Kids aged five and under learn best through play. Instead of buying just any toy, look for toys or activities with things to teach: like the alphabet or names of different animals, and more. Children will play with their new toy and not even realize they are learning while they play. This article focuses on gift ideas for the holiday season, with…

Children are born with innate musical talent. This precious gift has to be nurtured in the earliest years of life, or it will wither rather than bloom. Developmental delays and disabilities do not necessarily affect the young child's potential to learn music. Parents of young children with special needs know the power of music to facilitate growth…

In this article, the authors describe Early Childhood Family Support Community of Practice (CoP), which was launched and facilitated by the Beach Center on Disability at the University of Kansas. A CoP is a group of people who share concerns or passions about a topic and who regularly interact based on their shared interests. The goal of Early…

The first days of school can be scary for parents, too. As a child reaches an age where she is ready to begin school, the very thought can overwhelm any parent. As a parent of a child with a disability there are added considerations. Nonetheless, transitions through the early years of school can become relatively easier for both the parents and…

A counselor who uses hypnosis in practice describes ways in which he uses the approach in dealing with his young disabled daughter. (CL)

In Stillwater, Oklahoma, the local educational toy lending library developed a computerized series of play activities to get parents of disabled young children involved in their child's stimulation. (CL)

Parents and professionals working with children with disabilities are urged to be alert to discrepancies between a child's usual behavior and capabilities and those exhibited during a formal testing or evaluation session. (DB)

This article outlines a series of skills needed by young children with disabilities to be prepared to effectively use computers later in life, and provides exercises to promote these skills. Skills emphasized include: decision-making, cause-and-effect thinking, muscle control, and directional and sequencing skills. (PB)

The article describes common parental reactions to involvement in an early intervention program. Issues discussed include the tendency to focus on the child's disability, involvement in decision making, communication with program staff, facing anger, and feelings associated with the child's transition to a new program. (JW)

The article describes Public Law 98-199 and its Early Childhood Plan Grant Program which makes planning, development, and implementation grants available to all states for provision of interagency collaborative services to disabled children ages birth through 5. Ways in which parent advocacy groups can influence early intervention services are…

The Early Intervention Research Institute (EIRI) reviewed extensive data reported by early intervention projects. Among surprising findings were that half-day programs produced as many gains as full-day programs, and programs which expected parent involvement were not more effective than those which did not. Current EIRI research efforts are…