Physical activity in infancy is essential for early brain development. Development in the early years is the most rapid at any time during life. Monitoring functional movement skills of infants and toddlers frequently (3-week intervals) and quickly (minutes) produces information on whether development is on track or in need of intervention. To…

Children with Down syndrome (DS) and cerebral palsy (CP) are at risk of remaining pre-symbolic in their communication and play for prolonged periods. The aim of this study was to explore the early communication and play of children with DS and with CP who communicated at the pre-symbolic stage, and to determine the association between these…

Play is a significant aspect of preschool curricula. We report two studies that examine the effects of play-related variables: length of free play, type of language instructional approach, degree of structure of free play, and amount of teacher involvement in communication with peers. For each study, we target three dependent variables: rate of…

The association between object play and intentional communication was examined in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Meta-analysis of concurrent and longitudinal correlational studies revealed significant associations between object play and intentional communication in young children with ASD. One well-conducted and internally valid,…

Recently emerging intervention studies for toddlers with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) were reviewed through a systematic assessment of intervention outcomes, research rigor, and intervention features. The review includes published peer-reviewed experimental studies of toddlers with high risk for or diagnosis of ASD in which the majority of…

In this article, the authors focus on issues of instruction in classrooms. Initially, a brief definitional and historic section is presented. This is followed by a discussion of four assumptions about the current state of affairs: (a) evidence-based practices should be identified and used, (b) children's phase of performance should dictate…

Fathers of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are underrepresented in both early intervention and research. However, fathers have unique interaction styles that make important contributions to the language and symbolic play development of typically developing children. Fathers may make similar contributions to the development of their…

In this observational study, the concurrent relationships between the verbal and play responsiveness of 16 mothers and fathers and the object play skills of 16 children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) were investigated. First, the frequencies of children's play at four levels (i.e., exploratory, relational, functional, and symbolic) across…

Measurement in early childhood is an increasingly large-scale endeavor addressing purposes of accountability, program improvement, child outcomes, and intervention decision making for individual children. The Early Communication Indicator (ECI) is a measure relevant to intervention decision making for infants and toddlers, including response to…

The purpose of this article is to raise the profile of play so that it is an important domain of concern for serving children with delays and disabilities, just as are the other five domains specified in federal law. A rationale for the integration of the behavioral perspective and the constructivist perspective is presented to contribute clarity…

The authors examined factors related to preschool children's reasoning about including a hypothetical peer with a physical disability in different play activities. They hypothesized that children's inclusion decisions would be influenced by features of the physical environment, attention to issues of fairness and equity, and individual child…

Increased numbers of young children who are overweight have become a significant health problem in the United States. Public health investigators have hypothesized that increased caloric intake and low levels of physical activity may be associated with the troubling trend of weight problems among children. To enhance preschool children's moderate…

The effects of a multicomponent intervention strategy to increase peer-directed social communication in eight Head Start children at risk for poor language and social skill development were examined. The intervention consisted of three components: (a) a planning period, including reading a storybook that illustrated the play theme and use of the…

Estimates of agreement and consistency between parent and teacher ratings of peer-interactive play and social emotional development were examined in a sample of preschool children at risk for academic difficulties. Eighty-three pairs of parents and teachers of 4-year-old children completed the Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale (PIPPS) and 69 of…

Developmentally specific play programs were designed for three children with pervasive developmental disorders being served in a home-based program. Using the Developmental Play Assessment, six activities for each of three adjacent developmentally sequenced play categories were targeted for direct instruction using different toy sets. A modified…