This practicum developed a special program to serve the elementary school child who has a preschool sibling with a hearing impairment. A special book addressing the cognitive and emotional needs of the siblings was written and distributed to 35 children whose families were enrolled in a clinic-sponsored correspondence program and to 15 children…

Recognizing that a child's family is his or her first and most important teacher, this technical assistance paper stresses the importance of preschool teachers involving the family in the development of the child. It examines the fundamental principles that guide the creation of a partnership with parents and some of the objectives of building the…

This issue paper is based on recommendations of a February, 1991 meeting on promoting child health through Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Part H emphasizes family-centered care; service coordination; comprehensive services; collaboration among service providers and funding sources; outreach to traditionally…

This multi-contributor volume addresses the challenges of providing early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities, within a family-centered framework. The book provides a legislative review of the key elements of eligibility, assessment, and evaluation and then examines service coordination, curricula, special intervention…

This guide is intended for use in training Head Start staff working with families to plan and implement the program's curriculum through an individualized child development and education approach. The guide focuses specifically on enhancing staff skills in carrying out the four steps in the individualizing process: screening; evaluation; planning;…

This paper on facilitating skill development of infants and toddlers with disabilities within family-child routines focuses on: (1) developing a routine analysis by incorporating multiple Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) objectives into family-selected routines; (2) utilizing systematic family training procedures to integrate targeted skills…

This issue of the "Early Childhood Bulletin" explains the developmental and learning implications of play for very young children and outlines ways in which assistive technology can open doors to play for children with disabilities. The importance of incorporating assistive technology into a child's early intervention program through the…

Describes two initiatives of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) to help children become life-long readers. The AFT/Chrysler Learning Connection Reading Grants program awards grants to schools for family involvement reading programs. The booklet "Helping Your Child Learn to Read" contains activities parents can use. Some booklet…

Interviewed mothers of preschoolers with autism about their children's child care programs and factors that influenced program selection. Rated the importance of program features, knowledge of the care settings, and frequency of their involvement at school. Found mothers reported high involvement in activities, conferences, and classroom…

The effects of home-based programming for infants and young children with hearing impairments and their families were studied, with a focus on the SKI*HI program, which includes identification/screening, home visits, support services, parent advisors, and a program management system. The study analyzed data on 5,178 children (ages birth to 5) with…

This study looks at Canadian families' efforts to begin an inclusive life for their children with disabilities--and for society--"right off the bat," in the child care arena. It examines quality child care situations that welcome children with disabilities. It explores needed reform of public policy and programs to build on those…

This curriculum is for an intensive 5-day institute in team assessment of young children with disabilities. Each of the eight chapters includes text, training activities, and an annotated bibliography. Sample forms and evaluation guides are appended to relevant chapters. The introductory chapter presents an assessment philosophy and notes…

In Part H of Public Law 99-457, the Federal Government agrees to provide modest financial resources to aid the states in planning and developing comprehensive, multidisciplinary, coordinated services for young children with handicaps and their families, and presents mandates for reforms in the service delivery system. This paper identifies the…

Emphasizing the importance of the family in education, this book presents a sampling of strategies for fostering a strong parent-teacher-community partnership. The first chapter discusses the need for parent and community involvement; lists strategies to help administrators, teachers, and parent and community leaders in working with one another;…

This final report discusses the activities and outcomes of an interdisciplinary graduate program designed to prepare already licensed or certified physical therapists and occupational therapists for the full inclusion of students with disabilities in educational settings and for the full participation of infants, toddlers, and young children in…