On a Field Trip to Mukilteo: Infant mental health symposium with Barnard, Hill, Solchany & others

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There is still time to sign up for this Infant Mental Health Symposium in Mukilteo. Several of us from the Peninsulas are going. -gw
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Please join us to help celebrate Nurse Family Partnerships One Year Partnership with Little Red School House!  Snohomish County Sheriff, John Lovick will welcome guests to this all day celebration and Infant Mental Health Symposium.  There will be several presenters on hand, including key note speaker, Kathryn Barnard, Ph.D, FAAN, Professor Emerita, Family and Child Nursing.  Below is a list of our guest speakers.  If you have any questions please contact Gina Veloni @ gina.veloni@littlered.org or (425) 775-6070.

Relationships and the Brain  - Sheri Hill, PhD

Recent neuroscience has highlighted the critical importance of relationships to early brain development.  Join Dr. Hill for a brief look at the following questions: What does the brain science tell us about the importance of focusing on infants and toddlers? How do relationships shape the baby’s brain?  Why do relationships between adults matter to the baby brain? What are the possible consequences of ignoring early relationships?

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Learning, Language & Love: Connecting the Keys to a Strong Start in Life  - Gina Lebedeva, Ph.D, CF-SLP

All learning happens in the context of relationships. From infancy through early childhood, from babbling to storytelling, children’s intellectual accomplishments are inspiring: they acquire language, learn to “read” social situations and solve cognitive problems. How children accomplish this is central to characterizing the interactive roles of nature and nurture in human development, and has practical implications in preparing children for school and for life. This presentation will focus on key features of early input and interactions that happen in everyday situations, highlighting how ‘high quality’ stimulation is the brain food that shapes our capacity to learn not only language, but also how to love.

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Understanding the Impact of Parental Mental Illness on the Infant and the Parent Child Relationship - JoAnne Solchany, Ph.D.

What is the impact a parent's mental illness can have on an infant and the relationship that parent establishes with the child?  Axis I diagnoses, including depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia and other psychotic related disorders as well as trauma related disorders, will be explored.  In addition we will explore the personality disorders from Axis II.  Patterns of risk, behaviors, interactions, and outcomes for the various disorders will be explored.  

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Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy - Shawn Elmore, Ph.D.

This presentation examines current information on the effect of the mother's mental health during pregnancy and the implications of this impact for the lifelong, mental health of the infant.  Critical mechanisms discussed include neuroendocrine and epigenetic perspectives. 

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Sensory Affective Inter-Action – Rosemary White, OTR/L, Director of Pediatric Physical and Occupational Therapy Services

This presentation will explore how relationships that are sensitive to the unique Neurobiological profile of the infant, toddler and child supports their sensory processing and perception in concert with their physiological and emotional regulation.