The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented disruptions to healthcare, including direct impacts on service delivery related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Caregiver-mediated tele-assessment offers an opportunity to continue services while adhering to social distancing guidelines. The present study describes a model of tele-assessment for…

The Ready for School, Ready for Life initiative in Guilford County, North Carolina, aims to support interconnected programs and services for young children and their families with the goal of having children enter kindergarten ready for learning. The initiative aims to strengthen connections among existing programs in Guilford County and provide…

In 2013, the National Institute of Mental Health funded five trials of unique, multicomponent, systems-based innovations designed to improve access to early screening, diagnosis, and treatment of autism spectrum disorder--collectively known as the Autism Spectrum Disorder Pediatric, Early Detection, Engagement, and Services Network. As part of an…

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…

"RESCUR Surfing the Waves" is a recently developed resilience curriculum for early years and primary schools in Europe. It seeks to develop in marginalized young learners the requisite competences needed to overcome the various challenges in their lives to achieve academic success and social and emotional wellbeing. The competences…

California's longstanding efforts to promote child development and kindergarten readiness have paved the way for focusing greater attention on the role Medi-Cal, the State's Medicaid program, can play in realizing the full strength of these initiatives. As a state with a large and diverse population, California's reach and potential influence are…

This paper presents a set of strategies and options that California can use to leverage Medi-Cal, the State's Medicaid program, to move toward an equitable, advanced health delivery system for its children. Close to five million children are enrolled in Medi-Cal, more than two-thirds of whom are Black and Brown children. California's program alone…

Universal screening and referral are crucial for maternal, infant, and early childhood home visiting programs to improve maternal, infant, and early childhood outcomes. The purpose of this article is to describe a county-wide, centralized intake and referral system. The authors report results and lessons learned for reducing service duplication…

Developed in 2003 by the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Canton with a grant from the Kellogg Foundation, "Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids" ("SPARK Ohio") is a family-centered kindergarten readiness program that works with families, schools, and the community. From its initial sites in Stark County, "SPARK…

This article addresses the effects of 3-tiered comprehensive reading and behavior interventions on K-3 student outcomes in 7 urban elementary schools with a high prevalence of students considered difficult to teach. Specific features of each level of the implementation are described including screening and tier placement procedures, scheduling and…

Universal screening enables service providers and families to quickly identify difficulties and implement strategies that are likely to lessen the probability of longterm negative outcomes including severe persistent challenging behaviors. The practice of universal screening is in line with the prevention approach that is the foundation of the…

Authentic assessment is a growing alternative to conventional testing. This research-to-practice article describes a framework for implementing authentic assessment. The R-E-A-L framework shows how roles, equipment, assessment tools, and location can be incorporated into early childhood practices.

Intended for use by education, health, and child care specialists, the manual describes the development of an interdisciplinary community-based screening program for infants and toddlers. Part I examines four basic planning considerations: needs assessment, personnel, instrumentation, and parents' needs. Part II focuses on aspects of program…

The Infant Monitoring Project was initiated in Polk County, Oregon, to address the need for monitoring the development of infants and young children designated as "at risk." The project involved a cooperative effort between the Polk County Health Department and the Teaching Research Division of the Oregon State System of Higher…