The purpose of this article is to explore family-oriented partnership models to engage families of young children with disabilities in inclusive programmes. Family engagement is important for the education of children of all ages, but it is especially critical for the success of young children with disabilities in inclusive settings. However, the…

A labor force of migrant farmworkers, mostly of Latino origin, largely support the agriculture industry in the US. While migrant labor is essential in the modern food system, food insecurity remains high among migrant farmworkers. Presented are the results from a survey on food insecurity, access, and farm to preschool involving 32 farmworker…

Preschoolers on the autism spectrum are at risk of persistent language and literacy difficulties thus research into shared book reading (SBR) in this group is important. We observed 47 parents and their verbal preschoolers on the spectrum sharing two unfamiliar picture books and coded the interactions for parent and child behaviors. Parents were…

Nationally, as well as in Kentucky, the growing challenges and responsibilities faced by Directors of Special Education (e.g., DoSEs) and early childhood coordinators are daunting (Bellamy & Iwaszuk, 2017). The need to deliver high quality services to infants, toddlers, and youth with disabilities places a premium on highly skilled local…

Parents of young children who are in an early intervention (EI) or early childhood special education (ECSE) program, want to be sure these services are helping their child develop and learn. These services are designed to make the most of each child's potential, as well as to strengthen the family's ability to help their child. However, in what…

Families who have children with delays or disabilities are often expected to become advocates for their children. Despite this inherent expectation, there is limited research available focused on advocacy during the early years (birth to three). The purpose of this study was to use qualitative inquiry, specifically semi-structured interviews, to…

This article reports on a study designed to determine if the lowest achieving first-grade students who were identified by their school districts as at-risk for dyslexia can be distinguished from students who have initial reading and writing difficulties but did not present dyslexia characteristics. Thirty-six first-grade students from two…

A statewide needs assessment was conducted with early interventionists to gather information on perceived professional development (PD) needs. Across 3 years, 4,455 early interventionists responded to an online survey. Data were analyzed for reported needs on PD topics in seven broad areas related to early intervention processes and content.…

Feeding problems are known to be an important clinical issue for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but the majority of studies on this topic have been carried out on children preschool age and older. It is important to understand whether these difficulties begin prior to age 3 years, as well as what parameters are important to study…

Opioid use in pregnancy and the postpartum period increases the vulnerability of the newborn in many ways. No single system can appropriately meet all the needs of this population. Due to the variety of systems that are involved, there are multiple opportunities for gaps in care. Thus, the systems of care must collaborate, communicate, and share…

Early intervention (EI) services are mandated by Part C of The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004). The EI team, a multidisciplinary team overseen by individual states, is charged with providing family-centered services to support child development in the natural environment. This article examines the use of occupational…

Early intervention (EI) for families of infants and toddlers with or at risk for developmental delays or disabilities is federally guided to begin at birth or older. With technological advances in prenatal testing, pregnant families are increasingly learning of diagnoses that result in EI eligibility once the child is born. For these families,…

A state asked the Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes (CEELO) and Child Trends to review national research on best practices that have been shown to improve results on the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS), with a specific focus on research that impacts instruction and is applicable to teachers in school and community-based…

Children with disabilities might experience multiple transitions during their early years. One important transition that occurs for many children with disabilities or developmental delays and their families is the transition from Early Intervention (EI) to Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) services at three years of age. The stress of this…

Our study examined the relationship between improved personal health behaviors of Head Start teachers and the promotion of positive health behaviors in their classrooms. Thirty-three Head Start teachers across seven centers received six 30-min nutrition education lessons. Dietary intake, physical activity, and self-efficacy for promoting positive…