In 2 multiple baseline experiments, we tested stimulus-stimulus pairing effects on acquisition of conditioned reinforcement for observing and manipulating stimuli and stereotypy/passivity. In Experiment I we studied a 5 year-old male with autism and we collected data using continuous 5-sec whole interval recording in 5 min sessions in which the…

One of the greatest challenges we face in kinesiology is changing behavior--specifically, converting habitually sedentary individuals into active human beings. This task is not an easy one. Thus, when we adopt Easy Street strategies that focus on introducing, informing, and entertaining, we have very little hope of effecting such conversions. Easy…

Young children evolve their own rules for "playing" together. This author believes that people have to learn, and teach, the techniques for "working well" together, and the sooner this begins, the better. In this article, the author provides an account of a task she has sometimes given to groups of five-year-olds in year one, with the intention…

This article argues the need to examine communication in joint play situations rather than individual assessments in solitary play situations when children's development is focused. Informed by Bakhtin's dialogical and Moscovici's interactionist perspectives, observations were made of the interaction between two girls, aged 3 1/2 and 4, playing at…

This article presents the findings of a study examining the factors that motivate students to play computer games. The study is confined to older preschool age, a time when playing functions as the "leading activity" in ontogenetic development. Based on the findings of the study, the following are students' motives for playing computer games: (1)…

This article provides an insight into the world of professional play specialists and provides suggestions to parents on how to be more confident about their role in play. Play need not be work for moms and dads, but it should be a family priority that they enjoy and about which the feel just great when they have devoted time and energy to do it.…

A resource area in an early childhood classroom can foster children's learning by providing them with opportunities to use a wide variety of materials in a wide range of contexts. This digest offers suggestions concerning resource rooms in early childhood classrooms and discusses issues relevant to children's play. Many classroom areas can be…

The topic of early intervention for autism is widely researched and discussed within the literature. The application of applied behavioral analysis (ABA) continues to be an important topic. Due to the extensive amount of research on behavioral treatments for autism, and its widespread practice, the focus of this paper will be based upon treatment…

Background: This prospective study compared outcome for pre-school children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) receiving autism-specific nursery provision or home-based Early Intensive Behavioural Interventions (EIBI) in a community setting. Methods: Forty-four 23- to 53-month-old children with ASD participated (28 in EIBI home-based programmes;…

For children with autism, acquiring and generalizing new skills can be particularly difficult and may be affected by child characteristics. Forty-one preschool children with autism were recruited from an existing early intervention program and then randomized to one of two treatments, a targeted intervention for symbolic play skills or one for…

Much has been written in recent years about early childhood play, documenting its role in healthy development, detailing the risks children face if they do not have access to play, and offering implementation tips to educators to use in communicating about play to administrators and parents. For those ready to move forward in their own communities…

Although atypical eye gaze is commonly observed in autism, little is known about underlying oculomotor abnormalities. Our review of visual search and oculomotor systems in the healthy brain suggests that relevant networks may be partially impaired in autism, given regional abnormalities known from neuroimaging. However, direct oculomotor evidence…

The present study examined effects of video modeling on generalized independent toy play of two boys with autism. Appropriate and repetitive verbal and motor play were measured, and intermeasure relationships were examined. Two single-participant experiments with multiple baselines and withdrawals across toy play were used. One boy was presented…

For centuries people have conveyed meaning through the use of visual images, without the aid of written text. Consequently, wordless picture books have become a distinct genre within the world of literature. The wordless book is unique in that its content must be communicated solely through the use of illustrations. The reading of wordless picture…

Karen Orr Vered demonstrates how children's media play contributes to their acquisition of media literacy. Theorizing after-school care as intermediary space, a large-scale ethnographic study informs this theory-rich and practical discussion of children's media use beyond home and classroom.