This review briefly summarizes recent empirical research on touch. The research includes the role of touch in early development, touch deprivation, touch aversion, emotions that can be conveyed by touch, the importance of touch for interpersonal relationships and how friendly touch affects compliance in different situations. MRI data are reviewed…

Children at a very young age are ready and willing to discover the world through tasting, smelling, hearing, touching, and seeing. As they emerge into an awesome world of sounds, touches, movements, lights, tastes and smells from birth, infants must learn to regulate this overwhelming amount of sensory stimulation. At first, an innate sensory…

Supplementary stimulation was supplied for 30 minutes per day for approximately six weeks to 156 normal, full-term institutionalized infants prior to adoption. The Gesell Developmental Schedules were administered regularly (until age 27 months), to determine whether development had been enhanced by the treatment. (JMB)

A dimmer light condition was found to affect the respiration rate of 10 newborns in an experiment investigating the effects of sound and light intensity. (WY)

The results of this experiment indicate that continuous stimulation has a marked pacifying effect on young infants. (WY)

Four developmentally delayed babies were given semicircular canal stimulation in an effort to facilitate their motor and reflex development. All of the children showed motor and/or reflex changes that were attributable to the vestibular stimulation. In addition, some evidence was obtained linking changes in stereotypic responding to the vestibular…

Notes that early infancy, rather than being a period of helplessness, is a period of active exploration and reciprocal interaction with caregivers. Includes activities caregivers can engage in with infants to stimulate infant sensory abilities. (HTH)

The guide presents information on approximately 150 toys useful for infants and children with sensory impairments. The toys listed are available from stores found nation-wide and the list is organized according to age level (infants, toddlers, and elementary levels). A brief description, price, source, and coding of types of skills the toys may…

This easy-to-read manual for parents describes what a baby learns in the first year of life and suggests specific things parents or caregivers can do to encourage a baby to use his body, senses, and mind to communicate. Each chapter is concerned with 1 month of the infant's life and includes sections on (1) Baby's Viewpoint (discussion of the…

This curriculum manual for teaching children aged one to three is a spin-off of the Infant Education Research Project, which studied the effect of intellectual stimulation on the growth of intelligence in a group of culturally deprived infants. The project involved the intensive instruction of a group of male, inner-city infants, who were visited…

A home-based, computer-monitored contingency intervention program was developed to provide a source of cognitive and motivational stimulation to infants with handicaps. Equipment includes a computer, contingency interface, software, adaptive toys, switches, and a mounting panel. Learning was exhibited by 19 of 20 infants, and parental response was…