This review is intended to point out the role played by motor skills proficiency in the academic achievement of typically and atypically developing pupils who are attending primary school. First, the interplay between motor and cognitive development will be presented. Next, the cognitive phenotype, not yet deeply investigated, of a…

Although the early behaviors associated with autism spectrum disorder have been well characterized, many behaviors are also commonly observed in young children with other developmental delays and even in those with typical development. Therefore, consideration must be given to whether a child demonstrates sufficient autism spectrum disorder…

This paper charted the cognitive and behavioural profiles from toddlerhood to middle childhood in 48 children diagnosed with ASD at 24 months. The Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) was administered at 24- and 48-months and the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI) at school age. Autism severity was derived using The Autism…

Maternal immune activity has been linked to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We examined maternal occupational exposure to asthma-causing agents during pregnancy in relation to ASD risk. Our sample included 463 ASD cases and 710 general population controls from the Study to Explore Early Development whose mothers reported at least one…

Maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy is a significant social problem associated with developmental difficulties in young children. Child developmental and behavioral characteristics were examined from the 9-month data point of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Studies-Birth Cohort, a prospective nationally representative study. Several…

Use of neurodevelopmental treatment, also known as the Bobath method, is discussed, including its history, philosophy, goals, and treatment emphasis with infants and children with movement disorders. Examples of children before and after therapeutic intervention illustrate use of the technique, and controversies in measuring therapy efficacy are…

The article describes a programmatic approach that measured the qualitative dimensions and performance of functional movement in 43 infants and young children with delayed motor development (ages 4 weeks to 5 years). Procedures involved selection of posture and movement intervention targets, baseline assessments, intervention sequences,…

Play is a central facilitating element of early development. As a child plays, he or she practices spontaneously cognitive, emotional, and motor abilities. This research project, part of a larger project on early intervention with young disabled children, investigated the play of children with a motor handicap. The sample consisted of 61 disabled…

Written for parents to use in the home environment, this illustrated handbook describes the Maxi-Move program, an intensive one-year program of exercise for children of one to eight years of age, who have cerebral palsy. The program does not use physical therapy, patterning, or specific movement goals, but focuses on having fun, creating…

Investigation of the extent to which various factors were associated with observed developmental gains in developmentally-delayed young children (N=83) revealed that potential predictors of overall child progress included test score derivatives, number of assessments and home visits, mother's age, child's age at initial testing, and medical risk…

This paper describes and evaluates a gymnastic program for children (ages 4-9) with autism and related developmental disorders. An introductory section reviews the literature on characteristics of children with autism and discusses how traditional education is inadequate for such children. Review of the literature on effective interventions notes…

A study focused on developmentally delayed children who participated in a home-based, parent intervention motor development program. The major question considered was: Is there any difference in gross and fine motor mean scores obtained on the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales (field test edition), received by children who participated in the…