The first Early Intervention Conference was in Georgia in August of 2023. The first day of the conference was a tremendous success. Attendees called their friends and colleagues encouraging them to attend the following day. There was evidence of enthusiasm and enjoyment throughout the venue from snippets of networking conversations to selfies…

Due to the diverse needs of young children at risk for or with developmental delays/ disabilities and their families, an interdisciplinary and collaborative team is required in schools to deliver family-centered, individualized early intervention/early childhood special education (EI/ECSE) services (Division for Early Childhood of the Council for…

The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act mandates that very young children with disabilities be served through Part C services. Families of young children with disabilities who are also living in poverty are often the primary recipients of these services. To better understand the experiences of families, particularly those living in…

In 2007, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) law was passed in Minnesota mandating newborn hearing screening. Recognizing that a number of state-level agencies and statewide advocacy and direct services organizations share responsibility for serving deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing children and youth, the Minnesota Commission…

The transition from early intervention to early childhood special education is only one of the many transitions that children with disabilities and their families will face throughout their lives (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2004). This transition, however, can be particularly difficult for children and parents (Hanson et al.,…

The Education for All Handicapped Children Act was reauthorized as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1990. When reauthorized in 2004 it maintained the IDEA acronym although it is now the Individuals with Disabilities Education "Improvement" Act. The federal government further demonstrated its emphasis on…

Project Forum at the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) and the National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) worked together to collect information regarding the need for a policy forum on the topic of administrative collaboration between school personnel who support homeless education under the McKinney-Vento…

Young children with special needs and their families often experience transitions across multiple environments in the early childhood years. Many transitions are identified as stressful for children and families. In the present study, a series of focus groups involving administrators, practitioners, and family members were held around the United…

Though developed specifically for Minnesota parents, parents in other states will also receive helpful information from this booklet on early intervention programs for children with disabilities. Topics covered include: (1) qualifications for admission to early intervention services; (2) legal rights of children with disabilities; (3) the…

This report explores strategies for financing school-linked early learning initiatives. It is meant to help county agencies, school systems, and community organizations coordinate and expand their respective resources. The overall approach relies on partnerships and collaborations to meet the financing challenges faced by individual agencies and…