This article reports results of a national survey of 629 veteran and 704 referred parents participating in Parent to Parent programs, noting the program's role as part of comprehensive family-centered services for parents of young children with special needs. The survey collected information about where programs are, services they provide, and…

Discusses the major theorists of infant/toddler emotional development. Lists behavioral warning signs of infant/toddler emotional distress or mental health problems. Describes methods for fostering babies' mental health and reducing their stress, and caregiver behaviors that promote infant mental health. (BB)

Ratings of early intervention services by 91 Massachusetts and New Hampshire mothers and fathers of young children with disabilities indicated the services' high level of helpfulness. Mothers and fathers differed in their ratings, and the weighting of perceived benefits varied by child and family characteristics. (Author/JDD)

Assessed temperament of children of 5-42 months of age. A Q-sort measure was used to assess children's attachment security between 12 and 45 months. Analysis of results revealed an association between temperament and attachment security at all ages. (BC)

This study, with 48 infants and toddlers (24 of which were drug exposed), found that mothers who used drugs during pregnancy reported higher levels of total parenting stress, child-related stress, and parent-related stress than foster mothers and comparison mothers. A strong association between maternal use of drugs and serious child maltreatment…

The relationships of 441 children with their mother and preschool teacher were assessed and classified in 3 categories. Children in the secure relationship category had more responsive teachers than other children. Children in the ambivalent relationship category had more responsive teachers than children in the avoidant relationship category. (BC)

Tested children 18 months to 4 years for their ability to relocate a hidden object after self-produced movement around an array of 4 locations. Children encountered no specific difficulty in coordinating dimensions, or they solved the task without recourse to such a system. They also appeared to change strategy when the problem requires more…

This study examined whether toddlers build a repertoire of words as integral sequences of gestures and then differentiate these sequences into their gestural and segmental components. Results demonstrate clear differences in duration and coordination of gestures between children and adults and a shift toward the patterns of adult speakers during…

This article describes community-based developmental assessment (CDA) sites as one means for early identification of infants and toddlers with disabilities. At CDA sites, developmentalists assess referred children for developmental status and serve as liaison between the referring physician and the early intervention system. CDA sites are cost…

Data from a transcript database of 12 children collected in 1-hour samples every month from 1;0 to 3;0 support the hypothesis that there should be strong differences in the frequency and types of errors between pronouns with suppletive nominatives and those without. The suppletive nominative forms "I" and "she" are blocked from overextension in a…

Interviews Virginia Varga, Montessori teacher trainer and initiator of the first Montessori toddler program in the country. Discusses her childhood, how she became involved in Montessori, the benefits of the toddler program in terms of the child developing a sense of independence, and what Ms. Varga thinks the future holds for Montessori…

Investigated young children's social interactions with a baby in a group care setting. Observations of young children as they responded to an infant revealed differences in comforting, sharing, and cooperation according to age and sex. Also, toddlers' social interactions with the infant increased after the infant reached 18 months of age, and…

Assessed the relationship of selected personal and job-related variables to burnout in teachers of young children. The Maslach Burnout Inventory and a questionnaire were administered to 363 day care teachers. Burnout and competence were identified as factors supporting the concept that burnout is multidimensional. (Author/GLR)

The validity of the Questionnaire on Resources and Stress (QRS) and the Parenting Stress Index (PSI) was examined in a study of 53 mothers with young children in early intervention programs. Expectations that QRS and PSI scores were related in expected ways were generally confirmed. (Author/LB)

This article discusses the assessment and evaluation of infants and toddlers with disabilities or at risk for developing disabilities, recent contributions to knowledge of assessment of infants and toddlers, current practices, and future trends. The paper cautions against using one test for all purposes or using a test with an insufficient…