This study examined the stability and coherence of African-American children's social support networks. Participants included a total of 106 3- to 4-year-old children attending Head Start centers located in the southeast. Children completed a social network interview in two consecutive years at the Head Start centers. These interviews tapped…

This article describes a small-scale study which emanated from the concern of the head teachers and staff of two primary schools serving deprived, multicultural areas of an inner city. The concern of the staff related to the level of their pupils' spoken language skills through the schools and the perceived impact that this has on pupils learning…

The primary objective of this research was to determine if 3 methods of assigning sociometric categories contribute similar information. The participants for this investigation consisted of 72 Headstart children from 3 classrooms. The results of this research indicate that social status categories based on peer ratings and nominations could be…

New research on premature babies shows that even infants born relatively late in gestation and with few complications have a significantly higher incidence of mild developmental delays and learning problems than the general population, difficulties that often remain undiagnosed until school age. The author argues that follow-up for all premature…

Background and Purpose: The intensity of physical therapy provided for children in early intervention (EI) programs may be influenced by a number of factors. In an individualized program, however, some children and families may benefit from an increased frequency of services. The purpose of this case report was to systematically document and…

This study examined the experiences of Early Head Start (EHS) staff with the development of the Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs) for young children with developmental delays and their families in 40 EHS programs in six Midwestern states. Staff perspectives about challenges, needs, strategies and suggestions for the IFSP development were…

This article reports on the effects of a family literacy program for first graders that had three main characteristics: (1) book reading with parents that adapts parental intervention to the child's gradually increasing skills in reading during the school year, (2) support for writing activities, and (3) enjoyable home activities complementing the…

The authors report findings from the Father Involvement with Toddlers Study (FITS) of low-income fathers. The study sought to learn about biological fathers and father figures of children eligible for Early Head Start (EHS). FITS data suggest that, compared to older fathers, teen fathers are more highly invested in their children, enjoy…

This article describes the three-decade experience in model development and replication and in introducing and sustaining organization change of Child Development Resources (CDR), of Williamsburg, Virginia. CDR provides an integrated system of services for children with disabilities and developmental delays as well as for children who are at risk.…

With the advent of newborn hearing screenings, infants with hearing loss are identified earlier than ever before. Each state is responsible for providing trained personnel and delivery of early intervention services to families with newly identified infants and toddlers who are deaf or hard of hearing. Consequently, the role of each state's Part C…

Children's successful adjustment to child care involves effectively managing their separation from parents. Persistent problems with separation interfere with other relationships and with learning opportunities. The authors of this article developed a tool that caregivers can use to identify adjustment difficulties in young children who are …

This study examined parental preference of play outcomes and selection of toys and assistive technology used in meeting the identified outcomes for children, birth to 3, with developmental delays. Additionally, parent satisfaction related to how well selected materials assisted their child in meeting play outcomes was measured. Participants…

This study investigated parents' perceptions of their family's functioning and the level of early intervention support they received as they reflected on their involvement at an oral early intervention centre for children with hearing loss. Overall, parents reported high levels of family functioning and satisfaction with the services they had…

The value of identifying permanent hearing loss during the first few months of life and providing effective treatment to ameliorate or even eliminate the negative consequences has been recognized for many decades. Unfortunately, improvements in achieving this goal were very gradual until the early 1990s. At that time, the combination of…

The current model of early intervention with children who are deaf or hard of hearing emphasizes parental self-efficacy and involvement. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between mothers' self-efficacy beliefs and involvement and children's language skills in a group of mothers of children who are deaf or hard of…