This study examined the efficacy, social validity, and durability of a positive behavior support (PBS) approach with the family of a girl with autism and severe problem behavior. The study was conducted across a 10-year period beginning when the child was 5 years old. A multiple baseline across family routines design evaluated the functional…

This study describes issues and challenges faced by 10 Early Head Start (EHS) programs in collaborating with their early intervention (EI) partners serving young children with disabilities and their families in an urban setting. It examined the perspectives of direct service providers and directors from 10 EHS programs regarding the process of…

National estimates of characteristics of maltreated infants and report of an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) and an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) 54 months later are presented. The study was based on 1,196 infants from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. Measures of neurodevelopment, language, and cognition were…

A 3-year study evaluated a program to prevent unnecessary out-of-home placement of children. The program combines family preservation and family support services into a comprehensive yet individualized response to families. Findings indicate that four program elements correspond with those identified as characterizing family preservation programs,…

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…

Details five steps (diagnosis, choosing a path, making sense of the information, what to look for and what to avoid, and finding a match) to help parents decide how to help their child diagnosed with autism become self reliant. Reviews four home- and school-based educational intervention programs. (DLH)

Analyses of data from over 6,000 Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs) in Indiana revealed that on average half the service hours on IFSPs were actually delivered to children and families. Most commonly delivered early intervention services were special instruction and occupational, physical, and speech therapy. Rates of delivered services…

In children's mental health, collaborative, team-based individualized service planning is most commonly known as wraparound, and has become one of the primary strategies for improving services and outcomes for children with the highest levels of need. We report on analyses of data gathered at 72 wraparound team meetings from communities around the…

The Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers (P.L. 99-457), now known as Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), was established by the federal government in 1986 "to encourage states to expand opportunities for children less than 3 years of age who would be at risk of having substantial developmental…

Providing appropriate programs for young children with disabilities is a priority of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (IDEA), recently reauthorized as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) of 2004. The IDEIA requires that programs be provided in natural or least restrictive environments, and…

This brief paper summarizes principles of the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) as required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part C. It lists five ways in which the IFSP differs from the Individualized Education Plan including the centrality of the family. Steps that lead to effective IFSPs are identified. These include:…

Perceptions of the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) process for children with disabilities were assessed in a statewide (North Carolina) survey of approximately 600 child service coordinators. Divergent viewpoints about the usefulness and process of developing the IFSP emerged, depending on the program with which the child service…

"Data Trends" reports present summaries of research on mental health services for children and adolescents and their families. The article summarized in this "Data Trends" examines research on the "contribution of informal support linkages in the achievement of treatment outcomes" in three models of family-based practice: Intensive Family…

Analysis of a national survey of 398 parents of preschool children with deafness or partial hearing found that, although Individualized Family Service Plans had not been developed for almost one-half of respondents, parents reported overall satisfaction with their child's early intervention program. (Author/DB)

This article reviews literature on the use of interpreters and offers recommendations that will promote effective communication among family members, service providers, and interpreters who speak the family's language, but have not been trained formally as interpreters or special educators. The complexity of the interpretation process is…