Discusses the multiple medical, dental, therapeutic, psychosocial, and early intervention needs faced by children with cleft lip and cleft plate during the first three years of life. The physiological development of children with these disabilities is described and the need for interdisciplinary team involvement is emphasized. (Author/CR)

Discusses factors affecting the ability of states and local programs to seek and secure reimbursement for occupational and physical therapy services in early childhood programs. Cost concerns in early childhood are addressed, and strategies for ensuring programmatic success in securing reimbursement for such services are presented. (Author/CR)

A study that interviewed 397 parents of children with disabilities and 226 early-intervention service coordinators found variables identified as most influencing a collaborative relationship were those that reflected a family-centered approach to relationship building, and basic interpersonal skills such as following through on plans and paying…

Twenty-eight local interagency coordinating council (LICC) coordinators were surveyed on their perceptions of the implementation of early intervention legislation. Participants reported positive local impact in the areas of family-centered services and service coordination, improved childfind, funding, networking, and developmental outcomes.…

Presents a reconceptualization of developmental risk factors that may be related to school readiness, as well as an overview of Educare, a model of comprehensive rural service coordination in Missouri which is based on early risk identification assessment. Educare provides universal early intervention beginning at birth, risk assessment in…

This article presents a model for describing the range of types of support and instruction necessary to make inclusion successful for young children with disabilities. The building blocks include a high quality early childhood program, modifications and adaptations, embedded learning opportunities, and explicit child-directed instruction.…

Notes "register" refers to the variety of language that is appropriate for a particular situational context. Examines young children's development of register switching expertise as they become independent readers through the intervention of a Reading Recovery program. Suggests that developing expertise in register switching may compose…

This article offers an alternative to the term "natural environment" in which delivery of individualized services consistent with family needs and values is of first-order importance. It is argued that the use of authentic intervention activities will produce better outcomes than focusing on placements that must include chronologically aged peers.…

This article describes the development of an autism-specific three-month parent education program by Britain's National Autistic Society (NAS). The NAS EarlyBird Programme emphasizes partnerships with parents and uses weekly group training sessions and individualized home visits to teach parents about autism, social communication, and prevention…

Examined the effect of Greek kindergarten teachers' experience on their perceptions of the acceptability and frequency of use of intervention strategies with children having mild learning and behavior problems. Found that specialist consultation, positive intervention, and negative intervention influenced both acceptability and usage of these…

The Braille Readiness Skills Grid identifies activities and skills that foster braille readiness in children with visual impairments. The grid assesses five readiness areas: tactile, fine motor, listening/attention, concept, and book/story. It is intended to encourage systematic braille readiness activities from infancy and foster children's…

Describes a program for the prevention of conduct problems among preschool-age sons of alcoholic fathers. Families (n=42) participated in a 10-month intervention involving parent training and marital problem solving. Significant changes in child behaviors were observed only within the group of families who completed the program and in which…

Reviews the preliminary concepts underlying the current movement toward comprehensive school-linked services for children and families in low-income communities and the implications of this movement for school psychologists. Discusses the role of the school psychologist and the possibility of collaborative efforts within a consultation model of…

Kindergartners with disabilities (n=31), without disabilities (n=57), and children repeating kindergarten (n=19) were studied to compare the effects of an activity-based phonological instruction. Results indicate that teachers can improve the phonological skills of their students prior to formal reading instruction and that instruction to children…

Surveyed how children or parents derived benefits from early childhood intervention programs for low-income families. Found that such programs provide appropriate and stimulating learning environments for young children and support the roles of parents. Participants have higher academic achievement and parents made positive changes in their own…