RED KITE, BROWN BOX, CHICAGO CHILDREN'S THEATRE'S NEW SHOW FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

RED KITE, BROWN BOX, CHICAGO CHILDREN'S THEATRE'S NEW SHOW FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM, TO DEBUT  FEB. 14-MAR. 1 AT CHICAGO'S MILLENNIUM PARK

Intimate, interactive live theater experience for children on the autism spectrum is latest project for CCT Artistic Director Jacqueline Russell, 

Winner, Autism Speaks "2013 Hero of the Year" Award

Photo provided by Chicago Children's Theatre

What child doesn't love playing with brown cardboard moving boxes? They're perfect for climbing and hiding inside, and they can morph into magical forts, homes, vehicles, even robots. With a little creativity, the possibilities are endless. 

Now imagine a live theatre experience in which actors gently guide children on an interactive journey into a home filled with empty cardboard boxes, just waiting to be explored and ready to reveal delightful treasures inside. Such a play would be magical for any child. But for children on the autism spectrum and their families, the arrival of Chicago Children's Theatre's Red Kite, Brown Box is particularly exciting news.

Red Kite, Brown Box is the newest, one-of-a-kind live theatrical experience created for children with autism by Chicago Children's Theatre Artistic Director Jacqueline Russell, recipient of the 2013 "Hero of the Year Award" from the Chicago chapter of Autism Speaks. 

Performances are Feb. 14-Mar. 1, 2014 at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion Choral Rehearsal Room in Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph St., Chicago. Show times are Fri., Feb. 14 at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.; Sun., Feb. 16 at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.; Thurs. and Fri., Feb 20 and 21 at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 11:45 a.m.; Sat. and Sun., Feb. 22 and 23 at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.; Thurs. and Fri., Feb. 27 and 28 at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 11:45 a.m., and Sat. Mar. 1 at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.Tickets are $20 per child, includes one caregiver, with additional observation seats at $10 each. Red Kite, Brown Box is appropriate for children ages 5 to 14. For more information or to reserve tickets, contact David Amaral at 773.227.0180 ext. 15, damaral@chicagochildrenstheatre.org or visittheredkiteproject.org.

Fewer Infants, Toddlers Harmed by Cough and Cold Medications Since Withdrawal of Infant Products and Label Changes

Fewer Infants, Toddlers Harmed by Cough and Cold Medications Since Withdrawal of Infant Products and Label Changes 

By The American Academy of Pediatrics

In October 2007, manufacturers voluntarily withdrew over-the-counter infant cough and cold medications from the U.S. market. A year later, manufacturers announced labels would be revised to warn against use by children under age 4. A study in the December 2013 Pediatrics tracks whether emergency visits for young children for drug ingestions changed as a result. The study, “Cough and Cold Medication Adverse Events After Market Withdrawal and Labeling Revision,” published online Nov. 11, found that among children under age 2 and between ages 2 and 3 years, emergency department visits for cough and cold medication adverse drug events declined nationally. Before the withdrawal of the infant cough and cold medications, children under age 2 accounted for 4.1 percent of all emergency visits for adverse drug events. After the market withdrawal, they represented 2.4 percent of such visits. Among children ages 2 to 3, emergency visits for adverse drug events decreased from 9.5 percent of all adverse drug visits, to 6.5 percent following the label change.  During this time, unsupervised ingestions caused the most adverse drug events by young children. According to the study authors, reducing adverse drug events further will require preventing unsupervised ingestions, perhaps through improved packaging and promotion of safe storage practices.

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit www.aap.org.

Sleep: What Every Parent Needs to Know

By The American Academy of Pediatrics

Sooner or later, most parents face challenges at bedtime. From infants and toddlers to school-aged kids and teens, sleep problems can affect everyone in the family. 

In “SLEEP: What Every Parent Needs to Know” (American Academy of Pediatrics, $16.95 paperback, September 2013), Dr. Rachel Y. Moon offers practical advice and strategies to address the sleeping difficulties children may face – from getting to sleep to staying asleep, bed-wetting, fears, or nightmares. 

“Almost every day in my clinical practice, at least one of my parents brings up a question about sleep,” writes Dr. Moon. “Many are unhappy or frustrated because their child isn’t sleeping how, when, or where the parents want. What I usually find is that the sleep problem is often one that could have been avoided.” 

From understanding what is “normal” and “typical” for a child’s age and stage of development to establishing bedtime routines and rituals, Dr. Moon helps make sense of conflicting, and potentially dangerous, information widely available about sleep and presents smart solutions in easy-to-understand language. 

In the book’s 16 chapters, written with a team of pediatricians, she details:

• How sleep cycles function, and why parents need to understand them
• Children’s sleep needs, from newborn to teen, and how those needs change as children grow
• Sleep safety concerns for infants and young children, and what parents can do to address them, based on the latest findings and newest recommendations from the AAP
• Strategies to deal with specific problems, such as crying, night waking, sleep refusal, night terrors, and teenage sleep binges
• The relationship between sleep problems and health issues, from headaches and pains to allergies and ADHD symptoms
• How to help regulate multiples’ sleep, how to manage difficult behaviors, and how to overcome bedtime resistance

Dr. Moon also provides advice on: what to do if your child has a cold; teething pains; swaddling a baby; sleepovers and vacations; welcoming a new baby to the family; security blankets; dietary changes; keeping a sleep diary; sleep disturbances after a separation or divorce; and much more.   

Whether it's a 2-month old who still isn’t sleeping through the night, a 3-year-old who won’t fall asleep until midnight, or a teen who stays awake at night, sleeps most of the weekend, and struggles to make it to school, “SLEEP” presents parents with the help and answers they need. 

Readers may download a free excerpt of “SLEEP: What Every Parent Needs to Know” on HealthyChildren.org, the official AAP website for parents, through September 30, 2013.

About The Author:

Rachel Y. Moon, MD, FAAP is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics as well as an internationally recognized expert in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and safe sleep. Based in Washington, DC, she serves as the director of academic development for the Goldberg Center for Community Pediatric Health at Children’s National Medical Center and is also professor of pediatrics at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Services. 

Available for purchase through HealthyChildren.org 

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The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit www.aap.org.