Describes the rationale and development of a new screening test, Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning-3 (DIAL-3), which is based on previous editions. Empirical research is presented to document item additions and deletions as well as the continued maintenance of three performance areas: motor, concepts, and language. (Author/CR)

A review of the development of self and empathy in infancy in general is followed by discussion of atypical development, noting that autistic children have a general deficit in development of empathic capacity and physical and representational sense of self. Specific interventions to enhance the development of both sense of self and empathic…

Presents strategies for early childhood educators and child caregivers for identifying potential developmental delays and disabilities among the children they work with. Suggests using a developmental checklist, documenting actual activities, talking with the director, meeting with the parents, and referring parents to the appropriate agency. (KB)

This study examined differences in sensory-motor, cognitive, and verbal impairment between 10 Japanese preschool children with Asperger Syndrome (AS) 10 children with high functioning autism (HFA) using the Japanese version of the Miller Assessment for Preschoolers. AS children surpassed HFA children in verbal skills but HFA children were better…

Examines the prevalence, developmental course, and predictive power of child mental health problems for young children in general and low-income, diverse populations in particular. Notes discrepancies between Head Start agency-level data, national estimates, and intensive studies of similar populations. Describes new collaborative federal…

Maintains that the preceding studies extend a long line of research demonstrating the coherence of individual development in attachment security. Notes that the studies clarify that attachment security can be stable from infancy through early adulthood and that changes in security are meaningfully related to changes in the family environment.…

Reviews mentor programs involving students ranging from preschool-aged through young adults in which the mentors are sponsored by businesses, professions, and the community at large. Four case studies are examined to analyze the results they have achieved and to ascertain whether it is worthwhile to replicate such programs. (SM)

This article presents information about the auditory and speech development of infants with normal hearing and those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Methods of assessing hearing, evidence of auditory learning prior to birth, behavior assessment procedures, hearing aid use, and early identification and speech development are discussed. (Contains…

This article discusses primary education in Britain and the development of performance indicators for children with movement difficulties. It focuses on children's central movement difficulties as a factor in their total development and calls for early assessment and regular monitoring. (Contains references.) (DB)

Examined the use of protoimperative and protodeclarative pointing gestures in three children with autism (ages 26 to 53 months) at 5-month intervals over two years. Imperative or instrumental functions emerged early in all three; declarative or experience sharing functions emerged later in two subjects and not at all in the third. (DB)

Five full-term and five preterm children with blindness (age 12 months) were visited at home with their families every two weeks for two years. An individualized, disability-specific early intervention that used different types of parent involvement was successful in accelerating development of the full-term infants, particularly in orientation…

Examines the plight of children who are being victimized by the criminalization of their parents and the ways in which these children are being traumatized. The few programs that offer some solutions are described, and the need for more attentive, relevant, and effective policies is outlined. (GR)

The children's crisis in the U.S., along with the looming crisis in physical education, suggests that it is time to mobilize, plan, and act collaboratively and strategically. This paper raises critical questions that teachers, teacher educators, and researchers must consider and answer responsibly if physical education is to fulfill its social…

The independent contributions of ethnicity and socioeconomic status to intellectual and academic functioning in children with diabetes were studied with 58 diabetic children and 58 comparisons. Findings indicate that black children with diabetes, regardless of social class, are at greater risk for intellectual deficits and learning problems than…

Presents findings on the impact of economic pressure on the well-being of adolescents in Berlin. Shows that relative losses in purchasing power are related to decreased self-esteem in problematic family climates; school level, place of residence, and relative gain in purchasing power played a greater role in xenophobia and aggressive helplessness.…