Discusses the use of new statistical procedures in a study of the enduring effects of prenatal alcohol exposure upon the neurobehavioral development of some 500 children born in 1975-76. Explains how the Partial Least Squares (PLS) methodology can summarize the data powerfully while avoiding familiar inferential pitfalls. (MDM)

Refutes six common misconceptions about Piaget's theories, including their educational implications; Piaget's position on heredity v environment; and the relationships between developmental stages, age, and brain growth spurts. Condensed from "Impact on Instructional Improvement", Winter 1981, p7-11. (SJL)

"Psychologists in the People's Republic of China are engaged in research concerning theory, Chinese language, child development, vision, audition, and areas of physiological psychology including acupuncture, pain, memory, and central nervous system functioning. The Institute of Psychology within the Chinese Academy of Sciences represents the…

This article discusses the contributions of Margaret Byrd Rawson in the field of dyslexia. She was instrumental in the founding of the Jemicy School in Maryland, served as President of the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), and was on the IDA Council of Advisors at the time of her death. (CR)

In a study by Toshiaki Hashimoto and colleagues (EC 611 142), 10 infants with developmental delay, poor eye contact, and poor facial expression underwent magnetic resonance brain imaging and were later diagnosed with autism. This offered direct evidence of abnormality of the cerebellar vermis and the brainstem at the beginning stages of behavioral…

Debunks the "myth of the first three years"--notions about synaptic density changes, critical periods, and "enriched" or complex environments in early brain development. Neuroscientists say synaptic densities vary over the life span. There is no linear connection between number of synapses in the brain and brainpower or intelligence. (Contains 44…

As positive outcomes for children and adolescents with either Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism are related to the development of social communicative competence, recognition of the developmental capacities that contribute to this achievement is essential. Although social communication skills play a central role, developmental…

Recent studies have attempted to understand the processes involved in joint attention because of its relevance to both atypical and normal development. Data from a recent study of young children with autism suggests that performance on a delay nonmatch to sample (DNMS) task associated with ventromedial prefrontal functions, but not an…

This paper describes the development of the senses of speech and thought and identifies the physical organs associated with those senses. The child's word sense is born only after the development of the ability to walk. From direct experience, communicated to them by the speech sense, children know that words are different from any other sounds…

A study tracked the developmental and behavioral recovery of infants and preschool children (N=12) who had suffered brain injuries. Significant developmental recovery and behavioral progress occurred during the first 3.5 to 4 months following insult. However, self-stimulatory and atypical rhythmic habit patterns increased as the children passed…

The article discusses neuropsychological and treatment aspects of brain behavior disorders in children from the standpoint of terms such as minimal brain dysfunction, learning disabilities, hyperactivity, and hyperkinetic syndrome. (Author/DLS)

Advances in the neurosciences, biomechanics, and behavior sciences, along with attempts to integrate theories and findings across these disciplines, have led to a renewed interest in the study of motor development. Considers the contributions that have led to the reinvigoration of this field of study and its new interdisciplinary outlook. (MDM)

A panel of speech professionals was randomly presented with speech samples from four neurogenic and four developmental stutterers and was asked to classify them accordingly without any patient knowledge. Results support the view that, based on the patient's verbal output only, it is difficult to distinguish between neurogenic and developmental…

This nine-unit curriculum translates current scientific research on early brain development into practical suggestions to help early childhood professionals understand the reciprocal link between caregiving and brain development. The curriculum was created and extensively field-tested by the Erikson Institute Faculty Development Project on the…