'Mind the Kids': an ACAMH podcast

The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health
  • 4.5 (12)
  • SOCIAL SCIENCES
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

These podcasts are an invaluable resource for anyone interested in child and adolescent mental health. They bridge the gap between rigorous research and practical application, featuring expert discussions on mental health. Each episode highlights cutting-edge studies offering insights into findings, and implications for practice. The series caters to clinicians, researchers, and those interested in mental health. Available on major platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts, it’s an accessible way to stay informed about advancements in the field. Visit our website for a host of free evidence-based mental health resources.

  1. Mind the Kids: Navigating the service cliff - Supporting autistic youth transition into adulthood

    1D AGO

    Mind the Kids: Navigating the service cliff - Supporting autistic youth transition into adulthood

    For many families of autistic young people, leaving school feels less like a gentle transition and more like falling off a cliff into a fragmented, underfunded adult service system where no one is clearly in charge. In this Mind the Kids episode 'Navigating the service cliff - Supporting autistic youth transition into adulthood', Mark Tebbs speaks with Professor Julie Lowndes Taylor from Vanderbilt University Medical Center about ASSIST (Advocating for SupportS to Improve Service Transition), a 12‑week parent advocacy programme designed to equip families with the knowledge, skills and confidence to navigate that maze.​ Drawing on a large multi-site randomised controlled trial of 185 families, they discuss how ASSIST weaves together national-level information on adult disability services with local expert input, how moving the programme online during COVID reshaped both accessibility and peer support, and what the data show about changes in parents’ advocacy skills, service knowledge and actual access to government-funded programmes. The conversation also looks ahead to next steps, including using the ASSIST curriculum to train peer navigators, tackling structural barriers such as underfunding and provider shortages, and ensuring that efforts to boost advocacy do not inadvertently widen existing inequities.​You can read the main JCPP paper discussed in this episode, “Effects of a parent advocacy intervention on service access for transition-aged autistic youth,” via https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70036 Get a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://www.acamhlearn.org Visit https://www.acamh.orgFacebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMH Instagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camhBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.socialX https://x.com/acamh

    44 min
  2. Mind the Kids - Tics: Education, Education, Education

    MAR 4

    Mind the Kids - Tics: Education, Education, Education

    In this special episode of Mind the Kids, “Tics: Education, Education, Education”, hosts Dr. Jane Gilmour, Honorary Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Child Development Programme Director at UCL, and Professor Umar Toseeb from the University of York, take a deep dive into Tourette’s syndrome—what it is, how it manifests, and how it’s often misunderstood. Inspired by the BAFTA award-winning film I, Swear, Jane and Umar discuss the difference between types of tics, what Tourette’s looks like in real life versus in media portrayals, and the realities for children and young people living with the condition today. Their conversation spans everything from neurological and functional tics to the challenges of recognition, school experiences, and how we can all respond with greater empathy and understanding. Get a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://bit.ly/4fF4BBWVisit https://www.acamh.org Facebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMHInstagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camhBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.socialX https://x.com/acamh

    40 min
  3. Mind the Kids: Lessons from the ABCD data revolution

    FEB 25

    Mind the Kids: Lessons from the ABCD data revolution

    This episode of 'Mind the Kids: Lessons from the ABCD data revolution' unpacks why “how we measure puberty” really matters for understanding adolescent mental health and development. Professor Adriene Beltz talks to Mark Tebbs about the huge US Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, which is following nearly 12,000 young people over 10 years with regular brain scans and surveys, giving an unprecedented window into how early experiences shape later outcomes.​ While investigating multisite pain and sex differences, her team stumbled on a problem: researchers using ABCD data were often relying on a convenient categorical puberty score (pre‑, early, mid‑, late, post‑puberty) that drops information and heavily weights the onset of menstruation, rather than using a richer continuous score based on all five pubertal development items. Their analyses show the continuous score is generally more reliable, better aligned with existing puberty research, and less distorted by big “jumps” around menarche, especially for girls.​ The conversation becomes a wider call to action: if puberty timing and tempo can shape lifelong trajectories in mental health, pain, and social experiences, then getting the measurement wrong risks misleading conclusions and missed opportunities for prevention. Adriene urges researchers to be thoughtful and transparent about how they score puberty in large datasets, to report clearly what they used, and to remember that puberty is a normative but highly sensitive transition where context, culture, and support all matter just as much as hormones.  Read the paper 'Research Review: On the (mis)use of puberty data in the ABCD Study® – a systematic review, problem illustration, and path forward' at https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70035 Get  a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://www.acamhlearn.orgVisit https://www.acamh.orgFacebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMH  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camhBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.socialX https://x.com/acamh

    39 min
  4. Mind the Kids: Prenatal substance exposure - hope not judgement

    FEB 18

    Mind the Kids: Prenatal substance exposure - hope not judgement

    hThis powerful episode dives into how a mother’s own childhood trauma can quietly shape the emotional lives of her children – and how that cycle can be broken. Drawing on a rare 12‑year study of around 300 mostly Black, highly disadvantaged families in the US Midwest, Dr Meeyoung Min unpacks how her team followed mothers and babies from birth through early adolescence to understand what really drives later mental health.​ Far from blaming mothers, the episode situates these risks in a wider context of poverty, limited opportunity, and unresolved trauma, and leans into hope rather than inevitability. Dr Min makes a compelling case for pregnancy and the early postnatal period as a “golden window” for support – from practical help and non‑judgemental social networks to community and faith groups that wrap around both parent and child – showing that with the right support, intergenerational patterns of harm can be disrupted and futures can be changed. The conversation reveals two major pathways: first, mothers who experienced more childhood maltreatment tend to struggle more with their own mental health, making it harder to stay emotionally available, regulate feelings, and use calm, consistent parenting – all of which is linked to greater anxiety, low mood, and acting‑out behaviours in their 12‑year‑olds. Second, prenatal exposure to substances such as cocaine, alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana appears to alter developing brain systems involved in stress, independently increasing the risk of externalising behaviour.​ You can read the main JCPP paper discussed in this episode, “Intergenerational transmission of maternal childhood maltreatment, prenatal substance exposure, and internalizing and externalizing symptoms in early adolescence at age 12” via https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70030Get  a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://www.acamhlearn.orgVisit https://www.acamh.orgFacebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMH  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camhBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.socialX https://x.com/acamh

    51 min
  5. Mind the Kids - How motor & social skills shape language learning, as captured by genes

    FEB 12

    Mind the Kids - How motor & social skills shape language learning, as captured by genes

    What if a baby’s wobbly reach for a spoon or a make-believe tea party could quietly change the way language unfolds? In this episode of Mind The Kids, “Building Blocks: How motor and social skills shape language learning, as captured by genes” host Mark Tebbs talks with Dr Beate St Pourcain and Dr Ellen Verhoeff from the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics about what it really means to develop language in a developing body. Drawing on their JCPP study of over 6,000 children in the ALSPAC cohort, they follow a developmental cascade that starts with early gross motor milestones like sitting and crawling, moves through culturally shaped self-care and pretend-play skills like using a spoon or hosting a tea party, and then flows into vocabulary and grammar between 15 and 38 months. Along the way, they unpack how genetics and environment intertwine, why social interactions and playful routines act as gateways into language rather than just nice “add-ons,” and what this might mean for parents, carers, clinicians and educators who want to support communication in both autistic and non-autistic children. You can read the main JCPP paper discussed in this episode, “Developing language in a developing body: genetic associations of infant gross motor behaviour and self-care/symbolic actions with emerging language abilities” via https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70021 Get a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://www.acamhlearn.org Visit https://www.acamh.org Facebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMH Instagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camh Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.social X https://x.com/acamh

    46 min
  6. Mind the Kids - Genetic clues to classroom struggles

    FEB 4

    Mind the Kids - Genetic clues to classroom struggles

    Why do some children find learning a little harder, and could their genes hold part of the answer? In this episode of Mind the Kids, entitled ‘Genetic clues to classroom struggles’, host Mark Tebbs talks with Dr. Marie-Pier Larose from the University of Turku about her recent JCPP paper. They delve into how children’s genetic predispositions—especially those linked to attention and behaviour—can influence how they learn and thrive in school. Marie-Pier shares insights from a major international study exploring the connection between early attention difficulties, mental health, and academic achievement. The discussion highlights the power of early support, the role of teachers and parents, and why understanding these genetic clues can help children reach their full potential—both in the classroom and beyond. For more details read the JCPP paper ‘Associations between genetic predisposition to mental health problems and academic achievement: a developmental perspective using two population-based cohorts’ Marie-Pier Larose, Isabel Schuurmans, Edward D. Barker, Liliana Garcia Mondragon, Henning Tiemeier, Irwin Waldman, Charlotte Cecil. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70043 Get a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://www.acamhlearn.org Visit https://www.acamh.org Facebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMH Instagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camh Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.social X https://x.com/acamh

    27 min
  7. Mind the Kids - Energized or at risk? Distinguishing subclinical hypomania in adolescents

    JAN 28

    Mind the Kids - Energized or at risk? Distinguishing subclinical hypomania in adolescents

    Energized, driven, “on a high” – or at the edge of something more serious? This Mind the Kids episode, “Energized or at risk? Distinguishing subclinical hypomania in adolescents”, explores how to tell the difference between healthy teenage intensity and something more problematic.  Host Mark Tebbs talks to Dr. Georgina Hosang about the topic of hypomania, as she draws on her expertise and research. The conversation unpacks what hypomania can look like at home and at school, how it overlaps with typical mood swings and ADHD, and other conditions, and which red flags suggest it’s time to seek specialist help.​ Listeners will hear practical guidance on what parents, carers, teachers, and young people themselves can watch for, how to talk about concerns without stigma, and why early recognition matters for safety, learning, and long‑term wellbeing.  This episode is for anyone supporting adolescents who seem unusually “switched on”, wired, or risk‑taking – and who wants clear, compassionate advice on when to simply ride the wave, and when to seek assistance. For more details read the JCPP paper ‘Subclinical hypomania, psychiatric and neurodevelopmental diagnoses: phenotypic and aetiological overlap’ by Georgina M. Hosang et al. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70045Get a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://www.acamhlearn.org Visit https://www.acamh.org Facebook and LinkedIn search / ACAMH Instagram https://www.instagram.com/assoc.camh Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/acamh.bsky.social X https://x.com/acamh

    42 min
  8. Mind the Kids -When language surprises: unexpected bilingualism in autism

    JAN 21

    Mind the Kids -When language surprises: unexpected bilingualism in autism

    How can a child suddenly start speaking a language no one around them uses? This Mind the Kids episode, “When language surprises – unexpected bilingualism in autism” dives into the striking phenomenon of autistic children spontaneously acquiring and using a language that is absent from their home, school, and social world. Drawing on new research, host Mark Tebbs speaks to David Gagnon, and Dr. Alexia Ostrolenk, on this topic, and their JCPP paper. With minimally speaking autistic children, the discussion explains what unexpected bilingualism is, why it challenges traditional ideas about the role of social interaction in language learning, and how it can reveal an alternative pathway into language. Listeners will hear how parents first notice these surprising language skills, why they may be both confusing and hopeful, and what this means for supporting communication and designing interventions. The episode offers clear take home messages for families, educators, and clinicians on recognising hidden abilities, following a child’s interests (from letters and numbers to YouTube subtitles), and rethinking “plateau” periods as times of invisible but important development. For more details read the JCPP paper ‘Early manifestations of unexpected bilingualism in minimally verbal autism’ David Gagnon, Alexia Ostrolenk, Laurent Mottron https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70032 Get a free CPD/CME certificate for listening to this podcast by registering for a FREE ACAMH Learn account at https://acamhlearn.org/Home

    46 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.5
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

These podcasts are an invaluable resource for anyone interested in child and adolescent mental health. They bridge the gap between rigorous research and practical application, featuring expert discussions on mental health. Each episode highlights cutting-edge studies offering insights into findings, and implications for practice. The series caters to clinicians, researchers, and those interested in mental health. Available on major platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts, it’s an accessible way to stay informed about advancements in the field. Visit our website for a host of free evidence-based mental health resources.

Information

  • Creator
    The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    390
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health. All Rights Reserved.
  • Show Website
    'Mind the Kids': an ACAMH podcast

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