Soft Toys Research Articles

Play and Self-Stimulatory Behaviors of Autistic and Other Severely Dysfunctional Children With Different Classes of Toys

Seven autistic and other severely dysfunctional boys were placed individually in a barren environment. There they were given a toy to interact with and their behavior was observed. During 15 sessions, in randomized order each child was given soft toys, hard toys, and wheeled toys. For every child there was more self-stimulatory behavior, more movement around the room, less contact with the toy, less orienting towards the toy, and less manipulation of the toy when a soft toy was given. There were no systematic differences in behavior between sessions with hard toys and sessions with wheeled toys.

The incidence of attachment objects and oral habits at bedtime in two longitudinal samples of children aged 1.5-7 years.

Summary The incidence of emotional attachment to soft toys and blankets, and sucking habits was studied in two samples of children. Mothers of one sample were interviewed when the children were 1.5, 2 and 2.5 years old, and mothers of the other sample answered questionnaires when their children were 3.5, 5 and 7 years old. Strong emotional attachment to objects, and thumb or finger sucking were most prevalent around 2 years of age. There was a positive association between sucking and attachment to objects at all ages. Clinging, sucking and movement habits merge into one another and serve the same function of easing the transition from waking to sleeping, from high arousal to low arousal.

Careers:

The 150th Training Workshop run by the Manpower Services Commission under the Youth Opportunities Programme was held in Wigan, a depressed area in employment terms for young people and school leavers. The idea of setting up training workshops within YOP emerged as MSC planners recognised the importance of providing basic work experience in a productive environment as part of the wide range of opportunities offered under the Programme. The aim is to provide as near as possible the kind of atmostphere that young people will experience in acommercial environment; they are subject to the same disciplines found in factories and offices, and they learn about safety requirements and the qualitative and quantitative standards required in the commercial world. As for other YOP schemes, trainees are aged 16 to 18. In a workshop they can aquire basic skills in different activities including woodwork, metalwork, assembly work, industrial sewing, catering, and general office duties. The goods and services provided are selected by the sponsor and range from wooden and metal furniture, tool boxes and vehicle body repair to soft toys, children's clothing, aids for the disabled and playground equipment. Many workshops also provide renovation and refunishing services. The scope is unlimited, since it covers anything which can be sold locally without competing with other firms. One workshop makes printed circuit boards for microprocessors; another produces museum replicas in metal; another is trying aluminum melting and casting on a small scale. Whatever the activity it is geared to providing work experience relevant to the needs of local industries.

Sex Differences in Parent and Infant Behavior in the Home

Observations were made in the homes of 32 families, each with a child aged around 12 or 24 months. 16 of the children were boys and 16 girls. Boys showed more active play, play with transportation toys, and play generally forbidden by parents. Girls played more with soft toys and dolls. On questionnaire responses many parents rated these and other behaviors as sex appropriate. However, actual sex differences in immediate parental response to children were few or undetected. Sex differences in children's behavior did not appreciably increase from 12 to 24 months. Also, there was no correlation with how stereotyped parents' questionnaire responses were and the degree to which their children exhibited sex-typed behavior.

Pulmonary toxicity of isocyanates.

Editorial Notes1 October 1970Pulmonary Toxicity of IsocyanatesJOHN M. PETERS, M.D., RAYMOND L. H. MURPHY, M.D.JOHN M. PETERS, M.D.Search for more papers by this author, RAYMOND L. H. MURPHY, M.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-73-4-654 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptIn our plastic world polyurethanes have achieved great commercial importance. The production of polyurethane involves the combination of chemicals containing two highly reactive isocyanate groups with a polyol. It is during this mixing and foaming process that the isocyanates are evolved into the workroom atmosphere. Depending on plant configuration and ventilation, few or many workers can be exposed. Other significant exposures may occur in industrial chemical laboratories and during repair or cleaning of the equipment. The products are used primarily as cushioning materials (mattresses, pillows, seat cushions, and packing materials), for insulation (thin-walled refrigerators and ovens), for soft toys, and...

Isocyanate hazard from wire insulation: an old hazard in a new guise.

The isocyanate group is chemically highly reactive, and diisocyanates will combine with many organic compounds. The industrially useful reactions involve the combination of a diisocyanate with a resin, usually an organic polyhydric alcohol, to form a high-molecular-weight polymer of the polyurethane type. Polyurethanes are used as paints and varnishes, surface coatings, flexible and rigid foams in upholstery and soft toys, in thermal insulation in the lower temperature ranges, and in sound insulation. Polyurethane foams are offered for thermal insulation in buildings (e.g., foamed into cavity walls) for warm and cold houses and for refrigerated rooms, including refrigerated compart ments in ships. Additional uses include combating oil contamination in water and acoustic cladding to reduce to tolerable levels the noise produced by high performance engines.

Review: The Making of Soft Toys, Dressed Soft Toys

Review: The Making of Soft Toys, Dressed Soft Toys