Parents from culturally diverse backgrounds need to feel that they play a vital role in the future success of their sons or daughters with disabilities. Differences in culture and ethnicity can affect families' involvement in transition planning and the goals that they emphasize for their children. Families of diverse backgrounds were surveyed and…

This publication emerged from an invitational meeting held by "Project Zero to Three" to address how best to provide effective, culturally sensitive, and comprehensive early intervention programs to all infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families in an equitable way. Following an overview of the concept of culture and how that…

This monograph provides a framework for programs, states, and organizations to think about the issues in developing culturally competent programs for families of children with special needs, and offers a variety of examples from programs across the country that are providing exemplary services. The monograph is designed to help program makers…

A series of self-study questions is presented to examine policy and practice issues important in developing culturally competent programs for children with special needs and their families. Cultural competence refers to a program's ability to honor and respect the beliefs, interpersonal styles, attitudes, and behaviors both of families who are…

This paper examines issues related to the screening and assessment of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with disabilities or at risk for disabilities, from families of various cultural and linguistic backgrounds. An introductory section outlines issues of cultural and linguistic competence and provides definitions of key terms. Interviews are…

This paper discusses the preparation of a diverse early childhood workforce, including the child care community, Head Start, and paraprofessionals who serve families through community-based programs that should reflect the background, race, and ethnicity of the children and families served (NAEYC, 1996), as well as the many fields that are part of…

This final report describes the outcome of a program designed to affect the quality of early childhood special education services in participating states though the replication and dissemination of a validated Model for Early Childhood Special Education Program Development. The Model for Program Development (MPD) was designed to enable early…

This final report describes activities and achievements of Project TIE (Teams in Early Intervention) Outreach, a 3-year project which provided training for regional and local interdisciplinary teams (including parents) in New Mexico. The model used by the project stresses: (1) interdisciplinary communication, (2) a common framework for early…

This monograph presents the proceedings of two symposia on assistive technology for people with disabilities in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, the Federated States of Micronesia, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Palau. Following an overview, Sections 1 and 2 contain the presentations and…