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This paper examines research that can inform policies aimed at building the capacity of early care and education programs to promote parent engagement in linguistically diverse families. The key questions addressed include: 1) What factors affect linguistically diverse families' access to early care and education programs?; 2) What do we know about linguistically diverse families and how parents in these families support their young children's learning and development?; 3) What features of early care and education programs appear to contribute to high levels of parent engagement in linguistically diverse families?; and 4) What policies can help increase the capacity of early care and education programs to support parent engagement in linguistically diverse families?

The Study to Explore Early Development (SEED) is a multi-site case-control study designed to explore the relationship between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) phenotypes and etiologies. The goals of this paper are to (1) describe the SEED algorithm that uses the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) to classify children with ASD, (2) examine psychometric properties of different ASD classification methods, including the SEED method that incorporates rules for resolving ADI-R and ADOS discordance, and (3) determine whether restricted interests and repetitive behaviors were noted for children who had instrument discordance resolved using ADI-R social and communication scores. Results support the utility of SEED criteria when well-defined groups of children are an important clinical or research outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This research provided a first-generation standardization of automated language environment estimates, validated these estimates against standard language assessments, and extended on previous research reporting language behavior differences across socioeconomic groups. Method: Typically developing children between 2 to 48 months of age completed monthly, daylong recordings in their natural language environments over a span of approximately 6–38 months. The resulting data set contained 3,213 12-hr recordings automatically analyzed by using the Language Environment Analysis (LENA) System to generate estimates of (a) the number of adult words in the child’s environment, (b) the amount of caregiver–child interaction, and (c) the frequency of child vocal output. Results: Child vocalization frequency and turn-taking increased with age, whereas adult word counts were age independent after early infancy. Child vocalization and conversational turn estimates predicted 7%– 16% of the variance observed in child language assessment scores. Lower socioeconomic status (SES) children produced fewer vocalizations, engaged in fewer adult–child interactions, and were exposed to fewer daily adult words compared with their higher socioeconomic status peers, but within-group variability was high. Conclusions: The results offer new insight into the landscape of the early language environment, with clinical implications for identification of children at-risk for impoverished language environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To develop profiles of obesity risk behaviors for children and adolescents. Design and Methods Risk assessments were obtained from patients ( n = 971) at a school-based health center. Latent class analysis was used to create subgroups based on seven indicators measuring diet, activity, and screen time. Results Four classes emerged, with 44% classified as the 'Healthiest,' 8% as the 'Least Healthy,' 37% as 'Mixed Diet/Low Activity/Low Screen Time,' and 11% as 'Mixed Diet/High Activity/High Screen Time.' Several demographic predictors distinguished the classes. Practice Implications Obesity risk factor profiles may help providers identify strengths and risks, tailor counseling, and plan interventions with families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fifty-six specific poor reading comprehenders (SPRC) were selected in Grade 4 and retrospectively compared to good comprehenders at preschool (age 5) and at the end of kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2. The results revealed deficits in vocabulary, grammar, verbal memory and early deficits in phonological awareness in most of the SPRC sample, beginning in preschool. The reading comprehension deficits in children with SPRC were not as marked in earlier assessments in Grade 1 and 2, probably because of the greater dependence on word decoding in reading comprehension in the early grades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]