A longitudinal study examined the impact of early heritage-and second-language education on heritage-and second-language development among Inuit, White, and mixed-heritage (Inuit/ White) children. Children in an arctic community were tested in English, French and Inuttitut at the beginning and end of each of the first 3 school years. Compared with Inuit in heritage language and mixed-heritage children in a second language, Inuit in second-language classes (English or French) showed poorer heritage language skills and poorer second-language acquisition. Conversely, Inuit children in Inuttitut classes showed heritage language skills equal to or better than mixed-heritage children and Whites educated in their heritage languages. Findings support claims that early instruction exclusively in a societally dominant language can lead to subtractive bilingualism among minority-language children, and that heritage language education may reduce this subtractive process.The role of educational institutions in maintaining and enhancing minority languages has become a hotly debated issue in North America. Perhaps the most familiar example surrounds bilingual instruction for Spanish speakers in the United States (Ruiz, 1988). However, the issue extends to a wide variety of minority-language groups. The arguments of

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Objectives. Chronic otitis media (COM) and associated hearing loss is a frequent problem for many Inuit children in Canada. In this study, we evaluated individuals aged 12-16 years living in Inukjuak, to determine the prevalence of middle ear disease and hearing loss, and the effect of hearing loss on academic performance. Methods. Otological examination, hearing test, medical and school file review were performed in November 1997. 88 individuals were seen. Results. Otological examination revealed maximal scarring in 1.8%, minimal scarring in 34.9%, normal eardrums in 49.1% and chronic otitis media in 16.9%. There were 62 individuals whose ear exams could be directly compared with a previous exam done in 1987. Of those, there were three ears that had developed COM and 4/13ears with COM in 1987 that had healed. Hearing tests found bilateral normal hearing in 80% (PTA <20dB), unilateral loss in 15% and bilateral loss in 5%. Hearing loss was associated with poorer academic performance in Language (p<.05). A similar trend was found in Mathematics but not in Inuttitut. Conclusion. Chronic otitis media remains a significant problem among the Inuit, with a prevalence of 16.9% in individuals aged 12-16 years. One in five in this age group has hearing loss, and this hearing loss impacts on academic performance.

This report describes an intervention to establish independent eating behaviours in a 3 % year old developmentally handicapped boy with autistic-like behaviours who at the point of referral showed signs of dehydration and malwurishment resulting h chronic food rehal. A first intervention reduced screaming, food r e f w l and related disruptive mealtime behaviours and established appropriate eating msponses in a hospital-based daycare centre. Although the boy's mother received some instruction in the teaching procedures treatment effects did not generalize to the home. A second intervention successfully taught the mother to implement the teaching strategies, and independent mealtime behaviours were established at home, with maintenance reported at a 4-month and 3% year follow-up.The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Shirley Holdaway and her staff at the Vera Hayward Clinic.

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