Presents information to facilitate ideal family involvement in early intervention. Strategies for conducting family assessments while building collaborative partnerships with families are presented. Characteristics which produce effective collaborative partnerships are reviewed, and the reality of working with families is presented through two…

Major components of the social support and social systems approach to early intervention are reviewed, reflections are presented, and the future use of the model are discussed. The paper concludes with an overview of a "third generation" model integrating new evidence for studying and practicing family systems intervention. (Contains extensive…

Sixty-two infant teachers and 88 therapists (physical, occupational, and speech) working in therapeutic toddler classes in the Netherlands completed a job questionnaire for job stress. Most job stress was perceived to be a result of lack of non-contact time. Nine sources of job stress were identified. The four disciplines responded differently to…

Describes Q methodology, a technique that can be used to gain important insights on individuals' judgments, attitudes, and points of view on topics or situations that involve early intervention effectiveness issues. Specific steps involved in Q methodology are illustrated in a description of an early intervention efficacy study. (Author/CR)

A survey of 400 early childhood personnel in northwestern Ohio identified personnel characteristics associated with an interest in caring for young children with special needs. Most respondents were interested in providing care but cited lack of knowledge as a barrier to providing inclusive childcare. (Author/CR)

This Handbook provides an introduction to basic procedures and methods of data analysis. The authors provide a framework to guide program staff in their thinking about these procedures and methods and their relevant applications in MSHS (Migrant and Seasonal Head Start) settings. Accordingly, this Handbook was developed to support the work of…

The Early Social Interaction (ESI) Project (Woods & Wetherby, 2003) was designed to apply the recommendations of the National Research Council (2001) to toddlers with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) by using a parent-implemented intervention that (a) embeds naturalistic teaching strategies in everyday routines and (b) is compatible with the…

This directory contains information on selected early childhood projects sponsored by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) of the U.S. Department of Education. Among the projects included are training grants under the Division for Personnel Preparation, research grants under the Division of Innovation and Development, research grants…

Videotaped observations of the free-play interaction of mothers and (1) 12 physically handicapped, (2) 14 premature, and (3) 9 healthy 2-year-olds were evaluated. Results support clinical reports of maternal withdrawal from disabled young children. (Author/RH)

This annotated resource guide lists books, periodicals, and organizations relevant to the needs of parents of children with disabilities. The books and periodicals were chosen as being up-to-date, accurate, written in parent-friendly language, written with a parent's information or support needs in mind, generally affordable, or considered a…

Parents of 25 infants/toddlers with handicaps were surveyed to gain perspectives on easing the transition from home-based infant programs to preschool programs. Analysis of the results led to 4 major recommendations and a series of steps that infant program staff can follow to facilitate transition to preschool program options. (JDD)

The article examines effects of implementation of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1986, Part H, Handicapped Infants and Toddlers, including goals and expectations for family support, a comprehensive family support program, and assessment and service options. (DB)

This article applies four theoretical perspectives to the development of Group Action Planning, which supports infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families in inclusive environments. Practical suggestions for implementing Group Action Planning are offered, as is a longitudinal vignette of its application with one individual with…

This article presents a rationale for the importance of relationships as a focus for training infant/family professionals and paraprofessionals. It describes six innovative training strategies that have been used as part of the ZERO TO THREE/National Center for Clinical Infant Programs' City TOTS (training of trainers) project. (Author/DB)

The Social Strategy Rating Scale, which measures social competence in young children with disabilities across multiple contexts, was completed with 47 toddlers in 3 social settings over a 16-month period. The scale exhibited relatively high interobserver agreement across items, high internal consistency, and sensitivity to skill changes over time.…