One of nine competency-based training modules for personnel preparation in early childhood special education, this guide focuses on assessment concepts involving the evaluation of preschoolers for possible disabilities. All modules are adaptable for use with a general audience, direct service personnel, or administrators and are based on the…

The OSAP High Risk Youth Demonstration Program of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is directed toward the prevention of substance abuse through experiences offered in an after-school program. This is the second year that the program has been implemented in the six elementary schools and one middle school of the Mississippi Choctaw…

The Ninos Especiales Outreach Training Project was a 3-year federally funded project to provide information, training, and evaluation related to a culturally sensitive, family-focused model of early intervention services for infants with severe disabilities and their families of Puerto Rican heritage. Implementation occurred through three major…

The Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) is a home-based early intervention enrichment program for young Arkansas children and their parents. The program has six objectives: (1) to prepare 4- and 5-year-olds for kindergarten; (2) to develop the parent as the child's educator; (3) to increase parent awareness of educational and…

This report examines issues that need to be addressed to create a comprehensive community-based early intervention system, in conjunction with provisions of Part H of Public Law 99-457. The report examines issues addressed by service providers in local jurisdictions developing programs for infants and toddlers with handicaps and their families,…

The Drug-Free School Recognition Program is a competitive evaluation and award program that acknowledges those public and private elementary and secondary schools with successful substance abuse prevention or reduction programs. Strategies and activities utilized by the 47 winning schools, which underwent an extensive nomination and review…

Compelling evidence from neuroscience about how early relationships and experience influence the architecture of the brain, and in turn early school success, has led to increasing policy and practice attention to implementing child development and family support programs like Early Head Start for infants and toddlers. But, there is also a group of…

Designed for practicing speech-language pathologists, this book discusses different lesser-known syndrome disabilities, pertinent speech-language characteristics, and goals and strategies to begin intervention efforts at a preschool level. Chapters address: (1) Apert syndrome; (2) Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome; (3) CHARGE syndrome; (4) Cri-du-Chat…

This issue focuses on how special education fits into standards-based reform and contains the following featured articles: (1) A New Vision for Special Education Accountability (Martha L. Thurlow and Jane L. Krentz) charts the change in special education accountability as it moves from the old focus on Individualized Education Program teams; (2)…

This hearing, the ninth in a series discussing issues related to the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, focuses on three programs: Aid for Institutional Development, or Title III; the National Early Intervention Scholarship and Partnership Program; and the TRIO programs, which provide support services and scholarships for students, as…

This directory lists selected early childhood programs sponsored by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services of the Department of Education. Introductory sections provide a user's guide, an overview, and a directory of addresses of key personnel and projects. The directory section then presents a state-by-state listing of…

Information on the implementation of services for preschool children with special needs and their families is presented, based on current or previous surveys of 50 states, the District of Columbia, and eight outlying jurisdictions. The information is presented in tabular form and is organized into nine sections related to the Individuals with…

This opening chapter provides an overview of the book, "Healthy Children 2010: Establishing Preventive Services." The article describes the purpose of the work, which is to provide strategies to establish and successfully implement effective prevention services in key socializing settings that powerfully affect the growth an development…

This training module on integrating communication skills into functional routines and activities is from the Mississippi Early Education Program for Children with Multiple Disabilities, a program designed to train Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part H service coordinators and service providers to use family centered strategies. The…

Early childhood programs have been shown to enhance school readiness, increase the efficacy of investments in primary schools and human capital formation, foster beneficial social behavior and, thereby, lessen social welfare costs, and promote community development. The World Bank has directed investment toward young children, including supporting…