Otitis Media (OM) is an important global issue that can have a long-lasting impact on a child's life. There is no easy fix! For a family who has a child with OM, the ramifications can be short term and have minimal consequences, or they can be very complex and involve medical, educational, behavioural and wellbeing issues, and may even be…

The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) conducted a needs assessment to understand and describe early childhood services for preschool-age children with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) in the state of Connecticut. In collaboration with the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE), NIEER developed survey…

Early intervention services to young children with developmental delays in China have experienced significant growth since 1978, the beginning of the period of Reform and Opening. This article described the present situation of early intervention practices in mainland China, framed around the key components and guiding principles of Guralnick's…

In the United States, Response to Intervention (RtI) is used to promote the use of evidence-based instruction in educational institutions, with the goal of supporting general and specialized educators and enabling these professionals to work together in a comprehensive, integrated manner. In doing so, RtI provides a protocol for identifying…

These guidelines are intended to help New York State school districts: (1) develop procedures for identifying gifted students and (2) use the information obtained through identification procedures as a basis for deciding how educational programs and services can be modified to serve the students. Initial sections of the manual define giftedness…

These Colorado guidelines explain the purpose of vision screening programs in schools and draw a distinction between screening and a screening program. They outline types of screening to be carried out for students at each grade level. Screening procedures are then described in detail, including: history and external observations, distance visual…

The publication is intended to help those wishing to establish educational programs for handicapped preschoolers. Nine topic areas are addressed: (1) assessing local service needs; (2) identifying available funding sources; (3) choosing a program site; (4) locating and accessing referral services (suggested strategies for generating referrals);…

The Academically Gifted Project in Greensboro, North Carolina, sought to increase racial/ethnic group representation in an elementary school's Academically Gifted Program by enhancing referral and evaluation procedures rather than lowering or changing requirements for identification. This paper describes the project's development, procedures used,…

This guide outlines the process of screening preschool-age children in North Dakota to determine their need for special education services. As mass screenings were found to lack cost-effectiveness, selective screening is encouraged. A periodic selective screening process, using a coordinated, interagency approach, is recommended for the earliest…

The manual outlines procedures for Florida school districts in serving students with speech and language impairments. State and federal regulations are cited at the beginning of each section with recommended best practices for their implementation in the following 15 areas: definition, eligibility criteria, screening, referral, evaluation,…

The Infant Follow Along Program (IFAP) is an interagency effort to improve the identification of infants and toddlers who may experience health or developmental problems because of medical or environmental risk factors. The program also facilitates data collection and referral for services for infants and families. The program is in use in an…

This manual on screening preschool children to identify their need for special education services presents key elements of an "ideal" screening program as well as practices to be avoided. Common barriers to implementation of each "ideal" practice are identified, and suggestions are provided for possible solutions. Topics covered include:…

Development of the Welcome Center for immigrants and refugees in the School District of Philadelphia is chronicled. The program emerged from dialogue between the Task Force for the Education of Asian Immigrants and Refugee Students and the Philadelphia School District, and began operation under the aegis of the Department of Foreign Language…

This planning guide is intended to facilitate flexibility in meeting the needs of under-represented groups in Florida programs for gifted students. An introduction defines these students (racial or ethnic minorities, limited English proficient, or from a low socioeconomic background), lists the required components of a district plan for increasing…