Programs to identify young children with special learning needs should incorporate ongoing classroom observation and provide educationally relevant information rather than labels. The early identification procedure used in London (Ontario) for students in kindergarten through grade three uses a school program team to assist the classroom teacher…

Reviews the language basis of reading disabilities and provides a checklist of language deficits frequently associated with reading disabilities. Areas assessed include: word retrieval, verbal memory, speech production, comprehension, expressive language, and speech sound awareness. The checklist is designed for early identification of reading…

This article first reviews early social and communication indicators of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in infants and toddlers. It then reviews evidence-based intervention practices for children with ASD and identifies principles for providing intervention for infants and toddlers at risk for ASD. Issues addressed include providing intervention in…

This article considers the extent to which Child Find procedures discussed in the literature are responsive to families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Discussion of the legal basis for Child Find activities targeting these young children and challenges in early identification of children from diverse backgrounds is…

This study examined the development of phonological and reading skills in 171 students from the beginning of first grade (Time 1) to the end of second grade (Time 4). The study found that reader group membership (nondisabled, reading disabled, or poor reading) at Time 4 could be very accurately predicted from students' Time 1 scores. (Author/DB)

This guide was developed to assist families and service providers in Connecticut with the development of Individualized Family Service Plans for infants and young children with hearing impairments under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It provides general information about hearing loss and deafness, intervention…

This report discusses assessment procedures for young children who are culturally and linguistically diverse and describes three practices that the authors feel should be added to the currently recommended DEC practices. In the first place, professionals should gather information prior to assessment to determine whether a child should be referred…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires the implementation of a comprehensive child find system. This system includes public awareness activities to inform parents, professionals, and the community at large of the availability of early intervention and preschool services, of the importance of identifying children with or at…

This information packet presents materials which focus on early identification of hearing impairment in infants and young children to prevent speech and language delays. A glossary of terms is followed by a summary of results of the National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference (1993) concerning early identification of hearing…

Intended for use in Florida training programs for caregivers of infants and toddlers with disabilities, this guide presents an overview of the Model of Interdisciplinary Training for Children with Handicaps (MITCH); offers a user's guide to the series; and provides specific information for presenting Module 3, which focuses on meeting the special…

This handbook is designed for use by trained educational diagnosticians and special educators as they go about the complex task of identifying students with perceptual/communicative disabilities (PCD) and determining eligibility for special education services. Section 1 of the text discusses federal criteria for determining the existence of a…

Intended for use in Florida training programs for caregivers of infants and toddlers with disabilities, this guide presents an overview of the Model of Interdisciplinary Training for Children with Handicaps (MITCH); offers a user's guide to the series; and provides specific information for presenting Module 9, which focuses on motor development.…

This document presents guidelines for differential diagnosis and eligibility determination under Connecticut's Birth to Three System for young children with communication problems, usually delayed speech. An executive summary presents a rationale and recommendation locator in the form of a matrix of communication problems, the eligibility…

This book is intended to be a practical resource guide for professionals responsible for designing and implementing individualized early intervention programs for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with special needs. Part I provides an introduction to the purpose and characteristics of a comprehensive, multidisciplinary assessment. Part II…