Maternal Responsiveness: Facilitating Both Motor and Language Skills Concurrently with Infants
Mentor 1
Victoria Moerchen
Location
Union Wisconsin Room
Start Date
5-4-2019 1:30 PM
End Date
5-4-2019 3:30 PM
Description
Background and Significance: Infants with disabilities who qualify for physical therapy often also have language delays and qualify for speech therapy. An intervention model that supports the parent in concurrently facilitating both motor and language skills has not yet been studied. One approach to initiate this area of inquiry is to explore how maternal responsiveness to an infant during practice of a motor skill might be similar to maternal responsiveness to support language development. The purpose of this study was to examine whether mothers’ responsiveness toward their infants during a novel motor task were similar to their responsiveness during a novel teaching activity. Methods: Mothers and their infants were studied as a dyad. Infants were typically developing 8-10 month olds who had not yet achieved walking. Two testing contexts were used: A novel teaching task and infant treadmill stepping. In both contexts, the mother supported the infant in learning and/or performing the task. During the treadmill trials, the infant stepped on the treadmill for 8 minutes supported by the mother, who was free to support the infant for rests and comfort as needed. Teaching and treadmill trials were videotaped, transcribed and later coded for five dimensions of maternal responsiveness: contingent responsiveness, emotional support, response to infant focus of attention, and quality of language input. Within subjects analyses using 3 exemplar dyads will be reported. Results: Analyses pending. Conclusions: This study reasoned that maternal responsiveness can be used to simultaneously facilitate multiple areas of infant development concurrently.
Maternal Responsiveness: Facilitating Both Motor and Language Skills Concurrently with Infants
Union Wisconsin Room
Background and Significance: Infants with disabilities who qualify for physical therapy often also have language delays and qualify for speech therapy. An intervention model that supports the parent in concurrently facilitating both motor and language skills has not yet been studied. One approach to initiate this area of inquiry is to explore how maternal responsiveness to an infant during practice of a motor skill might be similar to maternal responsiveness to support language development. The purpose of this study was to examine whether mothers’ responsiveness toward their infants during a novel motor task were similar to their responsiveness during a novel teaching activity. Methods: Mothers and their infants were studied as a dyad. Infants were typically developing 8-10 month olds who had not yet achieved walking. Two testing contexts were used: A novel teaching task and infant treadmill stepping. In both contexts, the mother supported the infant in learning and/or performing the task. During the treadmill trials, the infant stepped on the treadmill for 8 minutes supported by the mother, who was free to support the infant for rests and comfort as needed. Teaching and treadmill trials were videotaped, transcribed and later coded for five dimensions of maternal responsiveness: contingent responsiveness, emotional support, response to infant focus of attention, and quality of language input. Within subjects analyses using 3 exemplar dyads will be reported. Results: Analyses pending. Conclusions: This study reasoned that maternal responsiveness can be used to simultaneously facilitate multiple areas of infant development concurrently.
