While partnerships including meaningful, two-way, parent-teacher dialogue about young children during early childhood program and school meetings are critical, linguistic differences between bilingual parents who are immigrants and early educators can impede communication and lead to inequitable services. In this article, we focus on one aspect of…

"Autism at-a-Glance" is designed for high school staff members supporting students on the autism spectrum, as well as family members of adolescents on the autism spectrum. This issue was designed to support high school staff and family members in understanding and improving the communication skills of adolescents on the autism spectrum.…

When parents feel separated from their sons by a curtain of silence or a wall of resistance, they are right to be concerned. Boys of few words-the ones who limit their expression to a timid shrug or an indifferent grunt-need help. Whether the problem is rooted in "nature" or "nurture," boys who grow up unable to talk about their thoughts and…

This guide addresses issues facing the parents, teachers and caregivers of children who are unable to use normal speech as a means of communication. It focuses on people who are intellectually disabled or children who are starting to use augmentative communication. The guide includes the following topics: the nature of communication; an overview…

Video Activated Communication (VAC) is a powerful family intervention model that builds on family strengths. On the basis of video recordings of parents and children at home, the VAC practitioner (VACP) shows parents which communication skills they have been using to achieve successful interaction with their children. The successful outcomes,…

Although the nature of parent involvement changes as children get older and varies from family to family, junior high school teachers and the families they serve recognize the value of parent involvement in young adolescents' education. Teachers, parents, and students, however, are often uncertain about how to initiate parent involvement in their…

This paper provides Indian parents of children with disabilities with information from the Education for Parents of Indian Children with Special Needs Project concerning communication between Indian parents and non-Indian service providers. Five basic strategies for effective communication are reviewed: (1) when you do not understand, ask for…

This paper discusses the problems faced by Minnesota's Supporting Diversity in Schools organization in communicating their goal of making schools responsive to students of differing ethnic backgrounds. It was found that using terms such as "multicultural curriculum" and "isolation of schools and communities of color from one…

This guide, written for parents, explains what parents need to know about the second and third year of their child's life. Part 1 is organized by chronological age, with each of 16 chapters devoted to 1 or 2 months of development. Sections in each chapter are: (1) "What Your Toddler May be Doing Now," a monthly or quarterly milestone…

This packet contains six briefs developed specifically for Spanish-speaking parents of Mexican origin, and English translations of the briefs. In plain language, these briefs state what researchers and practitioners have learned about various ways parents can help their children do well in school. Titles of the briefs are (1) "Apoyando el…