Three nonhandicapped confederates were trained to direct social initiations to three handicapped preschoolers. Teachers prompted the confederates when necessary and rewarded them with tokens. Confederates' initiations resulted in increased frequencies of positive social interaction. There was not generalization to other classroom settings.…

Four research studies are presented which (1) assess spontaneous, integrated social interaction; (2) compare observed levels to a normative sample; (3) attempt to build durable social interactions; (4) investigate the use of classroom aides to arrange opportunities for integrated social interaction. Data indicate that durable social interactions…

The paper delineates key elements of a preschool program that could lead to the prevention of academic failure, first presenting an overview of the legal history, and then describing the program elements of an effective preschool program for handicapped children. (Author/CL)

The Development Indicators for the Assessment of Learning (DIAL), a preschool screening instrument, was administered to 436 three- to five-year-olds. Results, in terms of the number of children identified as having potential problems, and the organization of the DIAL subscales, supported the use of the DIAL. (Author/CL)

Analysis of the allocation of responsibilities within 50 families with moderately to severely handicapped preschoolers and 83 families with normal preschoolers indicated almost identical agreement on allocation expressed by wives and husbands of both groups. There was agreement on role responsibilities, degree of satisfaction with roles, and ideal…

A widely used preschool screening test, DIAL (Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning) was revised and restandardized on a national sample of 2,447 children. The rationale for the test construction and test standardization are discussed and the establishment of norms in the form of cut-off points are described. (Author/CL)

Head Start provides comprehensive education and family support to over 15 million children living in impoverished environments in the United States. Surveys and canvass calls were used to ascertain the extent and nature of contact that Head Start staff have with parents with disabilities. Responses from Head Start programs in a six-state region…

The article describes steps taken by the parents of a preschool cerebral palsied child to manufacture photo identification cards for handicapped young children. The cards contain such information as name, address, phone number, school, teacher's name, doctor's name, emergency contact, and diagnosis or allergies. (DB)

The author provides a brief review on the preschool handicapped, their educational needs, legislative actions in various states on preschool special education, and reasons for resistance to such services. A short list of professional resources is appended. (SJL)

Results indicated that the diagnostic questioning strategy using Full Model to Open Questioning was more efficacious for modifying the structure and content of young learners' expressive language repertoires than the reverse, which begins with an open ended question, "tell me about this," and proceeds through more restricted alternatives.…

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)

This is the 36th Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act," 2014. Section 664(d) of the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act" ("IDEA") (P.L. 108-446), as reauthorized in 2004, requires that the Department of Education report annually on the progress…

This is the 33rd Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act," 2011. Section 664(d) of the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act" ("IDEA"), as reauthorized in 2004, requires that the Department of Education report annually on the progress made toward the…

The 34th Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act," 2012 describes our nation's progress in: (1) providing a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for all children with disabilities; (2) ensuring that the rights of children with disabilities and their parents are protected;…

The 35th Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act," 2013 describes the nation's progress in (1) providing a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for all children with disabilities, (2) ensuring that the rights of children with disabilities and their parents are protected, (3)…