Discusses research related to identifying early predictors of school success or intelligence. Reports on a study that suggested correlations exist between how babies process information (visual attentiveness) in the first six months of life and the child's performance on intelligence tests in school. (ML)

This study examined the development of reading and phonological processing abilities of 209 first graders assessed at the beginning and end of the school year. The discriminant analysis, based on reading and intelligence data, correctly identified later group membership (students with and without reading disabilities and "garden variety" poor…

A follow-up study of 268 adolescents was conducted to determine predictors of disabilities. Parental traits were more accurate predictors of adolescent status than the child's own behavior from birth to 3 years, whereas child-centered skills assessed at 4 and 7 years of age were better predictors than familial factors. (Author/JDD)

This study examined risk factors for abusive parenting in 56 physically abusive parents and 62 matched comparison parents. The set of five risk variables was predictive of abuse status; however, not all variables were predictive when considered individually and interactions did not contribute significantly to prediction. Findings supported a…

Demographic prediction of juvenile delinquency has been hampered by the heterogeniety of youth samples. In an attempt to correct for sampling bias in predicting juvenile delinquency, 1,689 male and female youths(aged 12 to 19, drawn from a 6 percent systematic, census tract, random sample of Pennsylvania school youths) completed the Youth Needs…

Three groups of adolescents (n=82) who received treatment for emotional disturbances as children were compared on four predictive indicators: organic problems, family problems, conduct disorders, and academic problems. Using childhood treatment data, significant differences were found between the aggressive group and one or both of the comparison…

Examination of 53 children with autism supported the validity of the subtypes "aloof" and "active-but-odd" as predictors of behavior across language/communication, reciprocal social interaction, and stereotyped behavior/restricted interest domains. Partial support for an intermediate, "passive" subtype was garnered. (Author/JDD)

The principal purpose of this project was to find what, if any, early indicators exist to identify incoming students whose academic performance in high school would be high. The corollary objective was to consider what types of intervention strategies might be designed to assure that students so identified would fulfill their early promise. An…

This study of language performance tracked 34 poor children from kindergarten through second grade. The best kindergarten predictor for eventual diagnosis with a specific language impairment was a combination of the score on the Oral Vocabulary subtest of the Test of Oral Language Development and the score on a combination of experimental tasks.…

In a study of 86 individuals with mental retardation, participants were asked to identify the appropriate facial expression or word that corresponded to the emotional response in a vignette. Results indicated that age correlated negatively with choosing the right word or picture. IQ was a significant predictor of performance. (CR)

Assessment of 486 first-quarter first graders identified 99 children as being at risk for reading difficulties, half of whom then received a phonological processing intervention. Results support the early identification of children at risk for reading difficulties and the effectiveness of the phonological processing intervention. (DB)

A 12-item acculturation scale developed for Hispanics correlated highly with the respondents' generation, length of residence in the United States, age at arrival, ethnic self-identification, and with an acculturation scale. Language use, media preferences, and ethnic social relations were the three factors accounting for 67.6 percent of the total…

Telephone interviews were conducted with parents of 1,601 children to investigate the utility of a statewide (Ohio), first-step screening procedure called Developmental Profile II. With developmental delay specified as the outcome variable, six independent variables representing environmental and biological determinants were identified.…

Draw-a-Person (DAP) samples from 108 adolescents and adults with mental retardation were scored using Naglieri's cognitive and emotional disturbance scoring systems. Visual-motor skills emerged as the best predictor of DAP cognitive scores, more predictive than intelligence. Findings suggest caution in using DAP as an index of intelligence or as a…

This longitudinal study examined predictors of second-grade reading outcomes in kindergarten children (N=604). Findings indicated that five kindergarten variables uniquely predicted reading outcomes in second grade: (1) letter identification, (2) sentence imitation, (3) phonological awareness, (4) rapid naming, and (5) mother's education.…