Expressive-language-delayed (ELD) families were substantially similar to families with normal younger children and different from families with normal older children in their pragmatic interactions. Mothers' mean length of utterance did not differ among the groups. Pragmatic language interactions in the ELD families were determined largely by…

Two case examples (a toddler with severe developmental delays and a 7-year old with severe mental retardation) illustrating effects of meal schedule and food quantity on displays of problematic behavior are offered. Brief functional analyses of aberrant behavior provided useful information for interpreting distinct patterns of behavior. (DB)

In a study of early functions of negation (rejection and denial), 48 children under age 3 were asked easy yes/no questions. The most likely age range for the appearance of error-free denial "no" at 1 year/8 months to 2 years/1 month supports the continuity theory of negation development. (Contains 27 references.) (Author/LB)

To test opposing theories about the relationship between intonation and syllable timing, these boundary features were compared in a longitudinal study of 9 children's speech development between the mean ages of 16 and 25 months. Results suggest that young children acquire the skills that control intonation earlier than they do skills of final…

Evaluated Parents as Teachers (PAT), parent education and support program. Assessed outcomes for parents, and for children at ages one, two, and three years. PAT homes (n=59) were more responsive and stimulating for children, and PAT parents perceived greater support from their communities than did comparison parents, but children's abilities were…

Eight 20- to 26-month-old children were exposed to 4 novel nouns in a game context over several weeks to determine whether, when, and in what ways the children would use them beyond their original linguistic forms. The majority were productive in their use of the nouns, indicating that the grammatical category for noun is operational by age 2.…

Observed the transitions between different caregivers and between waking and sleeping for a male toddler. The transitions were rated according to the affect displayed by the toddler. Results indicated that transitions involving the toddler coming into the care of his parents were less disturbing than those involving his coming into the care of…

Transcribed the speech of 3 African-American mothers and their 19- to 27-month-old children over a 9-month period. Compared to the language of Euro-American children described in earlier studies, the language of these African-American children developed similarly in length and semantic-syntactic relations but included more talk about needs, wants,…

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 paper reviews research studies involving the use of technological interventions for direct educational application with children (birth to age five) with disabilities. Studies are organized into two categories: (1) adapted switch toys; and (2) microcomputer software. Methodological problems limited the value of the findings, which were…

Analyzed message strategies used by teachers while intervening in toddler disputes. Found that teachers rarely requested information from toddlers during or following conflicts, thus not allowing disputes to be resolved through negotiation. Instead teachers usually used "stop" commands. Teachers intervened in disputes every five minutes,…

Examined nine infants' pretend play with mothers to determine pretend play's impact on children's emerging understanding of emotions so necessary to concepts of self. Found that the combination of talk and enactment characteristic of pretend play may facilitate communication about emotions--particularly fear and anger--that may be considered…

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)

Examined effects of task context and difficulty on mother-child instructional interactions and the role of maternal views about task context and difficulty. Mothers taught what they thought the particular context required and varied their teaching according to what they believed to be true of their children. (BG)

Hand preference during signing was examined longitudinally in nine very young children with deaf parents. These children generally showed a distinct and persistent hand preference in their signing, beginning with the production of their first signs. (14 references) (VWL)