you won't believe this

[Kathy Hirsh-Pasek]

I just read the article in the NYTimes on baby techtronics part of  
which described the Lena system.  Yes, Lena is in the news again.   
The adds from their web site tell us that it is relevant to any  
parent concerned about "language delays, autism or transitioning an  
adopted child!"  I am copying the description from the Times and  
thought we might all want to check out how our research is  
interpreted in the marketplace. Does this require a response from our  
community?  What is our professional responsibility when this keeps  
coming up in the news?

Kathy


Last on our list was the LENA System ($399) a language measurement  
tool developed by Infoture, in Boulder, Colo. The system is based on  
research demonstrating a correlation between the amount parents talk  
to their babies during their first three years and their professional  
success later in life.

The LENA System includes a credit card device and several children’s  
outfits designed with large pockets in the front. Several days a  
month, you slip the device into the clothing and it records  
conversation between parent and child.

At the end of the day, you plug it into your personal computer.  
Special software (available for Windows, but not Macs) analyzes the  
speech — separating adult words and baby gurgling from other noises —  
and reports on how many words you have spoken to your baby, how often  
your baby responds, and where you match up against the rest of the  
American population, to ensure your infant is getting that all- 
important verbal edge on other infants.

My girls are a bit too young for the LENA, which Infoture recommends  
for infants from 2 months to 4 years. Instead I called Jennifer  
Jacobs, a mother of two from Boise, Idaho, who used the device to  
ensure her youngest child, Katherine, was not getting left behind.

http://www.lenababy.com/


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