This study compared mother, infant, and dyad interactions between infants with and without biological risk, considering contextual factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Forty-two infants with biological risk and 33 without risk (average age 5.6 months) were evaluated via remote video assessments. Results showed that infants without biological…

Children exposed to the risk factors associated with parental mental illness are seen to be at risk of developing cognitive, emotional, and behavioural difficulties in preschool and later in life. Given that educational settings are seen as optimal for early intervention, preschool teachers have an important role to play in identifying and…

The topic of the three chapters of this dissertation is empowering caregivers of children with or at high likelihood for autism to implement interventions in home settings with high fidelity to promote their child's social communication development. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the previous studies focused on caregiver-implemented early…

Mind-mindedness is associated with positive developmental outcomes. However, much of the literature uses mostly White, middle to high socioeconomic status (SES) samples despite evidence that the benefits of mind-mindedness may vary based on degree of social risk. Additionally, few studies have examined relations between mind-mindedness and…

Recognizing children at risk of social exclusion (RSE) is one of the key prerequisites for providing direct and appropriate support to children and their families. Timely and proper identification of children at RSE requires collaborative and team-based assessments that include standardized procedures outlined in protocols to accommodate child…

Background: Both transactional and common etiological models have been proposed as explanations of why externalizing behavior problems (EBP) and internalizing behavior problems (IBP) co-occur in children. Yet little research has empirically evaluated these competing theoretical explanations. We examined whether EBP and IBP are transactionally…

Specific features of adult linguistic input may play a larger, or smaller role, at different child ages, across different language outcomes, in different cohorts. This prospective, longitudinal study explored associations between the quantity and quality (i.e. diversity and responsiveness) of maternal linguistic input and child language. This…

Although many immigrant children to the United States arrive with their parents, a notable proportion are first separated and later reunited with their parents. How do the experiences of separation and reunification shape the well-being of immigrant children? Data were from a national survey of legal adult immigrants and their families, the New…

Many children who enter the care system and are subsequently adopted have had exposure to a range of potentially traumatising experiences including domestic violence, abuse, neglect and loss of key caregivers. There are also an increasingly high number of adopted children presenting with the impact of intrauterine exposure to alcohol, drugs and…

This dissertation investigated the caregiving relationships between infants and nonparental caregivers in early childcare settings through the lens of attachment and language behaviors. This study sought to provide an opportunity to extend our understanding of the socioemotional factors that influence children's development in their daily lives.…

The Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk and Adaptation, a 45-year study of children born into poverty, offers a number of lessons for practitioners. Among these are the potency of early relationship experiences for predicting developmental outcomes and the fate of early experience following developmental change. This article describes the…

It can be observed that changing attitude towards the environment and fellow human beings manifests itself as a socially unsustainable relationship, which in different ways and at different levels manifests itself in social exclusion. Social exclusion is increasingly emerging as a phenomenon that is complex in nature and its solutions must be…

Background/Context: Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the realities of many under-resourced and conflict-affected settings posed numerous challenges for in-person early childhood education (ECE) programming. Families migrate. Classroom spaces are scarce. Transportation to and from schools can be challenging to impossible. Schooling going remote…

Social communicative precursors to autism spectrum disorder may influence how infants who are later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder interact with their social partners and the responses they receive, thus bidirectionally influencing early social experience. This systematic review aimed to identify a developmental timeline for parent-infant…

Children of incarcerated parents may face an increased risk for developmental and behavioral problems. Early care and education can play a positive role in addressing these risks and providing positive support. However, these children are largely hidden when it comes to formal early care and education policy and program initiatives. This article…