Human toddlers demonstrate striking failures when searching for hidden objects that interact with other objects, yet successfully locate hidden objects that do not undergo mechanical interactions. This pattern hints at a developmental dissociation between contact-mechanical and spatiotemporal knowledge. Recent studies suggest that adult non-human…

This article outlines an undergraduate course focusing on supramolecular membrane protein complexes involved in the molecular pathogenesis of neuromuscular disorders. The emphasis of this course is to introduce students to the key elements involved in the ion regulation and membrane stabilization during muscle contraction and the role of these…

In this article, the author states that becoming a better physical education teacher can be challenging since it is the time for attending conferences, reading journals, and collaborating with colleagues. She added, that working at a summer camp for children provides a valuable way for physical education teachers not only to earn extra money…

Highlighting the unique educational needs of gifted and high ability preschoolers, this article guides the reader to consider the characteristics of young gifted children along with appropriate assessment practices in planning educational programming. A triarchic approach to programs and services for gifted preschoolers is outlined with major…

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder defined by impairments in social and communication development, accompanied by stereotyped patterns of behavior and interest. The focus of this paper is on the early development of communication in autism, and early intervention for impairments in communication associated with this disorder. An overview of…

Archival data from a survey of parent observations was used to determine the prevalence of social and behavioral problems in children with agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC). Parent observations were surveyed using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) for 61 children with ACC who were selected from the archive based on criteria of motor…

Motor developmentalists study the processes that underlie change in behavior. There are at least two fundamental ways in which theory and data emanating from motor development are critical components of what undergraduate kinesiology majors should know. First is an emphasis on the lifespan. We are very different organisms as we progress through…

Developed as part of the Physical Education In-Service Training Project of the University of Kentucky, this manual is designed to help special education teachers and adapted physical education teachers promote the motor and play skills of handicapped students through planned activities. Content areas of the manual were identified as "greatest…

This study examined the behavioral effects of prenatal and postnatal exposure to smoking, alcohol, and caffeinated beverages on 5-month-old infants. The sample consisted of 179 Caucasian infants and their mothers. All mothers were 19 years of age or older and had at least a tenth-grade education. Mental and motor portions of the Bayley Scales of…

This manual presents a physical fitness screening test for fourth through twelfth grade students in New York. Norms, originally developed in 1962 and updated in 1975, are also presented. The Physical Fitness Screening Test is an individual performance-type test composed of four different test items--agility, strength, speed, and endurance.…

Sports-related tool use abilities in children were investigated within a neo-Piagetian framework of development. The object was to establish whether development in the motor domain proceeds in a "stage-like" fashion. A model was developed which suggested how general and precise structural changes might manifest themselves in the sub-domain of tool…

The manual is intended to help parents and professionals understand the motor development of Down's syndrome infants and young children. Following an overview of motor development, gross and fine motor landmarks are presented along with exercises and activities to promote their development in infancy, toddlerhood, and childhood. Each landmark is…

The early cognitive development and motor development of male preschool children with an alcoholic father were compared with matched control subjects from non-alcoholic families who resided in the same neighborhoods. Families were participants in the Michigan State University Longitudinal Study, into which were recruited all drunk drivers…

This manual describes motor development laboratory activities to help future physical education teachers observe, assess, measure, and test students' motor skills. A total of 20 laboratory activities are described under five sections geared toward: (1) physical growth and maturation; (2) assessing early motor development; (3) assessing basic motor…