Mother–Child Relationships in U.S. Latinx Families in Middle Childhood: Opportunities and Challenges in the 21st Century

The 21st century has brought unique opportunities and challenges for parents, and this is particularly true for Latinx families, whose children comprise more than one-fourth of the school-age population in the U.S. today. Taking an ecological and strengths-based approach, the current study examined the role of mothers’ cultural assets (familism values, family cohesion) and challenges (economic hardship, ethnic–race-based discrimination) on children’s educational adjustment in middle childhood, as well as the indirect role of mother–child warmth and conflict in these associations. The sample included 173 Latinx mothers and their middle childhood offspring (i.e., 5th graders and younger sisters/brothers in the 1st through 4th grade). Mothers participated in home visits and phone interviews and teachers provided ratings of children’s educational adjustment (academic and socioemotional competence, aggressive/oppositional behaviors). Findings revealed family cohesion was indirectly linked to children’s educational adjustment via mother–child warmth and conflict, particularly for younger siblings. Discussion focuses on the culturally based strengths of Latinx families and highlights potential implications for family-based prevention in middle childhood.

Social-emotional Competencies in Peruvian Educational Institutions

The socioemotional competencies contribute to the integral formation of the student as it unites the cognitive with the emotional; at the criterion of this study, two stages were considered to be approached in the school: the first one promoted an adequate coexistence of all the actors of the educational community, avoiding the situation of violence: the second stage will have to do with the effects produced during the health emergency by the COVID- 19. The main purpose of this study was to inquire about the academic literature on the subject of socioemotional competence in the context of Peruvian educational institutions. The method employed was a qualitative descriptive literature review. The results allowed exploring the topic from academic and documentary contributions. It was concluded that there is no consensus on a common term for socioemotional competencies; however, there is no doubt that the impulse given in educational institutions contributes to the integral formation of the student.

Acupuncture and oxytocinergic system: The promising treatment for autism

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impairments activities without efficient pharmacological therapies in social interaction, speech and stereotypic patterns. Clinical studies have shown the efficacy of acupuncture as an alternative therapy for autism. The effectiveness of acupuncture as an alternative treatment for autism has been demonstrated through clinical trials. However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie these effects remain unclear. Due to its profound pro-social, anxiolytic, stress management effects, and its potential use for the treatment of psychiatric disorders associated with altered socioemotional competence, oxytocin (OT) released from the hypothalamus has attracted considerable interest. In the past decade, a number of clinical and animal studies have shown that OT administration effectively reduces core symptoms of ASD, especially social behavior deficits. Recently, the endocannabinoid system has emerged as a promising target for the treatment of autism. OT was found to facilitate the endocannabinoid-mediated social reward processes in the nucleus accumbens of the mouse brain. Furthermore, serotonin and dopamine are involved in the reward response mediated by OT. In view of these findings, we conclude that acupuncture may produce therapeutic effects on autism by triggering the hypothalamic oxytocin system, which in turn activates the release of neurotransmitters such as endocannabinoids, dopamine and serotonin. This would be a valuable guide for further research on the mechanism of treatment of autism with acupuncture.

Associations between stuttering, comorbid conditions and executive function in children: a population-based study

Background The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between executive function (EF), stuttering, and comorbidity by examining children who stutter (CWS) and children who do not stutter (CWNS) with and without comorbid conditions. Data from the National Health Interview Survey were used to examine behavioral manifestations of EF, such as inattention and self-regulation, in CWS and CWNS. Methods The sample included 2258 CWS (girls = 638, boys = 1620), and 117,725 CWNS (girls = 57,512; boys = 60,213). EF, and the presence of stuttering and comorbid conditions were based on parent report. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the distribution of stuttering and comorbidity across group and sex. Regression analyses were to determine the effects of stuttering and comorbidity on EF, and the relationship between EF and socioemotional competence. Results Results point to weaker EF in CWS compared to CWNS. Also, having comorbid conditions was also associated with weaker EF. CWS with comorbidity showed the weakest EF compared to CWNS with and without comorbidity, and CWS without comorbidity. Children with stronger EF showed higher socioemotional competence. A majority (60.32%) of CWS had at least one other comorbid condition in addition to stuttering. Boys who stutter were more likely to have comorbid conditions compared to girls who stutter. Conclusion Present findings suggest that comorbidity is a common feature in CWS. Stuttering and comorbid conditions negatively impact EF.