Every year brings new research studies that aim to describe early childhood development. Despite this boom in research, there has been little useful translation of these studies into clear recommendations for educators and mental health practitioners. This book shows experienced educators and mental health practitioners who work with young…

This evidence-based practice overview on Video Modeling (VM) includes the following components: (1) Overview: A quick summary of salient features of the practice, including what it is, who it can be used with, what skills it has been used with, and settings for instruction; (2) Evidence-base: The "VM Evidence-base" details the NPDC…

In May 2010, the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform (CJJR) at Georgetown University released the monograph "Addressing the Unmet Educational Needs of Children and Youth in the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems" (Leone & Weinberg, 2010). The monograph examined a number of topics relevant to the education and experiences of…

The article reviews work conducted on the assessment and training of social skills in learning disabled individuals, outlining cognitive social skills and overt social behaviors that should be included in interventions, and discussing assessment techniques (such as behavioral observation codes and sociometric techniques). (CL)

Addresses the practical validity of self-instruction training as an intervention for severely disabled children. Three issues are examined: (1) the development of verbal strategies adaptable to children with knowledge deficits, (2) the effects of generalization training, and (3) the role of self-talk (verbalization) in self-instruction. Four…

This four-chapter monograph, translated from a 1977 Russian book written originally in Russian for Russians, describes methodology and results of the study of cognitive activity in children with cerebral palsy. An initial chapter reviews research on impairments in cognitive activity and speech defects in such children and on methods of…

Jean Piaget's theories of development are reviewed and implications for instruction of mildly and moderately retarded children are drawn. Piagetian research with the retarded is traced, particularly the work of Barbel Inhelder. The research cited concludes that the cognitive development of retarded children follows the same pattern as normal…

Reviews the development of spatial organization in children with blindness. Discusses the importance of motor exploration, tactual development, and spatial representation as critical factors in developing spatial and cognitive organizations of their surroundings. Suggests seven specific activities to improve spatial organization in blind children.…

An overview is presented of common causes of vision loss in young children and the impact of a visual impairment on development and learning. The article also discusses the role of the family and team members in meeting the intervention needs as well as issues affecting delivery of early intervention services. (Author/DB)

Discusses elements of high-quality play related to time, space, experiences, and materials. Also discusses effective methods of adult-child interaction in the play setting and the importance of adults being very conscious of their role in the endeavor. (JW)

Uncover critical information about children's emotional, social, physical, communicative, and cognitive development by observing their nonverbal expressions. "The Dancing Dialogue" shows how to assess the behavior and movement of children with a wide range of issues and to use what is learned interventions. Equally effective for those with…

This manual is designed for mental health center staff members to design effective interventions with elderly clients in short-term groups. Chapter One briefly describes a project which uses the therapy techniques of Cognitive Restructuring Therapy (CRT), Transactional Analysis (TA), and Life Review with groups of elderly persons to determine…

Recent developments in infant mental health are outlined, with implications for work with at-risk populations. Discussed are: the biobehavioral-developmental perspective, the infant as a social being, the infant-caregiver relationship, the transactional model of the infant-parent relationship, assessing developmental disabilities, conceptualizing…

The identification of learning disabilities (LD) in preschoolers in inclusive settings presents a number of obstacles related to the federal definition in the reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This definition appears to emphasize school performance, which is not an appropriate measure for preschool-age children…

This newsletter issue presents five articles addressing intervention with infants and toddlers having pervasive developmental disabilities. The first article is by Stanley I. Greenspan and is titled "Reconsidering the Diagnosis and Treatment of Very Young Children with Autistic Spectrum or Pervasive Developmental Disorder." This article…