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Videotaped interactions of 98 mother-child dyads (40 with Down syndrome, 23 with neurological problems, and 35 with delays of unknown etiology) were examined for mothers' language facilitation strategies (modeling or eliciting) in two situations (play and teaching). Mothers emphasized modeling strategies more than eliciting techniques. This discrepancy increased in the teaching task. (Author/DB)

Many Romanian children adopted by Canadians may be at risk for medical and developmental problems, even those adopted as infants. Adoptive parents may not be aware of developmental risks, and appropriate education, preparation and assessment services should be available. Early deprivation can have adverse effects on a child's development, and parents should have access to background information about their prospective adopted children.

The article discusses the study about the responses of the family to developmentally delayed preschoolers and its causes. To assess parental stress and support, locus of control and self-esteem, questionnaires and structured interviews were conducted. As a result of the study, all comparisons favored the Down Syndrome group except for self-esteem. The findings of the study indicate a need to understand individual differences among families of delayed children.

Videotaped interactions of 98 mother-child dyads (40 with Down syndrome, 23 with neurological problems, and 35 with delays of unknown etiology)were examined for mothers' language facilitation strategies (modeling or eliciting)in two situations (play and teaching). Mothers emphasized modeling strategies more than eliciting techniques. This discrepancy increased in the teaching task. Mothers' level of communication was responsive to the child's ability level. Thus mothers' speech to delayed children takes account of their childrens' linguistic skills. However mothers appear to focus on child “performance”, rather than eliciting speech, and this is more evident during “teaching” activities. Being more specific about the child's turn to talk may be an enhancing addition to the language repertoire of mothers of children with delayed language and may be a useful focus for interventions with families. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]