This monograph presents identified best practices in the development of Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSP) as required for families who have young children with disabilities, by Public Law 99-457, the Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments (1986). Chapter One presents an overview of the monograph's development and use. Chapter Two…

This paper presents an example of "optimistic research," a qualitative approach which focuses on positive interventions helpful to practitioners, in this case an examination of programs successfully integrating people with severe disabilities. The study evaluated 40 programs through site visits which focus on observation, interviews, and…

The purpose of the 1990-91 Reading Recovery Program in the Columbus, Ohio public schools was to provide early intervention to underachieving first-grade pupils who appeared unlikely to read successfully without intensive instruction. The program featured individualized one-on-one lessons provided by specially trained teachers. The lessons were…

This paper reviews the current literature on the suggested uses of play for assessment, prevention, and intervention with special needs children. The paper also uses case studies to illustrate the ways play is being used to facilitate achievement of early intervention goals and discusses advantages and disadvantages of these uses of play. The…

This report describes the Federal commitment to improve early intervention services that enhance development and minimize the later dependence of infants and toddlers with handicaps. It presents the results of a joint study, completed by the Department of Education (DoE) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), of early intervention…

This booklet discusses the impact and treatment of the two craniosynostosis syndromes (Apert and Crouzon), which involve the premature fusion of skull sutures, are usually identified at birth, and require years of treatment. It is noted that children with Apert syndrome may have some degree of mental retardation while children with Crouzon…

This booklet presents principles of Project DAKOTA, a demonstration project to provide services to infants and young children with disabilities via their families and community. Project goals are listed, including a focus on those needs considered essential by parents and the use of natural settings and resources for intervention. Guidelines are…

This newsletter issue is about the growth of programs that serve infants, toddlers, and their families, and the management of that growth. The articles address early intervention programs with infants and young children with disabilities. The first article, "Implementing a Multi-site, Multidisciplinary Clinical Trial: The Infant Health and…

This paper describes funding mechanisms used in six states to implement early intervention services under Public Law 99-457, Part H, of the Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments (1986). An introduction reviews surveys of state progress in implementing the law's financial provisions. The six case studies present examples of successful…

This report summarizes conclusions and recommendations of an interdisciplinary committee which considered ways to improve the identification and auditory management of hearing-impaired children in Wisconsin schools. Major recommendations include: (1) the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) should license educational audiologists and encourage…

This brief report summarizes what is known about pediatric traumatic brain injury, including the following: risk factors (e.g., males especially those ages 5 to 25, youth with preexisting problems including previous head injury victims, and children receiving inadequate supervision); life after injury; physical and neurological consequences (e.g.,…

The student promotion policy for Chicago public schools is delineated in this guide. The promotion policy in both elementary and secondary schools is described as consisting of three dimensions: (1) instructional program; (2) intervention and monitoring activities; and (3) assessment, testing, and program evaluation. Components of each of these…

A guide to help physicians identify handicapping conditions in young children and to refer the children to educational and habilitative services at an early age is presented. The first section describes the rationale for early intervention and includes current research that supports and documents the benefits of infant and preschool special…

A report of a project that established systems of respite care and training of parents who have developmentally disabled members in their home is presented. Attention is directed to project objectives, activities, and outcomes and to the following specific components: collection and analysis of data on factors promoting utilization and…

Current practice for assessing children and adolescents rely on objectively scored deficit-based models and/or informal assessments to determine how maladaptive behaviors affect performance. Social-emotional assessment instruments are used in schools and typically provide information related to behavioral and emotional deficits, but provide little…