Ethnographic methods are used to investigate infant--toddlers relationships in an early childhood setting. The metaphorical and emotionally based concepts of holding [Winnicott, D. W. (1960). "The theory of the parent-infant relationship." "International Journal of Psychoanalysis," 41, 585-595.] and container: contained [Bion,…

Notably absent from the intervention literature are parent training programs targeting school-aged children with autism who have limited communication skills (Tager-Flusberg and Kasari in "Autism Res" 6:468-478, 2013). Sixty-one children with autism age 5-8 with minimal spontaneous communication received a 6-month social communication…

Comparison of mother child interactions between two groups of mother child pairs--10 higher functioning verbal autistic children and their mothers and 10 lower functioning nonverbal autistic children and mothers--found that mothers tended to be quite responsive to their children's relative capabilities. (Author/DB)

Responses from 331 elderly mothers and 261 elderly fathers were compared on four indexes of filial responsibility expectations with significant gender differences being found in two of the four measures. The findings indicate that women in this cohort tend to expect more filial support than do their male counterparts. (Author)

Results indicate that, contrary to most literature on the family, assertiveness relates to affection rather than control; that assertiveness training should be subordinated to interpersonal skills training; that Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation-Behavior (FIRO-B) instruments provide more effective assessment of family interaction…

Social context and maternal style of requesting and responsiveness were examined in teaching and social interactions in relation to 28 Down's Syndrome (DS) and 28 mental-age matched normal children's cooperation and social initiative. Compliance for DS children was similar to that of normal children for child-initiated exchanges but decreased…

Three children with language impairment (ages 38 to 41 months) and their mothers participated in a study evaluating a storybook reading process for facilitating mother-child interactions. The complete reading cycle (CRC) involved: (1) attentional vocative, (2) query, (3) response, and (4) feedback. Results indicated changes in mothers' storybook…

The fundamental dynamic in the troubled marriage is seen as pathological nurturance, i.e., the perversion of the sense of caring. Derived from the early role reversal, it leads the spouses to take up hopeless tasks of recompense and rescue. The result is resistive, discordant behaviors as a means of coping. (Author)

This paper briefly reviews studies pertaining to the imitation of facial gestures in early infancy. It is suggested that imitation provides for the initiation of a reciprocal exchange between mother and infant, but does not sustain such an interaction, since this requires a continually varied and changing pattern of gestures. Thus there is an…

Longitudinal videotape recordings of six young children with autism and six age- and language-matched children with Down syndrome in structured play with their mothers were analyzed. Findings of reduced expression of positive affect by autistic subjects suggest that their known deficits in attention and affective responsiveness persisted even in…

Discusses an alternate method of examining the verbal interaction of mothers and their children in dyadic communication. The behavior of both mothers and children differed significantly according to the ages of the children involved. Acta Symbolica, 807 Jefferson Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee 38105. Subscription Rates: annually, $12.00 individuals,…

Examined the relationship between an adolescent girl's family relationship patterns and her peer relationship patterns. Measured degree of connectedness in family relationships using global coding of family interaction process, and peer connectedness by a sociometric questionnaire. Demonstrated similarities between degree of connectedness…

This paper addresses itself to the reasons why suicide tends to repeat in some families. Factors include entire family exposure to stresses, grief, and guilt induced by suicide, the provision of a model by the original suicide, suicidogenic interpersonal styles in families, suicidogenic child-rearing practice, and innate predispositions to…

The Greenspan-Lieberman Observational System Revised was used to evaluate characteristics of dyadic interactions between 10 hearing mothers and hearing toddlers (HH), 10 deaf mothers and deaf toddlers (DD), and 10 hearing mothers and deaf toddlers (HD). Findings suggest that assessment instruments require some modifications and results must be…