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Infant & Toddler Development Project

Do you have a child younger than 2 years of age?

April 28, 2016
Congratulations on your infant! 

The Infant & Toddler Development Project, under the guidance of Dr. Jeffrey Lockman, is currently conducting several research projects with children ages 1 month to 2 years with respect to how children play with objects and how they manipulate their movement as they gain control of their arms and hands. 

Your participation will help professionals understand normal development of your children. Families who participate can earn a $20 gift card at each visit. Eash visit last about 30 minutes and you are with your child the entire time. Call 504-813-7493 or email 

How infants respond to different objects and surfaces.
In this set of studies, infants are placed in a high chair and presented with different objects, each affording different possibilities to be used. As infants play, their exploration of the various objects are then recorded and analyzed to gain knowledge of how free play helps children develop an understanding of their surroundings.

How infants and toddlers develop control and manipulation of movement
. In this study, infants and toddlers are given different simple tasks such as hammering a peg. Their motions are recorded using simple reflective markers and infrared cameras. Different tasks are given to different age groups and the development of controlling arm movement is studied.

How infants develop hand-to-mouth coordination during the first year.
In this set of studies, infants are placed in a chair and presented with objects such as pacifiers, bottles, spoons, and sippy cups. As they bring objects to their mouths, their movements are recorded and analyzed to gain knowledge of how the basic adaptive skill of self-feeding develops.

How children develop early writing skills.
In this study, children in kindergarten and first grade are given writing tasks. They wear an eye tracker to tell us where they are looking during these tasks. This information allows us to examine the link between visual processing and motor control.

University Square 
200 Broadway St. 
Suite 206 
New Orleans, LA 70118 
504-247-1856 
infanttoddler@tulane.edu 
http://childdevelopment.tulane.edu