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March 17, 2026

Resources Focus on Identifying Early Signs of Developmental Disorders

Children are often diagnosed with mental health or learning challenges in middle and high school after having struggled for years without support.

Some of them could have been identified and gotten help earlier if adults in their lives had recognized the signs. The Child Mind Institute has put together resources on how to keep an eye out for early signs of developmental disorders.

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The institute’s resources on how to recognize signs cover a number of developmental disorders, including autism, ADHD, nonverbal learning disorder (NVLD), and dyslexia.

One article focuses on NVLD at various ages, from preschool to high school, and how in young children it can show up as a motor delay or difficulty drawing shapes, building with blocks, or doing puzzles.

Another discusses how some of the earliest signs of autism include delays in simple gestures such as pointing and sharing objects with others. One resource focuses on how learning disorders such as dyslexia and dyscalculia often aren’t caught until a child is struggling to keep up in school, but there may be early signs in preschoolers, such as trouble with rhymes or counting.

A resource on ADHD in preschool discusses how identifying it early can help children get behavioral support they need to succeed when they get to elementary school. Anxiety and depression are covered in two other resources.

The Child Mind Institute’s resources include:

News

March 3, 2026

Podcast Explores Importance of Caregivers Taking Care of Themselves

Being the caregiver of a child can be equally exhilarating and exhausting. As a result, many caregivers find themselves worn out and running on empty.

When this happens, the latest Thriving Kids podcast episode explores, even small challenges can be overwhelming.

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In the podcast, Dave Anderson, PhD, senior psychologist and vice president of public engagement and education at the Child Mind Institute, discusses with Joanna Kim, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at Arizona State University, why taking care of oneself as a caregiver is important, but might feel unrealistic.

The podcast discussion involves how guilt can prevent a caregiver from meeting their own needs, why self-care doesn’t have to mean making big changes, and how filling one’s own cup helps caregivers to show up for their child with more calm, patience, and consistency.

In addition, Thriving Kids provided some reminders about caring for oneself as a caregiver.

Being a caregiver can be demanding, and sometimes it can feel like you’re running on empty. But taking care of yourself is essential and self-care isn’t a luxury. Even taking small, mindful moments dedicated to yourself can make a big difference.
Building a strong support network is crucial. Surround yourself with other adults – a partner, family members, friends, or fellow parents – who understand your challenges and can lend a helping hand. Share responsibilities, delegate tasks, and ask for help.
Investing in your well-being isn’t selfish – it’s empowering. When you take care of yourself, you’re better able to parent with patience, joy, and presence. You’ll also set a positive example for children in your care by demonstrating that it’s important to take care of yourself.

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January 19, 2026

Child Mind Institute Shares Resources on How to Respond When Children Act Out

Most children – especially toddlers – act out sometimes as they start to get in touch with their full range of emotions.

But caregivers might find themselves frustrated about how to get frequent temper tantrums, yelling, or hitting to stop, especially as children get older.

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The Child Mind Institute has put together a list of resources on how caregivers and educators can respond when children act out. Before taking disciplinary action, it is important for adults to understand why a child might be acting out.

The institute’s resources include discussions of strategies that experts use to identify motivations or purposes behind a child’s problem behaviors as well as tips on how to respond.

While behavioral issues can be a result of a child dealing with emotions they don’t yet have the skills to understand or manage, they can also be linked to mental health challenges. Anxiety can be a common cause of disruptive behavior, especially in social settings like the classroom.

Children with ADHD might have a difficult time performing repetitive or boring tasks, leading to inattention, impulsivity, or tantrums. Depression can show up as irritability and angry outbursts alongside or in place of prolonged sadness.

The resources also include information on when caregivers should turn to professional help for severe tantrums.

The Child Mind Institute’s resources include:

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Child Mind Institute Resources Focus on Seasonal Affective Disorder in Children

Seasonal affective disorder – also known by the acronym SAD – is a type of depression that comes and goes with the seasons.

For most people, the disorder appears in the winter months and fades when the weather gets warmer. The Child Mind Institute has put together some resources on how to tell if a child is feeling down due to the season or if they are dealing with something more serious.

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Experts aren’t exactly sure what causes SAD, but some believe that a lack of sunlight affects chemicals in the brain that impact mood and energy levels. However, a lot of people experience symptoms that look like depression during the winter.

SAD and other types of depression can be challenging to identify depending on how or when they appear. The institute provides resources on premenstrual dysphoric disorder, a type of depression tied to the menstrual cycle that is a severe form of the more common PMS.

There are articles on treatments for depression, including different types of therapy and medication, and a video in which experts explain how to recognize signs of mental health challenges in teens.

There is also a resource on behavioral activation, a therapy commonly used to treat SAD. The therapy involves getting children to do things – such as take a walk or talk to a friend – even if they don’t feel like it.

Below are the Child Mind Institute’s resources on seasonal affective disorder.

News

January 5, 2026

Thriving Kids Podcast Episode Focuses on Building Kindness and Resilience

In today’s complex world, it is more difficult than ever to raise children who are kind, resilient, and prepared to handle life’s challenges.

From navigating big feelings and social stress to constantly evolving technology and the growing need for independence, helping children to build coping skills, stay connected, and develop confidence requires patience, practice, and repeated conversations from caregivers.

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In the latest Thriving Kids podcast, Dave Anderson, PhD – the Child Mind Institute’s senior psychologist and vice president of public engagement and education – joins Melinda Wenner Moyer, an award-winning journalist and the author of “Hello Cruel World: Science-Backed Strategies for Raising Terrific Kids in Terrifying Times.”

The podcast’s discussion focuses on how to support children in building the core skills needed to thrive in realistic and sustainable ways without falling into fear-based or perfection-driven parenting.

Some of the topics discussed include:

How listening – not lecturing – can strengthen the parent-child connection
Why caregivers should have ongoing conversations with children about tech, media, and money
What it looks like to be an “autonomy-supportive” caregiver and why it matters

The Child Mind Institute has recommended other strategies for raising confident and independent children:

Shift away from fix-it mode: When children are young, the job is to be fixers and protectors, but somewhere along the way, caregivers’ job changes to become consultants, rather than fix all of a child’s problems for them.
Embrace scaffolding: This term describes the consultant role, in which caregivers offer support and encourage children to decide how they want to tackle challenges on their own. While caregivers cannot protect children from life’s trials, they can give them tools to self-advocate and solve problems for themselves, helping them to develop the grit they need to survive and succeed.
Teach children that it’s OK to fail: Children will make poor choices, and that’s OK. When they make the wrong decision, guide them to think about what went wrong and why, so they can make a different choice next time. Caregivers who swoop in and solve their problems for them prevent children from growing.

For more information, listen to the latest Thriving Kids podcast episode.

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December 29, 2025

Child Mind Institute Provides Resources to Combat Academic Anxiety

School plays a large role in the lives of children as it is the source of learning and development, and the place where they will meet many of their friends.

But for some children, school can be a principal source of stress that, for some, can turn into serious anxiety.

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The Child Mind Institute has put together a list of resources on how to combat academic anxiety, whether a child is losing sleep, avoiding school, or melting down over homework. Anxiety can undermine both a child’s performance and affect their well-being.

The resources examine anxiety that is triggered by school which can, in turn, result in a difficulty in concentrating in school. Such issues can be caused by generalized anxiety disorder or an obsessive perfectionism that can be a sign of OCD.

The Child Mind Institute’s resources cover everything from how to help children with test anxiety and when stomachaches or headaches can be a symptom of anxiety to ways that caregivers can handle situations when children are being too hard on themselves.

The resources include:

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December 15, 2025

Education Organization Compiles Experts’ Advice on How to Talk to Children About Race and Racism

Talking about race or situations involving racism or discrimination can be challenging for caregivers and children, so The Hechinger Report has compiled experts’ advice on the topic in a new article.

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The Hechinger Report – an organization that covers inequality and innovation in education – has put together an article filled with experts’ advice on how to answer children’s questions about the mistreatment of communities of color by police, white privilege, racism, and other topics.

The article cites a caregiver who had texted its author, Jackie Mader, in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police in 2020. The caregiver’s twins understood racism but not why people categorize others by race.

The article noted that research shows it is critical to have such discussions with children because, by kindergarten, children express many of the same racial stereotypes as adults. By talking about race, racism, and differences, parents and teachers can intercept harmful stereotypes and normalize differences.

Experts cited in the article noted that parents should start introducing children at an early age to different races and cultures through books and toys that have diverse characters. Kenya Hameed, a clinical neuropsychologist with New York City’s Learning and Development at the Child Mind Institute, said that age 4 is a good time to start having those discussions.

Mercedes Samudio, a licensed clinical social worker, said that caregivers should take time to face their own biases and learn as much as they can about race and racism before talking to their own children.

“A lot of parents are being forced into this space because of the world and the way things are going,” Samudio said. “So, before parents jump in and answer questions, it’s OK to say, ‘You know, I need to do more reading on this and figure it out and we can talk tomorrow.’”

To read about more topics addressed by experts on the topics of race and racism, check out The Hechinger Report’s article.

News

December 8, 2025

List Features Best Books for Children That Tackle Mental Health

Books can be a great method of helping children to cope with such issues as ADHD, anxiety, the loss of a loved one, or regulating their emotions.

The Child Mind Institute has compiled a list of 2025 books that tackle the topic of mental health and included other resources.

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Stories that address mental health topics for children are becoming more prevalent. Among the Child Mind Institute’s selections are picture books for young children and graphic novels and YA books for tweens and teens.

Topics include everything from teaching children how to read – including those with dyslexia – as well as how to help preschoolers learn mental health skills.

The Child Mind Institute’s list of resources include:

News

November 4, 2025

Child Mind Institute Resources Aim to Focus NVLD’s Visual-Spatial Problems

There are many misconceptions about nonverbal learning disorder (NVLD), from the fact that those with it might be highly verbal to the fact that the disorder is not in the DSM-5, the official guide to mental health disorders.

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The Child Mind Institute has released a series of resources from nonverbal learning disorder experts who have worked to sharpen the focus on the visual-spatial problems at the core of the disorder’s disparate symptoms. The experts have even proposed a new name: developmental visual-spatial disorder.

In the series of resources, the institute explains the new definition and criteria for a developmental visual-spatial disorder diagnosis. There are also articles on how to help children with the disorder.

Another resource focuses on why children with learning disabilities have social challenges, while another discusses how to boost their executive functioning skills. There is also a piece on the importance of keeping an eye on the emotional well-being of a child with the disorder.

Below are the Child Mind Institute’s resources:

News

October 14, 2025

Child Mind Institute Resources Aim to Help Adults Recognize Learning Disorders

As the school year settles in, learning disorders often become more pronounced as students begin to settle into class routines. Some children may struggle with reading, while others might find it challenging to follow directions.

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The Child Mind Institute has released a new series of resources on how to recognize learning disorders in children. The resources include 32 one-page tip sheets for an overview of such learning disabilities as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and language disorder as well as how to support children with specific challenges.

The institute wrote that while it’s important to provide academic support to children with difficulties, it’s just as important to support them emotionally because some children with learning disabilities might lack confidence.

Practicing how to discuss a learning disorder, the institute notes, can help children to understand that it’s not something to be embarrassed about. As children get older, learning to talk about their challenges can help them to advocate for themselves.

The Child Mind Institute’s resources include: