There has recently been an explosion of interest and writing about autism, autism spectrum disorders, pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDDNOS). This issue of the "Early Childhood Bulletin" suggests readings for parents, therapists, and professionals serving on Interagency…

Reports gains in vocabulary for a group of Head Start children whose mothers read to them at least 15 minutes a day. (SB)

This social case describes the foundation of a commission whose object is to organize a recreation group for preschool children. The efforts to choose a commission was affected by the antagonism between the old members and the new members. The worker of the community describes his efforts in bringing the groups together. (Author/RR)

Describes some experiments in community participation in preschool education. Volunteers attempt to encourage parents and others in this form of social action. (WY)

Describes the development and nature of learning kits used in the infant/toddler program of Tribal American Children Center Schools. A rationale and a guide for using the learning kits are offered. (Author/RH)

This article, excerpted from the epilogue to the book "Project Head Start" edited by E. Zigler and J. Valentine, provides a brief overview of the impetus, goals, problems, and accomplishments of Head Start. (DB)

Reports a survey on South Australian parents' perceptions of their involvement in preschool education. (MP)

Parental involvement is essential to a preschool program for visually handicapped children. Home intervention is one approach for the provision of services to both parent and child. (Author/PHR)

Considers the nature of joint (parent-child) pre-school activities in the home, and their potential to contribute to the development of early reading skills. Assesses children on various aspects of phonological awareness, and their receptive vocabulary and short-term memory. Finds that children who engaged in a variety of pre-school, parent-child…

Describes a Head Start/IBM Partnership project which integrates computers into the preschool curriculum. Discusses two of the software packages and the interest of parents and staff in the project. (RJC)

Interrelationships among 3 measures of parent involvement, 1 of staff valuing parent-staff communication, and 1 of program quality being provided the to children were examined in the infant/toddler and preschool classes of 16 proprietary day-care centers. Results suggested that directors who promote formal parent involvement are likely to run…

Describes the International Reading Project, a series of six weekly one-hour sessions that focus on teaching parents with limited reading skills how to read aloud to their children. Notes that (1) choral reading is a major part of the program; and (2) the low-income families and their children who participated in the program were all African…

A model is presented for planning the transition of handicapped children from early childhood special education (ECSE) programs into kindergarten/elementary school mainstream classrooms. The model, developed through Project TEEM (Transitioning into the Elementary Education Mainstream), enables parents, ECSE, and elementary school program staff to…

Discusses concerns of parents who volunteer in the classroom. Provides steps teachers and other program staff can take to enhance the volunteer experience, including explaining the program's classroom volunteer policies and procedures, allowing parents to observe, accepting each parent's unique abilities and desires, and expressing appreciation to…

Suggests increased opportunities for assessment and intervention, consultation, and program evaluation in early childhood education as roles that school psychologist should develop to facilitate effective parent involvement in child's education. Reviews literature on parent involvement in early childhood special education and current federal…