Walking Ability is Associated with Social Communication Skills in Infants at High Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Achievement of early motor milestones in infancy affords new opportunities for social interaction and communication. Research has shown that both motor and social deficits are observed in infants who later develop autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examined associations between motor and Social communication skills in 12‐month‐old infant siblings of children with ASD who are at heightened risk for developmental delays (N = 86) and low‐risk, typically developing infants (N = 113). Infants were classified into one of three groups based on their walking ability: walkers (walks independently), standers (stands independently), or prewalkers (does not yet stand or walk independently). Social communication and cognitive skills were assessed with two standardized assessments (Communication and Symbolic Behaviors Scales [CSBS] and Mullen Scales of Early Learning) and compared across the three walking groups. Results demonstrated that high‐risk walkers showed superior Social communication skills, but commensurate cognitive skills, compared to high‐risk prewalkers. In contrast, Social communication and cognitive skills were largely comparable for low‐risk infants, regardless of walking status. Findings suggest that for high‐risk infants, who are already vulnerable to developmental delays and ASD, independent walking may facilitate the emergence of Social communication abilities. Pivotal motor milestones may serve as useful indicators of Social communication delays and targets for intervention.     

Payment mechanisms for social work in health care: Today and tomorrow

Accepting the establishment of a national health policy as iminent, this paper surveys the way social work services are organized and financed within the health care system. It also outlines what measures can be taken to ensure the inclusion and importance of the profession within this system, and what developments can be expected in the next ten years.     

The sibling relationship as a housing alternative to institutionalization in later life

The nature of the sibling relationship in middle and later life and the potential of living with a sibling as an alternative to institutionalization when independent living may no longer be possible was assessed using interviews with a random sample of 41 persons 56 to 84 years of age. Forty-nine percent of the respondents had lived with a sibling in adulthood usually for more than one year and over one-half would consider living together again. Men were somewhat more likely to have lived with a sibling in adulthood than were women. When a sibling went to live with another sibling, it was to a sister's home in 90 % of the cases. Almost none had previously considered living with a sibling in later life but ranked living with a sibling second to living in a nursing home and ranked it comparably with living with children. When asked directly their willingness to live with a sibling in later life, respondents were almost equally divided. Age, number of children, educational level, and a feeling of closeness particularly in middle age were found to be moderately correlated with willingness to live with a sibling.Dolores Cabic Borland earned a Ph.D. from Texas Women's University in Sociology and is presently an Associate Professor in Family and Child Ecology at Michigan State University. Dr. Borland's current research interests include middle age and sibling relationships in middle age and later life.This research was supported in part by a grant from the Michigan State University Foundation, Grant # (ORD 26081) and parts were presented at the 1986 National Council on Family Relations Annual Conference. Requests for reprints should be sent to Dolores Cabic Borland, Ph.D., Department of Family and Child Ecology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1030.     

The Role of Cultural Inertia in Reactions to Immigration on the U.S./Mexico Border

Assimilation and multiculturalism are often contrasted as opposite interethnic ideologies about cultural integration. Here, we address models of assimilation and multiculturalism and how group identity influences attitudes toward immigrants. One overlooked issue concerns the dynamic processes involved in integration. It is proposed that cultural inertia, defined as the desire to avoid cultural change, or conversely, to continue change once it is already occurring, can account for a number of seemingly discrepant findings. In particular, cultural inertia predicts that majority groups should prefer assimilation type models, whereas minority groups should prefer multicultural models. Resistance to change is the mediating process. Cultural inertia is used as a model to understand discrepant attitudes toward assimilation and multiculturalism across different groups.     

Childhood and adult sexual abuse: relationships with alcohol and other psychoactive drug use

Questions concerning sexual abuse before and after the age of 16 years were included in a general population survey of a representative sample of 1052 UK women and 975 UK men. A total of 12.5% of women reported experiencing some form of sexual abuse before the age of 16 years. The corresponding ?gures for men in this category were 11.7%. After the age of 16, the ?gure for women remained at this level. However, the proportion of men reporting these traumatic experiences dropped to 3.2%. Sexual abuse both pre and post age 16 was associated with being single or cohabiting, with higher levels of cigarette‐smoking, alcohol consumption, experience of alcohol‐related problems and use of illicit drugs. The relationship between drinking and other forms of psychoactive drug use and sexual abuse is complex. Some possible explanations for this connection and its therapeutic and practical implications are discussed. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Social work supervision of young people

This paper summarizes findings on 50 teenagers supervised by local authority social services (work) departments. Interviews were held with social workers, young people and parents at the start of intervention and about a year later. Pre-tests and post-tests were also used to complement other statistical and qualitative data. After identifying the main reasons for the teenagers being on formal or informal supervision, the paper moves on to discuss the process, content and outcome of supervision as perceived by each of the three key actors. It also outlines what the young people and their parents found positive and helpful about supervision. Finally the paper demonstrates that forms of help and control need not be opposites and that social workers can help some very troubled teenagers. However, in order for services to have an impact, they have to be deployed as part of a package rather than as alternatives.