Recognizing the growth of technology use in early learning settings, the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services collaborated in the development of the "Early Learning and Educational Technology Policy Brief" to promote developmentally appropriate use of technology in homes and early learning…

This article reviews the findings from our research in Head Start classrooms and their potential theoretical importance. Practical suggestions are offered to administrators and teachers as to ways to promote friendships in classroom settings. Some approaches are likely to work better for boys and others for girls. Understanding how children select…

This paper describes the Revised Arena Format (RAF) and recommends its use in conducting multidisciplinary evaluations of young children suspected of developmental delays. The RAF appears to offer significant advantages in terms of behavior management, timeliness, and thoroughness. (Author/JDD)

The paper maintains that impact evaluation studies of programs serving handicapped infants and preschoolers should be restricted to scientifically defendable investigations. Specific types of impact studies and an evaluation process are suggested. It is suggested that program leaders should focus evaluation activities on the status of project…

Communicative adjustments of nonhandicapped preschool children addressing developmentally delayed companions were evaluated for their effectiveness and appropriateness. Behavior-request episodes in which initial failure had occurred were analyzed, and sequences of interactions were tracked within episodes until some form of resolution was…

This article describes conceptual and statistical issues in three approaches to the measurement of change in early intervention programs: change scores, indexes of change, and residual change scores. Advantages and limitations of each approach are reviewed. Problems with the reliability of change scores are highlighted. Criteria for selecting…

This directory describes 151 research projects funded by the Division of Innovation and Development of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of the Education. Projects are listed alphabetically by principal investigator. Listed for each project are the project title, principal investigator, address, telephone number,…

Nine studies reporting child change data for nonhandicapped children participating in integrated preschool settings were analyzed in terms of methodology and specific classroom practices. The studies suffered from methodological weaknesses common to many early intervention efficacy studies. Documentation of child progress is only one measure of…

This paper presents Professional Practical Knowledge research as a method for studying the observable action and invisible knowledge of early intervention service providers. The research provides practitioners with a special window through which intervention practices can be seen from a fresh perspective. The paper addresses the method's…

Examination of seven refereed journals over a 10-year period (1977-1986) identified 28 papers using single-subject research methodology in studies involving preschool-aged children with handicaps or their families. Five types of single-subject designs were found to be used both alone and in various combinations. Of the 30 research designs…

The study evaluated the Batelle Developmental Inventory (BDI) with 40 disabled children under 30 months of age. Subjects were also given the Bayley Scales and Vine Scales of Adaptive Behavior. Results indicated high concurrent validity, interrater reliability, and internal consistency for the BDI. (Author/DB)

The article discusses using Boolean logic as a tool for searching computerized information retrieval systems in special education and rehabilitation technology. It includes discussion of the Boolean search operators AND, OR, and NOT; Venn diagrams; and disambiguating parentheses. Six suggestions are offered for development of good Boolean logic…

This article describes the multielement design, often recommended in single-subject research, and discusses its advantages and disadvantages for research in early intervention with handicapped children. The article concludes that the multielement design has many advantages, though multiple treatment interference is an issue of concern. (JDD)

Teachers who have been trained to work with normal young children (early childhood certification) or with older disabled children (special education certification) are unprepared to assume the multiple responsibilities of the teacher of preschool disabled children. Prior to the 1979-1980 academic year, few (if any) formal on-going inservice (or…

The 1987-88 annual report reviews progress on 17 longitudinal studies to determine the efficacy of early intervention with handicapped children. The overview chapter reviews previous research on this topic; considers ethical, practical, and scientific considerations of randomized experiments in early childhood special education; examines benefits…