Need more proof that TV’s bad for your kids? Look no further.

In a new study, Ohio scientists have compared mother and child communication while watching TV to reading books or playing with toys, to show the impact of TV on child development.

The results indicated that watching TV leads to less interaction between parents and children, and in turn, negatively impacts a child’s literacy and language skills.

One of the main problem lies, the researchers said, in how parents communicate with their children while the kids are engaged with TV, books, or toys.

By describing objects or new words and images, or by prompting conversation through questions, maternal responsiveness can help a child engage with an activity. It can also provide positive feedback or encouragement to a child.

According to the study, mothers who co-read books communicated significantly more with their children than mothers watching TV. Maternal communication was higher among children who read books than those who played toys, but not significantly so.

In addition, when reading a book with their children, parents used a more active communication style, and introduced children to words they may not hear in every day speech, thereby improving their vocabulary and grammatical knowledge. In contrast, watching TV consisted of significantly fewer descriptions and positive responses.

“When a mother and child are focusing on the same object, be that a book, toy or TV show, the mother’s response can have an important impact on their child’s understanding and self perception,” said study researcher Amy Nathanson.

“We would encourage parents to regularly substitute TV for other forms of entertainment to ensure frequent and positive interaction with their child,” Nathanson concluded.

The study was published in Human Communication Research.

Narcissists tend to rise to the top because other people believe their qualities, such as confidence, dominance, authority and self-esteem, make them good leaders.

However, “our research shows that the opposite seems to be true,” said Barbora Nevicka, PhD, from the University of Amsterdam.

A study conducted by Nevicka and her colleagues found that narcissists’ preoccupation with their own brilliance hinders a crucial element of successful group decision-making: the free and creative exchange of information and ideas.

For the study, researchers divided 150 participants into groups of three. One person was randomly assigned to be a group leader.

The groups were assigned the task of choosing a job candidate based on information that was given to the entire group, or only some of the members. The members were told they could all contribute to the discussion, but the leader would ultimately make the decision.

The group leaders were all tested for their levels of narcissism, and the groups were asked to rate the effectiveness of the leaders. The groups were also tested for how well they had shared and exchanged information.

While the results indicated that the groups rated the most narcissistic leaders as the most effective, those leaders actually tended to choose the worse candidate for the job.

“The narcissistic leaders had a very negative effect on their performance,” said Nevicka. “They inhibited the communication because of self-centeredness and authoritarianism.”

Narcissism can sometimes be useful in a leader, the researchers said, especially during times of stress because people are more reassured by strong, dominant leaders, but in everyday life it appears that narcissim hinders communication and effective decision-making.

Nevicka warned the research doesn’t only apply to the workplace; it is also relevent in politics.

“Narcissists are very convincing. They do tend to be picked as leaders. There’s the danger: that people can be so wrong based on how others project themselves. You have to ask: Are the competencies they project valid, or are they merely in the eyes of the beholder?”

The study was published in the journal Psychological Science.

If your child has Autism you’ve likely become quite familiar with the physicians in your area- pediatricians, developmental pediatricians, neurologists, etc. Hopefully you’ve found doctors you are comfortable with and whose advice you trust. Though your doctor may be the expert in her field, you are the expert on your child and it is important you share some information with the doctors, nurses, and staff working with your child.

Be prepared

Visit the doctor’s office without your child prior to your appointment. Check out the toys and books in the waiting room (Anything your little one may want to hoard?); take a look in the bathroom (Is there an automatic hand dryer or automatic flush system that bothers so many children on the spectrum?); and of course, say hello to the nurses (Briefly introduce yourself so you have a familiar face next time you’re there). Knowing as much about the people and the facility as possible will help you generate strategies and supports to make your child’s visit go smoothly.

Wait time

If you are working on increasing the time your child can wait appropriately, share this information with the receptionist. Maybe you need to walk in the hallways and she can call your cell phone when the doctor is ready for you. Be honest about your child’s challenges so you get your appointment started on the right foot.

Sensory needs

Your child may have sensitivity to lights, sounds, and textures so inform the doctor and nurses of any issues you foresee. Think about Band-Aids, cotton swabs, or tongue depressors that your child may not want to touch. Think about the volume of music in the office. Think about the bright, fluorescent lights. Explain your child’s needs and ask if they could lower the music while you’re there or turn on just one light in the examination room. Simple modifications go a long way.

Who’s the boss?

If your child needs to have blood drawn, a strep throat culture taken, or any other procedure that may cause discomfort or pain, be clear with your doctor about who should talk to your child. If the doctor, nurse, and you are all trying to talk with your child while he is frightened, he will miss the message and all that language will probably escalate his behavior. If you’re in the lead, ask your doctor what steps he is going to take so you can prepare your child. You may need to bring pictures or a written schedule to help your child understand what’s happening. One person should be guiding your child through the process then everyone can praise him when he’s done!

Written by Jennifer Cerbasi, a special education teacher at a public school in New Jersey and owner of The Learning Link, LLC. Exclusive to AskDrManny.com.

If you have a baby, you’re probably familiar with this scenario:  Your baby is crying and you just can’t figure out what will make the tears stop.  Does she want a bottle? Does he need a hug?  Before babies learn how to speak, they usually don’t have any other tools to explain their needs — but these days, some parents are using sign language in the hopes that they’ll be better able to communicate with their babies.

Parents Corina and Eric Douglas have been bringing their 11-month old daughter Claire to the classes for several months. During a break from class, they’re going over some signs for fruits and vegetables they learned in today’s class.

Using plastic replicas, the parents have shown their daughter the sign for peas and are now hiding the peas behind their back.  Eric now asks, “Do you want peas?” while doing the sign for peas.

“We show it to her first and then we’ll do the sign for it,” says mom Corina Douglas. “We try to make sure that we get eye contact since we know that when she has eye contact then that means she can understand it better.” more »