Young children with HCP experience difficulties performing age-appropriate daily activities such as self-care and play. Research in neuroplasticity has shown that intensive, task-specific training in early development is ideal to maximize functioning in children with HCP. The aim of this study was to analyze the feasibility of a new manualized…

For children with moderate or severe cerebral palsy (CP), a foundational early goal is independent sitting. Sitting offers additional opportunities for object exploration, play and social engagement. The achievement of sitting coincides with important milestones in other developmental areas, such as social engagement with others, understanding of…

The second of a three volume report on a University of Kansas approach to developing quantitative measures of motor and perceptual motor functioning in nonhandicapped and severely/multiply handicapped infants and young children presents interobserver reliability results from the measures described in volume 1. Some studies also include a limited…

The physical development of the child from birth to the age of three is described. Exercises designed to increase motor coordination and strengthen muscles are outlined and illustrated. (JD)

Sensory and motor experiences are essential in childhood and are the foundation for all higher level learning and skill acquisition. This paper examines how young children make sense of sensory experiences, focusing on infants and toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children. It also looks at the importance of creating an environment rich in…

Intended for use with severely and profoundly multiply handicapped children within the 0-48 month developmental age range, the manual is designed for planning and implementing an educational treatment program in the areas of auditory discrimination, communication, gross motor, and visual/fine motor skills. The format of the Assessment/Curriculum…

The developmental model of communication growth is often the most appropriate framework for determining intervention goals with handicapped children. An integration of published literature describing the developmental progression of sensory, motor, and social abilities is provided as an intervention framework for developing communicative abilities…

In this supplement to the "K-12 Physical Education Curriculum Guide," developed by the Manitoba Department of Education, the focus is on perceptual-motor programs for children in kindergarten and the first grade. Section I contains a discussion of the rationale for perceptual-motor programs, a curriculum outline, and definitions of terms used in…

Early childhood perceptual-motor programs as preventive and remedial measures present three concerns: (1) they have minimal positive effects; (2) funds could be used to investigate more effective educational strategies; and (3) the rationale for these programs does not fit with the Australian Early Childhood Association's Code of Ethics. Play is…

It is generally recognized that early childhood experiences are extremely important for human development. The development of rational thinking, attention span, and ability to memorize in the first years of life are very much dependent upon motor experiences gained through exploring and comprehending. Early learning experiences should not be…

Intended for parents, the manual contains suggestions for play and games with visually impaired children. Parents are advised to tell the children what they are doing and using while engaged in activities, to increase their knowledge of the world and of themselves. Ideas span eight areas: body awareness (touching body parts while naming them);…

The Lexington Development Scale was designed to be used by the teacher as an instrument for assessing developmentally handicapped children, as an aid in helping parents to better understand their child, as a basis for curriculum planning for the total class and especially for the individual child, as a means for evaluating the progress of the…

This book's 15 chapters elaborate on specific educational practices in early intervention and early childhood special education, recommended by a task force of the Council for Exceptional Children's Division of Early Childhood. The selected practices were identified through a process involving analysis of expert opinions, professional consensus,…