Abstract This thesis is mainly discussed about the new work type in the information network society, that is telework (or telecommuting).. The author has accomplished interviews with different teleworks who work at different places and their managers.. The purpose of this research is to have a overall understanding and comparison of each teleworker¡¦s function and their daily operation, and discuss the related human resources management issues. There is no other thesis discussing about the management of each type of teleworker, the authour recorded the interviewees¡¦ background and their motivation of being teleworkers, also the reaction of their companies support; In the meantime, the authour interviewed with the managers who manage the teleworkers, understood and analyzed each successful and unsuccessful case, attemped to provide the managers for more practical suggestion. . The economy is recovering very slowly, many enterprises have paid a lot of effort to reduce their operation cost in order to survive in the recession situation. Telework is a flexible work type that can reduce both office expenses and labor cost. The author also attempts to provide some useful suggestions to the business owners, managers, human resources managers that have not had any experience of managing the teleworkers.

Le nombre d'unions où les deux conjoints n'ont pas la même langue maternelle est en augmentation depuis les dernières décennies au Québec. Sachant que les enfants issus de ces unions gravitent dans un univers familial plurilingue, l'objectif de ce mémoire est de connaître les langues qui leur sont transmises. En utilisant les données du questionnaire long du recensement canadien de 2006, nous avons procédé à différentes analyses descriptives nous permettant de cerner les langues maternelles véhiculées aux enfants issus d'une union mixte, de vérifier si ces enfants héritent davantage de la langue maternelle de leur mère ou de leur père et s'ils opèrent des substitutions linguistiques avant l'âge de 18 ans, c'est-à-dire si leur langue maternelle diffère de leur langue d'usage. De plus, par le biais de régressions logistiques, nous avons étudié les déterminants contextuel, ethno-culturel et socio-économique les plus susceptibles d'expliquer le choix de la langue transmise aux enfants. Les résultats obtenus démontrent la place prédominante des langues officielles canadiennes, au détriment des langues non officielles, chez les familles exogames. De plus, le choix de la langue maternelle transmise s'avère principalement conditionné par le lieu de résidence, le parcours migratoire des parents et le pays de naissance des enfants. / The number of unions where both partners do not share the same mother tongue has grown substantially over the last decades in Quebec. Given that children born to these unions live in a multilingual family setting, the purpose of this research is to study the mother tongue transmitted to these children. Using the 2006 Canadian census long-form questionnaire, we first conducted various descriptive analyses. These were intended to identify the mother tongue transmitted to children born to mixed-language unions, to ascertain whether children inherit either their mother or father's mother tongue, and to determine if a language shift occurs before the age of 18 years old, in other words whether their mother tongue differs from the principal language they use at home. In addition, through logistic regressions, we examined the contextual, ethnocultural and socioeconomic determinants explaining the choice of the language transmitted to children. The results show the predominance of the two official Canadian languages in mixed-language families, at the expense of non-official languages. Furthermore, the choice of the mother tongue transmitted is mainly conditioned by the place of residence, the parent's migration path and the children's birthplace.

L’histoire identitaire du Québec a constamment été marquée par des enjeux d’ordre «linguistique». En effet, de par l’isolement de cette province majoritairement francophone, entourée de provinces et d’un pays anglophones, nous avons été témoins de plusieurs débats passionnés sur l’avenir du français au Québec. Mais qu’en est-il réellement de la situation linguistique et plus particulièrement de la fécondité au Québec? Avec le constat que le Québec, tout comme la plupart des pays occidentaux, n’assure plus le remplacement de ses générations par son accroissement naturel, l’immigration devient la seule alternative. Certains se sont alors interrogés sur la représentativité future des francophones au sein de leur province. Axée essentiellement sur la langue d’usage, nous avons effectué plusieurs analyses comparatives de l’indice synthétique de fécondité (ISF) selon les groupes linguistiques, mais également selon les régions. Trois facteurs importaient : déterminer les différences de fécondité entre les groupes linguistiques; déterminer les différences de fécondité entre l’ensemble du Québec, l’île de Montréal et le reste du Québec; et déterminer quel jeu d’hypothèses de construction de l’ISF se rapproche le plus de la réalité. C’est à l’aide de six combinaisons d’hypothèses que nous avons effectué l’analyse de la fécondité des groupes linguistiques, soit trois hypothèses de redistribution des naissances dont la langue d’usage de la mère est inconnue, et deux hypothèses de distribution des effectifs, soit la population féminine âgée de 15 à 49 ans. L’analyse annuelle de la fécondité des groupes linguistiques au Québec nous a permis d’observer des variations pour le moins importantes au cours des deux dernières décennies, ce que des analyses de la fécondité limitées aux années censitaires seulement ont en quelque sorte atténué. Bien que les allophones aient des ISF plus «instables» que les deux autres groupes linguistiques, à cause de leurs faibles effectifs, il appert que leur ISF est en-deçà du seuil de remplacement depuis 1996, pour progressivement se rapprocher de celui des deux autres groupes linguistiques. / The history of Quebec’s identity has constantly been affected by linguistic issues. Being a majority Francophone province surrounded by Anglophone neighbors on all sides, we have witnessed many passionate debate on the future of the French language in Quebec. What is the reality of this linguistic issue in Quebec and its relation to fertility? As in most western societies, Quebec’s population replacement is not maintained by its natural increase rates. Therefore immigration is the only vehicle for population growth. Questions have been raised regarding the future representation of French-speaking people in the province of Quebec. Based primarily on the language spoken most often at home, several comparative analyses have been performed which examined fertility rates according to linguistic groups as well as corresponding geographical locations. Three objectives were considered: to determine the differences of fertility between linguistic groups; to determine the differences of fertility between the whole of Quebec, the island of Montreal and the remainder of Quebec; and to determine which set of scenarios approaches the most the reality. The analysis of fertility was conducted by examining six combinations of hypotheses. Three of which are hypotheses of distribution of births where the mother tongue is unknown, and two hypotheses of distribution of the female population between the ages of 15 and 49 years of age. The annual analysis of fertility of linguistic groups in Quebec showed us important variations over the last two decades, variations which have been mitigated by fertility analyses limited to census years. Although the fertility rates of Allophones have been « unstable » in comparison with both Francophone and Anglophone groups, their fertility rate sits below the generation replacement level since 1996, and has gradually been approaching that of the other two linguistic groups.

Bien que les chercheurs fassent état de l ’importance croissante de l ’individualisme en droit québécois de la famille, il n ’est pas clair que ces conclusions soient fondées sur une définition constante du phénomène. Il est primordial de comprendre la dynamique mouvante de cette tendance, ses caractéristiques ainsi que son lien avec le droit. Au moyen d ’une approche socio-juridique, le présent mémoire décrit ce phénomène et définit trois indicateurs pour explorer si et comment le droit social et privé québécois de la famille s ’individualise autour de la mère au foyer. Au final, le mémoire démontre que le droit de la famille vise, reconnaît et supporte concrètement très peu la mère au foyer. L ’observation de ce cas a plutôt mis en lumière une tendance à la diminution de mesures ou services qui la supportent, tendance qui est notamment liée à la fiscalisation, la contractualisation et l ’octroi d ’une large discrétion judiciaire. / Although researchers have given much attention to the growing importance of individualism in Quebec family law, it is unclear whether these conclusions refer to the same definition of the phenomenon. It is essential to understand the dynamic quality of this tendency, its characteristics as well as its relationship with the law. Using a socio- juridical approach, this thesis explores the phenomenon through three indicators. Specifically, we have undertaken to examine the individualization of Quebec ’s social family law and private family law in the case of the stay-at-home mother. Our analysis reveals that Quebec family law aims, acknowledges and concretly supports the autonomy of the stay-at-home mother very little. Our observations have rather highlighted a decrease in mesures and services that support her, a tendency that is related to the fiscalization, the contractualization and the important judiciary discretion characteristic of contemporary family law.

O objetivo desta pesquisa, de delineamento quase-experimental, foi verificar os efeitos da intervenção motora em três diferentes contextos - abordagens individual no domicílio (ID), individual na creche (IC) e grupo na creche (GC) - no desenvolvimento motor e social de crianças com atrasos motores, na faixa etária entre 06 e 18 meses de idade, residentes em bairros da periferia do município de Porto Alegre/RS, assistidas por unidades básicas de saúde vinculadas ao Hospital Moinhos de Vento e amparadas por creches comunitárias conveniadas com a prefeitura. Descrições do comportamento de cada criança antes e após o período interventivo e características do seu ambiente domiciliar foram associadas ao seu desempenho motor. A amostra desta pesquisa foi voluntária, selecionada de forma não-probabilística e intencional. A partir de uma população de 96 crianças avaliadas, 40 apresentaram percentil de desempenho motor abaixo de 25%, e destas, 32 crianças finalizaram as 24 sessões de intervenção motora, no período de 12 semanas. Cada grupo interventivo ficou assim distribuído: ID n=12, IC n=7 e GC n=13. Os instrumentos utilizados neste estudo foram a escala comportamental das Bayley Scales of Infant Development II (BSID-II), a Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) e o questionário Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development Self-Report (AHEMD-SR). O programa de intervenção, realizado entre maio e novembro de 2007, foi constituído por atividades lúdicas com o intuito de alongar e adequar o tônus muscular, estimular o acompanhamento visual e auditivo, controlar as posturas em diferentes circunstâncias, manipular objetos e deslocar-se, a fim de oportunizar às crianças a experimentação de novas condições de movimento e a superação de desafios. Todos os dados coletados foram analisados através do programa estatístico SPSS para Windows, versão 13.0. Para estas análises, o nível de significância adotado foi p≤0,05. O resultado do Teste de Normalidade Shapiro-Wilk, aplicado nos escores de desempenho motor na primeira avaliação, sugere que os dados não se apresentaram normalmente distribuídos (p=0,04). Desta forma, foram utilizados testes não-paramétricos. Na comparação das variáveis nos dois períodos avaliativos (pré e pós intervenção), o Teste de Kruskal-Wallis foi utilizado e, na presença de diferença significativa entre os grupos, o Teste Complementar de Mann-Whitney. Na comparação do percentil de desempenho motor de cada grupo ao longo do tempo (antes e após o período interventivo), com a finalidade de verificar o efeito do programa de intervenção motora, aplicou-se o Teste de Wilcoxon. Na descrição dos resultados, utilizou-se a mediana e a amplitude interquartílica (P25-P75). Os resultados evidenciaram mudanças significativas no desempenho motor nos três diferentes grupos (ID p=0,014, IC p=0,028 e GC p=0,005), e suportam a hipótese de que crianças com atrasos motores participantes do programa de intervenção apresentariam incremento no seu desempenho motor quando comparadas à avaliação inicial. As observações do comportamento das crianças desta amostra corroboram o pressuposto de que elas apresentariam, após a intervenção, incremento no seu desempenho social. A análise da variação dos escores totais de oportunidades de estimulação no lar, utilizando-se o Teste Qui-quadrado de McNemar, não evidenciou mudanças estatisticamente significativas nos diferentes grupos do estudo (p=1,000), rejeitando o pressuposto de que o programa de intervenção teria impacto positivo no contexto familiar, favorecendo mudanças significativas de engajamento nas diferentes atividades infantis rotineiras, bem como nas atitudes familiares frente às restrições destas crianças. Estratégias interventivas vinculadas ao contexto do desenvolvimento de crianças com atrasos motores promovem incremento em seu desempenho motor e social, e a identificação da criança de risco permite o acompanhamento precoce e a compreensão de suas necessidades. Estes achados sugerem a necessidade de programas de intervenção para famílias de baixa renda que otimizem as oportunidades de estimulação também no ambiente domiciliar. / The purpose of the present study, of quasi-experimental design, was to verify the effects of a motor intervention in three different contexts - individual at home (ID), individual at the daycare (IC) and in groups at the daycare (GC) - on motor and social development of children with motor delays, between 06 and 18 month-old, living in the suburbs of the city of Porto Alegre/RS, who were assisted by basic units of health affiliated to Moinhos de Vento Hospital and supported by communitarian daycare centers linked to the City Hall. Descriptions of the behavior of each child before and after the interventive period and characteristics of their home environment were associated to their motor performance. The sample for this research was voluntary, selected in a non probabilistic and intentional form. From a total of 96 assessed children, 40 presented percentile ranking below 25%, and, of those, 32 finished the 24 sessions of motor intervention, in a period of 12 weeks. Each interventive group was thus distributed: ID n=12, IC n=7 and GC n=13. The instruments used in this study were the behavior rating scale of Bayley Scales of Infant Development II (BSID-II), the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) and the inventory Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development Self-Report (AHEMD-SR). The intervention program, carried out between May and November of 2007, was composed by playful activities which were planned to stretch and adjust the muscular tonus, to stimulate visual and auditory accompaniment, to control postures in different circumstances, to manipulate objects and to move around, in order to allow the children to experiment with new movement conditions and the overcoming of challenges. All the collected data were analyzed through the SPSS statistical program for Windows, version 13.0. In all the analyses, it was considered a significance level of p≤0,05. The result of the Shapiro-Wilk Normality Test, applied in the scores of motor performance in the first evaluation, suggested that the data was a non-normal distribution (p=0,04). Thus, non-parametric tests were used. In the comparison of the variables in the two evaluative periods (pre and post intervention), the Kruskal-Wallis’ Test was used and, when this test demonstrated significant differences between groups, the Mann-Whitney’s U Test was used. In the comparison of the percentile of motor performance of each group throughout time (before and after the interventive period), intending to verify the effect of the motor intervention program, the Wilcoxon Test was applied. In the description of the results, the median and the interquartilic range were used (P25-P75). The results showed significant improvement in the motor performance in the three different groups (ID p=0,014, IC p=0,028 and GC p=0,005), supporting the conviction that children with motor delays taking part in the intervention program would present increase in their motor performance when compared to the initial evaluation. The observations of children’s behavior from this sample corroborate with the conviction that they would show, after the intervention, increase in their social performance. The analysis of the variation of the total scores for opportunities of home stimulation, using McNemar Test, did not show evidence of significant statistical changes in the different study groups (p=1,000), rejecting the conviction that the intervention program would have a positive impact in the home environment, favoring significant changes of engagement in different infant routine activities, as well as in a shift in family attitude towards these children’s restrictions. Interventive strategies tied to the context of development of children with motor delays promote increase in their motor and social performance, and the identification of a risk child allows early accompaniment and the understanding of their necessities. These findings suggest the need of programs of intervention for low income families who also optimize the chances of stimulation in the home environment.

The study attempted to identify factors influencing women’s preference for home births in the Mutare District, Zimbabwe. A quantitative, descriptive, exploratory, cross sectional survey, gathering data by conducting structured interviews with 150 women, was used. All 150 women attended antenatal clinics but did not deliver their babies at health care facilities. The research results indicated that home deliveries might decline if: • the hospital/clinic fees were reduced or removed • transport would be available for women in labour to reach hospitals/clinics • shelters were built for pregnant women at hospitals/clinics • clinics were well equipped and had sufficient numbers of midwives • women had received more effective health education on the advantages of institutional deliveries and on the danger signs of pregnancy/labour complications • nurses/midwives would treat patients respectfully. Unless these factors are addressed, the number of home deliveries might not decline, and the high maternal/infant mortality and morbidity rates in this district will persist. / Health Studies / M. Public Health

This study on parent involvement in Early Childhood Development in KwaZulu Natal investigates the experiences of educators and parents of the different types of parent and community involvement as set out in the Epstein typology. In order to investigate this phenomenon a thorough background of the theory and practice of the Epstein model has been provided. In addition the work of other researchers that support the Epstein typology of parent involvement forms an integral part of the discussions. As parent involvement is the key focus of the study, parent involvement in education before and after 1994 are discussed. In this regard relevant educational policy and legislation that are designed to increase the role of parents and the community in Early Childhood Development are highlighted. Parents' role in the provision of Early Childhood Development is explored. The provision of Early Childhood Development in KwaZulu Natal, which provides a backdrop for the investigation, is explained. In addition contextual factors that influence parent involvement in KwaZulu Natal are provided. The research methodology and the research design used in this study are described in detail. By means of a qualitative approach the experiences of a small sample of educators and parents in Early Childhood Development are explored using the six types of parent involvement that include parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home and collaborating with the community as set out in Epstein's comprehensive model. The experiences of educators and parents of Grade R learners of the six types of involvement have been included. Although all schools engage in some form of parent involvement, it is evident that not all schools involve parents in all types of parent involvement to the same extent. The study concludes with recommendations for developing strategies to involve parents more effectively in Early Childhood Development in KwaZulu Natal. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Comparative Education)

O objetivo desta pesquisa, de delineamento quase-experimental, foi verificar os efeitos da intervenção motora em três diferentes contextos - abordagens individual no domicílio (ID), individual na creche (IC) e grupo na creche (GC) - no desenvolvimento motor e social de crianças com atrasos motores, na faixa etária entre 06 e 18 meses de idade, residentes em bairros da periferia do município de Porto Alegre/RS, assistidas por unidades básicas de saúde vinculadas ao Hospital Moinhos de Vento e amparadas por creches comunitárias conveniadas com a prefeitura. Descrições do comportamento de cada criança antes e após o período interventivo e características do seu ambiente domiciliar foram associadas ao seu desempenho motor. A amostra desta pesquisa foi voluntária, selecionada de forma não-probabilística e intencional. A partir de uma população de 96 crianças avaliadas, 40 apresentaram percentil de desempenho motor abaixo de 25%, e destas, 32 crianças finalizaram as 24 sessões de intervenção motora, no período de 12 semanas. Cada grupo interventivo ficou assim distribuído: ID n=12, IC n=7 e GC n=13. Os instrumentos utilizados neste estudo foram a escala comportamental das Bayley Scales of Infant Development II (BSID-II), a Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) e o questionário Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development Self-Report (AHEMD-SR). O programa de intervenção, realizado entre maio e novembro de 2007, foi constituído por atividades lúdicas com o intuito de alongar e adequar o tônus muscular, estimular o acompanhamento visual e auditivo, controlar as posturas em diferentes circunstâncias, manipular objetos e deslocar-se, a fim de oportunizar às crianças a experimentação de novas condições de movimento e a superação de desafios. Todos os dados coletados foram analisados através do programa estatístico SPSS para Windows, versão 13.0. Para estas análises, o nível de significância adotado foi p≤0,05. O resultado do Teste de Normalidade Shapiro-Wilk, aplicado nos escores de desempenho motor na primeira avaliação, sugere que os dados não se apresentaram normalmente distribuídos (p=0,04). Desta forma, foram utilizados testes não-paramétricos. Na comparação das variáveis nos dois períodos avaliativos (pré e pós intervenção), o Teste de Kruskal-Wallis foi utilizado e, na presença de diferença significativa entre os grupos, o Teste Complementar de Mann-Whitney. Na comparação do percentil de desempenho motor de cada grupo ao longo do tempo (antes e após o período interventivo), com a finalidade de verificar o efeito do programa de intervenção motora, aplicou-se o Teste de Wilcoxon. Na descrição dos resultados, utilizou-se a mediana e a amplitude interquartílica (P25-P75). Os resultados evidenciaram mudanças significativas no desempenho motor nos três diferentes grupos (ID p=0,014, IC p=0,028 e GC p=0,005), e suportam a hipótese de que crianças com atrasos motores participantes do programa de intervenção apresentariam incremento no seu desempenho motor quando comparadas à avaliação inicial. As observações do comportamento das crianças desta amostra corroboram o pressuposto de que elas apresentariam, após a intervenção, incremento no seu desempenho social. A análise da variação dos escores totais de oportunidades de estimulação no lar, utilizando-se o Teste Qui-quadrado de McNemar, não evidenciou mudanças estatisticamente significativas nos diferentes grupos do estudo (p=1,000), rejeitando o pressuposto de que o programa de intervenção teria impacto positivo no contexto familiar, favorecendo mudanças significativas de engajamento nas diferentes atividades infantis rotineiras, bem como nas atitudes familiares frente às restrições destas crianças. Estratégias interventivas vinculadas ao contexto do desenvolvimento de crianças com atrasos motores promovem incremento em seu desempenho motor e social, e a identificação da criança de risco permite o acompanhamento precoce e a compreensão de suas necessidades. Estes achados sugerem a necessidade de programas de intervenção para famílias de baixa renda que otimizem as oportunidades de estimulação também no ambiente domiciliar. / The purpose of the present study, of quasi-experimental design, was to verify the effects of a motor intervention in three different contexts - individual at home (ID), individual at the daycare (IC) and in groups at the daycare (GC) - on motor and social development of children with motor delays, between 06 and 18 month-old, living in the suburbs of the city of Porto Alegre/RS, who were assisted by basic units of health affiliated to Moinhos de Vento Hospital and supported by communitarian daycare centers linked to the City Hall. Descriptions of the behavior of each child before and after the interventive period and characteristics of their home environment were associated to their motor performance. The sample for this research was voluntary, selected in a non probabilistic and intentional form. From a total of 96 assessed children, 40 presented percentile ranking below 25%, and, of those, 32 finished the 24 sessions of motor intervention, in a period of 12 weeks. Each interventive group was thus distributed: ID n=12, IC n=7 and GC n=13. The instruments used in this study were the behavior rating scale of Bayley Scales of Infant Development II (BSID-II), the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) and the inventory Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development Self-Report (AHEMD-SR). The intervention program, carried out between May and November of 2007, was composed by playful activities which were planned to stretch and adjust the muscular tonus, to stimulate visual and auditory accompaniment, to control postures in different circumstances, to manipulate objects and to move around, in order to allow the children to experiment with new movement conditions and the overcoming of challenges. All the collected data were analyzed through the SPSS statistical program for Windows, version 13.0. In all the analyses, it was considered a significance level of p≤0,05. The result of the Shapiro-Wilk Normality Test, applied in the scores of motor performance in the first evaluation, suggested that the data was a non-normal distribution (p=0,04). Thus, non-parametric tests were used. In the comparison of the variables in the two evaluative periods (pre and post intervention), the Kruskal-Wallis’ Test was used and, when this test demonstrated significant differences between groups, the Mann-Whitney’s U Test was used. In the comparison of the percentile of motor performance of each group throughout time (before and after the interventive period), intending to verify the effect of the motor intervention program, the Wilcoxon Test was applied. In the description of the results, the median and the interquartilic range were used (P25-P75). The results showed significant improvement in the motor performance in the three different groups (ID p=0,014, IC p=0,028 and GC p=0,005), supporting the conviction that children with motor delays taking part in the intervention program would present increase in their motor performance when compared to the initial evaluation. The observations of children’s behavior from this sample corroborate with the conviction that they would show, after the intervention, increase in their social performance. The analysis of the variation of the total scores for opportunities of home stimulation, using McNemar Test, did not show evidence of significant statistical changes in the different study groups (p=1,000), rejecting the conviction that the intervention program would have a positive impact in the home environment, favoring significant changes of engagement in different infant routine activities, as well as in a shift in family attitude towards these children’s restrictions. Interventive strategies tied to the context of development of children with motor delays promote increase in their motor and social performance, and the identification of a risk child allows early accompaniment and the understanding of their necessities. These findings suggest the need of programs of intervention for low income families who also optimize the chances of stimulation in the home environment.

The emigration of the Scots from the 18th to the 20th century has produced a diaspora. The thesis outlines how many diasporas are involved in the nationalist projects of their homeland. However, over the chronology of this study and beyond, whilst there were active movements to amend or end the Union of 1707, it has been found that the Scots were not. The thesis then proposes some explanations for this. Chapters one and two introduce methods, research material and context; they describe the Union, the emigrations and diasporas. The study uses for comparison purposes the Irish and Norwegian diasporas. Lines of enquiry such as nationalism, the use of soft power and gatekeeping behaviour are presented, with a discussion of Scottish nationalism. The study examines the approach to involving the diaspora of five groups; both SHRAs, the International Scots Home Rule League, the National Convention and the NPS/SNP. The response of Scottish MPs in the diaspora in England to the many attempts to legislate for home rule is also examined. The approach to the diaspora was found to be badly executed and targeted. Few visits were made, and only to the US and Canada. Communication was unfocussed and spasmodic. The Scottish associational clubs were frequently used as a conduit. A small part of the whole diaspora, these acted as gatekeepers, selectively mobilising for themselves as an elite which had no need of nationalism as they could succeed without it. Comparing the Irish, whose diaspora successfully supported its nationalist causes at home, is instructive. The study concludes that the spasmodic and amateurish nature of contact, the nature of the Associations and that of the diaspora itself were the main culprits in this case of a diaspora indifferent to the fate of nationalism in its home land.

O objetivo desta pesquisa, de delineamento quase-experimental, foi verificar os efeitos da intervenção motora em três diferentes contextos - abordagens individual no domicílio (ID), individual na creche (IC) e grupo na creche (GC) - no desenvolvimento motor e social de crianças com atrasos motores, na faixa etária entre 06 e 18 meses de idade, residentes em bairros da periferia do município de Porto Alegre/RS, assistidas por unidades básicas de saúde vinculadas ao Hospital Moinhos de Vento e amparadas por creches comunitárias conveniadas com a prefeitura. Descrições do comportamento de cada criança antes e após o período interventivo e características do seu ambiente domiciliar foram associadas ao seu desempenho motor. A amostra desta pesquisa foi voluntária, selecionada de forma não-probabilística e intencional. A partir de uma população de 96 crianças avaliadas, 40 apresentaram percentil de desempenho motor abaixo de 25%, e destas, 32 crianças finalizaram as 24 sessões de intervenção motora, no período de 12 semanas. Cada grupo interventivo ficou assim distribuído: ID n=12, IC n=7 e GC n=13. Os instrumentos utilizados neste estudo foram a escala comportamental das Bayley Scales of Infant Development II (BSID-II), a Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) e o questionário Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development Self-Report (AHEMD-SR). O programa de intervenção, realizado entre maio e novembro de 2007, foi constituído por atividades lúdicas com o intuito de alongar e adequar o tônus muscular, estimular o acompanhamento visual e auditivo, controlar as posturas em diferentes circunstâncias, manipular objetos e deslocar-se, a fim de oportunizar às crianças a experimentação de novas condições de movimento e a superação de desafios. Todos os dados coletados foram analisados através do programa estatístico SPSS para Windows, versão 13.0. Para estas análises, o nível de significância adotado foi p≤0,05. O resultado do Teste de Normalidade Shapiro-Wilk, aplicado nos escores de desempenho motor na primeira avaliação, sugere que os dados não se apresentaram normalmente distribuídos (p=0,04). Desta forma, foram utilizados testes não-paramétricos. Na comparação das variáveis nos dois períodos avaliativos (pré e pós intervenção), o Teste de Kruskal-Wallis foi utilizado e, na presença de diferença significativa entre os grupos, o Teste Complementar de Mann-Whitney. Na comparação do percentil de desempenho motor de cada grupo ao longo do tempo (antes e após o período interventivo), com a finalidade de verificar o efeito do programa de intervenção motora, aplicou-se o Teste de Wilcoxon. Na descrição dos resultados, utilizou-se a mediana e a amplitude interquartílica (P25-P75). Os resultados evidenciaram mudanças significativas no desempenho motor nos três diferentes grupos (ID p=0,014, IC p=0,028 e GC p=0,005), e suportam a hipótese de que crianças com atrasos motores participantes do programa de intervenção apresentariam incremento no seu desempenho motor quando comparadas à avaliação inicial. As observações do comportamento das crianças desta amostra corroboram o pressuposto de que elas apresentariam, após a intervenção, incremento no seu desempenho social. A análise da variação dos escores totais de oportunidades de estimulação no lar, utilizando-se o Teste Qui-quadrado de McNemar, não evidenciou mudanças estatisticamente significativas nos diferentes grupos do estudo (p=1,000), rejeitando o pressuposto de que o programa de intervenção teria impacto positivo no contexto familiar, favorecendo mudanças significativas de engajamento nas diferentes atividades infantis rotineiras, bem como nas atitudes familiares frente às restrições destas crianças. Estratégias interventivas vinculadas ao contexto do desenvolvimento de crianças com atrasos motores promovem incremento em seu desempenho motor e social, e a identificação da criança de risco permite o acompanhamento precoce e a compreensão de suas necessidades. Estes achados sugerem a necessidade de programas de intervenção para famílias de baixa renda que otimizem as oportunidades de estimulação também no ambiente domiciliar. / The purpose of the present study, of quasi-experimental design, was to verify the effects of a motor intervention in three different contexts - individual at home (ID), individual at the daycare (IC) and in groups at the daycare (GC) - on motor and social development of children with motor delays, between 06 and 18 month-old, living in the suburbs of the city of Porto Alegre/RS, who were assisted by basic units of health affiliated to Moinhos de Vento Hospital and supported by communitarian daycare centers linked to the City Hall. Descriptions of the behavior of each child before and after the interventive period and characteristics of their home environment were associated to their motor performance. The sample for this research was voluntary, selected in a non probabilistic and intentional form. From a total of 96 assessed children, 40 presented percentile ranking below 25%, and, of those, 32 finished the 24 sessions of motor intervention, in a period of 12 weeks. Each interventive group was thus distributed: ID n=12, IC n=7 and GC n=13. The instruments used in this study were the behavior rating scale of Bayley Scales of Infant Development II (BSID-II), the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) and the inventory Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development Self-Report (AHEMD-SR). The intervention program, carried out between May and November of 2007, was composed by playful activities which were planned to stretch and adjust the muscular tonus, to stimulate visual and auditory accompaniment, to control postures in different circumstances, to manipulate objects and to move around, in order to allow the children to experiment with new movement conditions and the overcoming of challenges. All the collected data were analyzed through the SPSS statistical program for Windows, version 13.0. In all the analyses, it was considered a significance level of p≤0,05. The result of the Shapiro-Wilk Normality Test, applied in the scores of motor performance in the first evaluation, suggested that the data was a non-normal distribution (p=0,04). Thus, non-parametric tests were used. In the comparison of the variables in the two evaluative periods (pre and post intervention), the Kruskal-Wallis’ Test was used and, when this test demonstrated significant differences between groups, the Mann-Whitney’s U Test was used. In the comparison of the percentile of motor performance of each group throughout time (before and after the interventive period), intending to verify the effect of the motor intervention program, the Wilcoxon Test was applied. In the description of the results, the median and the interquartilic range were used (P25-P75). The results showed significant improvement in the motor performance in the three different groups (ID p=0,014, IC p=0,028 and GC p=0,005), supporting the conviction that children with motor delays taking part in the intervention program would present increase in their motor performance when compared to the initial evaluation. The observations of children’s behavior from this sample corroborate with the conviction that they would show, after the intervention, increase in their social performance. The analysis of the variation of the total scores for opportunities of home stimulation, using McNemar Test, did not show evidence of significant statistical changes in the different study groups (p=1,000), rejecting the conviction that the intervention program would have a positive impact in the home environment, favoring significant changes of engagement in different infant routine activities, as well as in a shift in family attitude towards these children’s restrictions. Interventive strategies tied to the context of development of children with motor delays promote increase in their motor and social performance, and the identification of a risk child allows early accompaniment and the understanding of their necessities. These findings suggest the need of programs of intervention for low income families who also optimize the chances of stimulation in the home environment.