This article synthesizes policy and intervention options for youth with disabilities based on recent reports from the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy. To frame findings from both reports, we utilize a life course approach. This approach is important as…

Across the country, governors and other state officials understand the vital role college plays in workforce preparation to increase the competitiveness of their state economies. However, neither students' and families' incomes nor Pell Grants and other student aid have kept up with the cost of college, making affordability a significant barrier…

Structural racism and class-based inequities help shape career and educational opportunities for women in the United States. As women make career and education gains, women of color (WOC) do not have access to the same level of opportunity. This report shares findings from interviews with parenting and unhoused WOC who attend the California State…

Libraries are learning hubs that connect families to free resources, activities, and services to cultivate children's learning about topics that excite them. Despite recent technological developments which have revolutionized how we read and access information, libraries continue to evolve in order to serve their communities, especially families…

This commentary reinforces a call to recognize the need for substantive collaboration, communication, and cooperation across education and health sectors. Themes throughout the body of articles contained in the special issue are discussed as strengthening knowledge about the benefits to integration of education and health domains in prevention and…

The person-centered individualized education program (IEP) transition planning has emerged as a primary indicator of quality services, and as a predictor for successful post-school outcomes for transition-age youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, these person-centered transition practices are not uniformly implemented across the…

Children and families from a refugee background seem to escape the technical view usually adopted by educational and health practitioners, which is based on a mixture of diagnostic tests and special needs policies. This approach struggles to cope with the multiple needs -- in terms of health, culture, language, and learning -- involved in taking…

Graduating from high school and moving to the next phase of life can be difficult for any student but is particularly so for those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Social and communication difficulties, sensory concerns, and narrow interests can negatively affect these students' opportunity for postsecondary education and employment. Preparing…

This article defines the concept of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) and describes how it provides the foundation for lifelong health and well-being. The authors provide policy recommendations that include the need to: (a) establish cross-agency leadership for IECMH, (b) ensure Medicaid payment for IECMH services, (c) invest in…

In 2013, the University of California, Biomedical Research, Acceleration, Integration, and Development (UC BRAID) convened a regional network of contracting directors from the five University of California (UC) health campuses to: (i) increase collaboration, (ii) operationalize and measure common metrics as a basis for performance improvement…

This article makes a distinct contribution to the understanding of establishing multi-agency working. Using Horwath and Morrison's framework, a collaboration is described in detail, bringing multiple agencies to work with children attending a new special school for those with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs, and with their…

This paper explores practitioner perspectives on effective inclusion within a school environment. Inclusion within school settings is more than children with a range of needs, including special educational needs (SEN) being taught together within a classroom. It is important that a school community recognises the uniqueness of each child and works…

With the harsh environmental problems the world is experiencing today, it is high time to enhance environmental education offered by schools. Hence, the main goal of this research study was to determine the effectiveness of the integration of environmental education to formal basic education curriculum in the Educational District I, Schools…

Over seven million children from birth through age 5 receive child care in home-based child care (HBCC) settings, the most common form of nonparental child care in the United States. Research shows that professional development can help child care providers improve the quality of care that they offer, potentially improving children's outcomes.…

Coping with the COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for all families, especially those caring for young children with disabilities. Of the 24 million children under age 6 in the United States, about 5 percent (1.2 million) have a diagnosed disability, which qualifies them for early intervention or special education services through the…