The article reviews a number of problems in the assessment of young children with severe handicaps and suggests a number of steps to improve the assessment process. (Author/DLS)

Seven functional uses of anatomical dolls in sexual abuse evaluations of young children are identified: comforter, icebreaker, anatomical model, demonstration aid, memory stimulus, diagnostic screen, and diagnostic test. The relevancy of criticisms is shown to vary greatly by doll use. The continued, informed use of anatomical dolls in sexual…

This study of 136 children (aged 2 to 10 years) found that children referred for medical evaluation of sexual abuse will use sexually explicit behavior to demonstrate what has happened to them with nonanatomical dolls as frequently as when they are interviewed with anatomically detailed ones. (Author/DB)

This study compared anatomical doll play of 35 young children referred for possible sexual abuse with 35 controls. Six conclusions are drawn, including the following: anatomical dolls did not create undue anxiety; sexual abuse could not be diagnosed solely on the basis of doll play; and practitioners must rely on supporting evidence when…

Utterances of 60 normally developing children, who were within six months of their second birthdays, were analyzed for occurrences of phonological processes. The most prevalent phonological processes were cluster reduction and deviations involving liquids. Clinical applications to aid in identifying disordered phonological development in preschool…

This paper provides guidelines for the audiologic assessment of infants and young children, highlighting recent technologic advances in auditory electrophysiology, acoustic immitance measure procedures, and behavioral audiometric techniques. First, audiologic assessment guidelines developed by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association are…

Intended for professionals and parents, this monograph focuses on the service needs of young children with cerebral palsy. Section I presents an overview of cerebral palsy, including etiology, incidence, and history of management. Section II describes service needs in the following areas: prevention; early identification; treatment; the…

This article concludes that the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale: Fourth Edition is poorly suited for assessment of children less than five years old with possible mild mental retardation and for persons of any age with possible severe mental retardation. The continued use of Form L-M is recommended for these populations. (Author/DB)

Describes how the clinical early intervention assessment report (CAR) can be used as a tool to promote family-centered practice. Strategies and examples for incorporating a family perspective into the CAR are presented, along with suggestions for using family-friendly terminology. An example of a rewritten CAR is provided. (Author/CR)

The article proposes a strategy for the assessment of young children with handicaps in which brief clinical sampling is used to document developmental skills. This information may then be used in designing intervention programs. Principles and techniques of brief clinical sampling are described and application examples are given. (Author/DB)

Techniques to assess the vision, hearing, and speech and language of multihandicapped children are briefly described. Interferences in normal vision functioning and development during infancy can be identified and intervention initiated early in the child's life. Obtaining an in-depth history from the parents is the first step. It is essential…

This briefing paper focuses on children ages birth to five years and is intended primarily for health workers in developing countries who are responsible for the management of young children with HIV and AIDS. It provides practical information on: (1) how HIV is transmitted to infants and young children; (2) how transmission can be prevented; (3)…

The Early Referral and Follow-up Project of the University of Nebraska Medical Center was designed to facilitate developmental assessment and intervention with long-term or repeatedly hospitalized children from birth to 3 years of age. Developmentally delayed children, handicapped children, and children at risk for delays were eligible for…

The Spanish translation of this guide offers information to Spanish-speaking family day care providers who desire to expand their knowledge of early childhood development in order to work with infants and young children with special needs in their day care settings. The first of four chapters answers common questions and concerns of day care…

This paper explores some of the psychological and other issues associated with HIV infection in children. Although the majority of studies are in the West, a growing core of information is emerging from other centres. This paper attempts to summarise the complexity of who the children are, examine emerging orphan and vulnerability issues, explore…