This guide to preventing self-injurious behavior, in question-and-answer format, is intended for parents, teachers, and other caregivers of people with disabilities. It describes the more common types of self-injurious behavior, discusses methods for identifying causes of self injury, and outlines interventions. Specifically, the guide covers: (1)…

This literature review and bibliography of 35 references addresses child care and education of young (under age 6) children with disabilities. It utilizes a question-and-answer format, with relevant references cited in the answers. Questions address the following issues: (1) incidence of disabilities or delays in children under age 6; (2) features…

Federal legislation for infants and toddlers with handicapping conditions and their families (Part H of Public Law 99-457) calls for a statewide system of coordinated, comprehensive early intervention services. The legislation calls for an Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC) to be appointed by the Governor of each state, to participate in the…

In-depth case studies were conducted in six states, concerning interagency service coordination in implementing Part H of Public Law 99-457, which calls for a comprehensive and coordinated system of service delivery to developmentally delayed infants and toddlers and their families. Major findings included: (1) states were unable to answer…

This report examines critical issues that rural educators face in establishing preschool programs. Even Start is a federal program designed to meet the educational needs of preschool children who have under-educated parents. In addition to participating in their child's education, the program requires parents to enroll in educational or vocational…

Blalock FIRST (Fund for the Improvement and Reform of Schools and Teaching) is a 3-year, federally funded intervention program designed to increase school attendance, student achievement and self-esteem, and parent and community involvement in school activities among low-income housing project residents. As a way of easing strained parent-school…

In order for schools and community agencies to develop the capacity to support persons with severe patterns of problem behaviors in typical community settings, they need to be knowledgeable about recent behavioral advances and have processes in place for implementation of these advances. This need creates a new challenge for inservice training of…

The field of early childhood intervention, which strives to meet the needs of infants and toddlers with disabilities, has come of age, but interagency collaboration to provide family-focused multidisciplinary services remains more a goal than a reality. Issues in the development of multidisciplinary services include fragmentation of services,…

A study examined the effect of the Reading Recovery program on the reading achievement of first-grade students. Subjects, 60 third-grade students in a Chicago public school with 97% Hispanic and 3% White student population, completed the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. Test scores for the 30 students who were tutored using Reading Recovery lessons in…

This manual discusses a method for developing a comprehensive drug abuse prevention and intervention program for students in special education. The first section contains introductory material regarding high risk students in general and implications for special education. The second section outlines material on specific types of high-risk…

Inclusion is the practice of educating children who have disabilities in classes together with their peers who do not have disabilities. This packet on "least intervention" contains resource materials that help ensure appropriate inclusion. The first section of this packet contains discussions of appropriate inclusion and a description of the…

The Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1986 provide for early intervention services to children with special needs and their families. Part of the amendment requires that early intervention programs develop an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) for each child. These plans require that families participate in defining the child's…

This 40-minute instructional video illustrates the unique benefits of play therapy for children who have been physically or sexually abused. It describes how play activities fit into the reparative process and provides helpful pointers for practice. The uses of art supplies, the sandtray, puppets, dollhouse, masks, and more are highlighted.…

Using an emergent literacy perspective, a qualitative case study examined a child who struggled to become a reader. The study was based on data gathered during a 33-month tutoring intervention extending from the end of repeated first grade to mid-fourth grade. Interviews and documents were used to reconstruct the child's literacy history prior to…

Protective factors that contribute to the development of resiliency in children, defined as "unusually good adaptation in the face of severe stress, and an ability of the stressed person to rebound to the prestress level of adaptation," are discussed. The biological, psychological, familial, and social factors related to disadvantages…