreflux disease) or other GI discomforts may result in acting out, retreat or seemingly regressive behavior.
How often is your child's aggressive behavior the result of a headache, a stomachache, sore throat or a toothache? It is important to remember that physical discomfort may be "expressed" through behavior. Any sudden and uncharacteristic departure in behavior may warrant a medical check up..."
Brandt Chamberlain published
in The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Involvement or Isolation? The Social Networks of Children with Autism in Regular Classrooms
by Brandt Chamberlain · Connie Kasari · Erin Rotheram-Fuller
Click for the full article.
Here is a brief excerpt:
"...To understand how a child with autism functions in a social environment, it is crucial to establish an effective method for describing the set of social opportunities and restrictions offered by that environment. What is the nature of the social structure into which the child is being included? What peer relationships are available, and how will participation influence the child’s status in the classroom? This study utilizes the social network clustering method developed by Cairns and Cairns (1994) to address these questions. Combining the viewpoints of multiple par-ticipants, this method enables us to explore how children with autism perceive their own social connections within the classroom social structure, and how other children perceive them...."