Herbers Janette E, Abdul-Masih Maria, Buccelli Alexandra R, Torre Natalee, Pintarelli Emily M, Cutuli J J
Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania, USA.
The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Infancy. 2025 Mar-Apr;30(2):e70019. doi: 10.1111/infa.70019.
This study investigated motor and language development among infants and toddlers staying in family homeless shelters. We tested contributors to resilience and maladaptation, while also considering characteristics of developmental screening. Participants were 128 children (2-week to 35 months old; M = 8.54 months; 73% Black/African American) and their parents staying in eight urban family shelters. Data spanned time points about 2 months apart, involving an interview, parent-child play task, and a repeated, standardized observational screening measure. On average, this sample showed motor delays relative to age-based norms, and language delays for toddlers but not infants, a finding that may signal challenges in assessing language in young infants. Parent depression symptoms predicted lower gains in language, and parent education predicted higher gains in language. Positive parenting predicted gains in motor scores and a non-significant trend for language. We interpreted results as evidence of complex developmental processes of resilience and risk. Parent functioning is a key predictor of resilience and should be included in developmental screening of very young children who experience adversity. Shelter design, policy, and practices also should reflect consideration of early childhood development and parent empowerment.
本研究调查了居住在家庭无家可归者收容所的婴幼儿的运动和语言发育情况。我们测试了恢复力和适应不良的影响因素，同时也考虑了发育筛查的特点。参与者为128名儿童（年龄在2周至35个月之间；平均年龄M = 8.54个月；73%为黑人/非裔美国人）及其居住在八个城市家庭收容所的父母。数据来自相隔约2个月的时间点，包括一次访谈、亲子游戏任务以及一项重复的标准化观察筛查措施。总体而言，相对于基于年龄的标准，该样本显示出运动发育延迟，幼儿存在语言发育延迟，但婴儿没有，这一发现可能表明在评估幼儿语言方面存在挑战。父母的抑郁症状预示着语言能力提升较慢，而父母的教育程度则预示着语言能力提升较快。积极的育儿方式预示着运动得分的提高以及语言方面的一个不显著趋势。我们将研究结果解释为恢复力和风险复杂发育过程的证据。父母的功能是恢复力的关键预测因素，应纳入对经历逆境的幼儿的发育筛查中。收容所的设计、政策和做法也应体现对幼儿发展和增强父母能力的考虑。
