A short-term longitudinal study was conducted to assess changes in the patterning of the limbs during infants’ transition to hands-and-knees crawling Six infants were studied using observational and kinematic assessment techniques The results revealed that all 6 infants converged on the same diagonal interlimb pattern for locomoting shortly after developing sufficient muscle strength to support their abdomens above the support surface This finding is significant because forward prone progression could be accomplished using any number of interlimb patterns (e g, moving one limb at a time), yet a diagonal pattern is the most flexible and dynamically efficient The process by which this behavioral pattern emerges appears consistent with recent developmental theories suggesting that new responses are selected to optimize performance following periods of increased variability induced by changing organismic or environmental conditions

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The psychometric characteristics of the IBR Modified Overt Aggression Scale were studied in over 2,000 people with Intellectual Disability (ID). Reliability ranged from good to excellent. Aggression toward others and objects was highest in the youngest adults, in those in the moderate to severe range of ID, and in those with an autism spectrum diagnosis. Self-injury was highest in those in the severe to profound range of ID and in those with autism, particularly the females. Females with autism were also more likely to make the most self-deprecating statements. Our data suggest that adult females with autism are a unique group and support the notion that mood and anxiety disorders play a role in self-destructive behaviors in this population.

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