Cathy, Kelly, and Lisa are early childhood special education (ECSE) teachers in inclusive, classroom-based programs. Each of them worked with paraprofessionals, primarily their assistant teachers, during their first year as ECSE teachers, and that experience resulted in difficulties of varying degrees. For Cathy, those difficulties were most…

The purpose of the present study was to examine the developmental outcomes of children 7 years after their initial diagnosis. Children diagnosed with autism or PDD-NOS at age 2 received follow-up evaluations at age 9. Diagnostic stability was high, with 88 percent of the sample obtaining autism spectrum diagnoses at age 9. Cognitive scores…

Maternal ratings of self-efficacy and involvement in early intervention were compared across two groups of mothers with young children with Prelingual deafness: 24 mothers of children with hearing aids and 30 mothers of children with a cochlear implant. Although mothers of children with cochlear implants rated their child's early intervention…

Data from a statewide survey were used to examine the relationship between the professional backgrounds of early intervention service coordinators and their reported knowledge of and interaction with community resources relevant to early intervention services. Early intervention service coordinators with human service backgrounds were more likely…

The Stepfamily Enrichment Program is a multi-couple group intervention intended to help stepfamilies successfully negotiate the early stages of family formation. Theory, research, and clinical findings were integrated in this intervention designed specifically for remarried couples. Emphasis is placed on strengthening and improving family…

This article reviews five large national studies that include significant findings about the effects of early care and intervention on the children of teens. Five large-scale, national early childhood intervention research trials have included teen parents: Early Head Start, Nurse Family Partnership, Parents as Teachers, Healthy Start/Healthy…

Reading Recovery is a short-term intervention program for first-graders who are at risk of failure in reading and writing. More than 1.5 million children have been served in the United States since 1984, and pre- and post-test Observation Survey scores have been collected across the nation for the past 20 years. Yet there is a need to determine…

Objective: The purpose of this research project was to examine the relationship between parenting stress and a child's ability to functionally communicate within families who participated in an early intervention developmental disability program. Method: Using a two-group, cross-sectional survey design, this study explored the above relationship…

This study examined the validity of teacher assistant report of children's classroom peer play behaviors using the Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale (PIPPS). Participants for the examination of construct validity were 344 urban Head Start children. Exploratory factor analyses resulted in a reliable three-factor solution, corroborating the…

On December 3, 2004, President Bush signed into law the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA, 2004). The revised law is different from the previous version in at least one important respect. Whereas practitioners were previously encouraged to use IQ-achievement discrepancy to identify children with learning disabilities…

Through case-writing pedagogy, an approach to case-method instruction, early intervention-early childhood leadership students examined interdisciplinary perspectives, reflected, and integrated new content. Students explored leadership theories and researched current issues and trends in early childhood mental health as they engaged in a collegial,…

Meaningful assessments should inform early childhood intervention practices. The essential relationship between assessment and curriculum is an organizing principle of the Division of Early Childhood Recommended Practices. One tool that combines assessment and curriculum into a comprehensive system for supporting and serving young children and…

Once children have entered into the early intervention system, ongoing developmentally appropriate assessment is crucial. A critical component is monitoring child progress in relation to education and intervention goals or outcomes. For infants and toddlers, whose performance often cannot be documented using traditional assessment and…

Individualized family service plans (IFSPs) should reflect the concerns and priorities of the families for which the plan is written. Families with low incomes that live in rural areas may have unique concerns and priorities due to their financial circumstances and where they live. In this study, qualitative methods were used to examine the…

Often families with young children do not know where to turn for help and support. Early care and education programs are natural places to reach out to parents and help them strengthen their parenting skills and social interactions. When warning flags are observed, such as inappropriate discipline, frustration, and anger, they are avenues for…