ABSTRACT This study aimed to determine the early literacy profiles of children with ASD. The study group consisted of 207 Turkish children diagnosed with ASD (M = 57.4, SD = 9.3) between 36 and 72 months. Receptive and expressive language skills were assessed using the Turkish Early Language Development Test (TELD-3), early literacy skills using the Test of Early Literacy (TEL) and print awareness using the Early Childhood Print Awareness Checklist (ECPAC). Nonverbal cognitive ability was measured with the Test of Coloured Progressive Matrices (CPM), and ASD severity was assessed using Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). Data were analysed using Latent Profile Analysis (LPA), followed by descriptive and comparative analyses to examine differences across profiles and ASD severity levels. The LPA results revealed a three-profile structure. According to their age and developmental level, children in the first profile (40%) were categorised as performing at an average level in terms of early literacy skills, children in the second profile (44.7%) were categorised as low-performing, and children in the third profile (15.3%) were categorised as very low-performing. This study contributes to the literature by providing a data-driven, profile-based understanding of early literacy development in Turkish-speaking children with ASD within a transparent orthographic context.

Past research has revealed large differences between typically developing (TD) and autistic children's language development. However, little is known about whether such differences are quantitative or qualitative, especially in the morphosyntactic domain. This study is the first longitudinal research aiming to systematically investigate the developmental patterns of a wide range of Mandarin grammatical markers in autistic children. The mastery of target markers in autistic children (N = 88, Mage = 44.9 m, Range = 26-76 m) was assessed longitudinally across three time points using parent reports and compared with that of TD children (N = 84, Mage = 23.2 m, Range = 16-30 m) assessed at a single time point. We further examined the influence of autism severity and initial language ability. The results suggested that autistic children acquired Mandarin grammatical markers in a typical sequence but at a slower rate. Additionally, this developmental pattern was maintained regardless of autism severity and initial language ability. These findings suggest that autistic children's language development differs quantitatively but not qualitatively from that of TD children, reflecting developmental delay rather than deviance.

ABSTRACT This study aimed to examine the effects of the Music and Creative Drama-Based Early Literacy Education Program on the early literacy skills of Roma children aged 4–5 years. A total of twenty-two Roma children, residing in a specific neighbourhood, were included in the study. Data were collected using the Child-Family Demographic Information Form, the Gazi Early Childhood Development Assessment Tool, and the Early Literacy Skills Assessment Tool. Following the pre-test assessments, the Music and Creative Drama-Based Early Literacy Education Program, developed by the researcher, was implemented with the participating Roma children over a period of 10 weeks, with three sessions per week. As a result, the programme was found to positively influence the children’s early literacy skills, including phonological awareness, print awareness, pre-writing skills, alphabet and letter knowledge, verbal language, and vocabulary development.

Introduction: Early childhood is a critical period for cognitive, language, motor, and social development. However, developmental problems remain a serious issue globally and in Indonesia. Objective: This study aims to analyze the relationship between parental knowledge about stimulation and child development in playgroup classes. Method: This analytical observational study used a cross-sectional design with 60 children and their parents from four early childhood education centers in Bluru Kidul Village, Sidoarjo. Parental knowledge was assessed using questionnaires, and child development was evaluated using the Pre-Screening Developmental Questionnaire (KPSP). Data were analyzed using Fisher's Exact Test. Results and Discussion: Most parents (51.7%) demonstrated good knowledge levels, and most children (73.3%) showed appropriate development. Fisher's Exact Test showed a significant association (p = 0.019) between parental knowledge and child development outcomes. Conclusion: There is a significant relationship between parental knowledge about stimulation and child development in playgroup-aged children. Strengthening parental knowledge and consistent stimulation practices are essential for optimal early childhood development

ABSTRACT Beyond the direct threat of diarrheal diseases, inadequate WASH conditions are recognized as a major cause of impaired physical development in children. Analyzing NFHS-5 data for 206,025 Indian children, this study explores the link between WASH access andstunting, controlling for socio-demographic factors. With a 35.5% overall stunting rate, disadvantaged and lower-caste groups bear the highest burden. Improved WASH access significantly reduces stunting odds (OR: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.92–0.98), which can be particularly beneficial for poor households. Given persistent regional and socio-economic inequalities, national nutrition programs must integrate caste-and-equity-sensitive WASH strategies to effectively and sustainably reduce undernutrition across India.

The first one thousand days of life are a critical window of opportunity for children's health and development. Nutritional deficiencies during this time can have serious consequences for the child's health and development, with limited chances for correction later. For example, inadequate feeding among children can lead to consequences such as stunting, wasting, impaired immunity, and delayed cognitive development. Therefore, this study aimed to determine meal frequency and associated factors among children aged 6-23 months in the Tahtay Maichew district, northern Ethiopia. We conducted a community-based cross-sectional study involving 981 randomly selected mothers of children aged 6-23 months. Data were collected using a structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire. The children's meal frequency was determined by asking mothers how many times their child had eaten food in the 24 hours preceding the survey. We used binary logistic regression with backward elimination to identify factors associated with children's meal frequency. Overall, 68% (95% CI: 64.9, 70.9%) of the children received adequate meal frequency. Being from a rich household (p = 0.013, 95% CI = 1.12, 2.59), having growth monitoring follow-up (p < 0.001, 95% CI = 1.44, 2.88), good mother's knowledge of child feeding (p < 0.001, 95% CI = 1.59, 3.22), and having a birth preparedness plan (p < 0.046, 95% CI = 1.013, 4.339) were associated with adequate meal frequency. The proportion of children who did not receive adequate meal frequency was significantly high. Being from a wealthy household, undergoing growth monitoring follow-up, having a knowledgeable mother regarding child feeding, and having a birth preparedness plan were associated with adequate meal frequency. In conclusion, our findings highlight the need to improve child meal frequency through enhancing maternal knowledge of child feeding, strengthening growth monitoring and promotion services, and improving socioeconomic status, as indicated by the wealth index.

Abstract Objective How do families with donor‐conceived children talk about their origins with them? Background Donor‐conceived families are challenged to disclose origins to their children. Developmental psychology has scarce evidence about how these conversations unfold. These are discourse‐dependent families; hence, how families talk about these stories is relevant for children's development. Method Naturalistic conversations‐of‐origin stories were analyzed with a structural and pragmatic coding scheme. Participants were 22 mothers, four fathers, 11 daughters, and eight sons (all children aged 3 to 8 years), belonging to 17 donor‐conceived families from heterosexual, lesbian, and single‐mother‐by‐choice structures. All lived in Chile at the moment of research and self‐identified as of Latino ethnicity. Results Origin stories are complex; intimate; mother led; brief in extension; coconstructed, with asymmetrical contribution (parents scaffolding); and interactive. Conclusion These results can contribute to the design of empirically based strategies to support these family conversational processes. Implications or recommendations Further research needs to be done with bigger samples, and follow‐up studies need to be held to assess how these origin stories contribute to identity processes of donor‐conceived children.

This article analyzes 18 expert assessments reflecting professional evaluations and experiences on the relationship between children, adolescents, and online gaming technologies that facilitate exposure to extremist contents and recruiters. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from government, academic, and education-based organizations across the Indo-Pacific, Europe, and North America. Online gaming emerged as a prominent concern and important component of the sociotechnical environment that facilitates children and adolescent exposure to extremist content and recruitment activities. The findings emphasized the importance of private–public partnerships, future “safety-by-design” initiatives, interdisciplinary collaboration with the cognitive-psychological and the developmental sciences, and need to understand the swiftly changing technological characteristics of online gaming in shaping how children and adolescents may encounter online extremism. We also highlight these experts’ opinions on the wider sociotechnical environment where such exposure is made possible. This article offers guidance and recommendations to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers who wish to better understand and address the influence of online extremism on child and adolescent development in the digital age.

The integration of digital technologies into early childhood education extends beyond mere technical necessity; it constitutes a fundamental pillar of social sustainability within the teaching profession. Yet, a persistent paradox remains in teacher education: the “Attitude–Competence Gap,” where pre-service teachers’ enthusiasm for technology fails to translate into practical proficiency. This study interrogates this disconnect within a STEAM framework, specifically examining whether digital competence is driven by general technological attitudes or domain-specific pedagogical beliefs. Utilizing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, we analyzed data from 200 Child Development students, followed by in-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 participants who exhibited high attitudes but low initial competence. Hierarchical regression analysis yielded a critical insight: while general attitudes toward digital storytelling did not predict competence (p &gt; 0.05), pedagogical beliefs regarding the use of children’s literature in mathematics were a strong predictor of technical proficiency (β = 0.35, p &lt; 0.001). Qualitative evidence corroborated that students overcame technical limitations not through technological affinity but through a motivation to concretize abstract mathematical concepts via storytelling. These findings suggest that to foster sustainable STEAM education, teacher training curricula must prioritize the “why” (pedagogical conviction) over the “how” (technical mechanics), thereby closing the gap between digital intention and action. This study uniquely demonstrates that domain-specific pedagogical convictions, rather than general technological enthusiasm, are the fundamental drivers of digital competence in STEAM, providing an empirical basis for more resilient teacher education models.

Play has many roles in a child's development. It's the same with playing blocks. Blocks are toys that we often see in school, blocks are educational games that are made of wood or foam and are played by shaping the desired building. This study aims to determine the influence of block games on children's social-emotional development and to determine the level of early childhood social-emotional development before and after being given block play activities. The research method used the One Group Pretest–Posttest design. In this design, there is only one group of subjects who are given treatment in the form of block play. through pretest and posttest which is carried out using direct observation of the research sample. The data analysis used was descriptive analysis and inferential analysis. The results of the study show that block play activities have a significant and positive influence on improving the social-emotional development of children aged 5-6 years. Descriptively, there was a substantial increase in social-emotional development scores. This is shown by a significant increase in the average score, from 75.38 in the pretest stage to 92.92 in the posttest stage. The results of hypothesis testing using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test confirmed the existence of a significant influence. A p-value of 0.001498 was obtained, which is far below the significance level. These findings support the rejection of the Null Hypothesis (), which means that there is a significant difference between pretest and posttest scores.

Exposure to socioeconomic risk factors is associated with heightened social and behavioral difficulties in children. Yet, little is known about how cumulative socioeconomic disadvantages affect the development of social-behavioral difficulties, that is, whether the differences in such difficulties between socioeconomic risk groups change over time. It is also empirically unexplored whether specific parenting behaviors mediate the associations between cumulative socioeconomic risk and the changes in social-behavioral difficulties. Drawing on a latent growth curve analysis of data from the German National Educational Panel Study-Starting Cohort 1 (N = 1,842/1,881), this study examined developmental trajectories and group differences in the development of various social-behavioral difficulties (peer problems, hyperactivity/inattention, and conduct problems) for 5- to 9-year-olds growing up with different numbers of socioeconomic disadvantages (i.e., parents' low education level, low income, and migration background). Furthermore, parents' early socioemotional sensitivity in parent-child interaction and their disciplinary parenting behaviors were modeled as mediators linking cumulative socioeconomic risk and the development of children's social-behavioral difficulties. Results showed that the significant gaps between different socioeconomic risk groups at age 5 remained consistent over time for peer problems and hyperactivity/inattention, but converged for conduct problems. Different parenting behaviors partially mediated the effect of cumulative socioeconomic risk on the initial levels, but not on the development of children's social-behavioral difficulties. Practical implications for early prevention programs are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

While the relationship between socioeconomic status and Early Childhood Development (ECD) is well-documented, less is known about how developmental outcomes and child malnutrition cluster and interact across geographically proximate areas. This study applies spatial analysis to examine regional disparities in ECD in Pakistan and to assess the extent of spatial dependency in these outcomes. Using cross-sectional data from multiple indicator cluster survey (120,151 children across 144 districts) covering 2017- 2018, Moran's I statistics revealed significant positive spatial autocorrelation, consistent with Tobler's First Law of Geography. Districts with high (or low) ECD outcomes tended to be surrounded by similar districts. A distinct core periphery pattern emerged, with Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan forming high-high clusters and Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan forming low-low clus- ters. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Spatial Error Models (SEM) confirmed that stunting, underweight and overweight negative- ly affect ECD, while female literacy, access to mass media and child engagement in playing activities influence development posi- tively. Wasting showed no significant relationship. Results reveal that unobserved regional factors contribute to child development across districts, indicating that developmental deficits often cluster geographically. These findings extend spatial dependency theory to the ECD context in South Asia, underscoring the need for geographically coordinated interventions that address both local deter- minants and regionally shared underlying influences on child development.

Children's social interactions with caregivers play a crucial role in their development. One strong cue to an ongoing social interaction is the mutual dependency of interaction partners' behaviours, a feature we refer to as social contingency. Socially contingent interactions have been shown to support learning, but it remains underexplored whether social contingency alone, even in the absence of other social cues, can drive developmental advantages. Addressing this question requires faithfully representing bi-directional contingency in infant-adult interactions while isolating it from other social cues. Building on the perceptual crossing paradigm, we designed an innovative setup where infants and adults interact in real time using eye gaze, with all interactions mediated through a non-social, screen-based display. Extending beyond the one-way responsiveness in previous studies, this setup captures bi-directional contingency through dependencies in gaze movement upon mutual detection. Our findings demonstrate that social contingency modifies infant behaviour even in such a streamlined context. To extend the paradigm's applicability, we integrated it with word learning, a task sensitive to the concurrent effect of social interaction. Preliminary evidence suggests that contingency facilitates word learning, underscoring the potential of the gaze-crossing paradigm to further elucidate the role of contingency in child development. This article is part of the theme issue 'Mechanisms of learning from social interaction'.

Word card media plays an important role in helping early childhood recognize letter and word symbols gradually. In the early stages, children can learn to recognize the shape of the letters through the cards, and then associate them with the appropriate sounds. In this way, the word card becomes a bridge between the child's speaking ability and the ability to read at the beginning. This study aims to determine the influence of word card use on early childhood cognitive development and analyze the factors that affect the relationship between cognitive development and word card use in early childhood. This research method uses a quantitative approach with an experimental method. The data collection technique in this study was carried out through tests and observations. The data analysis technique in this study uses the latest version of SPSS statistical software to analyze the relationship between cognitive variables and the use of word card media in early childhood. The implementation of word card media by teachers has been running effectively and systematically. There was a positive and significant influence between the use of word card media on children's cognitive abilities, which was shown by a strong correlation coefficient.

Puzzles stimulate children to recognize relationships between parts and wholes, understand patterns and shapes, hone visual memory skills, practice cause-and-effect logic, and develop simple strategies through trial and error. This study aims to determine the cognitive abilities of children in the control group and the experimental group before and after being given learning using puzzle media. The type of research used is quantitative with quasi-experimental design or pseudo-experimental research. Using data collection techniques in the form of observations, tests, interviews, and documents. The data analysis used goes through two stages, namely descriptive statistical analysis and inferential analysis. Descriptive analysis is used to provide an overview of children's cognitive development, while inferential analysis is used to test hypotheses whether there is a significant difference between the experimental group (puzzle media) and the control group (conventional learning). The results showed that the gross motor development of children aged 5-6 years after participating in learning with fuzzle media in the experimental group could be said to be significant based on the results of the paired sample t test with a p-value smaller than the significance level of 5%. The gross motor development of children aged 5-6 years after participating in learning with conventional media can be said to be significant based on the results of the Wilcoxon Signed Rank test with a p-value greater than the significance level of 5%. Based on the results of the Independent Sample T-Test, it was found that the p-value was smaller than the significance level of 5%, so there was a significant difference in the cognitive development of children aged 5-6 years between the groups that participated in learning using fuzzle media and conventional media.

Prenatal exposure to polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) has been associated with child weight at birth and may have a persistent effect on adiposity development across childhood. Fish is the richest source of n-3 PUFAs within the diet; albeit few studies have investigated associations between maternal fish consumption during pregnancy and child weight. This study examines associations between maternal fish consumption and prenatal PUFA status (n-3 and n-6), with longitudinal measures of child weight in the high-fish-eating Seychelles Child Development Study Nutrition Cohort 2. Maternal fish consumption during pregnancy was assessed using a Fish Use Questionnaire administered at 28-weeks' gestation. Serum PUFAs were quantified in maternal blood collected at 28-weeks' gestation and in cord blood collected at delivery. Birth weight was measured at delivery and classified according to WHO growth standards (n=1185). Child length/height (m) and weight (kg) were recorded at 20 months (n=1182), 7 (n=1167) and 13 (n=878) years. Child BMI was classified according to child z-scores. Maternal total fish consumption (range: 0.0-584.71 g/day) was not associated with child weight at any age. At 7 and 13 years maternal total n-6 PUFAs were associated with an increased risk of overweight/obesity (7yr; OR=1.62, p=0.037, 13yr; OR=2.05, p=0.005). Lower (<0.071mg/ml) cord docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) concentrations were associated with a greater likelihood of being large for gestational age (LGA; >90th percentile) when compared to higher (>0.129mg/ml) cord DHA concentrations (OR 4.17, p=0.017). This study suggests prenatal maternal n-3 and n-6 PUFA status may influence postnatal outcomes, including child adiposity from birth until adolescence.

Background/Objectives: Breastfeeding is widely acknowledged for its benefits to child development and maternal well-being. Yet breastfeeding practices often decline during early childhood transitions, particularly when children enter early childhood education and care (ECEC) services. Research has largely concentrated on healthcare contexts, leaving the educational domain comparatively underexplored in its potential to sustain or hinder breastfeeding continuation. This cross-sectional study examines associations between maternal beliefs regarding the value of breastfeeding and personal, relational, and contextual factors related to breastfeeding continuation within ECEC settings. It also incorporates educators’ perspectives and situates breastfeeding practices within the broader framework of parental ethnotheories. Methods: The study formed part of a pilot parental engagement initiative involving 17 childcare centers in Northern Italy, designed to promote dialogue and supportive practices around breastfeeding within ECEC services. This context is acknowledged when interpreting findings related to organizational climate and educator perspectives. Participants included 490 mothers of children enrolled in ECEC services and 118 educators. Mothers completed questionnaires assessing breastfeeding beliefs and experiences, co-sleeping practices, perceived social support, and parental ethnotheories (independence versus interdependence). Educators reported on their experiences in supporting breastfeeding within the childcare context. Analyses included descriptive statistics, analyses of variance, chi-square tests, and binary logistic regression to examine factors associated with breastfeeding continuation. Results: Mothers strongly endorsed the developmental benefits of breastfeeding and expressed greater alignment with caregiving practices emphasizing interdependence and physical proximity. Continued breastfeeding within childcare settings correlated with interdependence-oriented ethnotheories, younger child age, and higher engagement in co-sleeping practices. Educators reported generally positive views of breastfeeding in childcare, highlighting its contribution to children’s emotional security and maternal calm, alongside its negligible impact on educational organization. Conclusions: ECEC services play a crucial role in sustaining breastfeeding beyond the domestic sphere. Relational practices and organizational climates that welcome breastfeeding can foster continuity of care, strengthen parental engagement, and promote child well-being.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), including abuse and neglect, are strongly associated with children’s long-term development and have become a global policy priority. Although existing research has highlighted the predictive effects of ACEs and neighborhood characteristics on individual health outcomes, there is still a lack of systematic integration and review of evidence on the association between neighborhood characteristics and ACEs, which is critical to understanding child development. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we searched four major databases, screened the search results from 1999 to 2025, and used standardized tools for quality assessment. Ultimately, we identified 39 pieces of evidence and conducted a systematic review of these 39 studies, narratively summarizing the research findings. This review incorporates multidimensional neighborhood characteristics into the theoretical framework with the aim of exploring the association between neighborhood structural characteristics (such as poverty, racial diversity, safety, and resource accessibility) and non-structural characteristics (such as collective efficacy) with ACEs. The research results indicate that there is a significant association between neighborhood characteristics and ACEs risk. Therefore, considering neighborhood characteristics when developing ACEs intervention and prevention policies and strategies can help ensure the comprehensiveness of the plan.

Background/Objectives: Injuries remain a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality in Europe, despite improved prevention. Infants under one year are particularly vulnerable because of limited motor control and complete dependence on caregivers. Existing studies are often small or cover broad age ranges, limiting infant-specific insights. This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of injury types, mechanisms, and treatments, focusing exclusively on infants aged zero to one year. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 29,574 infants and children (&lt;2 years) treated at a level 1 trauma department from 1993 to 2022. Primary data included main diagnosis, injury mechanism, and treatment. Injuries were classified by diagnosis and mechanism. Surgeries were categorized by procedure type. Results: Injury frequency increased with age. A total of 31.1% of cases occurred in infants (&lt;12 months) and 68.9% in children (12–24 months). Head injuries were the most common trauma type (44%), particularly among infants (69.9%; children: 32.2%), while wounds (infants: 10.2%; children: 31.5%) and fractures (infants: 4.2%; children: 8.4%) were more frequent in children. Falls were the predominant mechanism (77.9%) across both groups. Most injuries were treated conservatively. A total of 228 surgical interventions were performed (0.8%), mainly for wounds (54.8%) and fractures (30.3%). Conclusions: This study shows that, even within the first two years of life, child development shapes both injury frequency and type. As mobility and independence increase, injuries rise, from predominantly head trauma among infants to a higher incidence of wounds and fractures in children. The majority of injuries were minor and managed conservatively.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate auditory cortical maturation in pediatric cochlear implant (CI) users using speech-evoked cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs) and to compare P1 latency responses with age-matched normal-hearing (NH) peers. Secondary objectives included examining the relationship between P1 latency, age, and duration of implant use to assess experience-dependent cortical plasticity. Materials and Methods: Seventy children were enrolled, including 40 prelingually deaf CI users and 30 NH controls matched for age and sex. CAEPs were recorded using the HEARLab system with three speech tokens representing low (/m/), mid (/g/), and high (/t/) frequencies, presented at 55 dB SPL in a free-field setup. The P1 component was identified as the first positive deflection between 50 and 150 ms after stimulus onset. Group comparisons were performed using Student’s t-test, and correlations between P1 latency, age, and implant-use duration were analyzed using the Pearson correlation test (p &lt; 0.05). Results: Mean P1 latencies were significantly longer in CI users than in NH peers for the /m/ and /t/ stimuli (p = 0.036 and p = 0.045, respectively), while no significant difference was found for /g/ (p = 0.542). In NH children, P1 latency negatively correlated with age (r = −0.44, p &lt; 0.05), indicating maturation-related shortening. Among CI users, longer implant-use duration was associated with shorter P1 latencies across all speech tokens (/m/: r = −0.37; /g/: r = −0.49; /t/: r = −0.43; p &lt; 0.05 for all). Conclusions: Speech-evoked CAEPs provide a sensitive and objective measure of auditory cortical development in children with cochlear implants. P1 latency reflects both chronological and hearing-age-related maturation, supporting its clinical use as a biomarker for cortical plasticity and rehabilitation progress in pediatric CI care.