A case study is reported in which early "autistiform behavior" in a 4-week-old baby was reversed through intensive mothering. The baby, who had been developing normally, was bottlefed by "strangers" for 2 days and then began to avert her eyes from all people, an autistiform behavior which persisted and grew worse as the mother tried to…

Provides an overview of the development of the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS), the nature of the instrument and conditions for its proper administration, and issues underlying the use of the NBAS in research (e.g., reliability). The first in a series of articles in a single monograph assessing the NBAS. (BH)

Describes the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale, which is used to assess infants' competence in organizing their states of consciousness, interactive capacities, physiological responses, and environmental responsiveness. Various projects which have used the scale are reported. The predictive value and clinical uses of the scale are…