Click here for a
list of Childhood Developmental Screening Tools.
Virtual Encyclopedia of Early Childhood Development - This
Encyclopedia covers 33 topics related to the psychosocial
development of the child, from conception to the age of five.
For each topic, a series of articles written by internationally
renowned experts presents the most up-to-date scientific
knowledge and addresses three questions: How important is it?
What do we know? What can be done? Each topic is organized with
key messages geared for parents and service providers. A summary
of findings is provided with the complete articles also
available.
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Have a Ball! A Toolkit
for Physical Activity and the Early Years |
|
A variety of materials in a handy,
ready-to-go 'briefcase' for promoting and delivering
physical activity opportunities for young children. The
Toolkit includes a binder of information, a copy of Moving
and Growing: Ages Two, Three and Four, a copy of the
Rainbow Fun resource on CD, the Chief Medical Officer of
Health Report: Healthy Weights, Healthy Lives, Canada's
Food Guide to Healthy Eating: Focus on Preschoolers, a
beach ball to (must we say it)…get the ball rolling, and
other complementary materials. |
Download the binder contents available in
PDF.
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What the Research Says (PDF 535KB)
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Resource Selection Critera (164KB)
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Resources (PDF 344KB)
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Great Ideas (PDF 3.5 MB)
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Have a Ball with a Ball ! (88.6KB)
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Fact sheets - Professionals (PDF 1.1 MB)
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Fact sheets - Parents (PDF 316KB)
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PEDS: Developmental
Milestones Measurements For Children 0-8 Years - A new
measure called PEDS:Developmental Milestones (PEDS:DM) for
children 0 - 8 years is now available for parents and
professionals. The Screening Level version is in wide use by
pediatricians but the PEDS:DM also has an Assessment Level
version helpful for child-find, early intervention programs, and
NICU follow-up.
AAP: Newborn Screening Technology:
Proceed With Caution (PDF) - The American College of Medical
Genetics (ACMG) recommends a significant expansion in the number
of conditions targeted by newborn screening (NBS) programs. In
this commentary we advocate a more cautious approach.
New Research on Babies Yields Clues for Later Learning -
Armed with some new information, pediatricians are starting to
change the way they evaluate their youngest patients. In
addition to tracking physical development, they are now focusing
much more deeply on emotional advancement. A baby who fails to
meet certain key "emotional milestones" may have trouble
learning to speak, read and, later, do well in school. By
reading emotional responses, doctors have begun to discover ways
to tell if a baby as young as 3 months is showing early signs of
possible psychological disorders, including depression, anxiety,
learning disabilities and perhaps autism. "Instead of just
asking if they're crawling or sitting, we're asking more
questions about how they share their world with their
caregivers," says Dr. Chet Johnson. "Do they point to things?
When they see a new person, how do they react? How children do
on social and emotional and language skills are better
predictors of success in adulthood than motor skills are."
Summer's Great For Potty
Training - For youngsters who are physically and
psychologically ready for toilet training, summer may be an
ideal time to begin, according to a statement on the topic from
the University of Michigan Health System.
Facts About Young Children With Challenging Behavior (PDF)
Learn The Signs. Act
Early. Health Care Professional Downloads &
Parent Downloads - It's time to change
how we view a child's growth. Do you know all the ways you should
measure your child’s growth? The good news is, the earlier a delay is
recognized the more you can do to help your child reach her full
potential.
Autism Spectrum
Disorders (Pervasive Developmental Disorders) - Describes symptoms,
causes, and treatments, with information on getting help and coping.
NINDS
Pervasive Developmental Disorders Information Page - Includes: What are
Pervasive Developmental Disorders? Is there any treatment? What is the
prognosis? What research is being done? Organizations, Related NINDS
Publications and Information, and Publicaciones en Español.
Enlisting Parents in the
Race to Detect Autism Early Enough to Make a Difference -
Who better to spot autism than parents? Subtle changes in
behavior may be more obvious to a mother or father who sees a
child daily than to a pediatrician who has 50 other patients.
Child Development:
Developmental Milestones
Birth to 5 - Find important information on what to look for
in your child’s development. Sections include information on
Infants (0-1 year old), Toddlers (1-2 years old), Toddlers (2-3
years old, and preschoolers (3-5 years old).
Healthy Start, Grow Smart Series - download publications containing
tips, insight, resources and more for each month of your child's first
year: Newborn through 12 months.
Parenting: The First, Second and Third Years (PDF files)
For Parents of Preemies: Commonly Asked Questions -
click here.
Has Your Child Met His Milestones? - Although no two children develop
at the same rate, most children should be able to do certain things at
certain ages. Talk with your pediatrician during your next office visit if
you note major differences between your child's development and his
appropriate age milestones. Here are some general guidelines for judging
if your child is developing at a healthy pace.
Featured
Website:
Michigan Genetics Resource Center
Some birth defects can be prevented. For
example, spina bifida is a neural tube defect caused by incomplete
development of the spinal cord. Neural tube defects can be prevented by
taking enough folic acid before and during the first month of pregnancy. For
more information about ways to prevent certain birth defects
click here (PDF) to view the Preventing Birth
Defects Brochure. If you would like to order a copy of
this pamphlet click here.
Prolonged Infant
Crying: Sign of Trouble? - A handful of studies have shown
that persistent crying - longer than 3
months - may be related to mental and behavioral problems as
children get older. In a recent study, children who still had
unexplained, persistent crying beyond 6
months tended to be hyperactive when they reached 8-10 years
old.
Tools for Early
Identification and Intervention (0-5 years) - Includes:
Child Management Principles with Young Children 0-5, Rule Out
Model for the Early Identification and Treatment of Children
with Developmental Disabilities, Glossary of Terms, Early
Identification of Developmental Concern Form, Parent
Developmental Questionnaire - PDQ, Parent Developmental
Questionnaire - PDQ in Spanish, Your Child's Developmental,
Behavioral & Medical History, Child's Attainment of
Developmental Milestones Rating Scale, The Greenspan Functional
Emotional Assessment Scale, The Greenspan Functional
Developmental Scale, Initial Assessment Description and
Observation of Child, Observation of Parent - Child interaction,
Greenspan Infant/Child Regulatory Patterns Survey, Sensory
Modulation Training, The "Greenspan" Floor Time Model, Parent's
Guide For Setting up a Program of Floor Time Volunteers,
PowerPoint Presentation: The "Greenspan" Floor Time Model, and
Links.
The Thyroid Gland -
There are 90 known compounds that can disrupt thyroid hormone
production and 12 different ways it can be disrupted. Even a
small disruption in a mother’s hormone level at critical stages
in brain development can have devastating effects. Children of
mothers with low circulating thyroid hormone have been shown to
have trouble with motor coordination, balance and other
psychomotor skills. ADHD has been linked to hypothyroidal
mothers as well as a higher than average incidence of
difficulties with special relations, perception, memory and
language.
Download the report: "A
Look at Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Screening Tools for Head Start and
Early Head Start" (PDF; 18 pages) by Philip H. Printz, Amy Borg, and
Mary Ann Demaree, Center for Children and Families Education Development
Center, Inc. Excerpt: Head Start Performance Standards require that a
specific social, emotional, and behavioral screening be administered for
Head Start and Early Head Start children within 45 days of enrollment. We
are often asked by Head Start and Early Head Start programs for assistance
in locating social, emotional, and behavioral screening tools. This document
seeks to clarify these questions regarding this requirement, and to provide
guidance for choosing a specific screening tool.
Learn about
the ASQ - The ASQ (or Ages & Stages Questionnaire) is a tool used to
screen infants and young children for developmental delays.
The Bzoch-League
Receptive-Expressive-Language Test (REEL-2), 2nd. Ed.
The REEL-2 is a scale designed for
infants and toddlers up to 3 years of age. It measures and
analyzes emergent language for intervention planning. Results
are obtained from a parent interview and are given in terms of
an Expressive Language Age, A Receptive Language Age, and a
Combined Language Age.
Available through Pro Ed, Inc. 8700 Shoal Creek Boulevard,
Austin, Texas 78757-6897; (800) 897-3202 or on the web at
http://www.proedinc.com.
The Assessment of Basic Language
and Learning Skills (ABLLS)
An invaluable resource, the ABLLS manual contains an
actual assessment (protocol) that identifies a young learner’s
skills and deficits. The initial scoring allows you to
systematically determine intervention priorities and establish
an individualized curriculum for each child. The second part of
this two part package contains the ABLLS Scoring Instructions
and IEP Development Guide. Once the assessment is complete, it
can be used to outline an IEP and develop a baseline for working
with children at their skill level. *Note that this is a 2
booklet set that comes with one protocol already included.
Price: 59.95 USD; Soft Cover, 2 Volume Set by James W.
Partington, PhD and Mark L. Sundberg, PhD. Ordering info can be
found at
http://www.difflearn.com.
In Harm’s Way:
Toxic Threats to Child Development - The intersection between
environmental chemicals and child development is a new area of public health
science. It is only in the past few years that we have begun to grasp the
potential health effects of even slight disturbances in child development.
Free Online Program for
Newborn Screening Education
The Michigan Newborn Screening Program
is pleased to offer this free course to help individuals better
understand and carry out their role with the newborn screening
program. There are nine modules in this course. Go
to
http://www.mihealth.org/. Select the "Newborn
Screening" course. Set up a free account with Michigan
Virtual University then follow the directions to log in and take
the course. Contact Denise Pleger with any questions about
the course at 517-335-8588 or
plegerd@michigan.gov.
Brain Child: Finding
the Key - By the time we drop them into the kindergarten pool, some of our
children start swimming through society like little Olympians. Others dog paddle
or tread water. They will learn in due time. Others just start sinking.
Brain Child: Science Findings on
Brain Development - An infant is staring at his mother's versatile face, not
a trace of understanding in his still-focusing eyes. And yet behind that
wide-eyed gaze and soft cap of bone, an electrical storm is taking place.
Brain Child: Universal Kindergarten
Offered in Many States - One 4-year-old entered Mandy Deal's
pre-kindergarten class this school year not able to name different colors or
shapes and not knowing her own last name. Now the child can do all those things,
plus write her first and last name and count to 20.
Brain Child: Public Policy is a
Child's Third Parent - Parents are every baby's first teachers.
Brain Child: Financing Early
Childhood Education - Tasha Mora grew up amid nightly gunshots, drug deals
and filth. The 24-year-old mother of four says a public investment in her early
childhood got her out of her Austin, Texas, ghetto and into a kid-friendly
suburb with her husband and children.
Brain Child: Early Head Start
Gives Extra-early Boost to Toddlers - Amy Lee looks like she is watching her
youngest son play. But really, she is watching him develop his mind. He is 2
years, 8 months old.
Brain Child:
Teachers Toting New Brain Research into Schools - New brain research
prompted elementary school principal Kathy Whitmire to scratch the word
"unreachable" from her vocabulary.
Brain Child: Roundup of Early
Childhood Resources - All over the country, organizations, agencies,
government entities, institutes, community leaders and parents are working to
make life better for young children and their families. Armed with the latest
research on brain development, these programs and efforts are all geared to
maximize children's potential.
Brain Child: Early Education a
Jumpstart For Life - If you can understand the words in this story, you can
thank your parents for spending time singing and talking to you when you were in
the womb. Then, if they continued to talk to you after you were born, introduced
you to challenging problems and spent a great deal of time reading to you until
you were at least 3, you developed learning skills that stayed with you for the
rest of your life.
Brain Child: Early Brain
Development Key for Future - Advocates for building better brains in
children are doing nothing less than trying to start a revolution.
Brain Child: Barriers to
Early Childhood Education - Educators and child development experts know
what needs to be done to get kids ready to learn. They know that money spent
trying to help kids catch up with their peers in fourth, eighth or 12th grade
would be better spent in the first few years of life.
Brain Child: A Primer for
Developing Baby's Brain - It's child's play, really. Playing right with your
baby in the first three years of life can have a profound influence on the kind
of child and adult he or she becomes. Here's why. When a baby is born, the brain
cells begin making trillions of connections with each other as it starts to
experience its environment.
Newborn Screening
Tests - Newborn screening is the practice of testing every
newborn for certain harmful or potentially fatal disorders that
are not otherwise apparent at birth. Many of these are metabolic
disorders, often called "inborn errors of metabolism," which
interfere with the body's use of nutrients to maintain healthy
tissues and produce energy. Other disorders that may be detected
through screening include problems with hormones, vitamin
levels, or the blood.
How is your
child developing? Join the
Ages & Stages program. There is no cost to join and you will learn tons
about your child. Also, gets some great parenting tips and ideas for FUN
activities.
Click to download a PDF with more information and a sign up sheet.
(Michigan Only)
Finding Quality Services for You and Your Child (PDF
Brochure; page 1 is in English; page 2 is in Spanish) - "Whether
you are looking for child care, early childcare education
programs, healthcare, parent education, or family support,
quality is difficult to define, because quality standards differ
by service and vary based on your own personal values." This
brochure is from Connect For Kids of Kent County.
Early
Childhood Development: Economic
Development with a High Public Return
New Book for
Preschoolers/Toddlers: "Small Steps Forward: Using Games and
Activities to Help Your Pre-School Child with Special Needs" -
click here for more
information.
Take the
Zero to Three Brain Quiz - Examples: True or False? Babies
are born with the ability to learn all the languages in the
world. True or False? A human baby's brain has the
greatest density of brain cells connectors (synapses) by age 3.
Find the answers to these and other questions in this Brain Quiz
brought to you by Zero To Three.
Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool
Youngsters (HIPPY)
-
A parent involvement, school readiness
program that helps parents prepare their 3 to 5 year old children for
success in school and beyond.
The Institutes For The Achievement of Human Potential:
www.iahp.org - Serving children by teaching parents how to enhance the development of
their children based upon proven brain research and incredible results with
both well and brain-damaged children.
Understanding Your
Baby's Cries - Knowing what to do when your baby fusses and
learning how to understand why he or she is upset is often a
very difficult job for new parents. But there is help.
Read the Detroit News article
"Time May Lessen
Brain Woes in Very Small Premature Babies"
Teenage
Mutant Ninja Cortex -
An article in
the Oct. 2002 issue of the journal "Brain
and Cognition" may offer a solution to one of mankind's
last unsolved mysteries: teen angst. [source]
Series on Child Development and Play
Part 1:
Development Experts
Say Children Suffer Due to Lack of Unstructured Fun
Part 2:
Creative
Play Makes
Better Problem-solvers
Part 3:
All
These Groups Work to Enhance Children's Play
