Service coordinators in a statewide early intervention program were surveyed to develop an understanding of screening and referral practices to identify children on the autism spectrum. Quantitative and qualitative data summarizing autism-specific screening and referral practices are reported. More than 50% of the respondents reported that they…

Temperamental inhibition has been identified as a key risk factor for childhood anxiety and internalizing problems. An efficacious early prevention programme for shy/inhibited children has been developed; however, accurate, efficient and acceptable screening is needed to support wider implementation. We explore community screening options in the…

"A_Tempo" is a research project that is currently under development in Galicia, an autonomous community of Spain. Its main aim is to propose an effective universal screening procedure for early identification of developmental disorders in children from zero to three years of age who attend Galician pre-primary schools.…

The wide scale use of developmental screening measures in programs such as Head Start and Healthy Start has been accompanied by a range of questions about the application and potential functions of screening measures. While screening tests were designed to identify those children who should be seen for in-depth developmental assessment,…

Children who are diagnosed with autism before three years old gain access to Early Intensive Specialized Services (EISS), which can result in significant improvements in social skills, communication, adaptive behavior, and cognitive functioning. Studies have found that children with autism who begin intervention earlier improve more in their…

In response to interest from the National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders (NPDC-ASD), NECTAC (National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center) queried Part C and Section 619 Coordinators regarding screening measures, diagnostic instruments and procedures, and trends in identifying young children with ASD under the…

Background: Males with fragile X syndrome and autism (FXS/autism) represent a distinct subgroup of males with FXS at risk for markedly poorer outcomes. Early identification and intervention can improve outcomes for males with autism spectrum disorder. Method: To advance the development of a specialised autism screening tool for young males with…

The early detection of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by teachers can contribute to the prevention of secondary disorders in a child and this can have serious implications for the child's overall development. The aims of the present study were to examine: (1) the validity of the original assessment of the teachers in…

Identification of children with developmental disabilities is the first critical step in providing early intervention services. Currently, only 20% of Taiwanese children who could potentially benefit from early intervention have been identified. One possible reason for this low identification rate is the lack of a culturally appropriate,…

This paper discusses the knowledge, skills and understandings of Foundation Stage teachers in relation to children's speech and language development. Results from a questionnaire to 294 teachers reveal limited initial and post qualification training. Teachers' knowledge of specific aspects of children's language revealed that key areas for…