Both vocalization and gesture are universal modes of communication and fundamental
features of language development. The gestural origins theory proposes that language …

In typical development, gestures precede and predict language development. This study
examines the developmental sequence of expressive communication and relations between …

Infants' early motor actions help organize social interactions, forming the context of caregiver
speech. We investigated changes across the first year in social contingencies between …

Many studies have documented influences of maternal responsiveness on cognitive and
language development. Given the bidirectionality of interactions in caregiver-infant dyads, it …

Infants' pointing is associated with concurrent and later language development. The
communicative intention behind the point–ie, imperative versus declarative–can affect both …

Caregivers use a range of verbal and nonverbal behaviours when responding to their
infants. Previous studies have typically focused on the role of the caregiver in providing …

Father–child and mother–child interactions were examined in order to investigate concurrent
associations between three characteristics of parental broad autism phenotype (ie …

We examined the functions of mothers' speech to infants during two tasks–book-sharing and
bead-stringing–in low-income, ethnically diverse families. Mexican, Dominican, and African …

Infants' pointing frequency is a predictor of their later language abilities. Yet, predictors of
pointing frequency in the first year of life are not well understood. Study 1 explored what …

Parent responsiveness is critical for child development of cognition, social-communication,
and self-regulation. Parents tend to respond more frequently when children at-risk for autism …