Portsmouth Neuropsychology Center

09/04/2025

A new study from Yale University highlights that Autism likely begins in the womb. Findings suggest that autism is primarily influenced by fetal genetics and placental development, challenging theories that link autism to vaccines.

“This puts a big nail into the theory that vaccines cause autism,” suggested Dr. Harvey Kliman. “Autism, in essence, starts in the womb, not after delivery, and is most likely due to the genetics of the placenta and to a lesser extent, the maternal environment the placenta finds itself in.”

In a new study, Yale researchers show that the placenta regulates serotonin delivery to the fetus, contrary to past beliefs that it manufactures the hormone.

08/29/2025

In the face of both local and national distressing events, consider the following in how to talk to children about difficult news (taken from the American Psychological Association):

1. Think about what you want to say.
2. Find a quiet moment.
3. Find out what they know.
4. Share your feelings with your child (at a developmentally appropriate level).
5. Lay out the facts at a level they can understand.
6. Reassure them that they are loved.

08/28/2025

Did you know that the risk of developing dementia is up to 45% determined by one’s lifestyle? Yale Assistant Professor of Neurology, Dr. Fesharaki-Zadeh, provides five simple tips for lowering your risk:

1) Make sure your diet is low in cholesterol. High cholesterol impairs heart and brain health.
2) Maintain your eye health, and wear glasses or contacts if needed. Individuals with uncorrected vision loss are up to 50% more likely to develop dementia due to decreased cognitive stimulation and increased social isolation.
3) Spend time with friends and family. Socializing helps to prevent depression and is linked to a longer life.
4) Exercise often. Exercise not only enhances heart health but also improves blood flow to the brain and supports mood regulation.
5) Drink less and eat healthily. Drinking after age 65 increases dementia risk. On the other hand, the Mediterranean diet has been shown to weaken the relationship between depression and dementia.

08/26/2025

A big thank you to for her work as a psychometrist intern this past summer at the Portsmouth Neuropsychology Center. Hannah returns to Yale this fall to resume her studies in neuroscience and psychology.

08/13/2025

Between 2-5% of children are affected by conduct disorder, which involves aggression towards people or animals, rule-breaking, and bullying. Up to 2% of children also have callous-unemotional (CU) traits; in other words, they lack empathy and tend to show less emotion. According to a recent article in Scientific American, research shows CU traits correlate with certain structural differences in the brain. While those with genetic CU traits do not respond well to punishment, studies show that a combination of guided rewards, emotional identification practice, and appropriate discipline can improve the parent-child relationship and help children learn to act in a more gentle way.

Interested in learning more to help your child? Schedule a consultation with a provider at the Portsmouth Neuropsychology Center.

08/11/2025

As the start of the school year gets closer, we help our children fill their backpacks with notebooks and pencils and brainstorm how to best support them in the year ahead. While mental health is not something your child can store in their bag, it is still an important part of school readiness. About one in five children has a diagnosable mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder, and ensuring your child gets the help they need will allow them to achieve academic success.



Source: Back to School and Mental Health: Supporting Our Children for a
Successful Year Ahead | SAMHSA

08/06/2025

Did you know that the risk of developing dementia is up to 45% determined by one’s lifestyle? Check out the five simple tips for lowering your risk*:

1. Make sure your diet is low in cholesterol. High cholesterol impairs heart and brain health.
2. Maintain your eye health, and wear glasses or contacts if needed. Individuals with uncorrected vision loss are up to 50% more likely to develop dementia due to decreased cognitive stimulation and increased social isolation.
3. Spend time with friends and family. Socializing helps to prevent depression and is linked to a longer life.
4. Exercise often. Exercise not only enhances heart health but also improves blood flow to the brain and supports mood regulation.
5. Drink less and eat healthily. Drinking after age 65 increases dementia risk. On the other hand, the Mediterranean diet has been shown to weaken the relationship between depression and dementia.

*From study conducted by Yale Assistant Professor of Neurology, Dr. Fesharaki-Zadeh

08/04/2025

While young adulthood is when the onset rate of alcohol use disorder peaks, it is also an ideal time to treat substance use issues. Substance use, on its own, can be a challenging topic to broach, but when linked with personal wellness, young adults may be more likely to engage in treatment and display a greater willingness to change. In fact, research at the Yale School of Medicine found that advising young adults about the negative impact of alcohol on sleep quality significantly reduced alcohol usage, while also improving sleep health.

07/23/2025

Does your child have frequent worries? Do they avoid new situations because of their anxiety? At the Portsmouth Neuropsychology Center we use an empathic and evidence-based approach to help kids and parents learn to “fight back” fears and develop effective coping strategies.

07/23/2025

Ever hear your child say "Nobody likes me" or "I'm so stupid"? As parents, it can feel like we are social detectives, trying to find the clues behind why our kids engage in such negative self-talk. While occasional thoughts like these are part of growing up, frequent negative self-talk may indicate concerns such as depression. One common denominator to such negative self-talk involve cognitive distortions, or lies that our brain tells us for understanding one's self, relationships, and experiences. For example, "All or None Thinking" is illustrated when a child may say “I’m so bad at soccer - I'll never play in a game again!” after playing poorly in one game. Other factors highlighted by the Child Mind Institute include:

Perfectionism: A child with high standards for herself may lose motivation and have difficulty with task initiation because the goals are too difficult to reach.

Social Protection: Kids may say self-deprecating things about themselves, like “I’m so fat!” to fit into a group where obsessing about one’s appearance is valued. They may also do so to “beat others to the punch,” that is, to say something bad about themselves before others do.

Attention-seeking: A child might talk out loud about being “a terrible child” to get attention

Limited resilience: some children respond to disappointing situations with negative self-talk, which may lead to avoiding similar situations in the future even though the challenge may be beneficial for the child’s growth.

Bullying: Children who deal with bullying may internalize the bad things other children say about them, contributing to a negative inner monologue.

At the Portsmouth Neuropsychology Center, we are here to help your child learn coping skills to reduce negative self-talk and improve overall adjustment.

07/07/2025

Happy summer! Summer reading is a fun and healthy activity for kids, teens, and adults alike. Yet sometimes kids resist the suggested or required reading lists from teachers and parents find themselves stuck in the middle. Check out the tips below from an article from the Harvard Graduate School of Education about ways to keep kids motivated and engaged with summer reading without the battle:







Start small: If 30 minutes seems too much, begin with 10 minutes to build a habit.

Set a timer: Helps create structure and reduce resistance.

Join in: Read alongside your child or read the same book separately and discuss it together.

Encourage choice: Let kids pick what they want to read to boost motivation.

Use audiobooks: Great for shared experiences without forcing a genre mismatch.

Talk about reading: Ask questions, share reactions, and model your own thinking.

Give grace: Not every book will be a hit — that’s okay.

Leverage resources: Use open educational resources or library programs to supplement learning.

Discuss difficult topics: If a book is contested or raises questions, use it as an opportunity for open conversation.

HGSE faculty share the role that motivation and choice play in avoiding summer reading battles

01/30/2025

Struggling to wake up in the morning? Focus at school or work? Get through your To-Do lists? Check out the following article about a simple step you can do to maximize your and your child's cognitive skills:

“Your body does best in terms of attention and focus when you keep a regular schedule,” Lynelle Schneeberg, a Yale Medicine sleep psychologist and the author of “Become Your Child’s Sleep Coach.”

Tips: Keep your wake-up time within the same 30-minute window each day - weekends too! Develop a morning routine - try listening to a playlist with your favorite songs or enjoying a quick yoga or meditation session

Want to make your days and nights easier? Start with this simple change.