"Lonely Kids in a Connected World: What Teachers Can Do" offers a comprehensive look at childhood loneliness and provides classroom teachers and specialized school professionals a toolkit of research-based intervention strategies. Because children who experience loneliness often feel alone, isolated, disconnected, and alienated, early…

To support states in improving educational results and functional outcomes for children with disabilities while ensuring compliance with Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) through state monitoring activities, a six-step inquiry process has been developed. The six steps describe a chronological process to assist states in selecting…

This briefing paper explores Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) policies and practices that state early intervention (Part C) programs may consider implementing to meet the social-emotional and mental health needs of infants and toddlers in the context of relationships with their parents and other caregivers.

Infants and young children are vulnerable to multiple types of trauma, including neglect and sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. Some believe that young children are not impacted by trauma and that, if they are, they will simply "grow out of it." Continuing research, however, clearly demonstrates that trauma can alter young children's…

Pivotal response training (PRT) is an intervention that integrates principles of child development with those of applied behavior analysis (ABA). This means that facilitating a PRT interaction involves a simultaneous consideration of the learner with Autism Spectrum Disorder's (ASD's) developmental levels and progression, along with the…

Prompting (PP) includes any help given to a learner that assists the learner in using a specific skill or behavior. Sometimes referred to as an "errorless learning method," prompting reduces incorrect responding as learners acquire new skills. Prompting is a foundational practice that is used with other evidence-based practices (such as,…

Reinforcement (R+) is used to teach target skills and increase desired behaviors. Other evidence-based practices (for example, prompting, pivotal responses training) draw upon components of reinforcement. Reinforcement describes the relationship between learner behavior and a consequence that follows the behavior. The relationship between the…

Similar to sign language and picture boards, Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) system. AAC systems are used to help individuals who do not have typical verbal skills to communicate with others. PECS is a behavior based intervention that teaches the learner to use visual-graphic…

The long-term goal of the State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) and other federal and state early intervention and early childhood education initiatives is improved child and family outcomes. States play a critical role in supporting practitioners in the use of evidence-based practices to improve child and family outcomes. When practitioners…

The "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act" (IDEA) refers to two types of Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS): voluntary CEIS and comprehensive CEIS. Each scenario describes a local education agency's (LEA's) implementation of voluntary or comprehensive CEIS and how the LEA or state could track the amount LEAs reserved…

One of the most respected and widely used autism interventions, Pivotal Response Treatment uses natural learning opportunities to modify key behaviors in children--leading to widespread positive effects on communication, behavior, and social skills. Now the pioneering experts behind PRT have created a comprehensive modern guide to this…

The years between pre-K and third grade are vital for creating the foundation for later school success. The skills students develop at one age level or grade must be built upon and reinforced in later grades. Furthermore, for students to sustain gains made in one grade, they must continue to receive high-quality teaching in subsequent grades.…

This guide discusses incorporating leadership training and opportunities into parent involvement and family literacy programs. By doing this, parents can have a meaningful voice in social and educational issues, and educators can have a better understanding of the benefits of working with and supporting parent as equal partners in schools and…

This 2015 quick reference guide is designed to assist states in understanding what information needs to be available in order for stakeholders to assist in selecting potential improvement strategies that will increase capacity of Local Education Agencies (LEAs), Early Intervention Services (EIS) programs, and practitioners to improve results for…

Early intervention (EI) and early childhood special education (ECSE) practitioners participating in the Child Outcomes Summary (COS) process must understand age-expected development, the ages at which children typically acquire different skills. This resource provides answers to commonly asked questions about age anchoring as it applies to the COS…