Mary Chambers and David Sugden, University of Leeds

This book, a helpful resource for professionals in the educational and health fields, describes and analyses motor coordination difficulties in young children up to the age of seven.

The early years are a crucial time in the development of young children. Any problems that children experience at this age need to be accurately and consistently identified and assessed, which can then lead to appropriate intervention.

The first two chapters of the book describe and explain typical expectancies in themotor development of young children. These expectancies are then put into contrast with a description of the difficulties some children exhibit.

A chapter on assessment shows how children's specific difficulties can be identified. For this purpose, the book offers a reliable and valid checklist that can be photocopied for use.

Finally, a chapter on intervention stresses the guiding principles for intervening at the appropriate level, making the process fit into the daily family life. The approach that this book takes is that the difficulties should be addressed in a practical way while at the same time avoiding problems of labelling.