Forty children under three years of age referred for early childhood special education evaluation were randomly assigned to either a multidisciplinary, standardized assessment or a transdisciplinary, play-based assessment. Play-based assessments took less time to complete, resulted in favorable parent and staff perceptions, provided useful…

Therapists and educators in early childhood special education programs have several potential sources of conflict ensuing from differing professional backgrounds, quality control, coordination problems, material equity, and lack of policy. A model for intensive and extensive training to improve the integration of therapy and therapists into the…

The article describes a graduate training program at San Francisco State University that prepares early childhood special education professionals to work with children from birth to five years and their families in various settings. The evaluation plan for the interdisciplinary training program and data on program outcomes are presented.…

This reaction paper offers evidence for the effectiveness of nondirective instructional models with special needs young children. The construct of "developmentally appropriate practice" is viewed as a working hypothesis and as a continuous variable, not a dichotomous variable. Relationships between early childhood education and early childhood…