This response to an article on recommended practices in early intervention/early childhood special education identified by the Council for Exceptional Children's Division for Early Childhood raises concerns about the characteristics of the validation sample, the discrepancy between acceptance and use of recommended practices, and implications for…

This response to an article on recommended practices in early intervention/early childhood special education identified by the Council for Exceptional Children's Division for Early Childhood raises concerns about consensus as a legitimate method for identifying recommended practices, the significance of inclusion of a practice, and separation of…

This commentary responds to an article on using directives in early language intervention. It stresses that interventions that tap into the child's focus of attention optimize learning opportunities. When goals are child-centered and are linked to what the child is involved in learning, interventions will be enhanced. (SW)

This discussion reviews the literature regarding consultation as a form of indirect service delivery in early intervention for children with disabilities, identifies barriers to effective consultation practice, and concludes that consultation can allow children with disabilities to receive intervention services in integrated settings if…

Preschool children (n=194) with special needs enrolled in the Model Preschool Program for Children with Down Syndrome and Other Developmental Delays exhibited significantly higher rates of development during intervention than when the children entered the program. Effects were mixed for the 92 children with Down syndrome, with higher rates of…

Major presumptions that underlie the use of early intelligence tests are presented and disputed, centering on the construct of early intelligence, reliability, prediction, standardized administration, professional acceptability, utility for decision making, and congruence with Public Law 99-457. Professional solidarity is urged in opposing the…

This paper argues that behaviorism has utility in the design and implementation of early childhood special education services. It explores criticisms of behaviorism, describes critical features of the behavioral approach, and provides examples of the influence and application of the behavioral perspective in early childhood special education.…

Analysis of early intervention expenditure data for 157 children in Massachusetts revealed an enormous variability in the total expenditure per child estimate. The study identified specific child, family, and program characteristics as predictors of different types of service hours. Difficulty in using one mean expenditure figure for planning is…

This study evaluated the Columbus (Ohio) Children's Hospital vision stimulation program, involving in-home intervention with 15 visually impaired infants. Comparison with controls indicated benefits of appropriate vision stimulation in increasing the neural foundation for vision and visual-motor function in visually impaired infants. (Author/DB)

This research review on parents' role in identifying their young children's disabilities through screening and assessment focuses on the relationship between parent report and the child's tested performance, variables that may affect parent-professional agreement, the effect of such disagreement on the usefulness of parent reports, and how and…

Described in the context of current requirements for personnel to provide early intervention services under Public Law 99-457 is a 6-week preservice interdisciplinary graduate training program for infant specialists at the University of Connecticut involving both coursework and a 60-hour practicum. (DB)

Snuff consumption is the only tobacco consumption on the rise in the United States. Doctors are most concerned about adolescent use. They recommend educational efforts begin with boys 8-10 years old. The article discusses a nationwide campaign, "Through with Chew Week," which urges young people to avoid all smokeless tobacco. (SM)

This essay on EC 606 264, which found that more intense early intervention programs for children with disabilities were not more effective, comments on the "political incorrectness" of the results, the possibility for misinterpretation of the results, and the need to reexamine beliefs about what contributes to effective intervention programs. (JDD)

Describes a study of the extent to which children in early intervention programs are experiencing a reiteration of Individual Educational Program (IEP) objectives from one year to the next and whether this repetition results from establishing initial objectives too difficult for the children. Finds a significant amount of repetition and objectives…

Found that learning-disabled (LD) children used more task-relevant private speech than normally achieving classmates during academic seatwork, an effect that was especially pronounced for those LD children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Implications for intervention and future research methodology are discussed. (MDM)