The normal course of children's development of social competence from preschool through high school is reviewed, and its relationship with developing language skills is discussed. Peer aspects of developing social competence, particularly those relating to friendship development and the development of interpersonal understanding, are highlighted.…

This article presents a retrospective view of the introduction of pragmatic models into the study of language disorders in children. The article explores the impact of language pragmatics on assessment and treatment, misuses of the pragmatic framework, appropriate applications, and future directions. (Author/JDD)

Argues that literacy and pretend play are both representational activities that are facilitated in natural environments with sufficient literate materials and opportunities to play. Discusses similarity of process in symbolic play and literacy, and looks at their content. Describes literacy materials and teachers' roles that foster literacy and…

Provides a historical overview of the research concerning young children's school attendance. Notes that the research favors developmentally appropriate practices and shows that, overall, child-initiated environments are associated with higher levels of cognitive functioning. Stresses the importance of preparing early childhood teachers to…

Studies the group decision-making process of the evaluation of preschool children with complex disabilities. Sequential application of processes was found to be influenced by the occurrence of a series of three cycles of decision making within each assessment and the decomposition of the assessment task into distinct subproblems. (Contains 67…

Describes a multidimensional model for providing comprehensive mental health consultation to Head Start programs. Explores the skills necessary for marriage and family therapists to work effectively as systems consultants. Recommendations are made for applying the model in both university and private settings. (Author/MKA)

This fact sheet on cerebral palsy is offered in both English and Spanish. First, it provides a definition and considers various causes (e.g., an insufficient amount of oxygen reaching the fetal or newborn brain). The fact sheet then offers incidence figures and explains characteristics of the three main types of cerebral palsy: spastic, athetoid,…

In their efforts to help children overcome the deleterious influences of such social problems as illiteracy, dropping out, school failure, and poverty, policymakers are turning to early childhood educators. Studies have shown that children in high quality preschool programs exceed expectations in school and society. States and the private sector…

Six issues are discussed concerning the provision of services to preschool children with severe behavior disorders, in order to initiate an examination of needs for policy, services, and training. The issues, which are presented in the form of questions, include: how to define the population of preschool children with severe behavior disorders,…

This paper discusses the adaptation of change theory to cross-cultural nursing or more specifically, the adaptation of Haitian and Hispanic mothers to American practices in the health care of pre-school children. The problems proposed are: How does one effect change in human systems? and What strategies and procedures does one apply in attempting…

Models of collaboration among disciplines and among agencies have been developed in the early intervention field in response to the need for service coordination for young special needs children and their families. Case management is seen as a mechanism for effectively coordinating these services, and encompasses the tasks of assessing client…

The paper is a product of the 3-year project, "Functional Mainstreaming for Success," designed to develop a model for instructional mainstreaming of handicapped children (3-6 years old) in community settings. The literature on in-service training needs of regular teachers teaching handicapped children in the mainstream is reviewed and a proposal…

The paper is a product of the 3-year project, "Functional Mainstreaming for Success," designed to develop a model for instructional mainstreaming of handicapped children (3-6 years old) in community settings. The paper reviews research on parent involvement in their children's mainstreaming along with variables that may promote or discourage…

This research report examines the need for consumer education programs for preschool children and describes preschool consumer education programs. A literature review of ERIC, CAIN (an agricultural index), Psychological Abstracts, Education Index, and the Canadian Education Index was conducted. Section one of the report provides an overview of…

The author reviews the literature on infant behaviors in relation to the psycholosocial development patterns of gifted children during the first five years of life. Among the milestones discussed are infant crying, smiling, language development, social cognition, and social curiosity. It is pointed out that research data indicates gifted children…