This paper presents perspectives from early childhood practitioners of pre-school children's (n = 100) social and emotional competencies upon entering pre-school and again after term three of the pre-school year. This research reports findings from five pre-school settings within rural and urban locations. A quantitative approach is used with…

We aimed to understand the relation between child maltreatment and special education (SPED) service evaluation referrals in U.S. childcare settings. Extant data (N = 1,354) from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN) was used to address the study aims. Results indicated that the odds of teacher-initiated service evaluation…

Background: Public preschool can provide opportunities for earlier detection of child health problems and receipt of special needs services. This is especially important for children from low-income households who disproportionately face cost barriers to obtaining health screenings and services. Objective: This study explores the possibility that…

Purpose: Part C early intervention (EI) providers, including speech-language pathologists, are often involved in autism screening practices and discussing autism with families of toddlers. The purpose of this study was to understand EI providers' perspectives of screening for autism. Method: Using a phenomenological qualitative design, we explored…

Importance: Children experiencing parental opioid use disorder are a growing population at heightened risk of physical and mental health issues over the life course. Yet these children are less likely to receive comprehensive, ongoing health care and their parents are more likely to report barriers to access health care for their children.…