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JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2012

ImPACT Program Offers Concussion Aid

Did you know? Concussions account for 75% of all brain injuries in the US; the annual incidence of sport-related concussions in the US is 1.6 to 3.8 million; and, the likelihood of a contact sport athlete experiencing a concussion is estimated to be as high as 20% per season?

One program I’ve found to be valuable in helping aid in the diagnosis and treatment of a concussion is nationally known program ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment & Cognitive Testing). At our clinic in Cedar Rapids, we’ve used the post-concussion assessment test since 2009. ImPACT has been an important tool in designing appropriate therapeutic plans for our neurologically challenged patients, and in our overall goal to help each individual be as successful as possible in their daily lives.   

Because of the increase in concussions, many states in the United States, including Iowa, have mandated a concussion/brain injury protocol for student athletes, making the need to know how to diagnose and treat a concussion more important now than ever before. This is why we have invited ImPACT to headline our annual “Training Your Brain to See Again” continuing education conference.

The conference begins Friday, February 24, at 8 a.m., and will feature presentations from ImPACT, presented by Dr.’s Mark Lovell and Jamie Pardini. Since a concussion affects the whole person, the conference will continue Saturday with presentations from a variety of local professionals, and will focus more on the eyes and how to appropriately diagnose/treat vision disorders associated with concussions.  

Therapy professionals, athletic trainers, neuropsychologists, nurses and other professionals will receive CEH’s/CEU’s for each day they attend; students, parents, coaches and community members will receive a certificate of attendance. To see tuition fees, or to register, visit www.spandainc.com. To learn more about ImPACT visit www.impacttest.com.

DECEMBER 2011

Interactive Play with Blocks

With the holiday season fast approaching, I am in awe of the technologically advanced toys available to our kids today. There are stuffed animals that can interact and learn your child's name, a special reading device that allows your child to scan words in a book, and a multitude of e-readers, tablets and laptops. Amidst all of these fancy toys, it is easy to forget about basic activities, such as playing with blocks or other construction sets (Legos, Lincoln Logs, etc.) This article from Science Daily points out why playing with these construction sets is still important. Manipulating three dimensional objects to build something reinforces spatial concepts such as behind, beside, and on top of, and also allows children to discover size and shape relationships. These concepts are not only important for object relations, but also for body awareness and positioning. The Science Daily article also points out the importance of parents interacting with children in their playtime. When parents or other caregivers interact with a child, they can use spatial relationship terms to introduce and reinforce new concepts in a fun, engaging way. So while you are shopping for gifts this year, add a set of blocks or Legos to your cart, and while you're at it, get down on the floor and build with the kids in your life too.

Interactive Play With Blocks Found to Facilitate Development of Spatial Vocabulary

ScienceDaily (Nov. 2, 2011) — Parents and researchers have long speculated that playing with construction toys might offer a rich environment that would support later learning in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.

In a recent study published in Mind, Brain and Education, researchers at Temple's Infant Lab found there are some very real benefits to playing with that old toy classic -- blocks.

The researchers found that when playing with blocks under interactive conditions, children hear the kind of language that helps them think about space, such as "over," "around" and "through."
"When parents use spatial language, they draw attention to spatial concepts," said Nora Newcombe, co-director of Temple's Infant Lab. "The development of a spatial vocabulary is critical for developing spatial ability and awareness."

Spatial skills are important for success in the STEM disciplines, but they are also involved in many everyday tasks, such as packing the trunk of a car or assembling a crib.

They are a central component of intellect and, as those who struggle finding their way around a new city can attest, they show marked individual differences.

"There is evidence that variations in the spatial language young children hear, which directs their attention to important aspects of the spatial environment, may be one of the mechanisms that contribute to differences in spatial ability," says Newcombe, who is also the principal investigator of the Spatial Intelligence and Learning Center (SILC), headquartered at Temple.

To investigate how play affects variations in language, investigators observed children and parents in one of three situations: in "free" play, where the subjects are encouraged to play with the blocks as they would at home; in "preassembled" play, where the subject are given blocks that have been glued together in a preformed, fixed structure; and in "guided" play, where the subjects are given the blocks along with graphic instructions for creating a particular structure.

Parents in the guided play condition produced significantly higher proportions of spatial talk than parents in the other two conditions, and children in the guided play condition produced significantly more spatial talk than those in the free play condition.

"This study gives parents news they can use. It shows that, rather than leaving kids alone with a preassembled activity, interactive play that draws out conversation is best at facilitating spatial development," Newcombe said.

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