Proposes steps to address the broad developmental needs of children at risk. Discusses implementation of the President and Governors' Education Summit national performance goals to reform the schools and improve education, especially the goal involving readiness to start school. (BB)

Jumpstart, a homegrown before-school tutoring program piloted at a Massachusetts school, has proven successful with at-risk first graders. Implemented as a low-cost alternative to Reading Recovery and Success for All programs, the 18-week action-research project employed 11 inclusion and Title I aides as volunteers. (MLH)

A statewide survey was conducted of 529 early-childhood special-education professionals' perceptions of education and intervention for deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Recommendations include preservice and/or inservice training for professionals, as well as fuller participation and leadership from the field of deaf education. (DB)

In response to a legislative mandate to teach phonics, a rural North Carolina school district devised a plan where at-risk children received small-group instruction in phonics, reading, writing, and spelling in addition to regular reading instruction. A local university trained teacher assistants to implement the plan. Reading, writing, and…

This paper describes the Early Intervention and Family Support Training Program of the Family, Infant and Preschool Program at Western Carolina Center, North Carolina. The program uses competence-based training to flexibly respond to interdisciplinary needs and interests while preserving essential core content. The paper discusses role…

Investigated interactions among 18 African American mother-infant pairs participating in an early intervention program for infants with developmental delays or at risk for developmental disabilities. The hypothesis that mothers would become less responsive to infants over time as a function of drug addiction, poverty, or serious developmental…

A survey of 397 parents of infants and toddlers with disabilities and 226 early intervention service coordinators (SCs) was conducted to identify necessary factors for successful SC-parent collaboration. Surveys indicated that interpersonal skills were critical for successful collaboration. A microcounseling model involving behavioral consultation…

This article discusses results of two recent surveys in Taiwan. Survey results indicate 99 percent of preschool program directors (n=134) believe they cannot provide services to certain children because of inadequate qualified personnel or lack of appropriate facilities and parents (n=109) of young children with disabilities face many problems.…

This review provides a discussion of the following: the issues associated with appropriate identification and educational placement of gifted students with learning disabilities; the characteristics of these students; and academic strategies and counseling interventions for working with this special group in the schools. (Author)

This article discusses in-service training of Swedish professionals in family-centered intervention for families with children with disabilities. The training, which has been implemented on an interdisciplinary team basis in the context of ordinary habilitation services, is described as one of several options for fostering improvement within an…

A model for providing a continuum of comprehensive school-community services incorporates systems of prevention, early intervention, and care. Key components for addressing barriers to learning include classroom-focused enabling, student and family assistance, community outreach, home involvement, support for transitions, and crisis/emergency…

Despite public skepticism regarding steadily increasing numbers of learning-disabled students, most experts agree that 5 percent of schoolchildren suffer severe difficulties with language and other skills. There are three explanations: remediation is ineffective after second grade; identification comes too late; and federal policies overlook…

Responding to serious behaviour problems requires new practice answers and emphases. Best practice principles and a developmental perspective indicate that the family should be the focus of preventative work. The Incredible Years parent training series is described as an important example of an empirically-supported programme that is presently…

Background: Autism is rarely diagnosed before three years of age despite evidence suggesting prenatal abnormalities in neurobiological processes. Little is known about when or how development becomes disrupted in the first two years of life in autism. Such information is needed to facilitate early detection and early intervention. Methods: This…

We compared the effects of three treatment approaches on preschool-age children with autism spectrum disorders. Twenty-nine children received intensive behavior analytic intervention (IBT; 1:1 adult:child ratio, 25-40 h per week). A comparison group (n=16) received intensive ''eclectic'' intervention (a combination of methods, 1:1 or 1:2 ratio, 30…