Hearing impaired children from birth to age 5 in rural areas throughout the state of Utah are served by a home-based program which trains parents to communicate effectively with their hearing impaired child. The program is based on the following premises: (1) the preschool years are critical for developing communication skills; (2) the home is the…

This paper reflects on lessons learned from the implementation of KAN Focus, a demonstration project to develop a system of care for children with severe emotional disturbance in rural southeast Kansas. It notes trends toward providing more and younger children with community-based support services which provide family centered services,…

The Paraprofessional Program of the Institute for Human Development has proven to be an effective means of providing early intervention services in northern Arizona's sparsely populated, culturally diverse rural communities. The program model includes identification and comprehensive professional evaluation of young handicapped children and hiring…