The field of early childhood intervention for infants and young children with disabilities or delays has a rich history that spans many disciplines of practice. Both legislation and research has provided a foundation for how services are delivered to this population, and there are several recommended practices that govern service delivery to this…

The Research and Training Center (RTC) in Service Coordination is a federally funded project charged with carrying out an advanced research program to analyze current, and recommend future, policies and practices for service coordination under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act amendments of 1997. One RTC objective was to…

This article focuses on early intervention implementation concerns and recommendations for addressing the needs of the wide range of infants and toddlers with disabilities and families to be served. It describes providing services in natural environments, as well as the issues of personnel preparation and models of service delivery. (Contains…

The influence of six service coordination variables on the number, types, and intensity of early intervention services was examined in a study of 346 IDEA Part C program participants in 46 states. The study and selection of the predictor and criterion variables was guided by both previous research and current beliefs about the role service…

Described is the Ninos Especiales Program, a 3-year demonstration project in Hartford, Connecticut, which provided culturally sensitive early intervention services to 34 infants with severe disabilities and their families of Puerto Rican heritage. Included is information on program philosophy, services, evaluation, and participating families.…

Discusses original recommendations on the preparation of early interventionists and reviews numerous societal, policy/legislative, and service delivery changes that have occurred over the past 10 years in early-childhood special education. Progress in the development of licensure/certification guidelines is highlighted, and the need for further…

Early intervention services provided to 68 toddler-age children with disabilities were analyzed. Data were collected across family, child, and service characteristics. Children received services distributed across special instruction, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy delivered primarily at the childcare center. Individual…

This article provides a framework for early childhood special educators who are developing and implementing service systems for children with Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Services for these children should be family centered; delivered in inclusive, community-based environments; and have health care needs…

This commentary reacts to an article that presented an agenda for educational change to encourage early childhood inclusion. It calls for a leadership agenda for the nation, agreement about inclusion as a feasible program model, development and dissemination of effective practices and evidence-based guidelines, family involvement, and increased…

This final report describes a 3-year project which examined effects of different service delivery structures on the development of toddlers with disabilities who were receiving early intervention within natural group environments. Participants (n=70) were matched across four groups who were receiving either full-time specialized instruction or…

These teacher training materials derive from a personnel preparation special project that developed, implemented, and evaluated a teaching model on collaborations necessary for effective delivery of early intervention. The first module on collaboration provides information on the rationale for collaboration and the benefits and drawbacks of…

Describes a statewide project in Connecticut that attempted to meet the training and support needs of childcare providers as they included greater numbers of children with disabilities into their programs. The Training for Inclusion Project emphasized family-centered practices, transdisciplinary team process delivery, and developmentally…

This final report describes the activities and outcomes of a project designed to develop, implement, and evaluate a new three-year longitudinal competency based curriculum for pediatric residents on their role in early intervention and special education. The curriculum consisted of four half-days per month for every resident in an ambulatory…

The purpose of this study was to describe a research project that investigated an alternative service delivery model for infants, toddlers, and their families who were eligible for early intervention services under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). These families were of Latino heritage and had Spanish as their…

These training materials derive from a personnel preparation special project that developed, implemented, and evaluated a teaching model on collaborations necessary for effective delivery of early intervention. Module 1 provides an overview of the history of early intervention and the legal statutes that define early intervention. Module 2…