Recognition of television images as a developmental milestone in young children: observational study
BMJ 2000; 320 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.320.7238.836 (Published 25 March 2000) Cite this as: BMJ 2000;320:836
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Dear Sir,
I am surprised to read that Dr Manning is studying the nutritional
efficacy of Tubby custard. He should at least know that the correct order
is: Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, La-La, Po.
Yours sincerely,
Kamran Abbasi
Competing interests: No competing interests
Dear Editor - Lloyd and Brodie propose that an 18 month old child's
ability to recognise television images may be a useful milestone in the
assessment of development (1). Their data is derived from the examination
of two conditions only: Down's syndrome and normality. To extend the
concept to include learning disabilities in general, language disorders
and autism is therefore not necessarily valid.
The authors found their milestone to have a high degree of specificity
(96%): very few normal children were unable to recognise television
images. The sensitivity of the milestone, that is, its' ability to detect
Down's syndrome, was 81%. One fifth of children with Down's syndrome were
not detected. We do not know how sensitive the milestone is to learning
disability generally, language disorders or autism. We cannot assume that
the findings with the Down's syndrome group can be generalised.
The clinical utility of this developmental milestone has not yet been
established.
Michael Hunter
Specialist Registrar in Psychiatry
Community Health Sheffield NHS Trust,
Northlands Community Mental Health Centre,
Southey Hill,
Sheffield
References
1. Lloyd BW, Brodie K. Recognition of television images as a
developmental milestone in young children: observational study. BMJ 2000;
320: 836 - 838.
Competing interests: No competing interests
Dear Sir
I hope that this test could be further refined to include the more
specific recognition of favourite TV characters. This has as much place in
assessing the development of children as for the screening of their
parents in terms of the time they spent watching the TV with their
offspring.
Yours Faithfully
Dr Chris Manning
Conflict of interest: Involved currently in an evaluative study on
the nutritional efficacy of Tubby Custard.
Competing interests: No competing interests
The exposure of children to home electronic appliances
will require the need for defining new developmental milestones as has
been brought out in this study.
With the increasing access to computers,
children can manipulate a mouse earlier than a pencil.
The age at which a child can use a mouse could be a
developmental milestone tests gross motor, fine motor as well as cognitive
development. This should also be a subject for study.
Competing interests: No competing interests
My Purple Tinky-Winky
My purple Tinky-Winky
makes all the children smile
My key-ring Tinky-Winky
is with me all the while
When Billy's drums are bulging
and he's screaming fit to burst
Out comes Tinky on my key-ring
It's the toy that I use first
The storm subsides, his face softens
tears still flow , then comes a smile
Recognition, warmth and kindness
makes this job so worthwhile
'It's Tinky!' says Billy's mummy
now he's smiling fit to burst
clutching Tinky to his tummy
and the pain is briefly cursed
Whisked home as if by magic
to familiar fireside calm
I sail through my auroscopic
for he knows I'll do no harm
My purple Tinky-Winky
is with me all the while
My key-ring Tinky-Winky
makes everybody smile.
Competing interests: No competing interests