Neurological examination of children includes the screening for soft neurological signs (NSS). There is little knowledge about their evolution during adolescence, except that their lasting presence has been associated with developmental, psychological, and cognitive disorders. We report the results of a NSS exam (assessing gross and fine motor…

This paper is in memory of Esther Thelen, who passed away while President of the Society for Research in Child Development. A survey of Esther Thelen's career reveals a trajectory from early work on simple movements like stepping, to the study of goal-directed reaching, to work on the embodiment of cognition, and, ultimately, to a grand theory of…

Relationships between motor and speech development and between speech and cognitive development are considered. Discussion first focuses on issues of motility, speech, and cognition. Brief descriptions of Steiner's postulated six additional senses--of warmth, movement, life, speech or word, thought, and ego--are provided as preparation to the…

An early intervention program for 14 Down's syndrome children (4 to 15 months old) and their parents included individualized guidance for parents in teaching their infant. Home activities centered on tasks to develop attention: cognitive, perceptual, motor, and language skills. Emphasis was placed on a structured teaching approach with…

This paper reports a study which examined the relationships of various facets of sensorimotor performance to abilities measured by a developmental examination of a sample of full-term and pre-term infants nine months after expected term date. This study addressed three questions: (1) Are there differences in the sensorimotor development of term…

Examined the role of perceptual-motor development in a typical Stage IV task. The performance of ten infants was compared on a Stage IV object permanence task when a cloth cover was used and when a small card cover was used. (JMB)

Examined 10- to 13-year-old boys' development of knowledge structure and sport performance in tennis by comparing skills and knowledge of experts and novices. Experts focused on higher concepts and exhibited greater decision-making ability because of their more highly developed knowledge structure. (SAK)

Presents information on prenatal brain development, detailing the functions controlled by the medulla, pons, and midbrain, and the implications for cognitive development. Concludes that fetal cognitive motor activity, including auditory discrimination, orienting, the wake-sleep cycle, fetal heart rate accelerations, and defensive reactions,…

Self-regulation and self-determination are part of a continuum of behaviors that are acquired through interaction with the social and physical environment and through problem solving based on experiences that begin in infancy and build throughout early childhood. These abilities should be nurtured early for all children, especially within the…

The author examines the relationships existing between movement and cognition in child development. (MJB)

The successful development of a basic movement program depends on the teacher's ability to recognize and to work effectively with varying levels of student motor and cognitive proficiency. (LH)

This study examined inhibitory function in 13 nonretarded children with autism and 13 normally developing controls. Tasks measuring motor and cognitive components were administered to both groups. Results suggest that at least two components of inhibition are spared in individuals with autism, standing in contrast to flexibility and other…

Reviewed are the causes of oxygenation deprivation during the birth process, effects on the brain, clinical manifestations, developmental consequences in terms of cognitive and motor deficits, and implications for educators. (JDD)