Resources for Better Sleep, Reading Help, and Staying Human

If you have a child with autism, you could help advance the therapeutic options for those on the spectrum. Dr. John Wall, a Professor at Stanford who runs the Pediatric Innovations Lab, has done studies on using augmented reality in wearables like Google Glass to teach autistic kids about emotions in real time. He is currently recruiting for a study on using the mobile gaming platform GuessWhat to deliver behavioral therapy to children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. You can learn more and sign up here. –Dr. Yan Chin

There are a number of interesting companies that utilize data tracking and AI to support caregivers through infant and toddler sleep struggles. The two that stand out are Huckleberry, which is an app that pairs pediatric sleep specialists with AI to create a personalized sleep plan, and Batelle, a remote “sleep school” for caregivers that provides an individualized sleep plan based on the child’s specific challenges and needs. –Dr. Hela Barhoush

We are smack dab in the middle of Silicon Valley – and while I love new developments, I strongly advocate for outdoor time, human touch, family dinners, and engaging social interactions for developing kids’ emotional and intellectual selves. Enjoy the tech, but stay human. –Dr. Erika Drazan

While technology can be fun or help with tracking data (i.e., breastfeeding apps or symptom trackers), it’s important to prioritize connection and face-to-face interactions. The best way to understand a child’s well-being is to check in IRL. –Dr. Diana Montgomery

Over the decades we have seen many technologies purport to advance infant development in one way or another. When you drill into each of these, there is an essential component: direct engagement from a caregiver. No technology comes close to the power of an engaged adult interacting wholeheartedly with their infant or toddler.

As kids age, issues can arise in school and with peers that highlight challenges to the usual neurodevelopmental pathways for some children. Neuroscience is beginning to offer more help in these spaces. As an example, learning disorders such as dyslexia make school difficult for young readers. Dyslexia-friendly font converter apps like Helperbird, and text-to-speech apps like Speechify are great supports for today’s children. –Dr. Kellen Glinder