Words like "mama," "dada," and "ball," may come fairly easily to many tots, but have you ever wondered how kids master more complicated concepts like verbs, adjectives, pronouns, and abstract nouns? Well, a team of researchers at NYU's LEARN Lab is eagerly looking for answers in the hopes of ultimately helping caregivers better communicate with children who have autism spectrum disorder–a condition that's often accompanied by minor to severe language delays. In order to further this important research, they need kiddos with and without the disorder to come play in the lab for an hour or so, and they're even sending the participants home with a gift card and a book.

From not being invited to the birthday party to getting called hurtful names, hearing that your child feels like they don't fit in can nearly break a parent's heart. But, as we grownups know, the things that make children different are also the things that make them special—and finding ways to celebrate that uniqueness is key to their confidence.

Ok, so here's some screen time parents can actually get behind! Thanks to the same web conferencing technology that probably powers your monthly board meetings, there's a remote weekly after school program that's busy turning young tech consumers into skilled creators and innovators by teaching them how to build apps, produce online videos, and even code robots. Yup, Tekkie Uni has been schooling kids in computer coding, robotics, and digital art since 2016 by connecting experienced teachers with small groups of students in virtual classrooms — and giving them skills that will undoubtedly serve them in today's tech-centric world.

Now, before you rejoice over the added bonus of saying buh-bye to the headache of after school pick up and drop off, read on to find out how Tekkie Uni works and what coding classes for kids they're currently offering for ages 8 to 18.