Breakthrough Learning with Lori Benson Adams

Interesting article. Thoughts?

𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GLTqMBiwv/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Thanks to The Parenting for this interesting post!

A groundbreaking study from Stanford revealed a simple yet powerful insight: delaying kindergarten by just one year significantly reduces inattention and hyperactivity in children. The reduction was a remarkable seventy-three percent, offering an alternative perspective on managing early behavioral challenges.

What makes this finding striking is that the improvement didn’t come from medication, strict rules, or intensive interventions. It stemmed from giving children extra time to develop cognitive, emotional, and social skills before entering a formal classroom setting. This additional year allows the brain to mature, improving attention control, self-regulation, and executive function.

Early childhood development isn’t uniform—some children benefit from extra time to build focus and coping skills. Parents and educators can consider readiness factors beyond age alone, like emotional resilience, communication skills, and social confidence, to determine the optimal time for school entry.

This research challenges assumptions that early academic pressure is always beneficial. Allowing children the space to grow at their own pace supports long-term focus, learning, and behavioral health.

By understanding the brain’s natural developmental timeline, families can make informed decisions that foster attention, emotional stability, and success, giving children the best start without relying on medication or strict discipline.

To read more anoit this Stanford University study, visit https://cepa.stanford.edu/news/waiting-start-kindergarten-can-be-good-kids-study-says



𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀: https://tinyurl.com/2st3wzkr

This new systematic review consisting of 31 studies investigated patterns in individuals with - the researchers found that individuals with ADHD showed a significantly higher prevalence of sensory differences across all four domains of the Sensory Profile assessment compared to those without ADHD.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2025.02.019

This image comes from an MRI study of preschoolers (Hutton et al., JAMA Pediatrics, 2020). It shows how screen use is linked to the wiring of the developing brain.

The top row (blue) highlights where more screen time is tied to weaker white matter organization. White matter is the brain’s wiring system that connects regions so they can work efficiently.

The bottom row (red) shows where heavier screen use is linked to weaker insulation on those connections. Insulation, or myelin, helps brain signals travel quickly, like the protective coating on an electrical wire.

Why does this matter? These highlighted areas include pathways for language, early literacy, and self-regulation. Children with higher screen scores also performed lower on language and literacy tests.

This is not a before and after of one child. It is a group-level finding. The message is clear. In the early years the brain is wiring for life. The more time children spend with people, play, movement, and books, the stronger these foundational circuits become.

This is spectacular!

Performance asks kids to prove themselves. Play allows them to find themselves.

In performance-based settings, kids learn early that their value lies in how well they meet adult expectations. The right answer. The perfect test. The gold star. It’s about doing it “right” so someone else will approve.

Play flips that on its head.

In play, no one’s waiting for applause. There’s no rubric. No timer. Just children exploring what interests them, how they want to do it, and who they want to be while doing it. That’s not aimless. That’s powerful.

Because when kids have space to follow their own ideas, they start learning who they are. What they’re drawn to. How they problem-solve. How they relate to others. These are the things that build a sense of self. Not performance, but identity.

This is why play isn’t a “break” from learning. It’s the very foundation for lifelong growth.

Such truth!!

Thanks, Autism Little Learners! Yes, this message incapsulates what we have been sharing with my great colleagues/collaborators and countless self-advocates and families through Uniquely Human (the book), The SCERTS Model, and Uniquely Human Podcast going back to 1978! (my dissertation on echolalia).

Autism Level UP Uniquely Human The SCERTS Model

Great resource!

Wow! This is an incredible resource!!

>>> https://www.educatorstechnology.com/2022/07/a-handy-chart-featuring-over-30-ipad.html

This all the way!!