Reflecting some of the most up-to-date thinking about enriching the experience of those who plan for and are involved in the care of children, this brochure lists critical skills of those individuals in the child care profession, and may be used as a reminder and as a self-evaluation tool. The skills highlighted are: enhancing child development;…

Counseling has always been a part of American Indian culture. Only recently has the European American counseling establishment recognized the role of culture in counseling. Developing a historical understanding of American Indians is important to working with American Indian students. It is also important for school counselors to recognize the…

Help for educators in meeting the challenge of involving parents and extended families of at-risk children is offered in this report. Twenty-eight chapters provide information to help educators communicate with low-income, nonwhite, and non-English speaking parents. Part 1 identifies the at-risk population, the benefits and forms of family…

This booklet provides synopses of 36 practitioners' workshop presentations on promoting effective inter- relationships between the home, the school and the community. The brief articles are grouped under five headings: Strengthening the Home; Utilizing Community Resources; Home/School/Community Partnership in Planning and Decision Making;…

In child-centered education programs, children construct their own knowledge from their experiences and interactions with the world around them, and teachers foster children's growth and development by building on children's interests, needs, and strengths within a safe and caring environment. The Step by Step educational program developed a…

This guide describes ways in which partners at the state level can move toward more integrated and comprehensive support systems for children and families eligible for services under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It reports on the collective experiences of states participating in the "Opening Doors Project,"…

This document consists of a compilation of information on various aspects of the Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities (Part C) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 1997 (IDEA). It collects a variety of resources that meet the information needs of state and jurisdictional Part C program staff, the…

This book provides practitioners working with young adults with disabilities practical strategies for building expanded partnerships with parents during the transition years. It relies on three beliefs: parents need to be fully informed partners; practitioners need to empower parents to become partners; and parents can become accountable for…

This document presents guidelines for evaluation of early childhood special education programs in North Dakota. Following an introduction, a section considers six general program goals including the significance of families, the need for developmentally appropriate and individually appropriate practice, preference for service delivery in…

This guide suggests ideas and activities to support training in early intervention service coordination for infants, toddlers, and young children with disabilities. The guide is intended to include parents as well as professionals and to be used in both service and preservice training. It is a project of the Pathways Project (Wisconsin) which…

The transition challenges discussed are to ensure that (1) students have access to the full range of curriculum options and learning experiences; (2) high school graduation decisions are based on meaningful indicators of learning; (3) students have access to postsecondary education, employment, and independent living options; (4) student and…

This article discusses the various cultural interpretations of severe disabilities and the role of enculturation in determining family expectations and participation within the special education system. Research-based techniques and ideas are presented to facilitate increased competence with families in which English is not the first language.…

This article provides some basic foundation of family systems concepts for school professionals who work with students with disabilities. It addresses communication skills and psychological issues that can result in barriers to implementation of family systems concepts and describes a five-step process leading to conflict resolution. (Contains…

The "Guidelines for Effective Practice" series was begun in 1991 to meet the need for better definition and articulation of what constitutes best practice in family support programs. This guide, the first issue of the series, focuses on the importance and necessity of linkages between family support and early childhood programs. Chapter…

This manual, developed by the Families in Action Project, is intended to provide parents and other family members of children with emotional disorders some practical ideas and tools with which they can become effective partners with professionals in the policy-making process. The first section, "Understanding the Board Process," describes…