Resources & Information
As a therapist, I feel it is my job to educate and provide resources weekly. To that end, I have created a Blog for these resources. I recommend you check back weekly for News and important information that can help you and your family.
Blog
Heavy Social Media Use Linked to Anxiety in Medical Students
A new study published in Cureus finds that medical students who use social media more than three hours a day report triple the rate of anxiety and significantly lower academic scores. The damage appears tied less to total screen time than to how that time is spent.
Can We Trust the Research Behind ABA Autism Therapy?
Applied Behavior Analysis is the most widely recommended autism intervention in the country, yet a new analysis finds 93% of ‘no conflict of interest’ statements in ABA research are false, with most studies authored by people who profit from it. That doesn’t prove ABA harmful, but the evidence deserves far more scrutiny.
Are Girls Biologically Protected Against Autism?
Boys are diagnosed with autism roughly four times as often as girls, and new research in Nature Genetics offers the clearest explanation yet. Genes that escape silencing on the so-called ‘inactive’ X chromosome — especially a master regulator called ZFX — may give girls a genetic buffer, even as diagnostic bias keeps many girls overlooked.
New Lawsuit Says Roblox and Fortnite Target Children
A landmark lawsuit claims Roblox and Epic Games deliberately engineered their platforms to addict children, using reward systems modeled on slot machines. The complaint details a child who spent thousands of dollars and alleges the companies marketed addictive products as educational while concealing known risks of depression, isolation, and compulsive use.
Why TikTok Makes You Anxious, Lonely, and Unhappy
Short-form video feels harmless, but a two-wave study of university students found that heavy use predicts rising loneliness, which feeds anxiety, which erodes overall life satisfaction. The real damage isn’t the lost time — it’s how endless scrolling displaces the real connection that sustains us, deepening the very discomfort people scroll to escape.
The Surprising Mental Health Benefits of Less Screen Time
Most coverage of screen time focuses on the harm. This research flips the script: when people cut back, mood, attention, and sleep improve quickly — often within a week — and the benefits appear even when the reduction is partial and imperfect. Recovery may be far more achievable than most people assume.
Is Social Media Really an Addiction? What Science Says
After a jury labeled social media addictive, the scientific picture turns out to be more nuanced. Researchers see real, measurable patterns of compulsive use and genuine distress, but no formal diagnosis yet exists. This piece untangles what the evidence supports and why an official label remains out of reach.
New Study Raises Concerns About Pregnancy Medications
A large study in Molecular Psychiatry analyzed over 6 million U.S. pregnancies and found that 14 commonly prescribed medications — certain antidepressants, statins, and beta-blockers — share a biochemical effect that may raise a child’s autism risk, especially when several are combined. Researchers stress that no one should stop a prescribed medication without consulting their doctor.
Big Tech Faces Children’s Addiction Claims in Court
A federal court in Oakland is moving forward with a bellwether trial over claims that Meta, Google, and others deliberately engineered their platforms to addict young users. As the first of thousands of consolidated cases, its outcome could set the template for how courts treat social media harm to children for years.
New Autism Treatment Targets the Gut, Not the Brain
A preliminary study in Frontiers in Pediatrics tested a new fecal-transplant protocol — delivered without antibiotics or invasive bowel prep — on 30 children with autism. Over 30 weeks, core symptoms dropped about 29%, sensory difficulties 30%, and anxiety and depression by half. The results are promising but await larger controlled trials.
Autism and Comorbidities: What Every Parent Should Know
A Medscape review of electronic health records found that autistic children carry a far heavier burden of co-occurring conditions than their peers at every age — from sleep and feeding problems in toddlers to gastrointestinal issues in childhood and anxiety that climbs to nearly 24% by young adulthood. The authors urge routine, team-based screening.
Smartphone Use in School Is Harming How Teens Think
New research finds teens spend over two hours on their phones during the school day, checking dozens of times an hour. The cost goes beyond missed lessons: compulsive checking appears to weaken attention and impulse control during a critical window of brain development, raising the risk of anxiety, depression, and isolation.
Indonesia Bans Social Media for Children Under 16
On March 6, 2026, Indonesia signed a regulation barring children under 16 from high-risk platforms — including YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Roblox — citing a “digital emergency” of addiction, exploitation, and cyberbullying. Rolling out in phases from late March, it makes Indonesia the first non-Western nation to gate children’s access by age.
Depression, Not Autism, Fuels Suicide Risk in Older Adults
A study in Nature Mental Health analyzed nearly 10,000 UK adults aged 50 to 97 and found that while those with high autistic traits reported far more suicidal thoughts and self-harm, the risk was driven almost entirely by depression, PTSD, loneliness, and isolation — not autism itself. The finding points to clear, treatable targets for prevention.
The Impact of Digital Brainwashing on Children Today
Forensic psychologist Takanori Endo argues that social media manipulates us using the same mechanics as classic brainwashing — emotionally isolating users, drowning them in repetition, and trading on fear and the craving for likes. Children are especially vulnerable to the resulting addiction and distorted thinking, and his proposed antidote is a deliberate digital detox.
TikTok Use Linked to Social Anxiety and Memory Lapses
In a study of 720 TikTok users, researchers found that problematic use was linked to higher social anxiety and more frequent everyday cognitive failures — forgetting appointments, losing focus mid-conversation. The driver was fear of missing out, which pushes compulsive checking, while TikTok’s endless personalized feed creates a distinct pathway older platforms don’t.
Autism and Dental Care: Practical Strategies for Parents
For autistic children, toothbrushing can be a struggle — bristle textures, toothpaste taste, motor demands, and trouble voicing discomfort all get in the way. This University of Utah Health guide gives parents practical, empathetic strategies, from choosing the right tools to building a predictable routine, that turn a daily flashpoint into a calmer habit.
The Mental Health Benefits Of A Smartphone Break
At a Vienna symposium on mobile addiction, experts reported that three weeks without a phone can help mental health more than a two-week vacation — even as adults average 4.5 hours of daily use and up to 100 checks. Their prescription: clear boundaries, adult role-modeling, and real human connection.
Did A Boy Kill His Adoptive Father Over Nintendo Switch?
On his birthday, an 11-year-old Pennsylvania boy shot and killed his adoptive father after being sent to bed. He had been searching for his Nintendo Switch when he found the gun safe instead. Online, many blamed the game — but the facts remain murky, and the Switch can’t fairly be blamed.
Brain Changes Linked to Mindfulness in Gaming Disorder
In a randomized trial of 70 people with Internet Gaming Disorder and depression, mindfulness meditation outperformed muscle relaxation — reducing cravings, addiction, and depressive symptoms. Brain scans backed it up, showing strengthened connectivity in regions tied to self-control and emotion, suggesting mindfulness can help recovery work at both the psychological and neurological level.
Therapy Can Help You Too
Therapy is a tool that can lead to lasting change for you and your family. While resources and information are great, sometimes you need someone to help. If you need help, Contact Me, and we will discuss your situation.
