Research shows relationships fuel early brain development and provide the foundation for lifelong health and success. Yet we also know that parenting a very young child places enormous physical and emotional demands on adults. Some families may not have what they need, or know where to turn for support if they want it, even when it is within reach…

Sometimes one of the most difficult parts of handling a life-altering event is not even knowing what needs to be accomplished, never mind what issues should be tackled first. There is no single set plan for any family, no "one size fits all" list of tasks to accomplish first. In this article the author, a mother of two children on the autism…

The symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often begin early in life. In fact, many young children enter school with behavioral and cognitive symptoms that put them at a significant disadvantage compared with their typically-developing peers. Over the past several decades, researchers, psychologists and educators have devoted…

The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African-Americans (WHIEEAA) has a mandate on behalf of African-American students to close the achievement gap. This goal requires attention to the full education continuum, from the early childhood years through adulthood. Learning begins at birth and the preparation for learning starts well…

There is a great disparity in early care and education opportunities between homeless children and their peers. The high mobility of families who are homeless and a lack of transportation to and from a center-based program present significant barriers to participation in early education. The authors describe a unique approach to meeting the needs…

Social disadvantage is not simply a question of income poverty but is a combination of deprivation and social exclusion (Saunders 2006). Those living in poverty, lone parents (Saunders 2006) and minority ethnic groups (which is often confounded with poverty) are all at risk of social disadvantage (Bradley 2001a). Social disadvantage can have a…

Describes a model for conducting functional assessment in the home. The model uses a trans-disciplinary technical-assistance team to assess and plan interventions for young children with severe challenging behaviors. Discussion includes the kind of information needed, specific examples of data collection in the home, and the benefits and barriers…

The report documents activities of the 3-year (1986-1989) Assessment as Intervention Project at George Washington University (District of Columbia). Major activities of the project included: data collection with 25 families of newborn at-risk premature infants, including assessment-intervention sessions at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of age; data…

This article reviews experimental studies of home-based early interventions for infants at biological risk and their families. The paper presents a description of developmental interventions in intensive care nurseries, a rationale for continuing developmental interventions (in particular, home-based services), and implications for early…

The Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) is a home-based, early intervention program for young, disadvantaged children and their families to enhance their potential for academic success when they enter school. This book describes the components of the program and reports on the research related to HIPPY's effects on the…

The SKI-HI program, which provides home-based family support services for infants, toddlers, and preschool children who are deaf or hard of hearing, has been implemented by approximately 250 agencies and annually serves about 4,000 families. Information is provided on the program's rationale, development, family-centered home-based services,…

The Georgia Parent Infant Network for Educational Services (PINES) is a home intervention program currently serving over 300 hearing impaired, visually impaired, and multihandicapped sensory impaired (MHSI) preschoolers. The infant-toddler evaluation component is described, with sections on screening and diagnosis, parent education concerning…

The goal of England's Peers Early Education Partnership (PEEP) is to support early communication and literacy skills and to support parents as their children's first educators through both home- and group-based programs. The program is currently offered to children under 5 years of age and their families in a disadvantaged area of Oxford. This…

The goal of England's Peers Early Education Partnership (PEEP) is to support early communication and literacy skills and to support parents as their children's first educators through both home- and group-based programs. The program is currently offered to children under 5 years of age and their families in a disadvantaged area of Oxford. This…

Describes a comprehensive continuum of services model for children with autism developed by a human services agency in Massachusetts, which incorporates these and additional empirically based approaches. Service components, methodologies, and program objectives are described, including representative summary data. Best practice approaches toward…