This guide presents suggestions and materials for providing inservice training about assistive technology for parents and professionals working with infants and toddlers with or at-risk for disabilities. An introduction provides an overview and includes a variety of forms and surveys, a sample inservice agenda, and a list of workshop materials.…

This report describes options for study designs to evaluate the effect of early intervention on infants and toddlers, birth to three, with disabilities or developmental delays and their families in Washington state. Information was gathered from extensive literature reviews, a survey of local assessment efforts in Washington, a technical data…

Children who experience multiple stressors (e.g., limited language skill, low motivation, cultural value differences, low parental involvement in school, etc.) should be identified at the outset of kindergarten so that they and their parents can be supported more directly and better communication encouraged. This study explores the questions that…

This document is the final report on the Pregnant Adolescent Substance Abuse Project (PASAP) conducted in Prince Georges County (Maryland) in 1987 and 1988. The PASAP consisted of two components that operated independently: an Early Intervention Program that increased the proportion of pregnant adolescent substance users who were using various…

This monograph presents an overview of the current status of programs for students with serious emotional disturbances in California and makes recommendations for program improvements. An introductory chapter summarizes important themes including screening, prevention, and early intervention; definitions; eligibility issues; assessment;…

This handbook describes the Assessment and Intervention Model for the Bilingual Exceptional Student (AIM for the BESt), an instructional/intervention approach to the education of language minority students. The model aims to improve academic performance through use of shared literature and Graves writing workshops, reduce inappropriate referrals…

A one-day hearing convened by the Senate Judiciary Committee examined the effort to meet the needs of children entering school who were exposed to drugs before their birth. Testimony focuses on the extent of the problem nationwide and on the need for early intervention strategies and special teacher training programs. Special note is taken of the…

This essay examines the challenges that today's children and families face due to the rapidly changing nature of modern society, and suggests some solutions to help ensure the optimal development of children and adolescents. Rapid technological change, the decline of the extended family, the increased number of women in the workplace, and…

One of nine competency-based training modules for personnel preparation in early childhood special education, this guide focuses on planning preschool programs. All modules are adaptable for use with a general audience, direct service personnel, or administrators and are based on the following principles: developmentally appropriate practice;…

This guide deals with the use of computer technology with students who have moderate cognitive abilities. It defines moderate mental retardation and notes the decreasing incidence of mental retardation. It describes characteristics of students with moderate cognitive abilities and examines the role of technology in the educational program of these…

This report summarizes research conducted by, or in collaboration with, the Division TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication handicapped CHildren) of the Department of Psychiatry in the University of North Carolina School of Medicine at Chapel Hill. The summaries contain bibliographic citations for published papers…

This booklet examines what is known about the long-term effects of exposure in utero to alcohol and other drugs, as well as the educational implications of those effects. Research is synthesized on biological and medical risk factors, psychosocial risk factors, and the interaction of biology and environment. A section on implications for…

This book examines the threat to childhood development posed by living amid chronic community violence and the link between a child's response to growing up in an atmosphere of violence and danger and the social context established for that child by community and caregivers. The 11 chapters in the book are as follows: (1) "The Meaning of…

This policy "alert" summarizes two studies addressing implementation of early intervention for families with infants and toddlers with special needs. The first study examined the distribution of sociodemographic factors associated with underutilization of health and social services. These include poverty, maternal employment, ethnic…

While the commitment to technology for neonatal and infant hearing screening in this country has come a long way and is evolving rapidly, the average age of 18-30 months, at which young children with auditory disabilities are identified, is still unacceptable. The promise of earlier detection, diagnosis, and habilitation of hearing loss is within…