Screening for autism in childhood has been advocated as a part of standard care. Challenges exist with screening implementation and performance of screening tools in clinical practice. This study aimed to examine the validity and feasibility of using the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised with Follow-Up (M-CHAT-R/F) for screening…

Female children with profound intellectual disabilities (IDs) may experience symptoms of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and depend on others' care. However, their caregivers may lack general hygiene skills and experience heightened anxiety when their care is expected. This study reports outcome of a training that aims to enhance genital hygiene…

Adverse experiences in early childhood may directly and indirectly impact children's development, including their preparedness to learn in their preschool and kindergarten classes. However, like many other developmental processes, these skills can be supported through positive experiences and resources in a child's environment. This work uses the…

Purpose: Modifying gut bacteria in children with autism may influence behaviour, with potential to improve family functioning. We conducted a randomised controlled trial to assess the effect of prebiotics on behaviour, gastrointestinal symptoms and downstream effects on parental quality of life. Method: Children with autism (4-10yrs) were…

Telehealth can expand and enhance access to school-based health care, but its use has been relatively limited. Recognizing that school-based health care is still not reaching many students, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) funded the School Based Telehealth Network Grant Program to expand telehealth in rural school-based…

In a rapidly changing world, establishing strong foundations for children is vital for their well-being and resilience. Quality education is central to this endeavour and is the key to lifelong health and success. Recognizing that children thrive in the classroom when they are in good health, it is crucial to learn about health and well-being…

The first years of life are an optimal time for developing motor competence. However, the evidence regarding motor competence in early childhood is fragmented and needs to be clearly synthesized and presented. To establish effective evidence-based decision making in research, practice, and policy for the early years, this expert statement, on…

Playwork is a recognised profession in the United Kingdom (UK) and is currently a growing area of interest internationally. However, debates about the nature and purpose of playwork have raged in the playwork field since the profession was invented in the early adventure playgrounds. This study is the first to capture data about what the now…

Background: Clustered randomized controlled trials are commonly used to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments. Frequently, stratified or paired designs are adopted in practice. Fogarty (2018) studied variance estimators for stratified and not clustered experiments and Schochet et. al. (2022) studied that for stratified, clustered RCTs with…

Background: While researchers have demonstrated the positive effects of School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) on student health outcomes, less is known about the long-term impact of SBHC use on academic outcomes, such as attendance. Objective: Our objective was to examine the direct and indirect effects of SBHC use on attendance among high school…

Journalists have reported large-scale lead poisoning affecting children in cities such as Flint, Michigan. Unfortunately, children's exposure to lead is not isolated and occurs throughout the country in both urban and rural settings. The effects of lead exposure can cause children to develop disabilities, potentially requiring special education…

Personal experience, common sense, and science all confirm that temperatures are rising across the United States and around the world. Record-setting heat waves are occurring with greater frequency and lasting longer than ever before. This working paper is the first in a series focusing on the ways that environmental conditions shape young…

This study aimed to identify factors, particularly positive parenting styles, associated with unmet dental needs, defined as no dental visit for the past 12 months, in children with developmental disabilities (DD). Participants included 263 primary caregivers of children with DD. Children exposed to less positive parenting styles were more than…

Background: Millions of children are diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year, most being mild TBI (mTBI). The effect of mTBIs on academic performance is of significant importance. We investigate mTBI's impact on parent-reported academic outcomes in school-aged pediatric participants. Methods: This cross-sectional survey study…

To investigate additive and interactive associations of food allergies with three glutathione S-transferase (GST) genes in relation to ASD and ASD severity in Jamaican children. Using data from 344 1:1 age- and sex-matched ASD cases and typically developing controls, we assessed additive and interactive associations of food allergies with…