Discusses the growing use of mediation in U.S. juvenile justice. Identifies the goals of youth mediation programs. Describes prevention and intervention program models and school, parent-child, victim-juvenile offender, and youth corrections mediation efforts. Argues that communities must be proactive in building citizen participation and forming…

This paper asserts that the educational philosophy of early childhood education (ECE) emphasizes child-directed instruction based on children's interests, whereas early childhood special education emphasizes teacher-directed activities that promote the acquisition of specific developmental skills. Research on parent-child interaction that points…

Discusses appropriate care for children affected prenatally or after birth by parental chemical dependence. There is increasing evidence that environmental intervention by professionals and other caring adults can alleviate these children's distress. Maximizing their development also depends on implementation of child welfare protections and the…

This paper presents a decision model illustrating the role of values in influencing choices between policy options in implementing Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The paper discusses value assumptions, the role of conflicting values in decision making, the concept of an individual hierarchy of values, and implications…

Takes the position, contrary to that of Sandra Scarr, that the details of socialization patterns are crucial to an understanding of normal and deviant development. Research is cited to support the argument that better than adequate parenting optimizes the development of both normal and vulnerable children and that parents' belief in their own…

This article describes new approaches to providing physical and occupational therapy intervention services in naturalistic early childhood settings and reviews the limited body of literature examining their efficacy. It offers assessment and intervention strategies that support a normalized approach to intervention and offers suggestions for…

Nine adolescent mothers interacted with their infants in three interaction style conditions differing in terms of stimulation and responsiveness provided by the adult. Results support the position that, by interacting in a stimulating and contingently responsive manner, caregivers increase the likelihood of engagement states that are believed to…

A nationwide survey of 510 postsecondary learning disability (LD) service providers revealed that an educationally diverse group of professionals is developing programs and providing direct instruction to students with learning disabilities. Service providers are encouraged to utilize interventions that lead to self-determination and independence…

Describes Oregon's Rural Early Intervention Training Project, a University of Oregon master's level training program that includes on-site courses and practicum supervision and summer on-campus course work and practicum. Discusses program philosophy, goals, and objectives; student recruitment process; course work; and evaluation measures. Includes…

Early intervention professionals (n=26) reported that they spend more time with families from cultural backgrounds other than their own in eliciting concerns, attempting to understand the family's needs and customs, and explaining the Individualized Family Service Plan process. Families from lower socioeconomic and educational backgrounds were…

The Diffusion of Multisystemic Family Preservation (MFP) Services Project worked successfully with rural African-American and white families who have chronic or violent adolescent offenders at imminent risk for incarceration. The MFP approach is an intensive time-limited intervention predicated on family systems and socioecological…

Two studies evaluated a notetaking intervention targeting the passive learning style and disruptive behaviors exhibited by adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Thirty teens in a summer program were able to learn notetaking strategies using a modification of the Directed Notetaking Activity training method and showed…

Describes two early intervention projects used on the Navajo reservation. A Head Start teacher training project uses innovative methods built on the Navajo oral tradition. A parents-as-first-teachers project involves Navajo parents reading culturally relevant material to their children, and children reconstructing the story content. (BC)

This study of 142 early interventionists examined self-competence in working with families, value placed on family roles, and concern about family-centered practices, and explored their relationship with experience, discipline, and job category. Nurses and social workers scored higher than educators and other health care professionals in several…

Sixteen articles dealing with prereferral intervention were examined to determine its effect on special education service delivery practices, student performance, teacher abilities and attitudes, and disability classification rate, as well as to identify types of interventions used. Findings indicated that prereferral intervention can increase…