As of December 1998, we have gathered about 600 Checklists and conducted follow-up evaluations on 264 children. We are currently gathering data on child and family outcomes to document the effectiveness of our early intervention program. We have gathered information from hundreds of children in the Tallahassee area thanks to the help of many health care and childcare providers. We are interested in knowing what skills should be expected in most children at different ages in order to set criteria for early detection.
Early communication is rooted in the expression of emotion and use of eye gaze.
Even before 8 months, most parents report that they know when their child is happy versus upset. By 8 to 9 months of age, most parents report that their child looks at them to see if they are watching when playing with toys and that their child smiles while looking at them. Sharing emotion and attention is a critical milestone in learning to talk. Children learn the power of communication before they learn to talk. By 12 months most parents report that their child can get them to notice interesting objects.