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Zero to Three is celebrating 30 years of publishing its journal. The November 2009 issue includes articles about major advances in understanding of infant and toddler development during the last 30 years.
My favorite article is a reflection by Kathryn Barnard (who developed the NCAST scales), professor emeritus at the University of Washington School of Nursing. The principles that she arrived at from studies of the effectiveness of early intervention are as follows (quoted from p. 60, Zero to Three, Vol. 30, No. 2):
“1. Parents are the main avenue for promoting a child’s full development.
2. Development of a secure attachment base is important for all children, but particularly for children likely to experience stressors.
3. The importance of the parent-child relationship is cardinal to ongoing developmental progress.
4. Joy shared between parents and children is key to an ongoing relationship.
5. Maternal emotional regulation is a significant factor in early parenting and in the child’s attachment. Major depression is one of the more common barriers for “good enough” parenting.
6. Specific intervention schemas that match the child’s current development challenges have the greatest impact. As an example, interventions about sleep management in the first 6 months influence the infant’s sleep regulation and the mother’s depression , while verbal enhancement done during the toddler years yields high payoff in language and communication and later school achievement. Conversely, comprehensive and longitudinal interventions are more expensive and do not yield as many positive child outcomes.” |
