Advocates early intervention to prevent high-risk behaviors among upper-elementary school students. Discusses changes experienced by preadolescents and implications for their learning and future adjustment. Reviews brief intervention packages and describes an alternative approach involving embedding a prevention program into daily classroom…

This theme issue provides a summary of six evaluations of home-visiting models that have been implemented nationally. These model programs represent home-visiting programs across the country that help parents provide children with the best start in life. (SLD)

Evaluation of programs at 21 sites, involving 4,410 families participating in the Comprehensive Child Development Program, a two-generation program using case management and home visiting, found no statistically significant impact on program families compared with control families for any assessed domain. Results do not support the effectiveness…

Effects of adult contingent vocal imitation on vocal imitation skills of three young (26 to 29 months) children with mental retardation were investigated. All children vocally imitated in response to adult contingent imitation during training. There was minimal generalization to adult contingent imitation and elicited imitation prompts but…

This study investigated 52 Navajo family caregiver perceptions about early intervention services and supplemental information was gathered from 15 early interventionists identified by caregivers. Overall, caregivers were satisfied with services. Caregivers' perceptions of program family-centeredness had a strong positive relationship with…

This article explores factors that facilitate moving from the service-provider role to becoming part of a family's constellation of helpers. Elements of empowerment are juxtaposed with the following metaphors for practice: building a definition of disability, following the parent's lead, creating a community of helpers, and expanding perspectives.…

Reports on a group treatment model designed for individuals (N=44) in the predivorce stage of divorcing. Results indicate that the model had meaningful impact on individuals' anger, attachment, and ambivalence, suggesting that group treatment designed specifically for predivorced individuals can be effective in the early stages of divorce. (RJM)

A literature review of seven articles published from 1980 to 1996 on the effects of parental participation in the intervention program for children with cerebral palsy found that most of the studies reported positive results, especially for child-related outcomes. Effects on parents were related to parental involvement in goal setting. (Author/CR)

A study compared the play interaction of four parents with infants with visual impairments, four parents with infants with hearing impairments, and four parents with normal infants. Findings showed parents developed exchange routines that matched the developmental and sensory status of their infants. Interventions for play interaction are…

This article focuses on early intervention implementation concerns and recommendations for addressing the needs of the wide range of infants and toddlers with disabilities and families to be served. It describes providing services in natural environments, as well as the issues of personnel preparation and models of service delivery. (Contains…

Relationships between pretend play and word production were investigated in 10 hearing toddlers and 10 toddlers with hearing loss who attended an auditory/oral early intervention program. Results showed significantly higher levels of pretend play for the hearing children and an association between level of pretend play and word production for the…

A survey interviewed parents of 77 children with severe to profound hearing loss while attending an educational program at an Illinois state residential school. The children had lower ages of identification than those reported in national studies and in an early study in Illinois. Delays in early intervention are discussed. (Contains references.)…

Evaluation of a developmentally based early intervention program for young children with autism in Scotland by comparison of treatment (n=14) and no-treatment (n=6) groups found treatment children improved significantly more than control group children on measures of joint attention, social interaction, imitation, daily living skills, motor…

Prelinguistic children (N=58) with developmental delay received one of two staff-implemented treatments designed to increase intentional communication ability. Results confirmed the prediction that treatment effects on children's receptive and expressive language 6 and 12 months after intervention would vary as a function of pretreatment maternal…

Twenty-four children (ages 27-58 months) with autism were tested on the Bayley, Merrill-Palmer, and Vineland scales. While scores on the different tests were highly correlated, actual test scores varied considerably, with the Bayley tending to produce the lowest IQ scores and the Merrill-Palmer the highest. Implications for selecting pre- and…