The purpose of this study was to extend understanding of affiliative interaction between parents and toddlers and to correlate affiliative behaviors with frequency and type of mothers' and fathers' caregiving activities, play experiences, and support-control interactions. The research was conducted with 10 families who each had one toddler between…

A total of 103 children 2 through 6 years of age were interviewed and 73 of their parents and 60 preschool teachers completed a questionnaire about their perceptions of play. Most parents defined play as something for fun or amusement, while teachers saw it both as fun and as an opportunity for cognitive and social development. Both parents and…

The paper looks at the development of a play group for autistic children with descriptions of the autistic population, the daily program, the program's philosophy, the play group model, and actual lessons. Children, who ranged in age from 5 to 9 years, often chose activities which were self-stimulating and/or repetitive. The daily program included…

The book describes techniques for helping nonspeaking individuals to communicate. The first section focuses on equipment, presenting information on materials and instructions for constructing such equipment as communication boards for children who need a looking response; boards or trays for children with motor control problems; brief-case-style…

This study investigated questions asked during two types of mother-child interaction and demonstrated ways in which mother-child dyads may structure their interactions differently in different settings. Participants were 16 first-born girls between 2.5 and 3.5 years of age who were videotaped on four occasions when they played in their home for 15…

This book provides more than 400 ideas for skits and stunts for various size groups of any age, as well as general information on the uses, presentations, and creation of stunts and skits. The chapters include: (1) The Why and How of Skits and Stunts; (2) How to Make Up Your Own Skits; (3) Impromptu Stunts and Skits; (4) Group Stunts and "Dramas";…

In response to community concern about developmental effects on children who play with toys that portray antisocial, violent, or militaristic themes, two government committees were set up to investigate the issue. Psychologists have argued that playing with such toys may increase antisocial and aggressive behavior in children and have long-term…

The first purpose of the study was to develop a methodology for observing young children at play in their classroom situations without access to sound. The second purpose was to use data collected under equivalent conditions and methodologies to compare the play behaviors of young deaf children to the play behaviors of their hearing counterparts.…

The volume is intended to help mentally retarded adults learn how to interact with infants and children in a caring and safe manner. The manual may be used by counselors or trainers in one-to-one or small group sessions. Each unit includes line drawings to illustrate proper techniques; the drawings have been designed for the trainees' use and are…

Active parent involvement in play therapy can add greatly to a child's development. As participants, parents can learn to empathize more readily with their children, thereby enabling them to grow and learn with them. (CJ)

Exploratory and play behavior were studied in young children using three dimensional random polygon objects. (ST)

Describes the structure of spontaneous episodes of dyadic play and suggests some of the basic abilities which underlie social play, based on observation of 36 15-20 minute videotaped play sessions involving groups of three children each, ages 3 1/2 to 5 1/2 years. (ED)

The study examined the relationship between cognitive performance and the use of private speech in 20 learning disabled children, aged 81 to 108 months. Half of the children were hyperactive. Each child was given a series of cognitive tasks and played alone in a room for 7 minutes. Videotapes of the free play were later transcribed and coded…

Research on free play among children is reviewed, and the relation of such research to the adaptation and use of play environments for multiply handicapped/mentally retarded (MH/MR) children is considered. Noted among research findings are that the nature and organization of playground equipment has a significant effect on children; that children…