bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Selected methodological problems in research in child abuse: a developmental perspective
Authors: JACOBSON ROSEMARY S. , STRAKER GILLIAN
Published: April 2006

Summary
It is apparent from extensive literature reviews that only a few authors have attempted to enhance the quality of their research in the area of child abuse. Despite the refinements made by these authors there are still gross weaknesses apparent in much of the research. These deficits are clearly linked to the problems encountered in doing research in childhood psychopathology in general where there is fragmentation both on an empirical and theoretical level. The aim of this paper is to represent some of the many issues which have to be taken into account when conducting research into childhood psychopathology in general and child abuse in particular and when making comparative evaluations of the research. Amongst the issues discussed are: the purpose of the research; naturalistic v. experimental continuum; techniques of data collection; expectations of subjects; experimental bias; individual v. group observation; sampling issues viz. definition of abuse; age at which assault occurred; time lapse investigation and last known incidence of abuse; definition of subject sample; demographic variables; technical issues and behavioural research, e.g. specificity v. generality of behaviour; unit of use and time sampling.
A new leisure class. The effect of training in leisure‐time occupations on ESN(S) school leavers
Authors: JEFFREE DOROTHY M. , CUESELDINE SALLY E.
Published: April 2006

Summary
Many mentally handicapped teenagers may be faced with prolonged periods of leisure but few have been educated for a life of leisure. Reference is made to survey data on ESN(S) school leavers to illustrate some of the obstacles standing in the way of their constructive use of leisure time. A small scale intervention study is described involving a group of ESN(S) teenagers which resulted in their increased social interaction and activity levels in free choice periods at school and at home.
Guidance for parents of a handicapped child
Authors: McGOWN M. P.
Published: April 2006

Summary
The experiences derived from helping 260 families with handicapped children are described and analysed, and the need for skilled versatile help is emphasized.
Health visitor services for families with a Down's syndrome infant
Authors: CUNNINGHAM C. C. , AUMONIER M. , SLOPER P.
Published: April 2006

Summary
During the course of a home visiting intervention programme to 61 families with an infant with Down's syndrome, parents were asked how many home visits they had received from their family health visitor and how many times they had attended the child health clinic in the preceding 6 weeks. Parents' comments on the help received from the health visitors were also recorded at each 6‐weekly visit. This paper presents the data collected for the first 12 months of each infant's life.
A comparison of performance on the Reynell Developmental Language Scales with theresults of syntactical analysis of speech samples
Authors: UDWIN ORLEE , YULE WILLIAM
Published: April 2006

Summary
A comparison was undertaken of performance on the Reynell Developmental Language Scales with measures of syntactical complexity based on recorded speech samples in language disordered children and normal speakers. The Reynell Expressive Language Scale was found to be a valid and meaningful measure of executive syntactical competence in each of the two groups. The Reynell Comprehension Scale correlated significantly with the syntactical measures in the group of normal speakers but not in the group of language disordered children.
Learning through play: the evaluation of a videocourse for parents of mentally handicapped children
Authors: McCONKEY ROY , McEVOY JOHN , GALLAGHER FINOLA
Published: April 2006

Summary
Although studies have shown that parents can be effective teachers for their mentally handicapped children, the majority have been prescriptive and this may inhibit parents' own intuitive style of interacting with their child. By centring intervention around parents' play with their child, such disadvantages may be overcome. This study investigates the feasibility of an instructional videocourse for parents on furthering the play of mentally handicapped children. Course components included six videoprogrammes of mentally handicapped children at play, practical activities for parents to carry out at home, a handbook, instructions on simple toy making, and books and information on play. Evaluation of the course found that the majority of parents described the course as enjoyable and useful; most gained new ideas about play and appreciated the discussions with tutors and other parents. A three‐month follow‐up interview indicated that parents' positive attitudes to the course were maintained and changes in their child's play behaviour were reported. Suggestions for improving the course are discussed along with some of the difficulties encountered in offering parents opportunities to nurture their child's development.
The relationship between spina bifida children's intelligence test scores on school entry and at school leaving: a preliminary report
Authors: TEW B. J. , LAURENCE K. M.
Published: April 2006

Summary
Very high correlations are reported for Wechsler Intelligence Test scores taken at 5, 10 and 16 years, indicating that, for the majority of spina bifida children, very reliable predictions regarding intellectual status at 16 years of age can be made upon entry to school.

Intelligence test scores of spina bifida children show statistically significant correlations between 18 months and 5 years of age, even when different intelligence tests are used (Fishman & Palkes 1974). Very high correlations between test scores have been reported also over a 5‐year period during schooling (Tew & Laurence 1974). Stability rather than variability of test scores appears to be true also for children with hydrocephalus only (Laurence 1969), but the long term reliability of IQ scores for spina bifida children remains unknown.
Asymmetry of gait in normal children demonstrated by polarized light goniometry
Authors: MINFORD A. M. B. , MINNS R. A. , BROWN J. K.
Published: April 2006

Summary
Polarized light goniometry recordings were obtained from 46 neurologically normal children aged 4–15 years. Asymmetry in terms of thigh and knee angle differences between right and left legs was common in children aged less than 10 years but uncommon in children aged more than 10 years. This asymmetry was predominantly in the direction of more flexion on the right side. The tendency for goniometric asymmetry to mirror asymmetry on clinical examination was slight and did not reach statistical significance. It is suggested that angular asymmetry during gait which occurs in some children under 10 years of age may be related to unequal rates of maturation of the two hemispheres. Other minor neurological asymmetries, neuro‐anatomical asymmetries and postural asymmetries which may be found in normal children are discussed.
Paired associates: a workshop model for effecting change
Authors: CASEY G. A. , HUNT H. M. , PADDON A. C. , WILCOCK P. M.
Published: April 2006

Summary
A series of workshops for staff working with profoundly handicapped children was organized, the main concern of which was to improve the teaching approaches with such a population. The workshops were the result of an innovative attempt by the British Psychological Society's Standing Committee on Handicap to apply current knowledge of the real life problems of work settings in schools or hospitals where children are educated. The workshops covered a period of 3 months with approximately one term between the first and second. Participants attended in pairs, one member of each pair being either a clinical or educational psychologist, and a variety of problems presented by the children were tackled. This paper attempts to describe the structure and operation of the workshops, to evaluate their outcome, and to suggest ideas for the future of such an approach.
Take‐up of benefits by families with disabled children
Authors: COOKE KENNETH , BRADSHAW JONATHAN , LAWTON DOROTHY
Published: April 2006

Summary
The take‐up of four cash benefits by families with disabled children is assessed using a national sample drawn from the 1970 birth cohort. The four benefits are invalid care allowance, attendance allowance, mobility allowance and the Family Fund. None of the few families in the sample who were eligible for the invalid care allowance knew about it or had claimed it, but none would have been better off if they had done so. Take‐up of the attendance allowance was lower than previous studies have suggested; between a half and two‐thirds of those who appeared to be eligible were receiving the attendance allowance. About 80% of those children who were eligible for the mobility allowance were receiving it. About 65% of those families who met the eligibility criteria of the Family Fund had received help.
Solvent abuse in adolescents: the Who? What? and Why?
Authors: BOWERS A. J. , SAGE L. R.
Published: April 2006

Summary
Glue sniffing is an emotive topic for many teachers, child care workers and members of law enforcement agencies. To many adults, too, it tends to be an inexplicable pastime. This article sets out to shed some light on the nature of solvent abusers and the results which they achieve. Some approaches to dealing with the activity are considered.
Group training for parents of mentally retarded children: a review and methodological analysis of behavioural studies
Authors: HORNBY GARRY , SINGH NIRBHAY N.
Published: April 2006

Summary
Behavioural group training studies with parents of mentally retarded children were reviewed, with a special emphasis on methodology. While all studies reported favourable training outcome, the lack of certain methodological controls demands that the results of these studies be interpreted with caution. Several methodological refinements are proposed in this paper and it is suggested that the group training modality offers a more economical and practical approach than individual parent training.
A changing pattern of cerebral palsy and its implications for the early detection of motor disorders in children
Authors: WING E. , ROUSSOUNIS S. H.
Published: April 2006

Summary
Hemiplegic cerebral palsy is appearing as the commonest cerebral palsy syndrome found at the Yorkshire Regional Child Development Centre, Leeds, and in the majority of cases does not follow a definable perinatal injury. As a practical consequence of this changing pattern of cerebral palsy a large proportion of these children will now be detected at ‘well baby’ clinics rather than at hospital neonatal ‘at risk’ clinics. As lack of awareness of the signs of cerebral palsy in the young infant lead to delay in detection and management, the early signs of congenital hemiplegia are discussed.
Breast feeding in infants with Down's syndrome
Authors: AUMONIER M. E. , CUNNINGHAM C.C.
Published: April 2006

Summary
Fifty‐nine mothers of infants with Down's syndrome were interviewed about methods of early feeding and the problems encountered. Antenatally, 29 mothers had wished to breast feed and 16 were successful. According to the mothers, 31 babies had no difficulty in establishing sucking, 4 were slow for less than 1 week, 8 took 1 week and 16 took longer than 1 week. Severe cardiac anomaly was associated with poor sucking ability. It was concluded that infants with Down's syndrome do not inevitably have initial feeding problems and can be breast fed successfully, but their mothers need to persevere and to be given hospital support and encouragement.
Description and evaluation of a brief workshop run by child psychiatrists for a group of speech therapists to help them in their work with disorganized families from a deprived city area
Authors: MARKS FRANCES M.
Published: April 2006

Summary
Speech therapists working with children in a deprived inner city area expressed concern to the local child psychiatrists that they were used to ‘fill gaps between families and other services in the absence of either the time or the appropriate training, and were unable to use their skills appropriately’. This paper describes three afternoon workshops run by child psychiatrists in which the speech therapists explored some of the issues involved in seeing disorganized families with disturbed children. The effectiveness of the workshop is evaluated and it is postulated that other primary care workers such as health visitors might benefit from similar workshops.
Waking at night: the effect of early feeding experience
Authors: WRIGHT PETER , MACLEOD HAMISH A. , COOPER MYRA J.
Published: April 2006

Summary
The mothers of 180 preschool children were interviewed in their homes in a survey of feeding preferences and sleeping behaviour. We report here on the differences in current sleeping patterns and the age at which night feeds were dropped. There are clear differences in these two behaviours according to whether the baby was breast or bottle fed, and this result is not explicable in terms of social class. Night feeds disappear more slowly in the breast fed infant, and the problem of night waking both in the first year of life and when at nursery school appears to be associated with earlier breast feeding. The importance of such a finding is discussed in relation to the advice offered to mothers by health professionals.
The unintelligible child: a problem for the health care team
Authors: STACKHOUSE JOY , CAMPBELL HELEN
Published: April 2006

Summary
As a result of the rapid growth of applied psycholinguistic research it is necessary to explode some of the myths of normal and abnormal speech development. The following paper is an attempt to clarify the nature of phonological development and disability and to draw general implications for assessment and management of the unintelligible child.
Behaviour problems in children followed from 5 to 8½‐9 years of age and their relation to educational attainment
Authors: BAKER IAN , HUGHES JANIE , STREET EDDY , SWEETNAM PETER
Published: April 2006

Summary
Children from a cohort of consecutive births identified with behaviour problems by the Richman Screening Questionnaire at the age of 5 years continued to have behaviour problems, as assessed by the Rutter parental questionnaire and the Bristol Social Adjustment Guide, more frequently at the age of 8½‐9 years than matched control children. No difference between the groups in non‐verbal IQ was identified by the Pidgeon Non‐Verbal Test BD. The Neale Test of Reading Ability showed delays of 5 months for both accuracy and comprehension for the study group compared with the controls. These results confirm the recent findings of Richman and others (1982) in a different setting.
Early abandonment of breast feeding: causes and effects
Authors: HOLT GERALDINE M. , WOLKIND STEPHEN N.
Published: April 2006

Summary
One hundred and six primiparous women were interviewed late in pregnancy and at 4 and 14 months post‐partum. Information was obtained about infant feeding and various psychological and social variables at each stage, and about infant temperament at the 4 and 14 months post‐partum interviews. Few social or psychological variables related to the duration of breast feeding, nor was there a relationship between the child's temperament and the type of feeding or duration of breast feeding. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Parental reactions to early intervention with their Down's syndrome infants
Authors: SLOPER P. , CUNNINGHAM C. C. , ARNLJOTSDOTTIR M.
Published: April 2006

Summary
Results of early intervention programmes with Down's syndrome infants are well documented in terms of the effects on the infants' development, but less attention has been given to the reactions of parents who are required to carry out the programmes, A small scale interview study of three groups of parents receiving different ‘intensities’ of intervention is described. Overall, parents' views of the intervention programmes are positive but the difficulties experienced by some parents point to the need for intervenors to be sensitive to family situations and feelings and for programmes to be flexible enough to meet these needs.
Health and behaviour in preschool children
Authors: HART HILARY , BAX MARTIN , JENKINS SUE
Published: April 2006

Summary
This study reviews the relationship between the health and behaviour of 870 preschool children reviewed over a 5‐year period. Detailed information was collected at regular intervals on rates of upper and lower respiratory tract infections, ear infections, and other illnesses. The children were examined, and their behaviour was assessed using questionnaires. In addition, the mothers of the children were interviewed, and assessment was made of levels of maternal stress. Relationships are demonstrated between episodes of illness and different behaviour problems. Night waking, poor appetite, temper tantrums, difficulty in management, and the doctor's and mother's overall assessment of behaviour were all found to be correlated with recurrent minor illnesses. Relationships were also found between maternal stress and some of the behaviour variables. Attention is drawn to the well known association of stress with physical illness, and the importance of this relationship in the management of both infections and behaviour problems in the young child is discussed.
Educational provision, parental expectation and physical disability
Authors: O'HAGAN FRANK J. , SANDYS ELIZABETH J. , SWANSON W. IAN
Published: April 2006

Summary
This research was focused firstly on the characteristics of 24 physically disabled pupils attending ordinary primary schools, and secondly on the views of their parents concerning external support services and educational provision. There was evidence that the pupils had received a considerable amount of professional attention. However, parents appeared to be disappointed by the quality of service on offer from professional agencies outside the school. By contrast, they expressed strong satisfaction with the response of teachers to the needs of their children.
Partnership with fathers in combating malnutrition: their views as to causes and treatment of protein energy malnutrition
Authors: OJOFEITIMI E. O. , ADELEKAN M. O.
Published: April 2006

Summary
Fathers of children suffering from overt protein energy malnutrition (PEM) attending our Nutrition Rehabilitation Clinic in Ile‐Ife, Nigeria, were visited at their homes to enquire, by means of interview, about their perceptions of the local names given to PEM, its causes and treatment. From the 56 homes visited, 23 fathers were met and participated in the study. Approximately 44% of the fathers recognized PEM as a cause of childhood disease. About 35% of the respondents attributed the cause of PEM to childhood infection and 26% attributed it to congenital disease transferred from pregnant mothers. One‐sixth of the fathers were able to link PEM to lack of good feeding. Hospital‐based treatment was advocated by 70% of the fathers, whilst 13% opted for traditional medicine and 17% opted for modern medicine. About 35% of the fathers were of the view that child welfare should be mainly the responsibility of the mother.

Ignorance, prolonged absence of fathers from the home and poor sanitation were found to be some of the important aetiological factors of PEM. Strategies for prevention of PEM through active involvement by the fathers, and the vital role of home visits are discussed.
An evaluation of an inpatient psychiatric unit for children
Authors: OLIVER J. P. J. , KNIGHT D. J.
Published: April 2006

Summary
The progress of 31 children admitted over a 2 year period to a regional child psychiatric inpatient unit was studied using questionnaires and interviews. The effectiveness of the children's treatment was evaluated using an interrupted time series design. Substantial and significant improvements were observed for both global levels of disorder and specific problems, and this effect appeared to be stable. These results confirm previous assertions on the efficacy of inpatient treatment.
Teaching social skills: evaluation of an “independence week”
Authors: MACREDIE TRICIA , BRADSHAW JONATHAN
Published: April 2006

Summary
This study evaluated the achievements of a training course in social skills for physically disabled young people reaching school‐leaving age. The course enabled the students to acquire skills in personal care and mobility, but not all the gains were sustained on return home. That basic skills can be acquired as a result of such a short intervention shows that more attention should be paid to them in school.
Concerns of children with a chronic illness: a cognitive‐developmental study of juvenile diabetes
Authors: ALLEN DEBORAH A. , AFFLECK GLENN , TENNEN HOWARD , McGRADE BETTY JO , RATZAN SUSAN
Published: April 2006

Summary
Chronically ill children become increasingly able to understand their illnesses as they develop intellectually. But cognitive development also brings the ability to grasp the meaning of a poor prognosis or functional limitations, which may take an emotional toll on the youngster. We studied this problem in a sample of children with insulin‐dependent diabetes. Those who had more advanced disease concepts were more worried about their diabetes. Children saw their parents as worried primarily about current management of the disease, suggesting that youngsters' concerns about the future were difficult to discuss at home. There is a need for clinicians and parents to integrate emotional support into the education and management of chronically ill children.
Infantile colic: incidence and treatment in a Norfolk community
Authors: RUBIN S. P. , PRENDERGAST M.
Published: April 2006

Summary
In a prospective study of 1019 infant and mother pairs, 268 infants suffered with ‘infantile colic’. Significantly more of these were breast fed, supporting the proposed theory of a colic‐producing factor in breast milk. Social class and maternal education were not related to the incidence of colic. Seventy‐two percent of our infants with colic suffered from classical evening colic. The symptoms did not disappear from all the infants by 3 months ‐ over 38% continued to have symptoms after 31/2 months of age. Treatment is limited, but merbentyl helped to relieve symptoms to a varying degree in over 60% of the infants who tried it. The family relationships are often strained during this period and this appears to persist when at one year of age significantly more of these infants were described as demanding, miserable and bad‐tempered by their mothers.

Unexplained prolonged crying of infants is often attributed to some form of bowel related discomfort, and this condition is known as infantile colic. It most commonly occurs in the evenings. Symptoms usually disappear by the fourth or fifth month of life. This study was designed to consider the possible aetiological factors and the efficacy of various treatments.
Development of low cost supplementary foods for infants and children from locally available foods in Punjab (India)
Authors: PURI RAMESH K. , SACHDEVA RAJBIR
Published: April 2006

Summary
Supplementary foods suited for weaning and feeding of infants were developed, using locally available foods in Punjab. Methods of cooking employed were those used commonly by low and middle income families. Cereal‐pulse combinations along with some sesame seed and groundnuts were used to enhance the protein quality. The ratio used was such that the preparation did not deviate much from the accepted tastes of the population. Fresh green vegetables were also used. Fifteen recipes were standardized and acceptability trials carried out with mothers and infants of the different socio‐economic groups. The preparations were highly accepted by all. Analysis of these were done for protein, calories, vitamin C and iron to see their contribution to the diet. The cost per serving of each recipe for various age groups was worked out and it was observed that at a very low cost a substantial amount of the above nutrients could be given to the infants by including these preparations in their diets. Education of mothers in making these recipes will go a long way towards popularizing such formulations.
Identification of constraints acting on motor development in young visually disabled children and principles of remediation
Authors: SONKSEN PATRICIA M. , LEVITT SOPHIE , KITSINGER MARY
Published: April 2006

Summary
Babies and preschool children with severe visual disabilities have been studied in a developmentally orientated clinical research setting. Severe congenital visual disability delays and alters development in all areas; the impact on motor development is complex with much secondary to delays in other areas. The constraints on motor development are identified and discussed together with ideas for remediation and developmental prevention.
The development of the concept of death in children aged 5–9 years
Authors: LANSDOWN RICHARD , BENJAMIN GAIL
Published: April 2006

Summary
105 children aged between 5 and 9 years were questioned on their concept of death following the reading of a story about an old lady who died. The results were analysed in terms of the components of the concept and it was shown that almost all had fully developed notions by the age of 8 or 9 years. Approximately 60% of the 5‐year‐olds had a complete or almost complete concept. The results are discussed in the light of clinical practice.
Whooping cough vaccination: the case presented by the British national press
Authors: HARDING CHRISTINA M.
Published: April 2006

Summary
The coverage of whooping cough and its vaccine by the British press was content‐analysed and compared with that of four other diseases for which articles were relatively common over the same time period. The results indicated that the topics were dealt with differently by the press, with whooping cough vaccination being seen as more risky than the others, requiring both medical advice and a decision before being accepted. The rather negative attitude to this vaccine emphasizes the problems associated with it rather than its preventive qualities. There was little evidence of a balanced discussion of the issues found in the medical literature, although accusations against the lay‐press for providing largely inaccurate and sensationalized articles were found to be unsupported. The press were found, however, to publish many event‐orientated articles, particularly those about specific individuals.
Minimum muscular fitness of urban Tswana children
Authors: CORLETT J. T.
Published: April 2006

Summary
Two hundred and eighty‐nine urban school children in Botswana were tested for their ability to perform tests of minimum muscular fitness. Performance was generally poor when compared with usual results obtained in developed countries. Arm strength was found to be low but not surprising when considered in terms of the low arm strength to body weight common in preadolescence. Abdominal muscle groups were also weak, however, and hamstring group flexibility was poor. These results suggest a potential for lower back distress or disability and are perhaps indicative of a general low level of physical fitness in both boys and girls. The results are discussed in terms of the role played by physical education in child development and the planning and implementation of appropriate programmes is strongly recommended.
The themes and consequences of consultations between a psychiatrist and a tutorial class teacher working with children from a deprived inner‐city area
Authors: MARKS FRANCES , PENNYCOOK WILL
Published: April 2006

Summary
This article describes the way in which consultation sessions between a tutorial class teacher and a psychiatrist were set up, and the themes that arose during the first term. We discuss the effect of the consultation on the relationship of the teacher with other professionals in her network. A hypothesis is put forward about the way in which the consultation caused changes which reduced the stress the teacher experienced.
Housing circumstances and standards of families with disabled children
Authors: COOKE KENNETH , LAWTON DOROTHY
Published: April 2006

Summary
Research on the impact of a disabled child on family resources suggests that housing standards are likely to be lower for these families than for other families. This article attempts to assess the extent to which this is actually the case. The article employs data from a nationally representative sample of disabled children and compares their housing standards according to five criteria with those of a control sample. Families with disabled children were found to be significantly more likely than control families to be living in local authority housing, more likely to be living in overcrowded accommodation and less likely to have central heating and certain consumer durables in the household.
Mediating the environment: a case study approach
Authors: SIMMONS JOYCE NESKER , DAVIDSON IAIN F. W. K.
Published: April 2006

Summary
Two case studies are presented as a means of examining aspects of mediating the environment for young blind children. Following the child's history, clinical observations are offered on each case. A general discussion highlights the salient requirements of mediation with children born blind.
Benign or malignant? The effects of institutions
Authors: MORTIMORE JO , MORTIMORE PETER
Published: April 2006

Summary
The institutions discussed in this paper are those which most children attend for some (and in a few cases, most) of their time. It is argued that, not only are there differences in institutions ostensibly performing the same function, but that, with rare exceptions, differences in organization, philosophy and ethos can exert an influence on inmates in both the long and the short term. The question of what attempts have been made to alter the influence of institutions is then addressed in terms of changing structure, organization and attitudes. The agents of change include government committees, a local education authority, researchers, pressure groups and/or staff of the institutions. Whilst the enduring nature of institutions is recognized, some suggestions for strategies of change are made. These draw on research evidence indicating the kinds of institutional environments most suitable for children's development, the need for a coherent unified policy on child care, and for effective parent involvement, all of which could make the influence of institutions more positive—benign rather than malignant.
Young adults with disabilities: health, employment and financial costs for family carers
Authors: HIRST MICHAEL
Published: April 2006

Summary
In this paper, the health and employment of mothers with a severely disabled young adult are compared with those of women in the general population. Mothers in the sample were much more likely to suffer from a severe chronic illness and to experience symptoms of psychiatric disturbance. Their workforce participation, hours of work and earnings were all lower than for women in general. Variations in mothers' health status and employment patterns could not be explained by aspects of their sons' or daughters' disablement. It seemed that mothers of all disabled young adults, not only mothers of the more severely disabled, experienced adverse effects of providing care in the family. Implications of these findings are discussed.
A developmental test based on the STYCAR sequences used in the National Childhood Encephalopathy Study
Authors: BELLMAN M. M. , RAWSON NIGEL S. B. , WADSWORTH JANE , ROSS EUAN M. , CAMERON SEONAID , MILLER DAVID L.
Published: April 2006

SummaryDuring the National Childhood Encephalopathy Study, standard neurodevelopmental assessments had to be performed on a large number of children under 3 years of age scattered throughout Great Britain. Currently available tests were reviewed but were found to be impractical for this purpose. We describe a simple test procedure, based on the STYCAR sequences, suitable for use in a clinic or at home with the minimum of special equipment. Results were reliable and provided an informative record of a child's developmental progress. It may be possible to modify the scheme for general use.
Child‐rearing practices among nursing mothers in Ile‐Ife, Nigeria
Authors: ODEBIYI A. I.
Published: April 2006

Summary
This study attempts to highlight the relationship between the educational status of mothers in Ile‐Ife and their child‐rearing practices. It was observed that the educated mothers in good jobs spent less time at home with the children than the illiterates who have their children with them at the farms and in the market places. Thus, a higher proportion of the educated mothers admitted to using more bottle feeding than breast feeding, and forced hand‐feeding which was practised by all the illiterate women interviewed. Only one educated woman still practises female circumcision. Of interest in the study is the fact that the children of the different categories of women are exposed to different types of health hazards; while the children of the educated suffer neglect and are deprived of the advantages of breast feeding, the children of the illiterate suffer from undue exposure to unhygienic conditions in the farms and market places and from the implications of forced hand‐feeding and female circumcision.
The Liverpool Visual Assessment Team: 10 years' experience
Authors: HILL A. E. , McKENDRICK O. , POOLE J. J. , PUGH R. E. , ROSENBLOOM L. , TURNOCK R.
Published: April 2006

Summary
The Liverpool Visual Assessment Team (VAT) was established in 1975 as a multidisciplinary service for the evaluation of the disabilities of visually handicapped children. Team membership and patterns of practice are described. Two hundred and fifty‐four children have now been seen by the VAT over a 10‐year period. The mean age of referral was 4–2 years; only 46% of the children had an isolated visual handicap. The aetiology of disabilities was known in 58% of the children. Genetically determined visual handicap was likely to be associated with normal intelligence. Ophthalmological diagnoses arc described. In comparison to what would he predicted, there were fewer children with retinopathy of prematurity and more with cerebral (cortical) blindness. The educational needs and placements of the children are described and the implications of the implementation of the 1981 Education Act for visually handicapped children are discussed.
The efficacy of teaching dyslexics
Authors: ANDREWS N. , SHAW J. E. H.
Published: April 2006

SummaryA survey of remedial teaching based on a particular method and carried out in an NHS clinic over 2 years has been presented. The findings suggest a differential pattern of improvement both for reading and spelling as well as for type of learning difficulty, whether ‘backward’ or ‘specifically retarded’. A plea for early recognition of specific learning difficulties and the provision of appropriate remedial teaching is made as the present findings suggest that a structured method of teaching can lead to improvement in both reading and spelling.
Severe mental retardation in children from socially disadvantaged families
Authors: PHILLIPS C. J. , HON YUK‐CHING , SMITH BERYL , SUTTON ANDREW
Published: April 2006

Summary
Children receiving ESN(S) education, attending special day schools, and living al home, were categorized into those whose handicap had been medically recognized in infancy and those of unknown aetiology, ‘non–specific’. Information obtained from interviews with their families was used to identify a subgroup of those who were relatively socially disadvantaged. Both factors, medical and social, are shown to have a significant effect on early provisions for special needs. The non–specific cases from disadvantaged families tended to have been recognized at a later age than the rest; their parents had less information, less access to services, and less contact with others who could provide aid and support. It is argued that the theoretical model which distinguishes pathogenic and subcultural aetiologies of severe mental subnormality is inappropriate. It may be wrongly applied by fieldworkers, especially those serving families with a developmentally backward preschool child. The result may discriminate against socially disadvantaged families with a child whose handicap is not medically diagnosed.
The effects of sensory integration therapy on nystagmus duration, equilibrium reactions and visualmotor integration in reading retarded children
Authors: MORRISON DELMONT , SUBLETT JEAN
Published: April 2006

Summary
Previous research on the effects of sensory integration therapy on vestibular processing dysfunction has not used an appropriate control group design. Using a control group, this research investigated the effects of sensory integration therapy on nystagmus duration, equilibrium reactions and visual‐motor integration in 26 children with reading retardation. The sample had average intelligence but showed depressed nystagmus duration, problems in equilibrium reactions and delays in visual‐motor coordination. Sixty‐six sessions of therapy did not significantly affect duration, equilibrium or visual‐motor integration.
Morbidity patterns in a new paediatric hospital in Juba, Sudan
Authors: TAHAL TAHA EL TAHIR , WAHAB MABYOUA M. ABDEL , WALLACE HELEN M.
Published: April 2006

Summary
A study of morbidity patterns in a new paediatric hospital in Juba, Sudan, showed malaria, gastroenteritis, pneumonia, dysentery and infections of the eye, ear, and skin to be the commonest conditions. During the entire period of the study, these conditions constituted more than 90% of the outpatient load. In a group of inpatients interviewed, immunization coverage was 22%, 46% of the mothers had been enrolled in school at some time, and only 17% of the families had a latrine at home. The mean number of living children per family was four and of those not surviving was two. These findings are related to an inadequate environment, lack of public health information, and low socioeconomic status. Immediate and long‐term strategies are necessary to provide safe water, adequate latrines, better immunization coverage, income‐generating practices, increase in female education, and general health education of females, children and youth.
A developmental exploration of language used to accompany symbolic play in young, normal children (2–4 years old)
Authors: LE NORMAND M. T.
Published: April 2006

Summary
Observation of play can provide crucial information about a child's developmental level of language. To make this information available categorization and measurement are necessary. By defining, from a cognitive and pragmatic point of view, separate but parallel measures of play and language it was possible to define four different levels of symbolic functioning: (i) representational play; (ii) conceptual play; (iii) programmatic play; and (iv) script play. Careful longitudinal descriptions of language used to accompany symbolic play of ten 2–4‐year‐old children are presented. Interesting developmental trends in play and cognitive and pragmatic organization of language were found. Gradually language production was considered as the primary mode for symbolic expression between the ages of 2;6 (2 years; 6 months) and 3 years. Language production increased dramatically between the ages of 3 and 3;6, and became better differentiated from the play context. The scientific study of child language using an analytic tool, such as a play procedure, to describe and analyse spontaneous production of spoken language, with a cognitive and pragmatic framework contributes not only a more accurate understanding of normal play and language development, but may also have an efficient clinical value. Suggestions for and implications of exploring components of language used in a standardized play situation are discussed in reference to developmentally disabled children
The language teaching device
Authors: ARKELL J. E. HORSHAM
Published: April 2006

Summary
An overview is presented which seeks to describe the typical behaviours and features which characterize communicative acts between caregivers and young infants from birth through to the early stages of language acquisition. These behaviours are held to be significantly different from those which may be observed in adult‐to‐adult discourse. They are automatically adjusted to the received level of language development in the child and are dependent upon the parent‐child relationship. It is hypothesized that these special properties of maternal communicative behaviour are crucial in enabling children to substantiate their language learning capacities. To this extent these properties may be perceived as language teaching strategies even though they are not employed with conscious didactic intent. Because these strategies apparently occur universally and with natural spontaneity in the communicative behaviour adopted by adults towards children, the term ‘language teaching device’ is proposed to encapsulate them. A short consideration is given to the educational implications of the language teaching device for professionals working with children and concerned with promoting language development. Particular reference is made to the very young, the impaired and the developmentally delayed.
Developmental profile of Down's syndrome infants receiving early intervention
Authors: PIPER MARTHA C. , GOSSIILIN COLETTE , GENDRON MONIQUE , MAZER BARBARA
Published: April 2006

Summary
Thirty‐two infants with Down's syndrome, who were enrolled in an early intervention programme were followed during the first 2 years of life. Progress in five developmental domains was monitored prospectively by evaluating the children at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. The largest degree of retardation was consistently exhibited in the hearing and speech subscale. The locomotor subscale experienced the most severe decline over the 24 months and was the second most retarded domain at 2 years of age. The remaining three subscales, personal‐social, hand‐eye and performance, demonstrated less severe declines over time as well as actual increases in developmental quotients at specified points in time. The overall performance of female infants at 18 months was significantly better than that of male infants (P = 0·05). The degree of retardation of Down's syndrome infants receiving early intervention services differs according to chronological age, developmental domain and sex.
Low birth weight babies at 3 years of age
Authors: ELLIMAN ALISON M. , BRYAN ELIZABETH M. , ELLIMAN ANTHONY D.
Published: April 2006

Summary
The findings of the first 3 years of a 7‐year follow‐up study on a group of 331 infants born at or transferred to Hammersmith and Queen Charlotte's Maternity Hospitals weighing 500–2000 g are reported. The group included 37 stillbirths, and a further 76 died. Of the 218 survivors, some information has been available on 215 (99%); 94% and 84% were seen at 2 and 3 years respectively. Nine (4%) children have major and 13 (6%) a moderate handicap, including 11 (5%) with cerebral palsy, seven (4%) with developmental delay, three with severe hearing impairment and one with visual impairment. Mild iatrogenic damage was common. The children, particularly those who were small for their gestational age, were shorter and lighter than the normal population at 3 years, but when corrected for prematurity the difference, particularly in height, was insignificant.
Developmental assessment: 18 months to 4½ years. Performance tests
Authors: EGAN DOROTHY F. , BROWN ROSEMARY
Published: April 2006

Summary
Performance tests of young children in the age range 18 months to 4½ years have been studied in a sample of 425 children living in an inner city area and a rural market town. Our results show that there is a minimum number of cubes built into a tower related to age which may indicate developmental delay. There is a developmental sequence of pencil grasp, and useful development scales in copying cube models, drawing geometric shapes, and the draw‐a‐man test. Girls are significantly ahead of boys in drawing skills.
Is breast feeding the solution to the infant nutrition problem in underdeveloped countries?
Authors: MIOTTO WRIGHT MARIA DA GLÓRIA , DE OLIVEIRA JOSÉ EDUARDO DUTRA
Published: April 2006

Summary
One hundred and thirty‐three children from birth to 1 year of age were studied to investigate the value of breast milk as a solution to the infant nutrition problem. Fifteen per cent of the children were being fed exclusively breast milk, 44 (44·4%) were fed breast milk plus cow's milk and 40·6% were fed only cow's milk. Thirty‐three per cent of the breast fed children, 44·4% of those on mixed feeding and 47% of those on cow's milk alone, were malnourished.
The effectiveness of antenatal education of Pakistani and Indian women living in this country
Authors: McENERY G. , RAO K. P. S.
Published: April 2006

Summary
Eighty‐two Asian women (mostly Muslims) living in East London were prospectively studied through their pregnancy and delivery. Their infants were assessed during the second year of life for growth, nutrition, morbidity, development and vaccination history. There was no increase in perinatal or infant mortality over the general population in the same borough, though there was increased infant morbidity, most commonly iron deficiency (in 25%), and one child with subclinical rickets. One child had a genetic neurodegenerative disorder. The incidence of low birth weight babies was only slightly greater than that of the district as a whole, but after 1 year of age they were less well grown than the population studied by Tanner & Whitehouse. Sixty‐four per cent of the women started to breast feed, but many also gave artificial milk and they usually ceased to breast feed earlier than most women in the same district. When half of the women were randomly allocated to receive specialized education, with the others acting as controls, very few attended and little benefit was detected. Though the significance is doubtful, the infants of those educated did tend to be better grown (especially in length), be less likely to have development well below average, have reduced morbidity and have more complete immunization schedules than those of the women not receiving education. This study shows no benefit due to antenatal education, but suggests that the children have advantages when their mothers have the drive to attend the education sessions.
A study of normal baby movements
Authors: WEGGEMANN T. , BROWN J. K. , FULFORD G. E. , MINNS R. A.
Published: April 2006

Summary
Summary Twenty‐five normal newborns aged between 3 and 6 days had their movements recorded by (a) clinical observation in a controlled environment, (b) chart recording from an automatic movement mattress over 4 hours, and (c) cine photography triggered by the movement mattress. Over 80 different individual types of movement were grouped into six categories: (a) progression movements (obligatory reciprocal movements), (b) symmetrical movements (slower flexion or extension movements), (c) startle movements, (d) asymmetrical tonic neck reflex and ‘Moro’, (e) facial movements and (f) athetoid movements. The normal newborn's motor activity is significantly related to the level of arousal, gestational age, and environmental variables sueh as position, temperature, light and noise.
Attendance allowance at age 16: time for review
Authors: COOKE ANTHONY , HIRST MICHAEL , BRADSHAW JONATHAN
Published: April 2006

Summary
At the age of 16 years, young disabled people receiving attendance allowance are required to reapply for the benefit to establish their entitlement. As a consequence a substantial minority lose the benefit altogether or have it reduced. If this happens they can ask for a review of the decision and about two‐thirds of those who do so are successful in having the allowance restored. This paper is concerned with the reassessment and review of attendance allowance at 16 years and is based on a study of a sample of young disabled people who had recently experienced the process. It concludes that inconsistency in the assessment process represents an unnecessary risk to the entitlement of recipients.