Ten infants aged 8-12 months were studied to determine whether they would spontaneously imitate the average fundamental frequency or fundamental frequency contour of their speaking partners. Acoustic analyses failed to reveal any tendency by the infants to adjust vocal pitch, amplitude, or duration in home or laboratory settings. (Author/JDD)

Two repeated-measures designs with two samples of speech delayed preschool children (N=18) compared learning activities utilizing microcomputer instruction with similar activities delivered via conventional tabletop instructional materials. Findings suggested both methods are equally effective and efficient with each being more effective with…

The play behaviors of three groups of preschool children were compared. The physically abused children (N=11) were more antisocial, disruptive, and aggressive yet passive. The 15 sexually abused children were relatively quiet and engaged in more female-type activities, while 10 non-abused control group children exhibited more positive peer…

Head Start children (n=446), divided into intervention and comparison groups, received programing to enhance thinking skills. Intervention group children identified as gifted also received programing in their talent area. Intervention group children, whether or not identified as gifted, made significant gains over the comparison group in cognitive…

The article defines the term, "transition," discusses the types of transitions that occur during early childhood special education, explores the rationale for studying and planning such transitions, and identifies transition issues and procedures. Tables offer data on critical events in rearing a handicapped family member, commercially available…

Three young children with borderline to moderate mental retardation were taught the action-object form using milieu language intervention. Subjects learned to generatively produce action-object combinations in nonobligatory conversational situations as requests for objects/actions and as declaratives, and also began to respond correctly to probe…

The article reviews the literature on the effectiveness of early stimulation programs to prevent intellectual or social retardation. It summarizes findings and recommends continued use and development of early stimulation as a primary prevention strategy. Also stressed is early identification of preschoolers with potential or apparent…

This "Special Focus" section contains three papers which explore social reciprocity interventions for young children with severe handicaps, by describing ways to help parents read and respond to their infants' behavior, help children respond to their caregivers, and help parents and their children have pleasant experiences within the community.…

Participant observation was used to examine the social-communicative interactions of six preschool students with mild to severe handicaps, during free play and semistructured activities. Results revealed that each child displayed a consistent set of initiations; each child used augmentative strategies to continue interactions; and initiation…

A constant-time-delay procedure was used to teach a generalized response to the lures of strangers to four preschool children with disabilities. Only after also providing in vivo training did instruction result in acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of the response with novel lures, strangers, and sites. (Author/DB)

Reports details of a study of teacher perceptions of children's adjustment to preschool. Indicates teacher perceptions that girls, morning class attenders, and children in multiethnic classes adjusted better to school than did boys, all-white British classes, and afternoon attenders. Identifies induction policies, group make-up, and teacher…

Observation of 20 teachers from mainstreamed preschool programs found that teachers engaged in many roles (including instructor, monitor, coplayer, entertainer, observer, behavior manager, materials manager, caregiver, and unavailable) and switched roles frequently. A model is proposed for assessing teachers' roles when planning how to embed…

This article reports the findings of a survey of 37 orientation and mobility specialists who serve preschool-age visually impaired children. It presents demographics of the children and the specialists involved in long cane instruction and identifies the factors related to the decision to begin this instruction. (Author/DB)

The Multimethods Model organizes the learning activities of preschool classes for gifted children and assures a differentiated curriculum geared to the individual student. Model components include prescriptive instruction, acceleration of content, building self-direction, creative divergent problem solving, affective guidance, cultivation of…

The effects of social interaction skill interventions on the social behavior of four preschool children with behavioral handicaps were evaluated. Findings indicated unique effects for social skills training and contingency management intervention. Results are discussed in relation to the role of reciprocal interaction and behavioral trapping for…