This review of the developmental readiness of normal, full-term infants to progress from exclusive breastfeeding to the introduction of complementary foods is the result of the international debate regarding the best age to introduce complementary foods into the diet of the breastfed human infant. After a list of definitions, four papers focus on:…

Confusion exists concerning basic concepts of motor development, understood as the life-long process of change in an individual's movement behaviors. The article presents 10 common misconceptions; each is followed by a clarification of the concept and a practical example. (SM)

Intended for parents, this booklet presents learning activities for very young children with special needs. Activities were developed as part of project DEBT (Developmental Education Birth through Two). Activities are grouped according to the following developmental levels: newborn, 1-3 months, 4-5 months, 6-8 months, 9-11 months, 12-14 months,…

The paper focuses on the needs of visually impaired preschoolers in various developmental areas. The importance of attachment to a significant other for establishing trust is outlined and the fact that body awareness, object permanence, range of motion, spatial awareness and orientation must be logically and actively introduced is cited. Aspects…

This article identifies possible causes of handwriting difficulties and suggests activities to facilitate the development of hand muscles and handwriting skills. It discusses handwriting readiness, wrist stability, hand development activities, pencil grasp, hand dominance, eye-hand coordination, basic strokes, general readiness skills, writing…

The manual is intended to help parents and professionals understand the motor development of Down's syndrome infants and young children. Following an overview of motor development, gross and fine motor landmarks are presented along with exercises and activities to promote their development in infancy, toddlerhood, and childhood. Each landmark is…

Developed as part of the Family, Infant, and Toddler Project, and intended as a guide for parent groups, the document focuses on such topics as instruction, child development, and family concerns related to children with handicaps. Individual topic guides provide information on ways to begin the parent group meeting, information to consider,…

This article explains the benefits of portfolio usage for students with autism spectrum disorder and details what to include and how to organize the portfolio. Suggested portfolio divisions include artifacts addressing socialization, communication, behavior, academic, functional skills, and fine and gross motor development. Sharing student…

Notes benefits of movement experiences to young children. Explains and discusses developing and refining movement patterns and developing perceptual abilities so that sensory information can be used to help refine movement skills. Includes an annotated bibliography of 15 pertinent references. (SB)

Based on the Preschool Recreation Enrichment Program (PREP), the manual--one third of which consists of appendixes--is intended to assist recreation personnel in developing programs addressing the motor and associative learning needs of preschool children who demonstrate delays in motor, language, and/or socialization skills. The manual describes…

Discusses the importance of child caregivers' attention to normal development of infants during the first year of life. Gut level feelings about abnormality are significant in early diagnoses of handicapped children. A list of warning signs that indicate problems in motor development is included. (SH)

Noting that by playing with their child, parents create a bond of intimacy important for the child's healthy development, this book describes developmental events in a baby's first 12 months and suggests play activities and their developmental purpose. Organized in a month-by-month format, the first part of each chapter presents an overview of…

The intent of this booklet is to provide practitioners and parents with (1) research findings related to three aspects of development important to all children--problem solving abilities, language development, and self-concept; (2) interpretations of these findings; and (3) activities for children appropriate to these findings. Bibliographies of…

A model for predicting organized youth sport participation readiness has four predictive components: sport-related fundamental motor skill development; sport-specific knowledge; motivation; and socialization. Physical maturation is also important. The model emphasizes the importance of preparing children for successful participation through…

Addresses three issues regarding developmentally appropriate physical education: what it means; what teachers must know (change occurs in an orderly, sequential fashion and is age and experience related); and how teachers can implement it (be skilled observers of movement and be clear about the purpose of the task). (SM)