There is a great deal of variability in how families read and interact with picture books. To understand why reading practices may (or may not) relate to language outcomes, a necessary step to understand what occurs in the home. The goal of this work is to better understand the frequency and nature of picture book reading at home with children…

Early intervention (EI) home visitation programs are central to delivering services that support infants and toddlers displaying developmental delays or disabilities and their families. Entities that oversee such programs continually seek to strengthen the quality of program practices. The "Getting Ready" approach is a professional…

Background: Speech sound disorders (SSDs) are broadly defined as difficulty producing speech sounds in childhood. Reported prevalence of SSD varies from 2.3% to 24.6%, depending on how SSD is defined and the included age range. SSDs that do not resolve before age 8 can have a lasting impact on a child's academic achievements. The intensity of…

This study examined long-term mediating effects of the "smalltalk" parenting intervention on children's effortful control at school age (7.5 years; 2016-2018). In 2010-2012, parents (96% female) of toddlers (N = 1201; aged 12-36 months; 52% female) were randomly assigned to either: standard playgroup, "smalltalk" playgroup…

Object exploration is considered a driver of motor, cognitive, and social development. However, little is known about how early childhood education and care settings facilitate object exploration. This study examined if children's exploration of objects during free play was facilitated by the use of particular spatial components (floor, tables,…

Early intervention supports infants and toddlers with confirmed or suspected autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in achieving optimal outcomes, and caregiver-implemented NDBIs are recommended as a developmentally appropriate intervention approach for very young children and their families. Research highlights discrepancies between early…

The highly anticipated follow-up to "Unpacking the Pyramid Model," this one-of-a-kind book is the first to provide a comprehensive, step-by-step overview of the widely used Pyramid Model Practices for infants and toddlers from birth to three. With this accessible training guide, teachers and providers will use research-based practices to…

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions are considered contexts wherein physical activity (PA) can be effectively promoted. Some approaches have been used in the early childhood setting to identify how teachers incorporate movement opportunities into the ECEC curriculum. However, studies are still scarce regarding pedagogical…

Online parenting interventions hold promise for increasing access to behavioral support for families with low income and who reside in rural areas. The current study evaluates the efficacy of a mobile app-based parenting support program, the Family Check-Up Online (FCU-O) with telehealth coaching support, for parents of children 1.5-5 years old at…

Despite the clear efficacy and appeal of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions for families of young children, they are often difficult for families to access due to the limited availability of trained service providers. In recent years, telehealth has emerged as an effective tool for overcoming issues related to access, especially…

Research Findings: Measuring toddlers' cortisol levels both in childcare and at home and their relation to child- and childcare-related factors may help to identify stress-inducing childcare practices and children who are more vulnerable to stress in childcare. Accordingly, toddlers' (n = 320, 51.2% female, mean age = 26.8 months) cortisol levels…

Deaf children of hearing parents (DOH) are at risk for early language delays (ELD) due to environmental and etiological factors, compounding the previously reported higher incidence of ELD in deaf children of deaf parents (DOD) compared to the general population. Archival data from the online database of the Visual Communication and Sign Language…