Investigated whether risk factors identified in international studies differentiate among at-risk Norwegian school children (fourth graders) receiving social services. Found few socio-demographic differences but that social service clients scored higher on risk and lower on competence variables than cohort group. Compared to parent and teacher…

Patterns of development in language and play for full term and preterm children from 6 to 54 months and the effects of maternal parenting strategies (i.e., maintaining attentional focus, use of directiveness) were examined. Significant risk differences in the growth of both language and play were found. The high risk children were more likely to…

Neuromaturation is the functional development of the central nervous system (CNS). It is by its very nature a dynamic process, a continuous interaction between the genome and first the intrauterine environment, then the extrauterine environment. Understanding neuromaturation and being able to measure it is fundamental to infant neurodevelopmental…

This article reviews five large national studies that include significant findings about the effects of early care and intervention on the children of teens. Five large-scale, national early childhood intervention research trials have included teen parents: Early Head Start, Nurse Family Partnership, Parents as Teachers, Healthy Start/Healthy…

The International Child Development Initiatives (ICDI) promotes the wellbeing of children growing up in difficult circumstances. ICDI works to improve policies and practices affecting these children by doing research and training. ICDI believes in the power of children and young people, supporting their rights and addressing the underlying causes…

This practice/policy brief focuses on early childhood home visiting as a place-based family strengthening strategy that supports parent/caregivers as a key influence on the lives of young children. ("Place-based family strengthening" means that "children do better when their families are strong, and families do better when they live in communities…

Longitudinal data on the cognitive and physical outcomes of children adopted from Eastern Europe by American families is limited. While there is clear evidence that many children adopted from Eastern European countries are more at risk for medical concerns and developmental delay, research that follows these children into their elementary school…

This report describes the progress of the "Way to Grow School Readiness Program," a program implemented in several cities in Minnesota to promote intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development and school readiness of children to age 5. The program coordinates and improves access to community-based and neighborhood-based…

This manual describes the results of a 3-year research project at George Washington University (District of Columbia) called the Assessment as Intervention Project, which explored approaches to parent-sensitive developmental follow-up for prematurely born infants who received neonatal intensive care and their families (N=25). After an…

As part of a series of reports designed to support the implementation of Proposition 10: The California Children and Families Act and to provide comprehensive and authoritative information on critical issues concerning young children and families in California, this report examines how child health services can be improved to support two related…

This paper explores early childhood education (ECD) and social integration within a common framework and against the backdrop of experience gained in these fields in the following 12 Mediterranean nations: Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Palestine, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, and Turkey. The paper notes that…

This paper summarizes the proceedings of a 1999 symposium on mental health in infants and toddlers, particularly the role of attachment, held at the University of Minnesota. Presentations by Kathryn Barnard of the University of Washington and Anne Gearity of the University of Minnesota are included. Following an introduction and conference…

Reviews research on the attitudes of nondisabled children toward disabled children in regular classroom settings, and on patterns of play among at-risk and non-at-risk children. Implications for camps include encouraging social skills development through an atmosphere of peer friendship development, and helping at-risk children develop verbal…

This review describes Nonorganic Failure to Thrive, presents developmental outcomes, and discusses psychosocial assessment and intervention issues relevant to this developmental disability of early childhood, focusing on child-specific variables, situational and family variables, parent-child interaction variables, and biopsychosocial formulation…

Community mapping is a relatively new technique using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and scientific software to generate visual representations of community characteristics. In North York (Ontario), community mapping provided information about the influence of community resources, including educational, recreational, cultural, health, and…