Early Start is a center-based program for four-year-old children at risk of academic failure because of their home or community environment. The state-funded program successfully incorporated literacy activities into a supportive environment which informally encouraged practice with early reading and writing. (Author/JDD)

The University of Hawaii Department of Special Education conducted the Preschool Preparation and Transition Project, a federally funded demonstration program, to support families and their children with special needs in the transition from infant programs to least restrictive preschool placements. The program addressed this goal through three…

This study used semistructured interviews to examine the views of 10 teachers in integrated preschool settings for young children with and without special needs concerning integrated program development and implementation at the early childhood level. Findings suggest considerable variation in conditions of implementation, with teachers…

This paper describes Project Assist, a model for developing and implementing a flexible system of social support that can be individualized for families of infants/toddlers with disabilities. The model uses group support, individual support, and follow-up support to meet a variety of family needs and promote family adaptation. (JDD)

This study investigated sources of resistance to development of integrated preschool programs, expressed in interviews with 30 parents, teachers, and administrators and in observations of planning meetings. Findings suggest that perceived loss of political control over aspects of programs that have been informally negotiated among parents,…

The Birth to Three Inservice Training Project was a federally funded demonstration project which trained Connecticut early interventionists from a variety of backgrounds. The model stressed a conducive learning climate, mutual planning, diagnosis of individual learning needs, continuous evaluation, and follow-up training. The service delivery…

This paper reviews literature on the application of developmental and learning theories to program development and outcome evaluation in early childhood special education (ECSE), and reports on a survey which indicated that ECSE professionals (n=169) knew little about theoretical underpinnings of curriculum implementation. (Author/JDD)