Compared 14 healthy children who had low birthweight and were small for their gestational age with 14 control children at 10 years of age. The experimental group scored lower than control children on measures of visuospatial ability, nonverbal reasoning, strategy formation, and gross motor coordination. (BC)

Young children with low vision tend to experience delays in cognitive development, motor development, and social skills because of insufficient motivation and opportunities to explore their environments actively. This literature review explores the resulting difficulties in acquiring practical knowledge and spatial/environmental concepts,…

Examined relationships between the way middle-school physical educators structured practice tasks and the amount of practice students received. Analysis of videotapes of eight teachers and their students during two class periods indicated that skill level, task structure, and practice were related. Task organization related to both the quantity…

To assist teachers, descriptions of seven defining characteristics of Asperger Syndrome are provided, including: insistence on sameness, impairment in social interaction, restricted range of interests, poor concentration, poor motor coordination, academic difficulties, and emotional vulnerability. Strategies for addressing each of these symptoms…

The Mayes Motor Free Compilation (MMFC) assesses mental ability in young (under age 2) children with motor disabilities. This study evaluated the concurrent validity of the MMFC by administering it and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development to normal children. Findings suggest that the MMFC provides a valid estimate of mental age, even without…

Explores the literature from physical education psychomotor research in order to answer questions concerning elementary music psychomotor skills acquisition and retention by focusing on four aspects of motor-learning theories: (1) knowledge of results; (2) contextual interference; (3) cognitive strategies; and (4) modeling. (CMK)

From earliest infancy, a typically developing child imitates or mirrors the facial expressions, postures and gestures, and emotional behavior of others. Where does this capacity come from, and what function does it serve? What happens when imitation is impaired? Synthesizing cutting-edge research emerging from a range of disciplines, this…

This annual report discusses several topics related to the work of the Research and Clinical Center for Child Development. Six topics are covered in the report. The articles are: (1) "Development of Intentional Behavior in Early Infancy" (Hongtu Chen); (2) "An Investigation of the Differences of Social Space in the Playroom: Through…

The majority of children with cerebral palsy in developing countries have no access to trained therapists; for example, in Pakistan, there is less than one trained general physiotherapist per million population. In Pakistan, cerebral palsy handling skills were taught to a group of parents, teachers, and paraprofessionals in a series of practical…

This study investigated the relationship between the Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration-Revised (VMI-R) and written expression skills of 54 students (grades 2 to 7) with learning disabilities. Data analysis compared cognitive ability; visual motor skills; achievement in reading, math, and written language; teacher rating of written…

This paper lists practices recommended by the Council for Exceptional Children's Division for Early Childhood concerning the promotion of motor skills in early intervention and early childhood special education programs for infants and young children with special needs and their families. An introductory section examines the importance of motor…

The booklet outlines ways to help children with learning disabilities in specific subject areas. Characteristic behavior and remedial exercises are listed for seven areas of auditory problems: auditory reception, auditory association, auditory discrimination, auditory figure ground, auditory closure and sound blending, auditory memory, and grammar…

A child's neuropsychological assessment entails the examination of the neurological integrity and functioning of a child's brain and the child's concommitant behavioral responses. This paper reviews the use of two major assessment batteries: (1) the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Tests that measure basic sensory and motor functioning as well…

This pilot study used a task-analyzed performance base curriculum as an intervention on the gross motor development of 24 children aged three to six, 15 in a treatment group, 9 in a control group. Pre- and post-training data on gross motor development (relating to 10 motor skills) were collected using the Ohio State University Scale of Intra Gross…

This issue of "Special Parent/Special Child" describes the role of occupational and physical therapy in maximizing the potential of special needs children. Physical and occupational therapy are defined and the training and functions of therapists in each area are outlined. Also discussed are the goals of therapy programs in developing gross and…