This is a first mixed-methods study, which created, adapted and tested the feasibility of a training programme targeted at parents, community professionals, specialist teachers and volunteers to provide advice on developmental stimulation for children with visual impairment in their homes in rural and urban settings of Malawi. The study followed…

Background: The transition period out of the educational system can be a source of stress for parents of young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as families lose the support and respite offered by schools. Materials and Methods: Using a before and after design nested within a 24-month follow-up study of parents seeking adult…

Western Michigan University is building an innovative program to make welcome those students who were raised in foster care and to help them earn their diplomas without having to shoplift or trespass over the holidays. Many of the students have comfortable apartments on the campus, and a hall was kept open over the holiday break for dorm residents…

Recently, consensus among researchers and professionals has emerged about factors that contribute to postschool success of youth with disabilities. Prominent among these factors are targeted academic preparation, family involvement, youth empowerment, and service collaboration and linkages. Work experience and paid employment have been identified…

Best preschool programs provide both developmentally appropriate curricula and school-based family support services. This article describes four exemplary, innovative, and low-cost early education programs in Kentucky, Colorado, Iowa, and Florida that integrate family support, day care, and health and social services. These districts had visionary…

This article describes the reflective process component of a multisite study of the effectiveness of family-focused, developmentally supportive care with low birthweight infants. Reflection is felt to be of particular value to developmental care because of the nature of the developmental approach itself, which is theory-guided, relationship-based,…

A rationale for and components of a development systems model are presented to guide early intervention programs. Core principles emphasizing a developmental framework, integration, and inclusion are expressed in the context of a multicomponent interactive system. The model's focus on maximizing family patterns of interaction by addressing…

CoZi, an acronym combining the names of child psychiatrist James Comer and developmental child psychologist Edward Zigler, is a reform initiative to ensure children's success through various systems working together: the family, the school, child care, and the health system. Integrating services fundamentally changes the school's mission and the…

To enlist the whole community in educating children, educators must expand their vision of family and community involvement, build new kinds of "doors" and "windows," and develop new mindsets about families, communities, and schools. Effective partnership practices are developmental, responsive, and student-centered. Some…

Developmental intervention programs for infants with handicaps and their parents generally focus on preventing eventual developmental delays; changing the infants' behavior, development, or relationships with caregivers; or changing the family system. For each intervention purpose, exemplary programs are described. Issues related to efficacy and…

Presents an integrative model of family development in cultural context as a framework for supporting the optimal development of Latino children and families. Describes two prevention and early intervention programs for Latino parents and children that work from a multidimensional, risk-reduction, and resource-enhancement approach, and focus on…