Discusses adverse effects of FCC deregulation of children's television programming on children's play behavior. Discusses the difference between play and imitation, the role of high quality dramatic play in healthy child development, the popularity of war play, and use of toys to increase dramatic play. Considers ways to help children gain control…

Discusses how teachers/caregivers can support children and families during marital separation and divorce. Describes the impact of divorce on young children. Offers eight suggestions for teachers/caregivers, including providing security and support, helping children feel competent and in control, understanding why children may have behavior…

Reviews evolution and cultural context of early childhood education services and policies in Italy since late 19th century. Describes several features of Italian programs. Suggests that United States early childhood education programs and policies could benefit from many aspects of the Italian experience. (Contains 25 references.) (PKP)

A study employed mixed effects regression growth curve analysis to assess the developmental course of discrepant (n=51) and nondiscrepant (n=89) poor readers identified in third grade and retested in fifth, eight, and twelfth grades. Discrepancy status did not differentiate the developmental course of basic reading skills or reading comprehension.…

This editorial comments on a study that compared the self-development of 43 typical preschool children and 155 preschool children who had been maltreated. It found sexually abused, physically abused, and neglected preschool children showed more dissociation than did the typical children. Clinically identifiable dissociation was particularly…

A study compared the self-development of 43 typical preschool children and 155 maltreated preschool children. Each group of sexually, physically abused, and neglected preschool children showed more dissociation than did the typical children. Clinically identifiable dissociation was particularly associated with physical abuse. Severity of…

This article introduces a clinical forum that considers a variety of theoretical and analytical frameworks that have been applied to developing systems in phonological theory and treatment. It explains phonological theory, in which sound properties that are marked in language are those sounds that are most complex. (Contains references.)…

Previous work by our group has shown that infant emotional vitality (EV), the lively expression of shared emotion both positive and negative, predicts cognitive and language abilities in toddlerhood. Specifically, infants who demonstrated a pattern of high emotional expression combined with high bids to their caregivers, fared significantly better…

Even as the events of September 11, 2001 recede into the past, the need for applied developmental science to lend its expertise to assist with one's understanding of and coping with civilian responses to terrorism has never been greater. What has the field learned from studies of the effects of events of September 11th on children, youths, and…

The present study explores how suppositions which conflict with accepted beliefs are represented and reasoned about. Two studies test the predictions regarding the nature and developmental changes in children's ability to represent and reason about hypothetical or make-believe suppositions which violate their everyday knowledge and beliefs. In…

A central theme of research on human development and psychopathology is whether a therapeutic intervention or a turning-point event, such as a family break-up, alters the trajectory of the behavior under study. This paper lays out and applies a method for using observational longitudinal data to make more confident causal inferences about the…

High-quality care is essential to the optimal development of young children. While many children attend childcare away from the home for an average of six hours per day, the environment is not necessarily of the highest quality. An assessment of the indoor and outdoor space, curriculum and activities, teacher and child interactions, materials,…

This article is about the most worrisome and challenging of youth, the angriest and most delinquent, the ones who get into frequent fights, often with weapons, and brag about it. More often boys than girls, they are likely to be gang affiliated and to abuse drugs and alcohol. It helps to learn what is known about how they become kids that people…

D.V. Cicchetti, A.S. Kaufman, and S.S. Sparrow (this issue) examine various technical issues related to six studies of perinatal PCB exposure and neurodevelopment and one study of adult PCB exposure and motor function. They raise questions about possible imperfections of the studies, but many of their assertions are unsupported or frankly…

Pediatric exposure to polychlorinated biphynels (PCBs) is a national health concern with significant implications for school psychologists. According to the healthcare collaboration model, the school psychologist plays a key role in the provision of services to children affected by environmental teratogens. To effectively function as healthcare…