bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The ophthalmologist's role in multidisciplinary assessment of developmentally handicapped children
Authors: BANKES J. L. KENNERLEY
Published: April 2006

SUMMARY
Among 200 children who had received routine ophthalmic and orthoptic examinations as part of their evaluation by a multidisciplinary assessment team, it was found that there was a high incidence of ocular defects. These defects included refractive errors (98 children), squint (74 children), nystagmus (15 children), cataract, retinopathy and optic atrophy. This high incidence of ocular defects emphasized the need for the routine ophthalmic examination of developmentally handicapped children in order to detect and treat ocular conditions which might otherwise have gone undetected, and enabled the visual sense of these children to be evaluated in relationship to their general development.
The paediatrician's role in comprehensive assessment of the visually handicapped child
Authors: ZINKIN PAMELA
Published: April 2006

SUMMARY
The role of the paediatrician in the assessment of the visually handicapped child is discussed, and the scope of the assessment described.
The electroretinogram in children with opaque media
Authors: GALLOWAY N. R.
Published: April 2006

SUMMARY
The value of the electroretinogram in children with opacities of the ocular media is discussed.
Integrated education of visually handicapped children: lines of communication between the professionals in charge
Authors: WARBURG METTE
Published: April 2006

SUMMARY
The local teacher has the immediate responsibility for the integrated education of the visually handicapped child. He gets frequent information and assistance from the county special teacher who is responsible to the public for the educational progress. When the child has his annual ophthalmological examination, his medical history is explained and related to the performance of the child at an informal meeting. At this meeting, the ophthalmologist learns to understand the educational problems and the teachers learn what the pupil can see and the conditions under which he functions.
Television reading system
Authors: BLANKENAGEL ANITA , JAEGER W.
Published: April 2006

SUMMARY
The value of the television reading aid system is discussed, in the training of visually handicapped children.
A review of the medical, educational and social needs of 207 handicapped children
Authors: APPLEYARD W. J. , BAIRD G.
Published: April 2006

SUMMARY
The Mary Sheridan Centre serves the needs of two health districts with a population of over half a million. The assessment of the handicapped child is combined with a Day Nursery and Observation Unit which provides therapeutic, educational and supportive guidance. During the year May 1973–74, 207 children were referred for assessment of whom only 11 were found to have no handicap. One‐third of these referrals were from the hospital follow‐up baby clinic and two‐thirds came from community and general practitioner sources. The average age of referral was two years for girls and two and a half years for boys. Ofthe 196 handicapped children, 33 had neurological disorders, 30 congenital anomalies and 50 an adverse perinatal history. Social factors were thought to contribute significantly in 72; 35 children came from single parent families. Behaviour problems were noticed in a high proportion (68).

Forty‐four children regularly attend the Centre's day nursery whose staff include preschool teacher, occupational therapists and trained nurses for play, speech stimulation and specific therapy; 48 attend for speech therapy and 19 for physiotherapy. The prime aim is to help the parents continue with the therapy and care of their child in their own home.
Mothers and their disturbed preschool children: an intervention sutdy
Authors: MITCHELL W. S , ROTHWELL B. , BURTENSHAW W.
Published: April 2006

SUMMARY
Children who had attended a unit for disturbed preschool children were followed up and compared to a group of children whose families had turned down the offer of a place at the unit. Measures of home and school behaviour and of social stress factors operating on the family were collected. Although treated and control children were comparable on severity of symptoms on referral, treated children showed a greater reduction in reported problem behaviour at home than did controls by the time of the follow‐up interview. Attendance at the unit had a limited effect on behaviour at school, however. It is suggested that if a treatment for preschool children is to have broad goals including increased competence at school as well as a reduction in problem behaviour at home, then various treatment strategies should be devised to meet these different goals.
Which three‐year‐olds attend preschool facilities?
Authors: STEVENSON JIM , ELLIS CAROLE
Published: April 2006

SUMMARY
In an epidemiological survey of a total population of three‐year‐old children living in a London borough, information was obtained on the behaviour, development, and social characteristics of 828 children. Details were extracted from the registers of 27 preschool facilities in the borough (a residential nursery, day nurseries, play groups and nursery schools and classes) on all children attending over an 18‐month period. The patterns of attendance and factors influencing attendance of about 3000 children are discussed. The comparison of children attending facilities in the original sample of 828 with the total sample shows that those children most in need are not over‐represented in these preschool groups.
Accidents in the first three years of life
Authors: BARNES FRANCES
Published: April 2006

SUMMARY
This study is concerned with a group of normal children. It reports a correlation between the condition of a baby at birth, as recorded by a modified Apgar scale, and a future history of accidental injury before age three. Various other behavioural characteristics were also associated with having scored relatively poorly on the Apgar type scale; in addition, there was some evidence that the pregnancies and previous obstetric histories of the mothers of poor birth status babies had been different. Possible connections between the behavioural characteristics and a liability to accidental injury are discussed, as is the part played by the relatively poor status at birth.
Helping parents to accept
Authors: STOKES B. M.
Published: April 2006

The was in which the professional team approaches parents of a handicapped child influences the acceptance of it. An ideal team approach is outlined.
Captured for consideration—using videotape as an aid to the treatment of the disturbed child
Authors: EVANS ROSEMARY , CLIFFORD ANDREA
Published: April 2006

SUMMARY
The use of videotape as a clinical tool to monitor work with children is discussed with reference to a group of three emotionally disturbed children seen weekly in a paediatric assessment and treatment centre. Six particular attributes of videotape are distinguished and illustrated from clinical material: video is a vehicle for discussion; video permits detailed observation; video sees things that humans do not; video has a distancing effect; video shares information and video trains in observation and handling techniques. It is suggested that the experience derived from using videotape intensively over a short period can be applied to advantage in other clinical situations.
A study of some factors concerned in the schooling of visually handicapped children*
Authors: SILVER JANET , GOULD ELIZABETH
Published: April 2006

SUMMARY
Sixty children integrated into the fully‐sighted school system and 34 children attending partially‐sighted schools were assessed. All were using low vision aids. It was found that there was little difference in acuity, parental or school support, but the integrated children tended to be more intelligent and came from a higher socioeconomic group. More children could avoid special schools if given appropriate services at an early age and assessment should be by a multidisciplinary team.
Shed preconceived ideas…look, listen… A response to Sheridan's position on the spontaneous play of handicapped children
Authors: SAWISCH LEONARD P. , FITZGERALD HIRAM E.
Published: April 2006

SUMMARY
Sheridan's article concerning the importance of spontaneous play for learning in handicapped children reflects both a historical and a contemporary negative valuation of ‘handicapment’. Specifically, the authors suggest that contemporary views of handicapment fail to take into consideration the social and cultural concomitants of handicapment and in fact create an atmosphere wherein learned helplessness and self‐fulfilling prophesies thrive. This state of affairs can only serve to perpetuate contemporary negative valuations of those individuals culturally labelled as ‘handicapped’.
Parents' meetings in a hospital day centre
Authors: CARTER JAN
Published: April 2006

SUMMARY
This paper is an attempt to describe a project of parent meetings in a day centre for young handicapped children. It tries to reconcile social worker activity with sociological theory of disability and deviance and to weigh the relative balance of parent and professional contributions to care.
Cognitive‐perceptual treatment of exceptional children*
Authors: KOH† TONG‐HE
Published: April 2006

SUMMARY
Adopting the notion that cognitive operations consist of multiple stages of information‐processing, this treatment is designed to specify the locus and nature of the child's deficits in information processing and to compensate for these deficits. Our own clinical and empirical observations, as well as the findings of others, have convinced us that this treatment programme can be applied to exceptional children of many different diagnoses, including emotionally disturbed, learning disabled, autistic, and mentally retarded. A case study involving a seven‐year‐old autistic child is presented to illustrate the technique, process, and effectiveness of the treatment programme.
Special unit care of the preschool child with severe physical or mental handicaps
Authors: NOWOTNY MARGARET
Published: April 2006

SUMMARY
The provision of special care units for the severely physically and mentally handicapped preschool child is discussed. Types of handicap and ethnic origin of the children passing through such a special care unit in a two year period are considered. Management of the special care unit is discussed and the need for a multidisciplinary approach to the care of the child emphasized.
Considerations in the provision of comprehensive care for children with severe visual handicap
Authors: ISMAIL HAZRA
Published: April 2006

SUMMARY The medical and social characteristics of children attending day special schools for the partially sighted is described. This group is characterized by the large number of additional handicaps and a high rate of familial defect. One third have at least one member of the family handicapped and belong to families larger than average. One tenth of the children are living in anomalous family situations. Some of the implications for the provision of comprehensive care are discussed.
Follow‐up at 11 years of 46 children with severe unilateral hearing loss at 7 years
Authors: PECKHAM CATHERINE S. , SHERIDAN MARY D.
Published: April 2006

SUMMARY In the ongoing NCDS, 44 children of the 46 identified at 7 years as having a serious unilateral hearing loss were followed up at 11 years. Half of them had recovered normal bilateral hearing, the remainder still had serious deafness in one ear. Although at 7 years the 46 children as a group had shown backwardness in oral ability, speech and reading, at 11 years both the ‘recovered’ and the ‘persistent’ were similar to their age peers in scholastic attainment. Despite their original apparent difficulty it was encouraging to find that several children in both subgroups were noted as possessing outstanding academic ability. It is concluded that with prompt follow‐up by an alerted school doctor, children with unilateral deafness at age 7 years are likely to progress satisfactorily in later childhood.
SOCIALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN
Authors: HERBERT G. W. , WILSON HARRIETT
Published: April 2006

Summary There is general agreement that adverse environmental circumstances have a stunting effect on child development, even if account is taken of a possible genetic component in the variation of intelligence. A short account of relevant investigations is followed by a summary of some aspects of an interdisciplinary study recently completed by the authors which included interviews with parents as well as psychological tests and ratings on their children in school.
CARETAKING IN THE FIRST YEAR OF LIFE: THE ROLE OF FATHERS, AND MOTHERS' SOCIAL ISOLATION
Authors: RICHARD M. P. M. , DUNN J. F. , ANTONI B.
Published: April 2006

Summary Data are presented from a follow‐up study of some 80 normal first or second born children on the extent of father participain childrearing. Though at both 30 and 60 weeks most fathers played regularly with their children, only a minority regularly undertook caretaking activities. Fathers were more participant at 60 weeks than 30 weeks especially with their daughters. No clear social class differences were found. The number of visitors to the home and excursions by mothers showed that social isolation during the day was quite widespread. Social class I and II families were less likely to have relatives in the neighbourhood and so received fewer visits and went out less often. Mothers going out without children showed less marked social class differences. Mothers of children who woke regularly at night and showed more ‘difficult’ behaviour went out without their children less often than the mothers of children not classified in this way.
COMBINATION SHOWER TOILET
Authors: MAITLAND NAN , AGNEW KENNETH
Published: April 2006

Summary This paper argues the need for special toilet equipment for some children with spina bifida and hydrocephalus and describes the design of a special shower/toilet for an individual child.
EXPANDING THE SCOPE OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
Authors: COLEMAN JOHN , LAISHLEY JENNIE
Published: April 2006

Summary Summary This paper describes the way in which a psychologist has worked in day nurseries in an Inner London Borough. The work has involved the development of an assessment form to be used with the children, and the planning of support groups for the day nursery staff. A brief outline is given of the research design necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of this intervention. It is to be hoped that the study indicates one way in which educational psychologists may extend their range of activities into the preschool area, and maximize the use of their skills in the field of childhood disadvantage.
AN EXPERIMENTAL RESOURCE CENTRE ON HANDICAP IN CHILDREN. I. PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF NEED FOR SUCH A CENTRE*
Authors: PARFIT JESSIE
Published: April 2006

Summary An experimental information and resource centre on handicap in children for the use of staff in the health, social and educational services was set up in an area of London serving four adjacent boroughs. As a first step, a questionnaire was widely distributed to potential users of the centre asking for information about their work, training and recent reading in this subject. Of 192 replies, those from health visitors, medical officers, teachers and therapists are analysed. Lack of adequate training, both at basic and post‐qualification level, as well as a failure to keep up to date with specialized journals, encouraged the establishment of the resource centre, which also planned to provide a course of lectures and seminars. The nature of the material collected is briefly described.
A STUDY OF SOME ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES IN LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
Authors: SCANLON PATRICIA
Published: April 2006

Summary A study of the language development of a group of three year old children living on a housing estate is described. Various factors in their environment are examined in relation to their development. The only significant finding was that children possessing toys which encouraged creative play were more advanced in both verbal comprehension and expressive language. The role of language in intellectual development and possible implications for pre‐school facilities are discussed.
PLAYGROUPS‐THEIR EFFECTS ON THE LANGUAGE AND SOCIALIZATION OF CHILDREN
Authors: ROGERS SINCLAIR , WHEELER T. J. , MCLAUGHLIN S. P.
Published: April 2006

Summary This paper attempts to evaluate the effects of pre‐school playgroups on child development by reporting the views of first year infant school teachers.
DENTAL CARE FOR THE HANDICAPPED‐AMBULATORY AND HOSPITAL CONSIDERATIONS*
Authors: BRAHAM RAYMOND L.
Published: April 2006

Summary Estimates of the incidence of handicap are totally confused, and there is little coordination in provision of information as to types of disability. The author attempts to distinguish between the various handicaps from a standpoint of dental services delivery. Some of the psycho‐social problems of the handicapped are discussed in relation to dental care, and distinction is made between those who can be treated on an ambulatory basis and those who have to be hospitalized. Guidelines are established for each of the aforementioned techniques in order to make the experience more bearable for patient, parent and dentist.
INTEGRATION*
Authors: Fraser B. C.
Published: April 2006

Summary The problems of integrating the disabled child in the ordinary school are examined. The child's adaptation and adjustment are briefly discussed and the influence on these of the home, medical and educational services is considered. Handicap is seen to be created by a combination of the functional limitations imposed by the disability and by the reaction of society to it. Successful integration is considered to be in some way dependent upon efforts which will reduce both this secondary socially induced handicap and also any peer group stigmatization. Positive professional attitudes and intensive family centred support and guidance are considered essential to the successful habilitation of the disabled child.
VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATIONS FOR HANDICAPPED CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES: THE MEANING OF MEMBERSHIP
Authors: BRADSHAW JONATHAN , GLENDINNIN CAROLINE , HATCH STEPHEN
Published: April 2006

Summary Two surveys of families caring for very severely disabled children at home reveal that about half the families belong to a voluntary organization. Membership varies by disease, social class, income, family composition and locality. Over half the non‐members would like to belong to such organizations and practical obstacles are the most common reason for not belonging. The principal benefits derived by members are the opportunities to share problems and exchange information and advice. In general such bodies have a role that is different from and complementary to statutory services.
OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES OF CHILDREN FROM DIARY TO ETHNOGRAM. A CENTURY OF PROGRESS
Authors: COOPER MARGERY G.
Published: April 2006

Summary A survey of methodology within observational study is attempted. Personalized baby biographies are seen to provide a foundation for more rigorous study including time and event sampling utilizing technological aids. The essence of ecology is included within an increasingly objective approach leading up to the possibility of utilization of the principles and practice of ecology. Naturalistic observation can be seen to be a necessary element within modern behavioural study.
LIVING IN ONE‐PARENT FAMILIES: RELATIONSHIPS AND ATTITUDES OF 16‐YEAR‐OLDS
Authors: ESSEN JULIET , LAMBERT LYDIA
Published: April 2006

Summary The proportions of 16‐year‐olds in the National Child Development Study who are not living with both their natural parents in 1974 are examined and compared with proportions in earlier follow‐ups. The children who have ever lived in one‐parent families are selected for more detailed examination, such as the reasons for their parental situation, the age their families broke up and the ratio of motherless to fatherless at each age. The children's view of their relationship with their parents or new parent figures and their attitudes towards their own future marriage and family are considered and compared with those of children still living with both their own parents. The overall conclusion is that the differences in these respects between children in one and two‐parent families are very slight, suggesting that the attitudes of children in one‐parent families towards their future family life have not been greatly affected by their own childhood experiences.
A CHILD'S RELATIONSHIPS AFTER ADMISSION TO RESIDENTIAL CARE
Authors: WOLKIND S. N.
Published: April 2006

Summary In a group of 92 children in longterm residential care it was found that those children visited infrequently by their mothers were less likely than those visited frequently or not at all to relate well to their houseparents. That the child's relationship with the houseparents was of considerable significance was suggested by the finding that prolonged contact with the same houseparent was associated with lower rates of psychiatric disorder and deviant behaviour in the child. The implications of these findings for child care practice are discussed.
INTELLECTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF MOTHERS OF FAILURE TO THRIVE SYNDROME CHILDREN
Authors: HESS ALLEN K. , HESS KATHRYN A. , HARD HARRIETTE E.
Published: April 2006

Summary The intelligence levels of three groups of mothers were ascertained by the vocabulary test of the Stanford—Binet Intelligence Scale. Eight mothers having children diagnosed as failure‐to‐thrive due to non‐organic reasons (FTT‐E), eight mothers with children diagnosed as failure‐to‐thrive due to physically traceable reasons (FTT‐0), and eight mothers with children hospitalized due to reasons other than failure‐to‐thrive (C), were contrasted on intelligence, age, education and the presence or absence of the father in the home. Hypotheses regarding a disadvantage of FTT‐E mothers on the four variables were supported. Implications of the results were discussed regarding programmes dealing with failure‐to‐thrive children and mothers. Further investigation in this area was proposed.
A REVIEW OF STUDIES OF THE SOCIO‐FAMILIAL BACKGROUNDS AND EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES OF THE HOMES OF MODERATELY EDUCATIONALLY SUBNORMAL CHILDREN
Authors: SAUNDERS MALCOLM
Published: April 2006

Summary A search of the literature indicates the paucity of information on the backgrounds of ESN(m) children, despite the important contribution made by the home to the cognitive development and educational achievement of the children. The information that is available tends to support the notion of a syndrome of familial moderate educational subnormality. Evidence from one investigation points to certain ethnic differences which may be important in any programme of intervention.
OBSERVATIONS ON A THERAPEUTIC RESIDENTIAL SETTINGFOR AUTISTIC CHILDREN
Authors: COOPER NICOLAS A.
Published: April 2006

Summary A therapeutic milieu for children labelled with a diagnosis of early infantile autism is described. This study, in a residential setting near Washington DC, USA, discusses the various procedures adopted for alleviating the problems encountered with these children, such as the formation of social relationships, language formation, and compulsive behaviour.
THE EXETER HOME‐VISITING PROJECT: THE PSYCHOLOGIST AS ONE OF SEVERAL THERAPISTS*
Authors: RAYNER HEATHER
Published: April 2006

Summary Ten years ago Honeylands in Exeter was the chronic care children's ward of a district general hospital. The consultant and matron regulated the use of Honeylands for residential relief by handicapped children, a development suggested by a parent. Two hundred children now receive residential relief whenever requested by parents. All types of handicap are represented — social, environmental, physical and mental. Playgroup began with five children in 1970. There are now four levels of playgroup, and 60 children participating. Individual therapeutic work, originating with physiotherapy in the late 60's, now extends to several therapeutic disciplines and includes nursery nurses under the direction of psychologists. New cases are identified as early as possible, and a multidisciplinary team including all disciplines and some volunteers each takes individual responsibility for new children and their families. The home therapist is selected according to the special needs of the particular child. Developmental work at home in the family thus precedes the introduction to Honeylands. A detailed description is made of the home visiting project from the viewpoint of the developmental psychologist. Awareness of the global impact of handicap on families, and some limitations of expectations for developmental therapy in very young handicapped children, have become clear. The entire family unit must be comprehended and considered before developmental intervention can be effective.
HOME INTERVENTION WITH PARENTS OF SEVERELY SUBNORMAL, PRESCHOOL CHILDREN AN INTERIM REPORT
Authors: SANDOW SARAH , CLARKE A. D. B.
Published: April 2006

Summary A programme of home‐based intervention with two groups of pre‐school severely subnormal children and their parents has produced apparently contradictory results; frequently visited children after initial superiority over infrequently visited children, later showed a deceleration in intellectual growth. Less frequently visited children conversely showed a rise in performance after an initial decrement. The interpretation is advanced that parents in the latter group were less dependent on the visiting therapist, and more able to take positive action to assist their children, and improve their own situation.
CHILDHOOD HOUSING EXPERIENCES AND SCHOOL ATTAINMENT
Authors: ESSEN JULIET , FOGELMAN KEN , HEAD JENNY
Published: April 2006

Summary The housing conditions of children in the National Child Development Study are related both to 16‐year school attainment and also to progress through secondary school from 11 to 16. Children in homes which are crowded or lacking amenities, or in council homes at sixteen have relatively low scores on tests of reading and mathematics at the same age. The relationship between 16‐year attainment and housing conditions is shown to be similar whether the child experienced the unsatisfactory housing at the age of 7, 11 or 16. Crowding and amenities are shown to be slightly associated with progress through the secondary school, although tenure is more strongly associated. The overall conclusions from this study are that children who have ever lived in unsatisfactory housing perform relatively poorly at school when they are 16, but no evidence emerged that there is any particular age at which housing circumstances are crucial for eventual school attainment. Consideration is also given to the importance of the wider environment in which the child lives.
FOLLOW‐UP TO 16 YEARS OF SCHOOL CHILDREN WHO HAD MARKED SPEECH DEFECTS AT 7 YEARS
Authors: SHERIDAN MARY D. , PECKHAM CATHERINE S.
Published: April 2006

Summary In this paper we present the results of a follow‐up study to age 16 years of 215 children in the National Child Development Study who were reported to show marked speech defects with normal hearing at 7 years. At 16 years information was available for 180 (85%) of the surviving 212 children. 30% of these children were in special schools and of the 70% in ordinary schools, 51% were reported still to have a residual speech problem. Additional health and social problems were frequent among the study group children and with very few exceptions they did badly at school. The findings at 16 years strongly reinforce our earlier conclusions that markedly defective speech at 7 years indicates the likelihood of continued backwardness in the development of acceptable verbal communication, social maturity and scholastic attainments.
ACTION RESEARCH IN DAY NURSERIES: EVALUATING PROGRAMMES THROUGH STAFF PERCEPTIONS AND ATTITUDES
Authors: LAISHLEY JENNIE , COLEMAN JOHN
Published: April 2006

Summary Day nurseries in deprived inner‐city areas have to cope with a wide range of problems which are presented by the young children and their families. Many of the children can be delayed in some area of their development or have emotional problems which require sensitive handling. These challenges are in addition to the expected difficulties of helping young children to adjust to a new situation and the presence of unfamiliar adults and children. The staff of day nurseries tend to be young and the 2‐year training has a great deal to cover on normal development. The consequence is that staff in their late teens and early twenties have to face the demands of children whose development is often far from ‘normal’ in terms of the average range. It was a concern about this situation in a very disadvantaged area of London and the fact that nurseries have traditionally been fairly isolated institutions that led to the planning of a 2‐year exploratory project with the objective of introducing new ideas and approaches to nursery staff which would help them provide a better quality of care to socially disadvantaged under‐5s.
AN APPROACH TO THE EVALUATION OE EARLY INTERVENTION PROJECTS WITH MOTHERS OF SEVERELY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN: THE ATTITUDE DIMENSION
Authors: BURDEN R. L.
Published: April 2006

Summary This paper describes a research investigation currently being carried out into the changing attitudes of mothers of severely handicapped pre‐school children. A summary is made of the most frequently cited emotional reactions following the birth of a handicapped child and this is followed by a detailed description of a Maternal Attitudes Battery designed to obtain quantitative measures of relevent maternal attitudes. This is presented within the framework of an evaluation model specifically chosen to investigate the effectiveness of the Honey‐lands Home Intervention Project.
FAMILIES WITH HANDICAPPED CHILDREN‐WHO HELPS WHOM AND HOW?
Authors: BLACK J. M. M.
Published: April 2006

Summary So much has been written about handicapped children and their families that one hesitates to add to this, but, equally, relatively little seems to have been discussed about all the various professions who are together concerned with helping these children and their families and how this can best be achieved. Secondly, it seems even more important that the caring professions should be aware of what these families feel about ‘the help’ which they are given‐only by knowing this can we all learn how to work more effectively together.
OBSERVATIONS OF YOUNG NORMAL AND HANDICAPPED CHILDREN
Authors: PHEMISTER M. R. , RICHARDSON A. M. , THOMAS G. V.
Published: April 2006

Summary An observational study was made of 1–2‐year‐old children, and of mentally handicapped children functioning at a similar level, to determine the extent to which they involved themselves in play with toys and other objects and the extent to which their day was ‘empty’. Observations of normal children were made in their homes and in day nurseries; observations of mentally handicapped children were made at home, in day care centres (special schools) and in the schools and wards of subnormality hospitals. In no setting were children interacting with adults for more than 20% of their non‐routine time. These findings seem to justify concern over independent play with toys and other objects. The handicapped children in all settings had ‘emptier’ days than the normal children, this being accounted for by greater amounts of inattentive handling of objects and self‐stimulation and lesser amounts of social interaction and attentive play. However, attentive play scores for the handicapped children varied markedly with setting. In appropriate circumstances, there can be as much spontaneous contact with objects in handicapped children as in normal children at a similar development level. Despite current concern over the effects of day care on the development of very young children, normal children in day nurseries did not differ from normal children at home, either in attentive play scores or in the proportion of non‐routine time spent interacting with adults.
DEVELOPMENTAL PATTERNS OF VISUALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN
Authors: REYNELL JOAN
Published: April 2006

Summary This article reports a comparative study of the developmental patterns of blind, partially sighted and fully sighted children during the first few years of life. Using the (previous reported) Reynell‐Zinkin developmental scale for visually handicapped children, the groups were compared in the five developmental areas of (a) social adaptation, (b) sensori‐motor understanding, (c) exploration of environment, (d) verbal comprehension and (e) expressive language. It was found that 10 to 12 months was the age at which the sighted group began to outstrip the visually handicapped children in most of the developmental areas. This divergence increased until towards the upper end of scale (4 to 5 years for the visually handicapped) when more abstract thought processes began to develop. The effect of visual handicap was also seen in the greater advantage of the partially sighted over the blind children. The patterns of development varied somewhat in the five different areas. The reasons for this are discussed. The findings point to the need for intensive help for visually handicapped children from the earliest months of life.
OCCUPATIONAL COMMITMENTS AND PATERNAL DEPRIVATION
Authors: ELLIOT FAITH ROBERTSON
Published: April 2006

Summary In the post‐war era the husband‐father role has been enlarged to encompass active participation in family life. However, occupational commitments may inhibit active involvement in family life, particularly in the middle classes where work has traditionally been defined as salient. This article reports on an investigation of the consequences of heavy work commitments for father role performance and child development. This investigation, using the case study method, focussed on hospital medicine and the early child‐rearing stage of the family life cycle. It was found that fathers felt themselves to be shadowy figures in the background of their children's lives and that mothers experienced single‐handed responsibility for child‐rearing as burdensome. Children have little experience of a father's companionship, and discipline and work pressures may be transmitted to them. A few children exhibited behaviour difficulties. Suggestions for further study are made.
THE DERBYSHIRE LANGUAGE SCHEME: REMEDIAL TEACHING FOR LANGUAGE DELAYED CHILDREN
Authors: MASIDLOVER M.
Published: April 2006

In 1973 Wendy Knowles* and I began designing an approach to language improvement for mentally retarded children. By 1977 it had become the Derbyshire Language Scheme (DLS), a system of language assessment and related teaching activities. The DLS had been implemented at ESN(S) schools and proved to be equally useful in ESN(M) schools and pre‐school diagnostic units.
ANALYSING PARENT‐CHILD INTERACTIONS IN CLINICAL PRACTICE: THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PROCEDURE AND METHOD OF REPORTING
Authors: GAUSSEN TERENCE
Published: April 2006

Summary Research in child developmental psychology is concerning itself increasingly with the fine‐grain study of infant‐caregiver interactions and as a result awareness of the importance of early interaction patterns in the development of children has grown very rapidly. The research has been based on an observational approach made possible by the use of video‐recording and the development of sophisticated methods of interaction analysis. The methods employed and the research findings have important implications for those working clinically with young handicapped children and their parents, but as yet the research methods have been too complex and time‐consuming to be used directly in practice.

This paper describes the development of a procedure which can be used to observe and analyse the interactions of pre‐school handicapped children with their caregivers in a clinical setting, using modifications of existing research methods and based on current findings. Examples of the coding procedure, transcript sheet and reporting methods are given in the context of a pilot application. It is suggested that the approach is valuable as a conceptual framework which the observer can use to improve his observational skills, provides a sound base for assessment and remediation work and can incorporate new research findings as they become available.
MELDRETH DRIBBLE‐CONTROL PROJECT
Authors: RAPP D. L. , BOWERS P. M.
Published: April 2006

Summary Seven subnormal spastic children aged 15–16 years, who had the additional problem of profuse dribbling, were trained to associate an auditory cue, from a small box pinned to their clothes, with swallowing. A significant reduction in dribble rate was obtained for all children within the first week. This method of dribble control has two advantages: it requires very little professional time, and the child's ability to control his dribbling is emphasized from the beginning.
THE REGIONAL CHILD ASSESSMENT CENTRE: THE PROCESS OE REEERRAL OE CASES
Authors: WOODS GRACE E.
Published: April 2006

Summary The various sources of referral to a Regional Child Assessment Centre are enumerated. The question of referrals from paramedicals, education and social services and from parents are discussed.
PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS IN FEEDING DISORDERS OCCURRING IN MENTALLY OR MULTIPLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN
Authors: WEIR KIRK
Published: April 2006

Summary This is a discussion of the psychological aspects of nonorganic feeding problems occurring in infancy and early childhood. There are particular difficulties caused by parental responses to a handicapped child and these increase the likelihood of feeding problems. The temperament and personality of the child can pose additional problems. Early counselling for families of handicapped babies can facilitate normal mourning and the mobilization of practical help, and reduce the incidence of non‐organic feeding problems.
ASSESSING AND FACILITATING PLAY IN HANDICAPPED CHILDREN
Authors: COPELAND ANNE P. , GOLDEN DOUGLAS B.
Published: April 2006

Summary The importance of using the play period in an educational curriculum to promote social and cognitive growth is discussed, especially as it pertains to handicapped children. Facilitation and stimulation of play at the child's current level of functioning is advocated. A sample play programme is discussed as an illustration of how problems in planning can be handled. A list of decision points and important factors to consider in planning for play is then provided.
PHYSIOLOGICAL BASIS OF VISUAL ACUITY AND ITS DEVELOPMENT IN KITTENS
Authors: IKEDA H.
Published: April 2006

Summary To answer the questions, (1) Which cells in the visual system are responsible for high visual acuity and (2) Does the function of the cells which provide high visual acuity develop postnatally; single cell studies have been made in the retina, lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and visual cortex of cats of different ages. Sustained‐X retinal ganglion cells in the area centralis (the equivalent retinal position to the human fovea) set the upper limit of visual acuity. The cellular acuity develops postnatally until it reaches the adult level at 3–4 months‐of‐age. The improvement of acuity is associated with an increase in the strength of the inhibitory surround mechanism of the receptive field of sustained cells in the area centralis. The maturation of cellular acuity coincides with maturation of retinal and LGN synaptic organisation and of optic nerve myelination.
BINOCULAR REFLEXES IN THE FIRST 6 MONTHS OF LIFE: PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF A STUDY OF NORMAL INFANTS
Authors: COAKES R. L. , CLOTHIER C. , WILSON A.
Published: April 2006

Summary The development of the binocular reflexes during the first 6 months of life was studied in 38 normal infants. Preliminary results indicate that the following reflex is well established by 2 months, convergence by 3 months and the corrective fusion reflex by the age of 5 months.
SMOKING IN PREGNANCY AND SUBSEQUENT DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHILD
Authors: FOGELMAN KEN
Published: April 2006

Summary Data from the National Child Development Study have been used to examine the relationship between mother's smoking during pregnancy and neonatal mortality, birthweight and the subsequent development of the child to the age of 11. In this paper analyses are reported which extend this work to examine development by the age of 16. After allowing for a wide range of related background factors, it is found that mothers smoking during pregnancy continues to be related to the child's reading and mathematics attainment. For boys, but not girls, there is an association with height. An inconsistent relationship is found with the child's history of asthma and wheezy bronchitis. Some doubts about the direct causality of such relationships are discussed.
PATTERNS OF INTELLECTUAL CHANGE IN THE DEMENTING SCHOOL CHILD
Authors: LOBASCHER M. E. , CAVANAGH N. P. C.
Published: April 2006

Summary Four children with intellectual deterioration are discussed. The importance of a developmental and educational history and sequential psychological testing is emphasized. Progressive visual impairment, clumsiness and increasingly poorly‐controlled fits should alert teachers and doctors to the possibility of associated intellectual deterioration. As well as global loss, tests of memory and mental arithmetic, manipulative and perceptual skills were the most sensitive index of dementia. We propose a further subcategory of the present codes of classification of childhood psychiatric disorders.
CORRELATES OF LOW BIRTH WEIGHT
Authors: CATER JOHN I.
Published: April 2006

Summary In order to provide a base line for long term follow‐up, the background, methodology and major conclusions of a prospective study of low birth weight infants (≤2500 g) and their matched controls (> 2500 g) were studied and the results presented. The low birth weight babies were disadvantaged in respect of a number of bio‐social parameters, had an excess of maternal and pregnancy disease conditions and a more unfavourable outcome in other pregnancies. The cohort was used to try and evolve a better definition of impaired fetal growth. The relative merits of using weight, head circumference, length, ratio of anthropometric measurements, relative merits position of anthropometric measurements in the same baby, cluster analysis techniques and clinical morbidity as estimates of impaired fetal growth were analysed: none defined impaired fetal growth more accurately than weight for gestational age. Methods of estimating gestational age and physical characteristics relating to growth and gestational age, as well as a number of biochemical and neonatal measurements, are described.
GRIFFITHS SCALES OF MENTAL DEVELOPMENT AND DIFFERENT USERS
Authors: SMITH J. ALDRIDGE , BIDDER R. T. , GARDNER S. M. , GRAY O. P.
Published: April 2006

Summary
In a study of the inter‐rater reliability of the Griffiths Mental Development Scales, the Eye‐Hand Coordination and the Performance and Practical Reasoning Scales were found to show greater consistency between raters than the Locomotor, Personal‐Social scale and the Hearing‐Speech Scale. The latter scales were more sensitive to interpretation by different assessors, even when all viewed the same videotaped performance. No significant discrepancies were found between raters with different backgrounds and experience.
A HOME ADVISORY SERVICE FOR PRE‐SCHOOL CHILDREN WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS
Authors: CLEMENTS J. C. , BIDDER R. T. , GARDNER S. , BRYANT G. , GRAY O. P.
Published: April 2006

Summary
This paper describes the development of a home advisory service for families of children with developmental difficulties. It demonstrates the transition from a research phase to routine service provision, and indicates that the expansion in numbers of families receiving the service has been achieved whilst maintaining or improving the actual quality of the service. Information is provided on the placement of children who have left the service, and on the plans for future research within the service.
MEASURING THE EFFECTS OF STRESS ON THE MOTHERS OF HANDICAPPED INFANTS: MUST DEPRESSION ALWAYS FOLLOW?
Authors: BURDEN R. L.
Published: April 2006

Summary
As one aspect of the evaluation of an early intervention project with families of handicapped children, 25 mothers of severely handicapped infants were asked individually, as part of an in‐depth interview, to complete the Malaise Inventory (Rutter et al. 1970) soon after the commencement of home‐based therapy. They were also asked to complete the Inventory with regard to their feelings prior to home visiting, and the 20 mothers with surviving children were asked to complete it again after a 2 year period during which regular weekly visits had been maintained. A comparison group of 12 mothers with handicapped children of the same age, living in another part of the same county, who had not received home visiting, were also interviewed under similar conditions. A general decrease in the level of depression reported was found both during and at the end of the 2 year period. The complex nature of the relationship between the birth of a handicapped child and maternal depression is discussed and some implications drawn from the present study. The strengths and weaknesses of the Malaise Inventory for use within this context are also discussed.
THE PROGRESS OF DEVELOPMENTALLY DELAYED PRE‐SCHOOL CHILDREN IN A HOME‐TRAINING SCHEME
Authors: BARNA S. , BIDDER R. T. , GRAY O. P. , CLEMENTS J. , GARDNER S.
Published: April 2006

Summary
The present study compared the rates of development of a group of 35 pre‐school children in a home‐training scheme. The children entered the service at different ages and suffered from different disabilities. The families received weekly visiting from a home advisor, who was specially trained to develop skills in the parents to help their children. Those who developed most rapidly were the group of environmentally deprived children. The non‐specific developmentally delayed and Down's syndrome children progressed well during the study period. The children who suffered from cerebral palsy and those with visual handicaps developed at a very slow rate, despite the training that they were receiving. This finding may reflect the severity of their handicaps but also it suggests that the needs of these particular groups should be further examined. The age of entry to the scheme did not seem to be an important variable. The individual variability within each specified group was wide.
PARENT SUPPORT GROUPS FOR THE FAMILIES OF MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN
Authors: HOLLAND J. M. , HATTERSLEY J.
Published: April 2006

Summary
This paper describes a model of parent support group which has, as its aim, the provision of an effective clinical service to the handicapped child and his or her family. The aims and objectives of the group are outlined together with an evaluation of the effectiveness of the group after a period of 6 months. Conclusions are drawn as to the advantages of such a group and the importance of seeing the behaviour of the parent as an appropriate focus for intervention, is stressed.
Profile: Parents help themselves
Authors: WOODS GRACE E.
Published: April 2006

Summary
A short account is given of a voluntary organization, PACE, formed by parents of young handicapped children in Leeds. PACE provides friendship and help to other parents, arranges the toy library, riding for the disabled and other activities for the children. It also raises money that is needed for special projects.