Examined the relation of infant attention and memory to later cognition in 45 full-term and 46 high-risk preterm infants. Findings indicated a substantial relation between infant visual recognition memory and later intelligence. (RJC)

Notes that infants and toddlers are particularly vulnerable to hazards around the home or child-care center. Explains how caregivers can protect children from the potential hazards of buckets and bathtubs; buttons, balloons, and bottle caps; stoves and heaters; firearms; stairs and stools; medicines, cleaners, and paint; cords; doors; and other…

Information is presented about the auditory development of infants and toddlers with hearing impairments, the goals of amplification, and how amplification is selected and assessed. Practical points to enhance hearing aid use and adjustment are offered. (Author/DB)

Demonstrates how bulletin boards can be used by teachers of infants and toddlers to display photographs of the children and classroom, student art work, dictated stories, and even scribblings (as borders). Suggests that bulletin boards can be an effective device for involving infants and toddlers in their environment. (MDM)

Identifies theoretical assumptions underlying the "commonsense view" that social behaviors, such as joint attention, social referencing, and protocommunication acts, which emerge toward the end of the first year of life, have been taken as evidence of considerable social understanding, even an "implicit" theory of mind. Argues…

This article evaluates the "Frames, then Content" hypothesis for speech acquisition, which sees babbling as a direct result of producing syllabic "frames" by rhythmic mandibular oscillation with little of the "content" seen under mandible-independent control. Analysis of 6,659 utterances of 6 normally developing…

Examined the intercountry adoption experiences of 100 French and 100 English families, comparing policy in each country. Found a lack of effective and sensitive management of the introductory meetings between prospective parents and adoptive children, and of adequate birth records information. (HTH)

This article defines tactile defensiveness as a sensory processing problem that results in aversive responses to touch. The article outlines causes, presents sample behaviors to assist in recognizing the possible presence of this dysfunction in infants and toddlers, and offers suggestions to assist in coping with and seeking appropriate treatment…

Four experiments with 36 infants studied how children organize objects categorically in the absence of input. Outcomes were not consistent with the predictions of bias accounts and considerably weaken the case for a psychologically real noun-bias prior to the vocabulary explosion. Findings are more consistent with children's use of information as…

Examined the relationship between mothers' early attachment experiences and adult attachment and how these may relate to management of negative emotional states in mother-infant relationships. Predictors of maternal and infant distress levels were mothers' comfort with close relationships and their ability to seek help from others, to redirect…

Studied frequency and style of help-seeking in 18- and 24-month olds observed at free play and problem-solving. Found that younger toddlers sought less help than older toddlers; both groups sought more help during problem solving than in free play. Older toddlers increased vocal help-seeking whereas younger toddlers sought help through vocal and…

Examined gender differences in cognitive outcome in children born prematurely who had incurred early cerebral lesions and in a high-risk comparison group. A significant gender difference in cognitive recovery was observed in the lesion group. Girls outperformed boys on standardized intelligence tests. No gender differences were observed in the…

The language development of 12 premature and 12 full-term Mexican American infants was compared at age 22 months. The Sequenced Inventory of Communication Development-Revised revealed that premature infants may acquire language at a slower rate than full-term infants, with expressive language more affected than receptive language skills.…

Three studies investigated infants' and young children's perception of the unity of musical events. Results indicated that properties specific to musical instrument families are relevant for young children's perception of musical events. Specific experience with a variety of instruments is evidently not necessary for detecting correspondences of…

This article reviews the legislative history of Public Law 99-457, the Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1986, which created a new program of early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities. The unique features of Part H are considered in the context of current uncertainty about its future. (Author/DB)