Project: Movement's Influence on Language - NCSER Exploration Project

Purpose: The special needs of young children (birth to 36 months) are not unidimensional. Early interventionists are challenged in developing interventions that fully address the needs of young children with developmental delays in multiple domains. Missing is a better understanding of how to plan and time interventions to address when to intervene on multiple potential behavioral targets. There is a growing literature on the developmental implications of movement (gross-motor) skills on early communication development. As children begin to crawl, walk, and play, the contexts for language learning and language use change. However, early interventionists lack the knowledge and tools needed for identifying intervention targets and monitor individual dual progress over time. The purpose of this investigation is to explore the interrelationship between movement and early communication skills growth trajectories in large samples collected by early intervention providers. We will explore the effects of growth in movement on early communication skills development in children 6 to 36 months of age.