Children's funds of knowledge (FoK) were recognised in the initial iteration of the Australian Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) in 2009, the mandated framework for educator decision-making, and their significance was further emphasised in EYLF 2.0 in 2022. However, a unified understanding of children as knowledgeable individuals and how to…

This scoping review aimed to identify and evaluate apps designed to screen or monitor speech, language, and communication (SLC) development in young children. Early identification and intervention are crucial for children with SLC difficulties, but traditional assessments can be time-consuming and lack ecological validity. Technological…

This study explores the experiences and perspectives of eight elementary teachers regarding the play behaviours of deaf children in their classrooms in Mexico City. Through a narrative inquiry design, this research comprehensively explains teachers' insights and observations on social interactions and communication development among deaf children.…

Growing evidence links early life adversity (ELA), including Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and unpredictability, to disrupted health and development. This knowledge has led to increased screening for ELA in primary care settings and provided new opportunities to further research associations between ELA and health. It is imperative to…

For 4 years, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has collected and analyzed early literacy screening assessment data from schools and districts that participated in targeted state grants. In 2023/24, the 1st year that screening was required for all kindergarten through grade 3 students statewide, data were…

This brief analyzes how English Learners in Massachusetts were screened for reading difficulties during the 2023/24 school year, focusing on the use of English- and Spanish-language early literacy screeners. The report highlights clusters of screening patterns, noting demographic and instructional differences among them, such as native language,…

Purpose: This paper aims to share four problematic patterns found in adoption-themed picturebooks--celebrations that oversimplify adoption's complexity, narrow representations of family, prevalent whitewashing and minimal attention to structural inequities. By examining these shortcomings, the study challenges dominant adoption narratives…

In the SEND Code of Practice, the area of sensory and/or physical needs includes children and young people with sensory impairments such as those affecting sight or hearing, as well as multi-sensory impairment (MSI), which involves combined difficulties with vision and hearing, and physical disabilities affecting motor skills and coordination…

This study examined the development of emotion understanding. Children (N = 296, 157 boys, 139 girls) and parents (67% White, 8% Black, 15% Hispanic, 2% Asian American, 6% Biracial, 2% "Other") recruited from Denver, Colorado were observed annually for four years starting in 2019 (beginning M[subscript age] = 2.44 years, SD = 0.26)…

The present paper draws on research experiences matured during systematic research and focuses on the potential and processes of scaffolding the development of preschoolers' spatial skills, through engagement in coding activities within the context of a teaching experiment. Children of two urban kindergartens, aged between 4-6, took part in a…

This study aims to investigates the design and development of Immersive Virtual Reality Systems (IVRS) to enhance social interaction and communication skills among children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Thailand. Given the challenges of limited access to specialized care, the IVRS platform offers an innovative, home-based alternative for…

The Teacher Impression Scale (TIS) is an observer rating scale originally developed in the 1990s for use in research. Following the instrument development model proposed by Boateng et al. (2016), the purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of a version of the TIS that had been revised for teacher use in classroom. When…

Parenting is a rewarding experience but is not without its challenges. Parents of Autistic children face additional challenges, and as a result can experience lower levels of wellbeing and more mental health problems (i.e., depression, anxiety, stress). Previous studies have identified concurrent correlates of wellbeing and mental health. However,…

Early sensory differences may cascade into later social-communication difficulties in autism, yet their impacts on broader functional outcomes have remained understudied. This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the longitudinal impacts of sensory patterns, including sensory hyperresponsiveness, hyporesponsiveness, and…

Youth with mental health needs significant enough to warrant inpatient psychiatric hospitalization are on the rise. After inpatient hospitalization, youth transitioning back to their school of record need continued support to promote recovery. Little empirical work has been conducted to understand the educational experiences of youth hospitalized…