The aim of this program project is to study the ways in which the environment interacts with children, how the effects of this interaction compare with those of the dominant culture, and where differences are apparent, how interventions may be designed to mitigate these differences most efficiently. This work is designed to produce a functional knowledge base concerning the risks of retarded development and the management of this risk in children reared in depriving environments. Based upon past research which investigated the risks and developed treatments for retardation under the general hypothesis that the problems of the poor are related to how the behaviors of poor persons interact with those who deliver services in these institutions (an interactional hypothesis) we propose to extend this work across ages of development, settings, and explore the feasibility of new technologies within the framework of our general behavioral theoretical orientation. Our design in this project seeks to take advantage of the full power of our existing data and knowledge bases when used to aid decision making (e.g., in the delivery of appropriate treatments, in the analysis of environmental risk problems, in the design and development of new treatments commensurate with existing risks, in theory development, and in the planning of new research efforts). Our goal is ultimately to improve the developmental outcomes of disadvantaged children.
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