Everyone in the United States lives in multiple worlds including work, home, community, school, and social and religious groups. Individuals also have a number of identities and behavioral repertoires that shift among contexts. However, some children and families experience more discontinuities between school and home than others. These gaps are…

The article compares Part B of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (P.L. 94-142) of 1975 with Part H and argues that the similar meanings of "appropriate educational services" and "least restrictive environment" under both parts support efforts to integrate infants and toddlers with disabilities. (Author/DB)

The Education of the Handicapped Act Amendment of 1986 extended the six basic rights established in the Education for All Handicapped Children Act to preschoolers. All preschool handicapped children (ages 3 to 5) will receive a free, appropriate public education in the same manner that the K-12 students benefit from federal law for the…

Examines the state of early childhood special education, the salient influences on the future of the field, and implications for the 1990s. (RAE)

The report provides evaluation data (1986-87) for the Resource Access Project (RAP) network, a system to facilitate the delivery of handicap services in Head Start programs. The introduction provides background information on the network and summarizes changes in the network during this program year. Changes include budgetary cuts due to the…

Suggests that Public Law 99-457 raises questions about the play of children with special needs. Discusses topics which include (1) the developmental nature of play; (2) play of special needs children; (3) strategies for teaching play skills, and (4) implications of research for teachers' practice. A direct approach to teaching children about…

This paper examines policy options in implementing least restrictive environment (LRE) requirements of federal legislation (Public Laws 99-457 and 94-142), and offers recommendations regarding the array of placement options that should be available in relation to preschool children with handicaps. First, the legal interpretation of LRE is analyzed…

This directory describes several early childhood projects sponsored by the U.S. Ofice of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), including project grants administered by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research and project grants in three categories administered by the Office of Special Education Programs:…

Provides preschool teachers with techniques for effectively including children with disabilities in their classrooms. Examines parent cooperation, the classroom environment, curriculum, developmental problems, special teachers, and the use of the "buddy system." Presents a case study of the inclusion of a child with severe mental and…

This issue of the newsletter focuses on early intervention for handicapped preschool children. The lead article, entitled "Promoting Independent Work Skills in Handicapped Preschool Children," highlights findings of a project designed to identify critical skills needed for independent functioning in mainstream preschool and kindergarten…