Examining SES-Related Differences in Home Motor Affordances and Developmental Outcomes in Early Childhood

• Sydney Brand, Health Behavior Science, University of Delaware

• Michele Lobo, Physical Therapy, University of Delaware

Developmentally, the first 18 months after birth are highly formative times for physical and motor development. Infant development can be influenced by different aspects. Factors like quality and availability of physical space, stimulation variety, and gross and fine motor toys contribute to an infant’s motor development and can be classified by “affordances in the home.” Using the Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development (AHEMD) scale, affordances in children’s homes can be measured. The purpose of this research was to evaluate child development and home affordances for infants with low socioeconomic status (SES) or mid-high SES. Data came from 25 infant pairs varying in SES and matched based on age, sex at birth, and whether they qualified for early intervention services. The AHEMD (physical space, stimulation variety, gross/fine motor toys, and total score) was used to evaluate affordances in the home and the Developmental Assessment of Young Children (DAYC-2) was used to evaluate infants’ cognitive and physical (gross and fine motor) development. The research questions were: do 0-18-month-olds with SES-associated differences differ in affordances in the home; if so, do they also show differences in physical or cognitive development? The AHEMD showed that children with mid-high SES had greater home affordances in gross motor toys (p=0.023), physical space (p=0.026), and in total (p=0.004). There was no significant difference in stimulation variety or fine motor toys in the home. The DAYC-2 showed that children with mid-high had more advanced cognition (p=0.049). No significant differences were found in physical development. These results highlight that SES may impact the environment and daily learning opportunities for young children in ways that can negatively impact cognitive growth, and the importance of programs and services that support families to promote development for children with low SES.