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Children begin to show symptoms of neurodevelopmental disorders early on in their development. Providing early intervention that is culturally responsive to both families and the child receiving the service is vital for the child's growth. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore 14 Latin American Spanish-speaking parents' reactions to and perceptions of Communication Interaction Training on Autism for Spanish-speaking caregivers (CITAS), a waitlist-style parent-mediated program that focuses on teaching parents strategies to support their child's language development and enhance learning. Focus group, interview, and field note data were analyzed using the Ecological Validity Framework to determine areas of cultural fit and cultural misalignment. Notably, participants demonstrated appreciation for the CITAS program, including several specific elements that provided unique cultural fit. Some logistical and contextual challenges were also identified. Implications for research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies examine the effectiveness of community-based early interventions in unselected samples of autistic children, especially those from minoritized backgrounds. These types of studies require attention to strategies for recruitment, retention, data collection, and support for community providers beyond those used in university-based trials. We conducted a pilot trial of Project ImPACT, a promising caregiver-mediated naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention, in partnership with the early intervention system in a poor, large city. We assessed recruitment and retention strategies, training protocol, and measurement battery. We recruited representative provider and family samples, and had good measure completion among retained participants. Retention varied by study arm, providers had relatively poor fidelity to the intervention despite substantial support, and our measures did not appear sensitive to change. Lessons learned include the need for (a) a ramp-up training period prior to starting the study, (b) intensive implementation supports, and (c) additional strategies for family retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing lockdowns might have had a strong impact on mental health of mothers and their infants/toddlers. For example, families had to deal with health issues and social isolation, which might have affected mental health and parent-child interactions. The aim of this study is to evaluate differences in (1) infantile regulatory disorders, (2) maternal mental health, (3) the impact of maternal mental health on infantile regulatory disorders, and (4) alterations in the mother-child interaction for participants recruited before versus after the onset of the first German lockdown. For this reason, mother-child dyads have been divided into two groups and were compared by analyzing clinical interviews on psychopathology of mother and child (M.I.N.I. & DC:05) and mother-child-interactions (Emotional Availability Scales). Results showed that (1) differences in infantile sleeping disorders emerged (phi = 0.243; p = 0.016) compared to the pre-lockdown group, while (2) the occurrence of maternal panic and anxiety increased in the post-lockdown group (phi = 0.229; p = 0.022). Moreover, there was (3) an association for maternal panic and child's sleep disorder, and (4) specific associations with maternal non-hostility in the mother-child-interaction. In conclusion, the present study highlights the differences of maternal mental health occurrences and infants' regulatory problems, as well as the possible effects of the COVID-19 pandemic for infants. In the pre-lockdown group, maternal non-hostility might have acted as a promotive factor against regulatory disorders, while this mechanism was mitigated in the post-lockdown group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has had massive impacts across the globe. Children with developmental delays are an increasingly vulnerable population, highlighting the importance of ensuring they have access to high-quality virtual services during this time. The Early Discovery program currently provides therapeutic interventions for children with mild developmental delays. We sought to compare the outcomes of 2 cohorts within the Early Discovery program using different delivery approaches (n = 238 families): children who received services in person before the pandemic (n = 126) and children who received services via telehealth in the acute phase of the pandemic (n = 112). Both groups of children showed significant improvements in language skills posttreatment, and, with regard to auditory comprehension, both groups showed similar rates of improvement. However, children receiving in-person services before the pandemic showed greater improvements in expressive communication skills than children receiving telehealth services during the pandemic. Results indicate that the Early Discovery program was able to make adjustments during the pandemic that assisted families in maintaining progress in improving their child's language skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess maternal knowledge, attitude, and practices toward vitamin D supplements in Saudi infants and toddlers. In addition, we investigated predictors of maternal knowledge, attitude, and practices related to vitamin D supplements. Methods: Cross-sectional data of 156 Saudi infants and toddlers were collected from mothers via online survey. Data collected included sociodemographics, maternal knowledge, attitude, and practices toward vitamin D supplements. Results: Our data show a limited maternal knowledge toward vitamin D. Maternal knowledge and attitude as well as maternal knowledge and practices were not correlated. Spearman correlation between maternal attitude and practices was positively low (rs= 0.47). Child's age and family monthly income predicted maternal knowledge towards vitamin D. Maternal age and maternal education level predicted maternal attitude toward vitamin D supplements. Order of the child, maternal age, and maternal employment status predicted maternal practices toward vitamin D supplements in infant and toddlers. Conclusions for Practice: Maternal knowledge, attitude, and practices toward vitamin D supplements can be predicted by certain sociodemographic characteristics. Interventions that focus on improving maternal knowledge, attitude, and practices toward vitamin D supplements are urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baseline child characteristics may predict treatment outcomes in children with or at elevated likelihood of developing autism (EL-ASD). Little is known about the role of child sensory and language features on treatment outcome. Participants were randomly assigned to a parent-mediated intervention or control condition. Analyses explored the relationship between baseline child sensory and language characteristics and changes in ASD symptoms over approximately 9 months. Higher baseline sensory hyporeactivity was significantly related to less improvement in social communication (SC) for the treatment group only. More baseline atypical vocalizations were significantly related to less improvement on SC across treatment and control groups. This work provides an initial framework to encourage the tailoring of interventions for EL-ASD children, suggesting sensory reactivity and atypical vocalizations may be useful behaviors to consider in treatment planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parents' use of spanking with infants and toddlers is of concern because this early onset of spanking may escalate over early childhood heightening the risk for child abuse. This study has two goals. First, using latent growth modelling, we examined the changes in parents' use of spanking across 6 years starting from infancy. Second, we identified predictors that can explain differences in parents' use of spanking. We analysed longitudinal data using a sample of 397 low‐income ethnic minority mothers (mean age = 24.53 years; 66% single) with infants/toddlers. Results showed that 40% of mothers endorsed spanking their infants and toddlers. Higher use of spanking was associated with younger mothers, African American mothers, and married/cohabiting mothers. The use of spanking was also found to increase across the first 6 years of childhood with steeper increase found among mothers with higher parental stress or with boys. Depressive symptoms were associated with higher spanking use at age 3. Given the high use of spanking and its trajectory of increase during early childhood, spanking at a young age could be a marker for elevated risk of maltreatment. Practice implications include expanding early childhood services to support parenting and to assess the psychological well‐being of mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many autism-focused early intervention (EI) models have not yet been adopted by community-based providers in rural settings due to fit and feasibility when working within the Part C model. Family Implemented TEACCH for Toddlers (FITT, based on the University of North Carolina TEACCH Autism Program) is a research-based, Part-C compatible, EI model incorporating parent-coaching and naturalistic strategies with early evidence of efficacy in rural communities. Its use by rural community providers has not yet been examined. Thus, in this multiple baseline study, rural EI professionals (n = 3) working with caregivers and their toddlers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were provided training and weekly coaching on the use of the FITT model and parent-coaching strategies. The implementation of FITT and parent-coaching strategies were measured, and social validity information was gathered from participants. Results indicate that FITT is both feasible to implement, as demonstrated by provider implementation, and acceptable to both EI providers and caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parents as partners in their children's learning is predicated by a notion of a mutual understanding of the learning as shared by educators. Documenting learning in early childhood education and care (ECE & C) settings has evolved from more traditional developmental approaches to include photographs, artefacts and social stories to make learning visible for parents. However, while educators are using these approaches to document learning in ECE & C settings, the shared understanding of the learning for parents is not always mutually understood. The paper presents a small-scale case study, which examined the way parents in one long day ECE & C service which had recently redeveloped an outdoor play area to bring in more natural affordances to support the children's learning and development. The paper reports on the perceptions of two parents with children attending this centre in how the educators were making visible the learning and development afforded the children through engaging in this newly designed space. The study found that while educators were using a range of documentation approaches, the parents had little shared understanding of their children as engaging in this space. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article presents findings from a practice research project dealing with the everyday life of 0-2 year olds across family and different day-care settings. From a critical psychological perspective, it explores three related issues: Young children's conduct of everyday life in and across different institutional settings; professional pedagogical work related to supporting children's conduct of everyday life, and finally, the restricted political and bureaucratic conditions for exactly these forms of pedagogical practice. The article addresses the theoretical challenge of understanding children through their conduct of everyday life in the field of tension between being someone who is dependent on others, being taken care of and arranged for -- and, at the same time, someone who is actively participating, arranging and contributing to the reproduction and change of the collective life conditions in the social practice of day-care. These compound processes include the professional's complex efforts to support the many children's personal conduct of everyday life in and across their different life arenas, involving ongoing situated and sensitive exploration of children's perspectives through observations, conversations and collaborative processes with the different children, colleagues, families in the day-care environment. However, at the same time, exactly these situated explorative processes tend to be unheeded as professional in the more explicit professional explanations of problems in day-care. Through a discussion of this apparent contradiction and the conditions for developing a more situated approach, the article aims to contribute to the current professional and political discussions about day-care practice for the youngest children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Families play important roles in children's learning. Yet, teachers' values and beliefs may sway how families may participate in assessment of their child's learning within early childhood education. This paper reports on a qualitative case study in a New Zealand early childhood setting that explored teachers' views about involving families in assessment of infants’ and toddlers’ dispositional learning. Methods comprised interviews with five teachers, researcher field notes and documentation about children's learning. Findings suggested that teachers’ views about learning dispositions, teaching and assessment positioned families as consumers of, rather than participants in, assessment. Theoretical tensions arose between Gerber's Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE) approach that guided teachers' philosophy and practice andTe Whāriki, the mandated early childhood curriculum of New Zealand. The paper argues that weaving RIE with a national curriculum framework requires teacher engagement in critical thinking and discussion regarding actively involving families in assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The purpose of this manuscript was to describe a community-based program, Language and Play Everyday (LAPE), aimed at evaluating effective practices for enhancing parents’ capacity to increase their toddlers’ communication skills. LAPE was a parent education program focused on coaching parents to embed naturalistic language-enhancing strategies within daily routines. Participants included eight families of toddlers with expressive communication delays ranging in age from 22 to 36 months. LAPE was delivered using group and individual sessions. After participating in the program, parents increased their responsivity and use of other language-enhancing behaviors. Social validity measures indicated that parents were satisfied with procedures, goals, and outcomes of the project. Moreover, children improved their expressive language skills. Implications for future research and application are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically examines current concerns regarding professional issues in labour force development for teachers with children up to two years of age (UtoT). The concerns in New Zealand (NZ) relate to whether initial teacher-education (ITE) qualifications prepare teachers to work with children UtoT, involving synergy between ITE and the early childhood curriculum, and if there is widespread acknowledgement that in-depth knowledge is needed for teachers as leaders in this field. The background to these issues involves low teacher status with children UtoT and high staff turnover, and a lack of specialised knowledge, accompanied by increasing enrolments for this age group. A recent document analysis of ITE programmes in NZ revealed an increasingly generalised view of children under five years rather than specialised knowledge of young children in the first years. A more knowledgeable and professional labour force would provide much needed leadership in this expanding part of the education sector. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Parenthood is a concrete experience that develops while having a psychological existence in its background. It is heard in two voices simultaneously: the overt, concrete one versus the covert, psychological one. It moves between four intersecting axes, which together create the ‘Parental Voice’ model. Axis 1 − Parenthood between fantasy and the concrete child, and in parallel with the child's development stages. These characteristics are the focus of what educators have to deal with when interacting with parents of young children. Axis 2 − Parenthood between the ‘intergenerational transference’ mechanism and adjustment to the current reality in which the parent and child are growing. Axis 3 − ‘Whose child is it?’ − ecological and systemic aspects: struggles and congruencies between the educational system and the family. Axis 4 − Parenthood as a psychological existence that develops between the three structures of Self (Private Self, Professional Self and Parental Self). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: The authors aimed to compare gesture use in infants with autism with gesture use in infants with other developmental disabilities (DD) or typical development (TD). Method: Children with autism (n = 43), DD (n = 30), and TD (n = 36) were recruited at ages 2 to 7 years. Parents provided home videotapes of children in infancy. Staff compiled video samples for 2 age intervals (9-12 and 15-18 months) and coded samples for frequency of social interaction (SI), behavior regulation (BR), and joint attention (JA) gestures. Results: At 9-12 months, infants with autism were less likely to use JA gestures than infants with DD or TD, and less likely to use BR gestures than infants with TD. At 15-18 months, infants with autism were less likely than infants with DD to use SI or JA gestures, and less likely than infants with TD to use BR, SI, or JA gestures. Among infants able to use gestures, infants with autism used fewer BR gestures than those with TD at 9-12 months, and fewer JA gestures than infants with DD or TD at 15-18 months. Conclusion: Differences in gesture use in infancy have implications for early autism screening, assessment, and intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In this study, the authors compared a multiple-domain strategy for assessing developmental age of young children with developmental disabilities who were at risk for long-term reliance on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) with a communication-based strategy composed of receptive language and communication indices that may be less affected by physically challenging tasks than traditional developmental age scores. Method: Participants were 42 children (age 9-27 months) with developmental disabilities and who were at risk for long-term reliance on AAC. Children were assessed longitudinally in their homes at 3 occasions over 18 months using multiple-domain and communication-based measures. Confirmatory factor analysis examined dimensionality across the measures, and age-equivalence scores under each strategy were compared, where possible. Results: The communication-based latent factor of developmental age demonstrated good reliability and was almost perfectly correlated with the multiple-domain latent factor. However, the mean age-equivalence score of the communication-based assessment significantly exceeded that of the multiple-domain assessment by 5.3 months across ages. Conclusions: Clinicians working with young children with developmental disabilities should consider a communication-based approach as an alternative developmental age assessment strategy for characterizing children's capabilities, identifying challenges, and developing interventions. A communication-based developmental age estimation is sufficiently reliable and may result in more valid inferences about developmental age for children whose developmental or cognitive age scores may otherwise be limited by their physical capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Early Communication Indicator (ECI) is a measure relevant to intervention decision making and progress monitoring for infants and toddlers. With increasing recognition of the importance of quality early childhood education and intervention for all children, measurement plays an important role in documenting children’s progress and outcomes of early educational experiences. Screening and progress-monitoring measures used in a response-to-intervention approach require age-based benchmarks for decision-making support. The goal of this study was to create a normative sample of ECI data referenced to children served by Early Head Start, including children with Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs). In a large sample of children (N = 5,883), program staff in 27 Early Head Start programs in two states collected ECI data from 2002 to 2007. Results indicated that children’s ECI total communication growth was conditional on IFSP status but not on gender or home language (English versus Spanish). Children’s patterns of communication on the ECI key skill elements (i.e., gestures, vocalizations, single words, and multiple words) were also conditional on IFSP status. Children with IFSPs had (a) later ages of onset for vocalizations, single words, and multiple words; (b) generally slower growth over time; and (c) significantly lower mean levels in the most advanced key skill: multiple words at 36 months of age. Implications for early childhood researchers and service providers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective This study assessed the stability of ratings on the McMaster Mealtime Interaction Coding System (MICS), an observational measure of family functioning, across three typical evening meals. Methods Participants included families of infants and toddlers with cystic fibrosis (n = 33) and with no chronic illness (n = 33). Three meals were videotaped across a 3-week period (M = 17.4 days) and involved a secondary data analysis from a larger study. Results Across both groups, test-retest reliability (paired correlation coefficients) was generally moderate, but significant, for all scales at each time point comparison. Analyses revealed no significant within-or between-group differences across time periods on healthy versus unhealthy ratings. Conclusions This study highlights the limitations of coding a single mealtime observation or interpreting multiple observations using the MICS. Findings highlight that family, meal, illness, and assessment factors may impact variability in ratings over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• FCC teachers are struggling with the managerial demands of their programs. • FCC and center teachers are equally underpaid and economically stressed. • Teachers in both settings are not rewarded for advanced training and education. • FCC and center teachers share beliefs about child development and pedagogies. • Both workshops and coaching are highly valued by FCC and center teachers. As the provision of publicly funded pre-kindergarten has expanded in recent years, public programs for infants and toddlers have received relatively little policy attention. However, federal, state, and local governments are now trying to promote quality in family child care and center-based programs that serve infants and toddlers, often with an emphasis on workforce development. Despite the developmental importance of the first years in a child's life, infant and toddler teachers in family child care and centers remain greatly under-studied in the research literature. This descriptive study seeks to help fill that gap by comparing the characteristics and views of family child care and center-based infant and toddler teachers in the context of New York City, where ambitious policies to promote the quality of infant and toddler programs have focused on workforce development in both settings. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected in 2019 via online surveys of 32 center-based and 30 family child care teachers, and then analyzed quantitatively to identify similarities and differences between the two groups. The results can inform the design of policies in New York City, other cities, and states that seek to promote the quality of infant and toddler care in different settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]