Childhood maltreatment has lasting effects on mental and physical health, but early identification remains challenging. Now, researchers from Japan have used the Child Behavior Checklist—a non-self-rating questionnaire—to assess behavioral patterns in preschoolers and successfully predicted their exposure to maltreatment. This approach avoids direct questioning about trauma and reveals how the timing and type of maltreatment influence specific emotional and behavioral outcomes, offering a promising tool for early detection and targeted support.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is linked to difficulties in understanding emotions and intentions from body cues. However, whether these challenges stem from visual perception differences remains unclear. To explore this, researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging to compare body part representation in the lateral occipitotemporal cortex of adults with and without ASD. They found highly similar representational structures in both groups, suggesting ASD social difficulties may arise from higher-order cognitive processes rather than visual perception.

Access to nature promotes physical and mental health, and it is vital for children’s social and emotional development. Outdoor activities also influence family dynamics, helping to reduce stress and encourage connections. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign examines how green spaces and outdoor structures near the family residence interact with other factors in the household environment to influence executive functioning in early childhood.