This study examined professional comfort of 84 early intervention professionals in providing consultation about children with varying types, severity levels, and combinations of disabilities. Analysis suggested that more discomfort was reported if the child had severe disabilities or difficulties in communication and behavior. Additional training…

States that the Chicago study has advanced knowledge about educational achievement and adjustment. It has determined that school mobility, parent involvement, parent and teacher expectations, and early childhood intervention are important influences on children's development. Concludes that promoting success is about explicating the processes of…

A study compared characteristics of two preschool boys with profound bilateral hearing impairments. The linguistic and social development of the boy whose hearing impairment was detected at age 2 was found to be much slower than that of the boy whose hearing impairment was detected at 4 months. (Contains references.) (CR)

Introduces this special issue on mental health and Head Start. Presents a rationale for exploring mental health issues in Head Start children. Notes that the Head Start program presents a unique opportunity to expand the knowledge base regarding the prevalence of mental health problems and the factors contributing to emotional functioning among…

This case study investigated the efficacy of repeated storybook reading (RSR) with adult scaffolding as an intervention for a 3-year-old child with autism. An ABA single-subject design was employed. Results suggest that RSR encouraged spontaneous language use. Guidelines for using RSR with children with autism are provided. (Contains extensive…

This article urges an increase in support for responsive interaction styles among all parents and teachers, an expansion of efforts to identify communication delays and disorders as early as possible, advancement of the development of truly effective communication and language intervention approaches, and the transformation of research findings…

This article describes the successful Ohio Early Start program, which is designed to prevent later developmental problems in infants and toddlers. The program was coordinated with the existing early intervention program and other efforts to ensure a comprehensive, community-based and family friendly network of child development health and…

Describes the implementation in the Fall River (Massachusetts) Diocese of "AIDS and the Arts," an elementary school intervention program designed to increase students' decision-making capacity, broaden their knowledge of HIV/AIDS, and teach responsible social behaviors. (YKH)

Stresses the importance of the development of phonemic awareness skills for students with reading difficulties. Research suggesting phonemic awareness may be a more powerful predictor for reading progress than IQ is noted. Insets offer specific phonological awareness assessment tasks and corresponding phonological awareness instructional tasks.…

Special problems faced by children who are hard of hearing and their families are discussed, with emphasis on problems of delayed identification and resulting delayed language development. Results of the 1996 Gallaudet National Parent Survey are reported. These indicate that deaf children are being identified earlier but hard of hearing children…

Reviews the different models of early intervention, including educational, sociological, family-focused, and ecological models, and discusses their differing outcomes. Asserts that, as Australia moves toward economic rationalism, it is important for those in the field of early intervention to be clear about what they want to achieve to justify to…

Describes early intervention with children who have or are at risk for disabilities in Finland. It covers the history and organization of health care in Finland, prevalence of handicapping conditions, early identification, rehabilitation legislation, individual therapies, and day care. It finds that Finland has a very high standard of care for…

An exclusionary clause in the Education for All Handicapped Children Act prohibits special-education services for "socially maladjusted or disaffected" children. Ingrained in public-education culture, this policy undermines educators' efforts to address the needs of students with evolving personality and character disorders.…

Describes pilot research that informed the early stages of development of the Catch Up Programme, a literacy intervention designed for children who are behind with reading at the start of Year 3 (7- to 8-year-olds). Finds a considerable increase in pupils' reading ages across a 10-week period. Finds similar results in another small study. (RS)

To assess the needs of early intervention teams, 627 direct care providers were surveyed. Four domains of infant mental health were explored: attachment, behavior, stress/coping, and regulation/adaptation. Differences in comfort with those domains were found among the providers based on professional training as well as years of experience.…