The Child's Curriculum

Colwyn Trevarthen studies how infants communicate. His work supports parents, teachers and therapists to give care and companionship to all children, including those suffering loneliness, shame, or disorders such as autism and depressive illness. He describes the talents of young children as a gift to the community, exploring how 'musicality' in movement communicates joy in play and story-telling. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, a Member of the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters, a Vice-President of the British Association for Early Childhood Education, and Advisor at the Research Base, Pen Green Centre for Under Fives and Families in Corby. Jonathan Delafield-Butt is a developmental psychologist whose research examines the early origins of human experience and its embodied and emotional foundations. He researched brain development at Edinburgh, and infant and child development at Edinburgh and Copenhagen. He held scholarships at Harvard and the Institute for Advanced Studies at Edinburgh for science-philosophy bridgework on the mind-body relation. He trained pre-clinically in psychoanalytic psychotherapy and contributes to development in infant mental health. His work addresses principles of best practice in support of the social and emotional lives young children in education and clinical care, with attention to those with autism spectrum disorder. He is Reader in Child Development and Director of the Laboratory for Innovation in Autism. In her current role, Aline-Wendy has chosen to focus her research and writing interests on educational transitions, children's learning journeys, family engagement in education and practitioner identities, beliefs and practices. She also contributes to PG student supervision. She believes passionately in the importance of the Early Years in Scotland and is widely published. She is the Scottish Project Coordinator for the Scottish Transitions as a Tool for Change Project and CI the 'Child and Family Transitions: the role of childminders'; 'Autism and Film Literacies Project'; 'Narratives of Educational Transitions: A Longitudinal Study 3-18'. In 2013 Aline-Wendy was awarded an MBE for services to early childhood and autism in Scotland. She is a Vice-President of Early Education.