This article presents a model to guide activity-focused physical therapy and occupational therapy interventions for children with neurological conditions. Activity-focused interventions involve structured practice and repetition of functional actions and are directed toward the learning of motor tasks that will increase independence and…

Best practice is based on knowledge--not on beliefs or guesses--about how children learn and develop. This volume contains 20 overviews of research on aspects of young children's social, emotional, cognitive, or physical development, as well as how the findings can be applied in the classroom. Originally "Research in Review" articles in NAEYC's…

Play is a central facilitating element of early development. As a child plays, he or she practices spontaneously cognitive, emotional, and motor abilities. This research project, part of a larger project on early intervention with young disabled children, investigated the play of children with a motor handicap. The sample consisted of 61 disabled…

This publication, designed to communicate the history and research activities of the Central District of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, presents summaries of 20 papers. The papers focus on elementary physical education specialists; physical education instruction of classroom teachers; child care…

This Maryland State Department of Education document is a guide for the assessment and development of comprehensive K-12 physical education programs in Maryland schools. The first section defines the nature of physical education and describes its relationship to society, the learner, and the school curriculum. The second section presents broad…

The movement-exploration activities described in this book are designed to appeal to primary-level children's natural instinct toward imaginative play and discovery and offer opportunities to develop physical skills in a familiar environment. The discovery of the physical self involves body-part and body-surface identification, isolated movements…

To comply with the Education for the Handicapped Act, comprehensive needs assessments were conducted in Ohio relative to appropriate physical education programming in the least restrictive environment. Results from an assessment in an urban school district confirmed the belief that physical education teachers did not possess needed competencies…

This informational document is intended to help answer questions commonly asked by families, professionals, and the general public concerning Down Syndrome. Medical problems associated with Down Syndrome include heart conditions, upper respiratory disorders, ear infections and hearing loss, vision/eye problems, cervical problems, and…

Written for parents to use in the home environment, this illustrated handbook describes the Maxi-Move program, an intensive one-year program of exercise for children of one to eight years of age, who have cerebral palsy. The program does not use physical therapy, patterning, or specific movement goals, but focuses on having fun, creating…

Perceptual-motor activities are being recognized as possible contributors to the general readiness of children for learning through the development of perceptual-motor abilities. The contribution of perceptual-motor activities to specific perceptual readiness skills is being reexamined. Readiness programs are generally designed to help children to…

This book provides the motor development knowledge base and program planning procedures for developing the elementary physical education program. Part one is an overview of the motor development knowledge base and includes chapters on growth, how exercise affects children, motor skill development, how children learn motor skills, and psychosocial…

The paper addresses issues involved in the management of and curriculum for children with sensory impairments combined with cerebral palsy. The first part details typical deformities and their causes in children with cerebral palsy, and describes (with illustrations) techniques for therapeutic handling and positioning in daily living tasks at home…

This manual presents guidelines for users of the Child Development Assessment Form (CDAF) -- a 90 item checklist of behaviors characteristic of children from birth to 3 years of age. The CDAF is designed to help parents and teachers identify skills and behaviors that the child has developed and plan learning experiences that facilitate growth. The…

Intended for use with severely and profoundly multiply handicapped children within the 0-48 month developmental age range, the manual is designed for planning and implementing an educational treatment program in the areas of auditory discrimination, communication, gross motor, and visual/fine motor skills. The format of the Assessment/Curriculum…

Eight papers present information about children's motor development and its application for program design. Jerry R. Thomas, Kathi T. Thomas, and Jere D. Gallagher discuss "Children's Processing of Information in Physical Activity and Sport." In "Toward Inclusion," G. S. Don Morris considers characteristics of children and of motor tasks with…