Christine E. F. Delgado

Responding to Joint Attention Across the 6- Through 24-Month Age Period and Early Language Acquisition

Abstract This study examined individual differences in the development of the capacity of infants to respond to the joint attention bids of others (e.g., gaze shift, pointing, and vocalizing) across the first and second year. The primary aim of the study was to determine if responding to joint attention (RJA) in the first and second year was related to subsequent vocabulary acquisition and whether a specific period of development during the first 2 years was optimal for the assessment of individual differences in this skill. The study was also designed to determine if RJA provided unique predictive information about language development over and above that provided by parent reports of early vocabulary acquisition. Findings indicated that RJA at 6, 8, 10, 12, and 18 months was positively related to individual differences in vocabulary development. Furthermore, both a 6- to 18-month aggregate measure of RJA and a parent report measure of language development made unique contributions to the predictions of vocabulary acquisition. Finally, individual differences in RJA measured at 21 and 24 months were not related to language development.

Individual Differences in Infant Skills as Predictors of Child‐Caregiver Joint Attention and Language

Current research suggests that the extent to which child-caregiver dyads engage in interactions involving episodes of joint or coordinated attention can have a significant impact on early lexical acquisition. In this regard it has been recognized that individual differences in early developing child communication skills, such as capacity to follow gaze and early infant language, may contribute to these child-caregiver interactional patterns, as well as to subsequent language development. To address this expectation, 21 infant-parent dyads were recruited for participation in a longitudinal study. Early infant language, responding to joint attention skill, and cognitive development were assessed at 12 months of age. Child-caregiver joint attention episodes, as well as responding to joint attention skill and child language, were assessed at 18 months of age. Developmental outcome, using the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II, was assessed at 21 and 24 months of age. Consistent with previous findings, results indicated that individual differences in child-caregiver episodes of joint attention were related to language at 18 months. In addition, though, 12 month vocabulary and responding to joint attention skill were associated with some aspects of 18 month child-caregiver interaction, as well as subsequent language development. In general, 12 month child measures and 18 month child-caregiver interaction measures appeared to make unique contributions to language development in this sample. These results suggest the need to further consider the role of infant skills in the connections between child-caregiver joint attention episodes and language development.

Gaze following, temperament, and language development in 6-month-olds: A replication and extension

Abstract This study examined the age of onset of the capacity to align with direction of gaze, and the relations between individual differences in this capacity, temperament and language acquisition. Infants demonstrated the capacity to match mother’s direction of gaze, and individual differences in this capacity were related to temperament and vocabulary development.

Child, Caregiver, and Temperament Contributions to Infant Joint Attention

Little is known about variables that may contribute to individual differences in infant joint attention, or the coordination of visual attention with a social partner. Therefore, this study examined the contributions of caregiver behavior and temperament to infant joint attention development between 9 and 12 months. Data were collected from 57 infants using a caregiver-infant paradigm, an infant-tester paradigm, and a parent report of infant temperament. Nine-month measures of caregiver scaffolding and infant initiating joint attention (IJA) with testers were significantly related to 12-month infant IJA with testers. A temperament measure of positive emotional reactivity was related to 9-month IJA, and a measure of negative emotional reactivity was related to 12-month IJA. Temperament and caregiver scaffolding measures, however, were not associated with the development of infant responding to joint attention. These results further the understanding of the multiple processes that contribute to joint attent...

Anticipatory Smiling: Linking Early Affective Communication and Social Outcome

In anticipatory smiles, infants appear to communicate pre-existing positive affect by smiling at an object and then turning the smile toward an adult. We report two studies in which the precursors, development, and consequences of anticipatory smiling were investigated. Study 1 revealed a positive correlation between infant smiling at 6 months and the level of anticipatory smiling at 8 and 10 months during joint attention episodes, as well as a positive correlation between anticipatory smiling and parent-rated social expressivity scores at 30 months. Study 2 confirmed a developmental increase in the number of infants using anticipatory smiles between 9 and 12 months that had been initially documented in the Study 1 sample [Venezia, M., Messinger, D. S., Thorp, D., & Mundy, P. (2004). The development of anticipatory smiling. Infancy, 6(3), 397-406]. Additionally, anticipatory smiling at 9 months positively predicted parent-rated social competence scores at 30 months. Findings are discussed with regard to the importance of anticipatory smiling in early socioemotional development.

Infant responses to direction of parental gaze: A comparison of two still-face conditions

Abstract Six-month-old infants (N=43) showed differences in the frequency of neutral/positive vocalizations produced when exposed to a standard (parent gazes at infant) versus modified still-face condition (parent gazes above infant). No significant differences in smiling, social gaze, negative affect, and fuss/cry vocalizations were observed.

Comparison of Referral Rates for Preschool Children at Risk for Disabilities Using Information Obtained From Birth Certificate Records

This study demonstrates the utility of integrating birth certificate record data with an existing disability-tracking database for the purpose of evaluating early identification efforts. The authors examined referral rates of preschool-age children for several known disability risk factors. Low birthweight, low maternal education, and prematurity were associated with increased odds of referral. The authors also examined referral rates for gender, race, and ethnicity. The odds of referral for boys were nearly twice those for girls. Compared to White children, the odds of referral were greater for Native American children and lower for Black and Asian/Pacific Island children. Odds of referral for non-Hispanic/non-Haitian children were greater than those for Hispanic or Haitian children. Identifying factors that are associated with the likelihood of referral will alert clinicians, parents, teachers, and policy makers to the existence of biasing factors and can be used to further improve Child Find procedures.

Infant Responding to Joint Attention, Executive Processes, and Self-Regulation in Preschool Children

Infant joint attention is related to behavioral and social outcomes, as well as language in childhood. Recent research and theory suggests that the relations between joint attention and social-behavioral outcomes may reflect the role of executive self-regulatory processes in the development of joint attention. To test this hypothesis two studies were conducted. The first, cross-sectional study examined the development of responding to joint attention (RJA) skill in terms of increasing executive efficiency of responding between 9 and 18 months of age. The results indicated that development of RJA was characterized by a decreased latency to shift attention in following another persons gaze and head turn, as well as an increase in the proportion of correct RJA responses exhibited by older infants. The second study examined the longitudinal relations between 12-month measures of responding to joint attention and 36-month attention regulation in a delay of gratification task. The results indicated that responding to joint attention at 12-months was significantly related to childrens use of three types of self-regulation behaviors while waiting for a snack reward at 36 months of age. These observations are discussed in light of a developmental theory of attention regulation and joint attention in infancy.

Undergraduate Student Awareness of Issues Related to Preconception Health and Pregnancy

Objectives To assess undergraduate student awareness of issues related to preconception health and pregnancy and to investigate gender differences. Methods Two-hundred forty-one undergraduate students (137 females, 104 males) completed a questionnaire designed to assess awareness of issues related to preconception health and pregnancy. Results Overall, students demonstrated a low to moderate level of awareness, correctly answering 64% of items. Individual student scores varied a great deal, ranging from 33% to 89% correct. Students who had previously taken a course containing information on pregnancy and/or child development correctly answered a greater percentage of items than those who had not taken such a course. Females had slightly, but statistically significantly, higher awareness scores than males. Students self-reported ratings of awareness of behaviors that are dangerous during pregnancy were associated with their composite scores on the questionnaire. Awareness across individual items varied a great deal. Students demonstrated a high level of awareness for substance use, a moderate level of awareness for sexually transmitted diseases and preconception care, and lower levels of awareness for folic acid, prenatal development, health, and pregnancy spacing. Conclusions Efforts to improve preconception health should include increasing awareness of reproductive issues for both males and females. Existing efforts to provide information on reproductive health to students need to be expanded and new strategies developed. Particular attention should be paid to increasing awareness of the benefits of family planning, the early onset and rapid rate of organogenesis, the benefits of folic acid, and the importance of addressing health-related issues.

Early Risk Factors for Speech and Language Impairments

Developmental epidemiological methods were used to identify risk factors for speech impairment (SI), specific language impairment (SLI), and combined speech and language impairment (CSLI) in a statewide sample of preschool-age children. Level of risk was determined by comparing the rate of occurrence of factors between 12,799 children with SI, SLI, or CSLI and a comparison group of 946,177 children. Multiple birth, presence of a newborn condition, presence of a congenital abnormality, maternal age greater than 35 years, and presence of a maternal medical history factor were associated with increased risk for SI, SLI, and CSLI. Prematurity and very low birthweight were significant risk factors for SLI and CSLI but not for SI. Prenatal exposure to alcohol was a significant risk factor for SI but not SLI and CSLI. Low maternal education and unwed marital status were associated with a decreased risk for speech and/or language impairments, indicating a potential identification bias. The study presented here demonstrates the potential for identifying children at birth who are at increased risk for speech and language impairments.