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Welcome to the December 2022 Learning Brain News.

The school year is finishing and the long summer holidays are about to start for many families.

Read how to use the summer break to prepare your children for return to school in 2023. Plus there are 10 tips to support children with autism through the end of year changes.

Have a safe and happy break. The Learning Brain News team is taking January off. We will be back in your inbox in February.

Kind regards,
The Learning Brain News Team

Latest Research

Why We Feel Like Christmas Comes Around More Quickly Each Year

For children, the run-up to Christmas seems to take forever, but for adults, time appears to fly as the Holiday season approaches. Researchers say this is because our perception of time alters as we age.

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What's New

Paralysis Patients Walk Again Thanks to Newly Identified Neurons

A new study published in the journal Nature may pave the way to more targeted treatments for paralyzed patients. The study involved restoring movement in nine patients with severe spinal cord injury.

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Technology

Take Your Students on a Free Space Technology Tour

Do your students know how a spacecraft gets to space? How about the technologies behind deep space communication? Take them on a free, behind-the-scenes space technology tour from NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

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Memory

The Most Detailed Map Ever of the Brain’s Memory Hub

Australian scientists have created the most detailed map ever made of the communication links between the hippocampus and the rest of the brain. This map may change how we think about human memory.

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Autism

Ten Tips to Support your Child During End of Year Changes

The changes at the end of the school year can be overwhelming for children with Autism. Autism Spectrum Australia has put together ten tips to support your child through these changes.

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ADHD

Brain Markers of ADHD in Children Identified

Researchers analyzing the data from MRI exams on nearly 8,000 children have identified biomarkers of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and a possible role for neuroimaging machine learning to help with the diagnosis, treatment planning and surveillance of the disorder.

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The Learning Success Blog

5 Signs of Oppositional Defiant Disorder & 4 Ways to Help an ODD Child

Does your child argue a lot? Does he or she seem to anger easily? Is this behaviour worrying you?

It could be quite normal – just a phase your child is going through. On the other hand they may have oppositional defiant disorder, also known as ODD.

There are five signs which can point to ODD, according to Dr Martha Burns. In a conversation on the Learning Capacity Podcast, she described the signs and discussed how to help a child who has this disorder.

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Video of the Month

A Short Animation Explaining How Some People May Experience ADHD

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Free Download

How to Prepare Your Children to Return to School in 2023

Summer slide. Summer setback. Whatever you call it, educational researchers have been studying how academic skills decline over the summer since at least 1906. More than two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become even more crucial to ensure students build the skills they need to succeed and not backslide during the summer.

Whatever your summer plans, share these fun activities with your child(ren) to build maths, literacy, cognitive, and SEL skills and prepare them for the coming school year.

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Book of the Month

The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward

Everybody has regrets, Daniel Pink explains in The Power of Regret. They’re a universal and healthy part of being human. And understanding how regret works can help us make smarter decisions, perform better at work and school, and bring greater meaning to our lives.

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Something Interesting

Picky Eaters Can be put off by Food By Plate Colours