This review reports the research and best practices for providing intervention and educational opportunities for young children prenatally exposed to illicit drugs. Symptoms of such children are discussed, such as impairments in language, motor skills, cognitive skills, and social development. The importance of interdisciplinary collaboration is…

Discusses the use of robotics with children with severe disabilities. Spotlights a toddler with developmental delays and quadriplegic athetoid cerebral palsy who is able to use a robotic arm and computer control systems to reach and manipulate objects. Provides guidelines for selecting and using assistive robotics. (CR)

Investigates some of the biological constraints that shape the process of literacy acquisition. Explores the possibility of isolating processing components of reading which correspond to computational units of equivalent size in the neural architecture. Suggests that the process of literacy acquisition is largely constrained by a specific…

Interviews with 105 parents of deaf children, ages 2 to 8, in five cities found (1) subgroups of parents with distinct capabilities for responding to their children's educational needs; (2) different forms of parental response to a child's educational needs; and (3) interactions between parent type and nature of the response. (Author/DB)

Describes functional assessment as a method teachers can use to develop classroom accommodations and interventions for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Presents a rationale for adopting a functional approach and describes the basic stages and steps of functional assessment and various accommodations and interventions…

Describes minimal requirements for functional intervention-based eligibility assessment of preschool children with possible developmental disabilities. The methodology is intended to help derive logical, natural, and meaningful discrepancies in behavior or performance through contextual analysis of child-related, environmental, and instructional…

Aim of review is to determine if published literature supports the hypothesis that primary care is a suitable setting in which mental-health problems in adolescents can be prevented by early detection and treatment. When offered, adolescent health checks have been well received. Primary care offers a setting for the prevention and detection of…

Although eliminating school violence is no easy task, understanding the biological basis of aggressive adolescent behavior and discussing it with colleagues is essential. Societal influences can trigger a predisposition for aggressive response in alienated, testosterone-elevated teens. Early-intervention programs that stress social and coping…

A survey of 25 families of children (ages 3-9) with autism and pervasive developmental disabilities found that families interacted with a host of different agencies and professionals to receive services. Many families reported difficulty accessing needed services and minimal involvement in planning or implementing these interventions. (CR)

The importance of providing children with deafness with opportunities to develop a solid deaf identity at an early age, which is based on Epstein's model of self-theory, is discussed. Seven categories of possible identities for people with deafness are outlined and the stages of developing a bicultural awareness presented. (Author/CR)

Describes the Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY), a two-year home-based early-education intervention program designed to help parents with limited formal education prepare their children for school. Presents findings from a two-site HIPPY study, a one-site case study, and a three-site qualitative study. (SLD)

Discusses risk factors in the formative years that contribute to children developing antisocial behavior. Describes three types of prevention to divert children from a destructive path, and outlines one such program in Oregon for kindergartners. (SR)

This response to McWilliams (EC 623 401) concerning controversial early intervention practices with young children with disabilities recounts the authors' involvement with programs originally considered controversial but now generally accepted. It notes that controversial practices that merit review and study and those that are hopelessly flawed…

In response to efforts to establish evidenced-based practice in early intervention programs, this article offers the single-subject design as the best alternative in the absence of sufficient development of standards of care. The article discusses single-subject design models, strengths for clinical use, and benefits for establishing an ordered…

This article argues that the federal government will continue to shape the field of early intervention but in ways that differ from what has been seen in past years. Federal involvement in cross-state variability in eligibility, expected program outcomes, noncompliance, and directed research in perceived areas of need is discussed. (Contains…