Individual Difference in the Development of Social Communication Competency in Very Low Birthweight Children

Two aspects of the children’s social competence were coded: ~ e s ~ Q ~ s i ~ e - ness to mothers’ attention-directing behaviors and requests and ~ n i ~ ~~Q~~ of social inte~ctions. Children’s social competence was from their interactions with their mothers in the home e rather than with an examiner because children acquire th ir social skills at these young ages through interactions with their primary caretaker (Ma~o, 1990). This approach was, therefore, expected to p r o ~ d e a more valid representation of their social communication skills.