An increasing number of American grandparents, from all socioeconomic and ethnic groups, have taken on the role of surrogate parents to their grandchildren. Reasons behind this trend involve a variety of family circumstances, including the death of one or both parents, parental abandonment, the high incidence of divorce, an increase in the number…

Most of the low-income, under-educated mothers in rural areas of Sri Lanka are disadvantaged and unable to provide their children with a healthy home environment, guidance, or the material support required for their children's education. This study hypothesized that educating low-income, under-educated mothers to develop their own literacy skills…

This theme issue offers a collection of articles focusing on support groups for parents of infants and toddlers, including the following: (1) "Gaining Perspective on Parenting Groups" (Nick Carter and Cathie Harvey) which reviews the purposes, history, and essential ingredients of such groups; (2) "The MELD Experience with Parent Groups" (Joyce…

This book discusses career planning strategies for students with special needs. It addresses the 13 competencies identified by the National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee (NOICC) as basic to effective performance by career development practitioners: career development theory, decision-making skills, consultation skills,…

This paper describes a proposed model for providing educational services to students with autism and other pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). The model was developed by special education administrators in response to significant increases in the number of students diagnosed with PDD. Services that are necessary to support a classroom for…

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 report presents the results of a 2-year collaborative effort by the Illinois State Board of Education and 2 independent evaluators to assess early childhood programs in various sites throughout Illinois, and to provide models for other schools or community programs developing and expanding services for young children. The evaluation…

This booklet contains ideas about how families can help children in school in the following basic ways by: (1) teaching their children; (2) learning new things to help their children learn; (3) supporting children and the school; and (4) making decisions about what and how children learn. For each of these areas, a chart is included so that…

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 final report of the Portage Multi-State Outreach Project discusses the project's activities in assisting states, agencies, and local programs to plan, develop, and provide services for unserved and underserved young children with disabilities and their families across a variety of settings and program options. Specifically the project…

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;…

Intended to enable parents to support and advocate for their children during transitions, this guide contains training activities and hands-on action tools to help parents and staff work in partnership as children transition into and out of Early Head Start, Head Start, child care settings, and elementary schools. The guide is divided into three…

This address begins with a study of self-help by a Mozambican in the 1590s and then imagines a period between the years 2050 to 2150, during which women caring for people with disabilities abolish the need for specialist educational, medical and social services, by multiplying and democratizing the necessary knowledge, skills and design to make…

Based on direct observations of the family, this paper analyzes the teaching strategies used by a Puerto Rican kindergartner's older siblings and extended family members to teach school-related knowledge and skills. As the family's instruction was conducted in Spanish only, these teaching strategies are analyzed in relation to those used by the…