Details speech acquisition process of first British, congenitally deaf infant without other handicaps to be fitted with a cochlear implant, noting the utility of Ling's model of speech acquisition. Notes that following implant, subject showed pattern and timing of acquisition of spoken words comparable to that of normally hearing infants or of…

Analyzed toddlers' verbal speech concurrent with nonverbal behavior. Fourteen dyads of unfamiliar peers were observed at 16, 20, 24, and 32 months of age. Found that six types of speech increased in frequency only after the peer partners had shown a marked increase in their readiness to imitate each others' nonverbal actions. (MOK)

Describes the development and characteristics of the Parent-Caregiver Relationship Scale, which shows promise as a measure of parents' and caregivers' perceptions of one another and of their relationship for studies of infants, parents, and caregivers in the context of full-time child care. The scale includes measures of trust/confidence, open…

The literature on the effects of congenital blindness on infants' development of motor functions and concepts of object permanence is reviewed. The article questions the idea that infants must first develop an object concept before sound clues alone will elicit reaching. Possible interventions to redress the effects of congenital blindness on…

Assessed whether the timing of prenatal care related to low birth weight delivery, adjusting for sociodemographic and behavioral risk factors. Data on births to white and African American women showed no benefits for early initiation of prenatal care in reducing the risk of low birth weight.(SM)

Discusses factors associated with the development of secure and insecure mother-infant attachments and reviews results from intervention studies designed to promote secure attachment. Presents recommendations for early interventions to promote secure attachment that can be carried out by practitioners in a variety of settings. (CR)

This study investigated associations between selected infant and maternal characteristics and autism risk in 4381 California children with autism. Increased risk factors were observed for males, multiple births, and children born to black mothers. Risk increased as maternal age and maternal education increased. Children of immigrant mothers had…

Thirty students (ages 3-20) with profound mental retardation and 30 healthy, full-term infants (5-8 months) were shown 12 patterned stimuli, three times each. Both groups looked significantly longer at face patterns than other patterns. However, the students with mental retardation looked longer at black and white patterns than colored patterns,…

Behavior states and related developmental and medical variables were observed for 34 infants with severe cognitive and multiple disabilities for their first four years. Findings demonstrated emerging state profiles consistent with those found among older populations in previous studies. Results suggest the need for specific, early interventions…

Examines demographic information about the status of young children around the world. Graphs nations with the largest populations of young children and highest percentage of their populations composed of young children in comparison to the aged, the percentage of regional populations under age 5 and over 64, and birth and infant mortality rates.…

Discusses how child caregivers can work with child life specialists to provide appropriate support for children with special health needs in early childhood settings. Describes the impact of chronic illness and hospitalization on infants and toddlers, offers suggestions for helping infants/toddlers and their families cope, focuses on play as a way…

Four workshops focus on nutrition for infants and children in child care settings. Articles are: (1) "Nutrition and Child Development: Global Perspectives" (Jacqueline Hayden); (2) "Working with Families around Nutritional Issues" (Wayne Eastman); (3) "Breastfeeding Promotion in Child Care" (Laura Dutil Aird); and (4) "Food as Shared…

Information on a national survey of 643 home visiting programs serving families with children under 3 years of age is presented. Data include family characteristics, purpose of home visits, services provided, organizational structure, the conduct of home visits, home visitor employment and training, and program evaluation efforts. (Author/DB)

The article describes Project LINKS (Linking Interagencies and New Knowledge Systems) at Northern Illinois University, a competency-based program which prepares trainers at the graduate level for infant and toddler interventions. The program offers extensive field-based experiences and collaborative links with the university, other agencies, and…

Computer-assisted observational technology was applied to the measurement and analysis of social reciprocity for infants with severe disabilities and their parents. Discussed are: development of the behavior coding system, computer hardware and software requirements, and observer training and reliability. The interface between computer technology…