There's a reason for all the emphasis on early childhood education in public policy. Data compiled by the Rauch Foundation found that 85 percent of the brain is developed by the time a person is five years old. However, only 14 percent of money for public education is put into these early years.

It is not to say that the sole focus of public education should be on the first five years of a child's growth, but there is not enough allocated. The achievement gap, disparities in performance between demographics, has profound influence on education policy. Lawmakers and educators work to close it, but taking on the achievement gap in late-elementary to high school could be a treatment of the symptom, not the cause.

Before an achievement gap takes place, there is a readiness gap. If a majority of brain growth takes place before a child begins K-12 education, it makes sense to emphasize the formative years.

Read more here.

Parenting your Aspergers Teen is a series of classes for parents of teens and young adults with Aspergers and High Functioning Aspergers. Classes will be on the second Tuesday of the month, and run through June 11, 2013. Classes begin at 6:00pm and will last for approximately an hour. Cost is $10 per person per night. Space is limited, so please reserve your seat by calling Chico Creek Counseling (530) 410-0505, ext. 105. Each class will be held at the Chico Creek Counseling office, 630 Salem Street, Suite 120, Chico.

Childhood Trauma And The Brain: The Neurosequential Model of Caregiving, is a comprehensive approach to understanding trauma and brain development in children. Presented by Dr. Brice Perry, this free training takes place May 8th, 2013, at the Neighborhood Church of Chico. Registration is required; details are here. 

The National AIA Resource Center is offering a skills-building training, Breaking Intergenerational Cycles of Trauma: Building on Vulnerable Parent's Strengths, June 24-25, 2013, in Berkeley. You can also access the Center's archived training webinars for free.

NTI Upstream has announced their new webinar lineup for 2013. The focus of this year's webinars is Drug Use in Pregnancy: Focus on the Newborn. All webinars will be presented by Dr. Ira J. Chasnoff, President of NTI Upstream and Children's Research Triangle. Details are here.

Long-term Effects of Prenatal Substance Exposure on Children
Barry Lester, Ph.D., Founding Director of the Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Brown University Alpert Medical School and Women and Infants Hospital 

This 90-minute webinar reviewed outcomes of longitudinal studies of children with prenatal drug exposure, and examined how the combination of prenatal exposure and environmental adversity can result in the development of behavior disorders, including early onset of adolescent substance use. A new model examining prenatal exposure within the broader context of the wear and tear on the body's response to stress was presented.

Prevention and Early Identification of Mental Health and Substance Use Conditions. This Informational Bulletin from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services provides information on the prevention and early identification of mental health and substance use conditions. The memo provides an overview of the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment benefit, which ensures that the health care needs of children and youth are addressed to maximize their growth and development.

Balancing Work and Family when Parenting a Child with Mental Health Difficulties, presented March 5, 2013, at the 26th Annual Children's Mental Health Research & Policy Conference, reviews the impact of raising a child with mental health difficulties on parental employment, presents results of a longitudinal study of mothers raising children with mental health diagnoses, and examines the impact of child mental health on difficulty combining work and family, family conflict, and family functioning.

If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought. 

-Peace Pilgrim