Nursery World - In the know a monthly round-up of new research (6)

Empowering early years workers to identify and target areas of difficulty in pre-school children Staff at six nurseries in areas of high socio-economic disadvantage in the UK were trained to administer, score and interpret a wide-ranging screening inventory. Following children's assessment on entering nursery, staff were supported in developing appropriate programmes to address weaknesses and build on strengths identified for individual children. When reassessed after six months, staff were generally positive about the screening process and recognised the worth of early identification and intervention. While 46 per cent of 173 children screened at the start of the project had significant difficulties in some area of development, only 6.9 per cent remained at risk on the screening measure following tailored input. Whiteley, H, Smith, C and Hutchinson, J. Early Years: An International Journal of Research and Development 25(2): 155-166. Abstract: www.tandf.co.uk/journals

Whiteley, H, Smith, C and Hutchinson, J. Early Years: An International Journal of Research and Development 25(2): 155-166. Abstract: www.tandf.co.uk/journals

No effect of MMR withdrawal on the incidence of autism: a total population study This study involved children born between 1988 and1996 in Kohoku Ward (population approximately 300,000), Yokohama, Japan, where MMR vaccinations had fallen significantly in children born from 1988-1992, and were withdrawn in 1993. Results found a significant increase in autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) up to age seven in children born from 1988-1996 and a dramatic rise beginning with the birth cohort of 1993. Therefore, MMR is most unlikely to be a main cause of ASD and cannot explain the rise in ASD, and withdrawing MMR in countries where it is still being used cannot be expected to lead to a fall in ASD.

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