This article provides background and current information on the emergence of recently acknowledged concepts in what has been termed the "oracy to literacy continuum" and its relevance to language specialists, including speech-language pathologists, and others. Deficits of phonological processing and the need for phonological awareness training are…

This article identifies competencies needed by paraprofessionals working in early childhood special education including ways to document various mastery levels. It describes use of the competencies in Oregon's early childhood special education personnel development program. It explains the process used to identify needed competencies and also…

This article describes a transdisciplinary team approach to functional behavioral assessment (FBA) and intervention for young children with autism who exhibit severe challenging behavior. The article discusses the types of information needed to conduct an FBA, gives examples of information collection, and examines benefits and barriers to the team…

This article describes the early intervention program developed at the Scottish Centre for Autism. Intervention aimed at improved social communication and social interaction skills is delivered through 1:1 intensive treatment by trained therapists and parent training. Treatment incorporates a child led approach, use of imitation, language use…

Notes that frequent structured read-alouds helped kindergartners who lacked exposure to story reading develop familiarity with literacy. Concludes that the positive results of Project Story Boost are already evident and convincing enough to the teachers and administrators of the involved district that they are committed to the continuation of the…

Examined the effect of a family-oriented early childhood intervention program for low birth weight premature infants and their mothers. Found that the intervention decreased maternal distress, especially for women with less than a high school education. Maternal distress did not moderate or mediate the influence of the intervention on child…

Describes some of the ways in which the federal government has decentralized responsibility for national evaluations of federally-funded early childhood programs. Details the methods used in local evaluation studies, and the strengths and weaknesses of centralized and decentralized national evaluations. (Author/KB)

A rationale for and components of a development systems model are presented to guide early intervention programs. Core principles emphasizing a developmental framework, integration, and inclusion are expressed in the context of a multicomponent interactive system. The model's focus on maximizing family patterns of interaction by addressing…

Continuous quality improvement efforts are vital to high-quality early intervention services. This article describes an ongoing quality improvement project within an infant mental health-based Early Head Start program. Both strategies and challenges in implementing issues and lessons learned in the initial 2-year phase of the quality improvement…

This response to an article evaluating Indiana's early intervention service delivery (EC 628 669) identifies implications of the study including: service intensity is relatively light; service location and context and the process of Individualized Family Service Plan formulation should be examined; implementation should be treated as an…

Accurate, early screening is a prerequisite for indicated interventions intended to prevent development of externalizing disorders and delinquent behaviors. Using the Fast Track longitudinal sample of 396 children drawn from high-risk environments, the authors varied assumptions about base rates and examined effects of multiple-time-point and…

School counselors are in daily contact with the highest risk group for developing eating disorders--children and adolescents. School counselors are in a position to identify at-risk individuals, implement effective school-based prevention programs, make appropriate referrals, and provide support for recovering individuals. An overview of a theory…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a family-focused early intervention program developed to meet the needs of children with hearing loss and their parents. The participants were 12 children with severe and profound hearing loss who lived in a rural area of Turkey. They did not have any additional disabilities. Their…

Family-centered philosophy and practice has been a central component of early intervention for infants and toddlers that is related to natural environment service provision. Family-centered practices have been widely accepted in the provision of early intervention services since the 1960s. Research indicates that families are essential to the…

This study examined the process of communication within the professional-family relationship by identifying and describing the types and patterns of talk during interactions between 15 families of young children with developmental delays and their respective early interventionists. Videotaped interactions of routine home visits were coded using a…