🧠 ADHD in Preschool - What It’s Like In The Classroom

Today’s Issue: Brain Adolescence; ADHD in ECE; ECE in the News = 1 cup of coffee.

Did someone forward you this email? Subscribe to The Ecential below:

Wait?! My Brain is How Old?: I don’t know about you, but sometimes I felt like a kid even when I was in my 30s. Hey, I still like Fun Dip and ice cream. But I guess I wasn’t imaging it. Researchers at the University of Cambridge found that the human brain stays in adolescence until 32! The four major brain phases seem to take place at 9, 32, 66, and 83. I wonder when I’ll start wearing white New Balance shoes… 🧐

Brain health is super interesting. Check out the details 👉👉👉 HERE!!

Quick Reader Poll

🌪️ Issue #1 - ADHD Trends in Preschool - It’s Complicated - The More You Know, The More You Can Help

ADHD has been making recent headlines with continued research showing that more people are affected than originally thought. Millions of adults are expected to have the condition that haven’t been diagnosed. But the thing to remember is that this starts at an early age, and symptoms start as early as preschool. Now, medical and education communities are paying more attention to support kids developing skills needed to thrive.

That is why we are focusing the next two issues on this topic. This week, we will cover what it is, and what the impact is on children and ECE centers. Next week, we will be working on steps ECE educators can to take to help prepare their classrooms to support children with ADHD.

Here are some stats.

• About 1 in 9 U.S. children (11.4%, ~7.1 million) have been diagnosed with ADHD.

• Recent data shows around 1.4% of children ages 3–5 receive an ADHD diagnosis and that number is expected to increase.

• Nearly 78% of children with ADHD have at least one additional co-occurring condition (anxiety, behavior/conduct issues, autism traits, etc.), which often complicates classroom support.

• For preschoolers, experts recommend behavioral therapy first, before meds — which makes early-childhood education centers a key part of early support.

We spent some time gathering information and put it into the article below. Once we lay the groundwork and understand the “WHY,” we will be able to focus on how to prep our schools to be more supportive next week.

👇‼️ Click BELOW👇‼️👇

ECE In The News

🏡 👩🏽‍🍼 ECE More than Rent!?: According to LendingTree, full-time infant care across the 100 largest metro areas averages $1,282 per month (yikes!), compared with $1,716 for a two-bedroom rental. But in cities like Springfield, Massachusetts, parents now spend $1,996 on infant care compared with $1,734 for a two-bedroom apartment. 🕵️‍♂️ Want to see where your state ranks? Take a look 👉👉 HERE!

🤟🏽 Language Immersion in ECE on the Rise: "Families today are looking for more than childcare; they're looking for quality early education, wholesome meals, and a safe, nurturing environment from the very beginning," said Kristen Denzer, Founder and CEO of Tierra Encantada. With the increased demand in multi-lingual education, several ECE centers are starting to focus immersion on ECE. Want to see how they are standing out 👉👉 HERE?

The Internet is a Playground:

🗓️ On this Day in History: In 1979, smallpox—a devastating childhood disease that had harmed generations—was officially declared eradicated. The disease, which carried roughly a 30% fatality rate, was eliminated through strong global vaccination programs.💉

🧑🏽‍🍳 That’s interesting: Four sleep myths that aren’t true.

🧀 Cheese is Yummy: Nom nom nom

YOUR VOICE COUNTS

Is there a topic you want more info on or want to share a funny story? Then let us know! Shoot us a quick email at [email protected]. This newsletter is for you, and well, you should have a say, don't’ you think?