Background: This article emerged from a larger qualitative study, which revealed that children continue to be exposed to a complex range of risk factors with devastating consequences for their well-being. Gaps in services further hinder their development. The study concluded that there is a need for multidisciplinary teams to implement an early…

Background: Early childhood development (ECD) practitioners are essential in governing foundational aspects, such as gross motor development and participation in physical movement. Aim: This study aimed to determine ECD practitioners in Vanderbijlpark's awareness of gross motor milestone acquisition and movement guidelines for children birth to 4…

Background: Digital technology (DT) has already changed history, and it is transforming childhood as more and more children go online around the world. Aim: The aim of this article was to critically explore the potential of young children's digital learning (DL), while concurrently assessing the constraints. Setting: Early Childhood Care and…

Objective: Physical activity (PA) is essential to promote both optimal physical and emotional health in preschool children. Hence, well-founded PA guidelines are essential. 24-hour Movement Guidelines (which include PA, recreational screen time and sleep) have been established. Thus, this study aimed to explore preschool-aged children's adherence…

Proprioceptive kinaesthetic control underpins motor movements of developing children and can be influenced by several factors. The main aim of this study was to establish proprioceptive kinaesthetic coordination differences in six-year-olds from different school quintiles, of different genders, and with different handedness. A total of 193…

Background: Motor development of many children in rural areas of South Africa is compromised because of various socio-economic factors, hence, the need to address these developmental needs. Aim: To examine the immediate and sustainable effects of a 9-week movement programme on fundamental movement skills (FMS) of school children. Setting: Seven to…

Background: Self-regulation is the ability to understand and manage one's behaviour and reactions. It leads to stress management, reducing anxiety and well-being of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The most prominent clinical and phenotype characteristics of autism are associated with social and behavioural communication, language…

Vestibular input (VI) activities are linked with skill learning, engagement, and communication. This study investigated the influence of VI activities on the responses of non-verbal children with autism spectrum disorders (CWASD) when prompted to request a reinforcer using picture exchange communication. A single subject alternating treatment…

The majority of the world's children live in low- and middle-income countries, yet the majority of early childhood cognitive research is done with a small proportion of high-income countries. These findings cannot be assumed to apply across all contexts. It is therefore necessary to confront entrenched systems of power and privilege in early…

To address the need for interventions targeting social emotional development and mental health of young children in South Africa, the "Mazi Umntanakho" ('know your child') digital tool was co-designed, and piloted with caregivers and 3-5-year-old children involved in home visiting programmes promoting early childhood development. The aim…

Currently, no culturally and linguistically adapted autism screening tools are available in South Africa. The aim was to determine the reliability and concurrent validity of the adapted English and Northern Sotho-translated Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers--Revised with Follow-up (M-CHAT-R/F). Reliability was confirmed with near-perfect…

In low-resource settings, non-profit organisations play an essential role in providing services and support for families with young children with autism. However, resource constraints limit access to quality training in evidence-based interventions. Web-based training may help fill this gap. This study examined the feasibility, acceptability and…

This paper shares reflections and stories from a collaborative design process between the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab and a global network of community-based educators to develop a creative coding app called OctoStudio, which supports children and families to create and share interactive projects on mobile devices. The app…