In Lesson #1: “When you do what the child loves, the child with autism will love to be with you.” Dr. Rick interviews Jeff and Heather about their daughter Kate and what it takes to get started with a  successful intervention program.

Join Assistant Professor Nicole Gardner-Neblett of the University of Michigan for her presentation on the importance of storytelling in the development of literacy skills, and learn some strategies for supporting young children as storytellers.

Katherine Dawkins was born in 1932 in the Black Bottom neighborhood in Detroit. She had two children as a teenager, and recalls how that impacted her relationships with friends and family. She married her second husband, James Dawkins, in 1963. She has held various jobs, including switchboard operator at the Gotham Hotel and customer service representative at Harper Recreation Bowling Alley and Henry Ford Hospital. Late in life, Dawkins was inspired to return to school and she received her GED at age 79.

Connie Gibbon and Ethan Allen “Al” Stewart were married on August 31, 1948 in East Orange, New Jersey. Al had just completed his BA at MIT. They moved to Indiana for his job at Procter & Gamble. Within a few years Al started working for Ford Motor Company’s Saline plant and the couple moved to Ann Arbor. They had three children: Carol, Connie, and James. Connie organized a cooperative preschool with neighborhood mothers, and later in life she volunteered for Planned Parenthood, including serving as temporary director.

A new and surprising problem has quietly been developing in the current generation of children: they are out of control. A recent study of first-graders found they could sit still for no more than three minutes, only a quarter of the time that their peers could in 1948. Government statistics show that half of all children will develop a mood or behavioral disorder or a substance addiction by age 18.

Women frequently experience mild mood changes during or after pregnancy, but if these symptoms become severe, they require treatment. Often misunderstood and conflated with the “baby blues,” postpartum depression occurs in nearly 15 percent of women and can interfere with their ability to care for or bond with their babies. Although highly treatable, many women are reluctant to seek care for a variety of reasons including lack of information about the illness, misconceptions about its treatment, and shame due to stigma and societal pressures.

Important features of brain development exist during the adolescent period, and this developmental phase matters when we talk about adolescent depression and substance use.

Adolescence is a period of great change and great stress. Academics become more challenging, the number of competing responsibilities increase, and navigating the social world becomes more complex.

Major depression in adolescents is common, with 11% of adolescents aged 12 to 17 experiencing a major depressive episode each year (NSDUH, 2014). When depression is diagnosed and treated early, many people with depressive illnesses are able to achieve remission and maintain wellness. Even without a clinical diagnosis of depression, families and adolescents can benefit in creating a surplus of coping skills.

To learn more about depressive disorders in adolescents, including how families can help generate resiliency in their teen, the U-M Depression Center and the AADL presented this community forum on adolescent depression, resiliency, and coping skills.

Lindsay Bryan-Podvin, LMSW, Behavioral Health Consultant and member of the University of Michigan Depression Center presents on this topic. This is then followed by questions from the audience and a discussion with expert panelists, including Craig VanKempen, LMSW, MPH, Social Worker and Health Educator, Corner Health Center; Nicole Speck, DNP, RN, FNP-BC, Clinical Manager, Regional Alliance for Healthy Schools; and Amy McLoughlin, Guidance Counselor, Skyline High School.

This event was cosponsored by the U-M Depression Center as part of an ongoing Bright Nights series. For more information on the Depression Center, visit their website or contact Stephanie Salazar, 232-0330, or email Stephanie at sawaters@umich.edu

AADL is honored to host an evening with Journalist Lesley Stahl as she discusses her new book Becoming Grandma: The Joys and Science of the New Grandparenting.

The event, which will include a book signing, will be held at The Michigan Theater. Books will be for sale at the event, courtesy of Nicola’s Books. There is no charge to attend this special evening event, which is cosponsored by Michigan Radio.

After four decades as a reporter, Lesley Stahl’s most vivid and transformative experience of her life was not covering the White House, interviewing heads of state, or researching stories at 60 Minutes. It was becoming a grandmother.

She was hit with a jolt of joy so intense and unexpected, she wanted to “investigate” it—as though it were a news flash. And so, using her 60 Minutes skills, she explored how grandmothering changes a woman’s life, interviewing friends like Whoopi Goldberg, colleagues like Diane Sawyer (and grandfathers, including Tom Brokaw), as well as the proverbial woman next door. Along with these personal accounts, Stahl speaks with scientists and doctors about physiological changes that occur in women when they have grandchildren; anthropologists about why there are grandmothers, in evolutionary terms; and psychiatrists about the therapeutic effects of grandchildren on both grandmothers and grandfathers.

Throughout "Becoming Grandma," Stahl shares stories about her own life with granddaughters Jordan and Chloe, about how her relationship with her daughter, Taylor, has changed, and about how being a grandfather has affected her husband, Aaron.

In an era when baby boomers are becoming grandparents in droves and when young parents need all the help they can get raising their children, Stahl’s book is a timely and affecting read that re-defines a cherished relationship.

Lesley Stahl is one of America’s most recognized and experienced broadcast journalists. Her career has been marked by political scoops, surprising features and award-winning foreign reporting. She has been a 60 Minutes correspondent since 1991; the 2015-16 season marks her 25th on the broadcast.

Prior to joining 60 Minutes, Stahl served as CBS News White House correspondent during the Carter, Reagan and part of the George H.W. Bush presidencies. She also hosted Face the Nation from 1983-91 and co-anchored American Tonight from 1989 to 1990. She is married to author and screenwriter Aaron Latham. They have one daughter and two granddaughters.

Join us for this fascinating evening with Lesley Stahl.

Co-sponsored by Michigan Radio

The mainstream media has emerged as a prominent force in the sexual education of American youth, with teens consuming nearly 7.5 hours of media a day. Yet relying on media models of sex and courtship can be problematic because portrayals are often narrow, unrealistic, and gender stereotypical. In addition, mainstream media often feature a hyper-sexualized ideal for women that may encourage young women to value themselves mainly for their beauty and sexual appeal. This lecture discusses several studies that investigate how regular exposure to mainstream media affects young peoples’ sexual attitudes, expectations, and experiences.

L. Monique Ward is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan. She received her Ph.D. in developmental psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles. Her research examines how media use and parental messages contribute to gender and sexual socialization. This program was co-sponsored by the University of Michigan Department of Psychology.