This study tested the hypothesis that pretreatment level of play would predict the rate of increase in prelinguistic, intentional requesting during prelinguistic communication intervention of 8 children (ages 21 to 30 months) with developmental disabilities. A positive relation was found between amount of transitional or symbolic play at baseline…

This longitudinal study investigated development and individual differences in exploration and play during infancy and toddlerhood among 34 children. Found that measures of developmental level, such as pretend play level and meaningful sequence, showed a significant increase between age 19 months and 30 months. (MDM)

Describes a computerized assessment instrument to assess development in youngsters 2 to 7 years of age, based on the 12 developmental scales of Arnold Gesell. (SR)

This article describes the language development in a left-handed young child with a left middle cerebral artery infarction. Patterns of development observed between 36 and 60 months of age are described as a transient jargon or fluent aphasia possibly resulting from initial reliance on an uninjured right hemisphere. (Author/DB)

Postural control was evaluated in 91 autistic, 166 normal, and 18 mentally retarded children using a computerized posturographic procedure. In comparison to normal children, the autistic subjects were less likely to exhibit age-related changes in postural performance, and postures were more variable and less stable. (Author/JDD)

A British study asked 475 children aged 7-11 to write a piece explaining what good writing is. Children appeared extremely concerned with technical skills more than composition. Developmental stage differences may explain that their concerns reflect what bothered them most at the time and they did not mention what was less bothersome or what they…

The study of 281 adolescents found no significant differences in creativity subvariables between the developmental stages of concrete and formal operations. Significant relationships were found between age and creativity. Figural flexibility, originality, and elaboration decreased as age increased from 13 to 16 years. (Author/JDD)

A survey of 302 employees of hospital nursing services measured career commitment, professionalism, job satisfaction, and intention to remain. Results underscore a need to be concerned with how different measures of career stage mask or reveal important relationships of interest. (JOW)

Administered Washington University Sentence Completion Test, Rest Defining Issues Test, and moral judgment interview of reasons for choosing abortion to unmarried females (ages 12-14, 17-19, 23-25). Found clear developmental differences between youngest and two older groups on ego development and principled moral reasoning; no major differences…

The effect on families and the changes that occur in relation to a child with intellectual disability are considered through the lifespan. As the rest of the family grows older, the child with a disability goes through school years and remains having special needs and specific vulnerability through adult life. (Author/JDD)

Examination of the clinical records of 60 children with Down's Syndrome from 9 months to 9 years of age documented the order of emergence of sounds. Results indicated a wide range of ages for emergence of individual phonemes, revealing that norms and service delivery models established for typically developing children are inappropriate for use…

Comments on Lewis's ideas about reconciling stage and specificity in neo-Piagetian theory in this issue. Focuses on whether general stages, domain specificity, and individual diversity are compatible from a nonlinear, dynamic perspective. Suggests that, by using catastrophe theory, intra- and interindividual diversity and domain specificity can be…

The developmental course of 9 temperament dimensions were documented in 104 children from ages 2 through 12. Overall, with the advancement of age, children's temperament showed less developmental change as indexed by mean ratings on the temperament dimensions and greater cross-time stability as assessed by the rank ordering of children across…

This study attempted to determine, prioritize, and compare the informational needs of parents (n=40 pairs) at different stages in the educational life cycle of their child with mental retardation (children aged 3 weeks to 12 years). Results found an ongoing parental need for information and services resembling the developmental tasks encountered…

Reviews research on quantitative and qualitative indexes of play, and relationships between play and language. Finds consistent relationships between duration and level of play throughout early development, and parallel developments in play and language. Indicates that measures of spontaneous activity and habituation in infancy predict…