bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Family-Focused Intervention: A Functional Model for Planning, Implementing, and Evaluating Individualized Family Services in Early Intervention
Authors: Bailey Donald B. , Simeonsson Rune J. , Winton Pamela J. , Huntington Gail S. , Comfort Marilee , Isbell Patricia , O'Donnell Karen J. , Helm James M.
Published: December 2008

The provision of Individualized services to families with young handicapped children has been hampered by the lack of a practical model. This article describes a functional model for assessing family needs, specifying family goals, implementing family services, and evaluating effectiveness. The model draws on the "goodness-of-fit" concept to individualize family services in order to optimize the "fit" between family, child, and services provided.
A Longitudinal Study of Stress and Support in Families of Preterm and Full-Term Infants
Authors: Beckman Paula J. , Pokorni Judith L. , Maza Elizabeth A. , Balzer-Martin Lynn
Published: December 2008

Families of full-term and preterm infants were followed throughout the first year of life to examine differences in the amount of stress and support reported over time. The relationship between stress and a) support; and b) the child's developmental status was also examined. Mothers were interviewed at home when infants were 3, 6 and 12 months postnatal age. Mothers of preterms reported significantly more parent and family problems, child problems, formal support and informal support than mothers of full-terms. Child problems decreased significantly between 3 and 12 months. Stress at three months was significantly, negatively related to concurrent measures of formal support. At 6 and 12 months, stress was significantly. negatively related to the amount of support received in the preceding period. At 12 months, stress was also negatively related to the infant's Bayley scores. Results are interpreted in terms of their implications for intervention with families.
Introduction to Special Education Textbooks: What They Say About the Efficacy of Early Intervention
Authors: Mastropieri Margo A. , White Karl R. , Fecteau Faith
Published: December 2008

Frequentiy used introductory special education textbooks were analyzed (a) to summarize the information presented and conclusions drawn about the efficacy of early Intervention, (b) to determine the consistency of those conclusions with previously published efficacy reviews and with existing meta-analysis data as summarized by the Early Intervention Research Institute at Utah State University, and (c) to draw conclusions about the implications of the findings for training special and regular educators. Textbooks were consistent in the content covered, and conclusions were generally consistent with major reviews. Chapters concluded with more advocacy-oriented statements than empirically supported ones. In addition, several studies that were cited tended to be from the disadvantaged preschooler literature, with these results used as data for supporting the efficacy of early intervention for handicapped preschoolers. Findings are discussed in relation to the training of special education and regular education teachers.
Preparing Infant Interventionists: Interdepartmental Training in Special Education and Maternal and Child Health
Authors: Bailey Donald B. , Farel Anita M. , O'Donnell Karen J. , Simeonsson Rune J. , Miller C. Arden
Published: December 2008

The provision of services to handicapped newborns, Infants, and their families challenges traditional approaches to preparing special educators. Early childhood special educators working with handicapped infants increasingly must assume new roles and work In a variety of settings, Including homes, daycare centers, and medical settings. Furthermore, they work intensively with families and must work within the context of broader community systems. This article describes one alternative approach to preparing infant Interventionists by providing Interdepartmental training In Special Education and Maternal and Child Health. The program recognizes the transactional nature of Infant development, the fact that Infants are a part of a family system, and the ecological notion that the family system is nested within larger systems.
An Investigation of the Validity and Reliability of the Battelle Developmental Inventory with a Population of Children Younger than 30 Months with Identified Handicapping Conditions
Authors: McLean Mary , McCormick Katherine , Beth Bruder Mary , Burdg Nancy B.
Published: December 2008

Little information is available on the use of the Battelle Developmental Inventory (BDI) with children under 30 months of age who have identified handicaps. In this study, the BDI, Bayley Scales, and Vineland Scales of Adaptive Behavior—Survey Form were administered to 40 children. Results indicated high concurrent validity, interrater reliability, and internal consistency for the BDI. The use of the BDI with this population is discussed.
Legal Issues and the Handicapped Infant: From Policy to Reality
Authors: Lilly Terese J. , Shotel Jay R.
Published: December 2008

PL 94-142, the Education for Handicapped Children Act (EHA), was designed to ensure appropriate educational services for all handicapped children ages 3 through 21. As states use this legislation in developing regulations to serve handicapped infants birth through 2, confusing and discrepant practices are occurring to the detriment of the handicapped infant. While the effort of these states to provide services to infants is commendable, EHA regulations may be inappropriate because of the unique nature and needs of infants.
Teacher Evaluation Practices In Early Childhood Special Education
Authors: Lazzari Andrea M. , Beth Bruder Mary
Published: December 2008

As the field of early childhood special education continues to evolve, increased emphasis is being placed on program evaluation as it relates to the larger issue of efficacy. One dimension of program accountability that has received little attention is teacher (interventionist) evaluation. This exploratory study examines teacher evaluation practices that are currently being used with early childhood special educators in public school preschool handicapped programs in Virginia. Several parameters of the evaluation process are addressed, including the frequency and scope of evaluation procedures and the applicability of standard evaluation forms to preschool professionals. A comparison of teachers' rankings of selected teacher competencies with those found on standard evaluation forms reveals a discrepancy. A further discrepancy is revealed between items on standard evaluation forms and specific content areas for state-approved preschool handicapped teacher endorsement.
Early Childhood Special Education Exit Decisions: How Are They Made? How Are They Evaluated?
Authors: Thurlow Martha L. , Ysseldyke James E. , Weiss Jill A.
Published: December 2008

Policy issues for early childhood special education programs in the areas of exit decision-making and follow-up procedures were generated through extensive naturalistic case studies of four early childhood special education programs. Located in urban, suburban, and rural communities, the programs were selected to reflect a variety of approaches to early childhood special education programming. Guidelines for exit decision-making and follow-up procedures conclude the report.
Personnel Preparation for Infant Interventionists: A Review of Federally Funded Projects
Authors: Beth Bruder Mary , McLean Mary
Published: December 2008

A review of 40 federally funded personnel preparation projects for infant specialists was conducted. The project grants were analyzed along a number of dimensions. Discrepancies were found in the number of training competencies and the lack of rigorous evaluation designs across the programs. Approximately 1000 infant interventionists have received training through the projects funded through this competition.
The Implementation of Sample, Mand, and Delay Techniques to Enhance the Language of Delayed Children in Group Settings
Authors: Pearson Mary Ellen , Pearson Algene , Fenrick Nancy , Greene Doug
Published: December 2008

Two early childhood teachers of integrated delayed children and two special education early childhood teachers of segregated delayed children were taught to use sample, mand, and delay techniques with five young children with language and cognitive delays. From Baseline to Intervention, the teachers changed significantly the types of initiations they directed to the children: They significantly increased samples, mands, and delays and decreased questions, while they maintained comments. The teachers did not significantly increase the number of initiations they directed to the target children.

From Baseline to Intervention, the children significantly Increased their word rates, utterance rates, number of words per utterance, and percent of responding to the teachers' initiations. The children made nonsignificant gains in rate of initiations and syntax scores. The authors concluded that the sample, mand, and delay techniques were successfully and easily implemented by teachers of young children with language delays and that the implementation of the techniques was followed by increases in the children's language. The data from this study provided support for the use of the techniques by teachers of young children with language and cognitive delays.
Early Intervention for Developmental Functioning: A Quantitative Synthesis of Single-Subject Research
Authors: Scruggs Thomas E. , Mastropieri Margo A. , McEwen Irene
Published: December 2008

Fourteen studies were reviewed that had employed single-subject methodology to investigate the results of interventions to improve developmental functioning in handicapped preschoolers. Interventions included treatments intended to develop physical responsiveness, as well as treatments to increase feeding behavior and to decrease rumination or compulsive vomiting. Overall, these interventions were highly effective. The most consistent positive results were obtained from interventions on rumination, regardless of whether positive reinforcement or punishment had been employed. As with previous reviews of single-subject literature, generalization and maintenance were insufficiently studied. The conclusions of this investigation are reported within the context of three previous synthesis efforts that taken together constitute all known single-subject research in early intervention with handicapped children.
Using the Social System Perspective in Early Intervention: The Value of a Sociological Approach
Authors: Darling Rosalyn Benjamin
Published: December 2008

Most research and practice in the early intervention field has been undertaken from a clinical perspective. In that perspective the child and the family are assessed and treated using professionally defined instruments and categories. Although some recent models have taken the family's perspective into account, a large body of relevant literature from the field of sociology has been overlooked. This article illustrates the relevance of several sociological concepts for the early intervention field and suggests the importance of including such concepts in professional training programs and practice in order to gain a more complete understanding of the families of young children with disabilities.
The "Shared Classroom": A Case Study of Interactions Between Early Childhood and Special Education Staff and Children
Authors: Kugelmass Judy W.
Published: December 2008

The initial intention of this case study was to document the development of social interactions between the six typical and six disabled children in an integrated preschool classroom. This was to be discovered through a qualitative analysis of videotapes taken once a month, for 9 months, during a 1-hour free-play period. What emerged, through the observation and discussion of these videotapes with the classroom team, was that structural changes in the environment of the classroom were essential for the development of positive social interactions between the children. This study, therefore, further validates the conclusions of other investigations of the social development of children in integrated preschool classrooms: the proximity of children does not assure interaction. These issues are explored and illustrations of staff behaviors that facilitated social interaction are presented.
Low Cost System Using Parents to Monitor the Development of At-Risk Infants
Authors: Bricker Diane , Squires Jane
Published: December 2008

Monitoring the developmental progress of infants designated as at-risk for medical or environmental reasons is an important activity that is often not carried out because accurate low-cost methods of tracking and screening infants are not available. To address this problem, state agencies have adopted varying strategies to follow and screen groups of at-risk infants. Several counties in Oregon are examining the use of a screening system that uses parents to complete a series of developmental questionnaires. The questionnaires are short and easy to complete and are mailed to parents when the infant is 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 30, and 36 months of age. A series of studies on the cost, reliability, and validity of the questionnaires have been conducted on a population of at-risk infants and their parents. These data indicate the questionnaires are low-cost and have substantial agreement with standardized test assessment of the infants.
Developing Problem-Solving Skills to Enhance Task Persistence of Handicapped Preschool Children
Authors: Karnes Merle B. , Johnson Lawrence J. , Beauchamp Karen D.F.
Published: December 2008

This manuscript reports on a preliminary study to examine the effect of teaching problem-solving skills on the task persistence of handicapped preschool children. Ten mildly handicapped children completed a series of lessons in which they were taught to use problem-solving strategies to complete fine motor tasks. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected to determine the effectiveness of these procedures. These data indicated that the intervention had a positive impact on the task persistence of some children and that some children become more systematic in their approach to solving tasks. The implica-, tion of these results for structuring tasks for children is discussed.
Biomedical and Social Aspects of Pediatric AIDS
Authors: Dokecki Paul R. , Baumeister Alfred A. , Kupstas Franklyn D.
Published: December 2008

Pediatric AIDS is a major cause of developmental and physical disability and death among infants and children in the United States. In this paper, the authors elaborate the notion that pediatric AIDS is a complex bio-ecological problem, review the biomedical aspects of pediatric AIDS, and explore relevant economic, political, and social issues. This ecological framework sets the stage for efforts to improve the quality of early intervention decisions. The premise is that society must move toward a conceptualization of AIDS-related intervention practices and social policy based on the notion of a unified community and body politic, stressing mutual aid and voluntary cooperation. This conceptualization is consistent with public health values and represents a fruitful route to effective national and local policy. An overview of early intervention options is presented.
Case Management in Early Intervention
Authors: Bailey Donald B.
Published: December 2008

PL 99-457 requires early interventionists working with handicapped infants to provide case management services as a part of each Individualized Family Service Plan. Although well-intentioned, the case management requirement necessitates skills for which few early childhood special educators are adequately trained. Furthermore, it raises significant issues regarding policy implementation. This article reviews case management from the historical perspective, describes research on case management, and discusses policy issues related to implementing case management in the context of early intervention.
Using Qualitative Methods to Assess the Social-Communicative Competence of Young Handicapped Children
Authors: Salisbury Christine L. , Britzman Deborah , Kang Jinhee
Published: December 2008

A qualitative research methodology was employed to examine the social-communicative interactions of young handicapped children in a public school-based preschool program and discem the utility of participant observation as an assessment strategy. Six students (with mild to severe handicaps) were observed during free play and semistructured (lunch, playground) times for an average of 6 hours each. Data analysis focussed on the initiation behaviors employed by these students, the context in which the initiations occurred, and the consequences of each child's initiations with others. Three major themes emerged: Each child displayed a consistent set of initiations, each child used augmentative strategies to continue interactions, and initiation behaviors signified intent and purpose. Objective codings of field-note data supported and augmented the observational data. While all students employed complex, intentional social-communicative strategies, the idiosyncratic nature of these overtures and their underlying intent would have been missed using typical assessment practices. The pedagogical implications of these themes were discussed, as was the use of participant observation as a valuable tool in assessment.
Support Systems: Strategies and Implications for Hospitalized Newborns and Families
Authors: Flynn Linda L. , McCollum Jeanette
Published: December 2008

This article describes both ideological and theoretical studies of support systems available to handicapped, low-birth weight, and high-risk newborns and their families within the hospital setting. Attention is focused on the time-frame immediately following the birth of the infant. Medical, social service, and educational/ developmental factors influencing the family-unit are addressed. The article discusses extant strengths and weaknesses in each system from a parent's as well as a professional's perspective, along with models of "best practice" and an overview of implications for viable support.
Identification of Critical Skills for Success in Day Care
Authors: Murphy Molly , Vincent Lisbeth J.
Published: December 2008

The purpose of this study was to gather information on day care teachers' perceptions of skills needed for successful performance in day care. Teachers from 23 day care centers in Madison, Wisconsin, provided responses to a 57 item questionnaire. Respondents were asked to rate behavior/skills as (1) not important to (4) very important. Those skills rated as important would provide information about the type of skills needed by handicapped young children for success in day care. Results from the questionnaire indicated that teachers rated certain skills as more or less important for successful performance. Skills categorized under the area of communication (e.g., responds to name) received the highest rating by most respondents. Skills in the area of preacademics (e.g., cuts with scissors) received the lowest ratings from respon. dents. Implications of these results for the performance of handicapped young children in integrated day care settings are discussed.
Microcomputers as Social Facilitators in Integrated Preschools
Authors: Spiegel-McGill Phyllis , Zippiroli Susan M. , Mistrett Susan G.
Published: December 2008

An altemating treatments design was used to compare three play conditions on the amount of time each of four handicapped children would interact with a socially competent nonhandicapped peer during play time in an integrated preschool. The purpose of these comparisons was to test the effects of a microcomputer to another highly motivating reactive activity (a remote controlled robot), and to compare these activities to a baseline condition where children generally had only each other to play with. In addition, comparisons were made to assess if there were differential effects across the activities based on the social competence of the handicapped preschooler in each dyad. Results revealed that the computer condition resulted in more socially directed behaviors within dyads consisting of subjects with significant social and language deficits and physical handicaps. The two dyads in which the handicapped preschoolers had mild social interaction deficits and physical disabilities showed similar performances across the three conditions.
Social Competence and Early Intervention
Authors: Guralnick Michael J.
Published: December 2008

This article explores the relationship between young children's social competence and the goals of early intervention programs. Social competence is seen as a central organizing construct in development, and competence with peers during the preschool years is examined in detail. Specifically, the peer-related social competence difficulties of handicapped children are discussed from a developmental perspective. The nature of assessment and intervention strategies and the importance of the social context are described as part of a general program to improve the peer-related social competence of handicapped children. It is concluded that the social context provided by mainstreamed programs establishes essential conditions forpromoting the peer-related social competence of handicapped children.
Family Goals in Infant Intervention: Analysis and Issues
Authors: Bailey Donald B. , Winton Pamela J. , Rouse Lee , Turnbull Ann P.
Published: December 2008

In October, 1987, the U.S. Department of Education issued a call to the field soliciting examples of Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSP) written for infants and toddlers with handicaps and their families. This article describes an analysis of the family dimensions of those plans. Each IFSP was examined to determine the presence of key legislative requirements. Each family goal was coded according to domain of family functioning, structural dimensions, level of parent involvement, and time specifications for goal attainment. Results indicated that most family goals were child-focused. Although statements of who was to achieve the goal and operational specification of behaviors were generally present, conditions and criteria for goal attainment were not generally found. Only 13 % of the goals involved generalized use of problem-solving skills. Issues regarding goal specifications raised by the analysis are discussed. The data are presented in their historical context and offered as a baseline for comparison as Public Law 99-457 reaches full implementation.
Use of a Constant Time Delay Procedure in Teaching Preschoolers in a Group Format
Authors: Alig-Cybriwsky Catherine , Wolery Mark , Gast David L.
Published: December 2008

The primary purpose of this Investigation was to evaluate the effects of constant time delay (a near-errorless teaching strategy) in teaching preschoolers sight word reading in a group. A secondary purpose was to assess the effects of two attentional responses, specific (repeating the letter names) and general (looking at the stimulus cards) on observational and related, nontarget learning. A multiple probe design across pairs of words was used to evaluate the procedure. The results of the investigation indicate that (a) constant time delay was reliably implemented in a group setting, (b) constant time delay was effective in teaching all targeted stimuli in near-errorless fashion, (c) observational and related, nontarget learning (expressive labeling of words, receptive identification of words, matching words to pictures and pictures to words, and receptive spelling of words) occurred across students, and (d) the specific attending response resulted in greater expressive labeling, receptive identification, and receptive spelling of other children's target words than did the general attending response.
A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Two Alternative Program Models for Serving Speech-Disordered Preschoolers
Authors: Eiserman William D. , McCoun Marilyn , Escobar Colette M.
Published: December 2008

This study contributes to the discussion of appropriate parent and therapist roles in early intervention by comparing the costs and effects of two programs for speech-disordered preschoolers: a home parent training program and a clinic-based program with low parent involvement. The posttest results indicated that the children in the home parent training group performed at least as well as those in the clinic-based group on measures of speech and language functioning as well as on a measure of general development. On several of these variables, the home parent training group performed significantly better than the other group. Results of the cost analysis indicated that, excluding the value of parent time, there was no meaningful difference in program costs. The implications of this study are that parents can be given significant responsibilities in early intervention and that program administrators have a viable option of using parents as a substantive support to a program. In addition, findings support the need for therapists to be trained to work with parents as well as with the child.
Contingency Intervention: A Program Portrait
Authors: Sullivan Margaret Wolan , Lewis Michael
Published: December 2008

Contingency experiences, an important aspect of early sensory-motor development, can provide a source of cognitive and motivational stimulation to infants with handicaps. A home-based, computer-monitored contingency intervention program and its evaluation study are described. Data, including parental and child response to the program, are reported.
Dimensions of Early Identification
Authors: MEISELS SAMUEL J.
Published: December 2008

Several dimensions of early identification are discussed, including the relationship between early identification and prevention. A preventive component is described for the various forms of early identification—child find, screening, assessment, and program planning. Also discussed are recently published guidelines for screening and assessment and the assumptions on which these guidelines are based. Chief among these assumptions is the notion that risk and disability are multidetermined; hence, systems of early identification must similarly be founded on a multiple risk model. The implications of this model for selecting assessment instruments and for determining eligibility are described, as are future directions that should be explored in early identification.
Interagency Collaboration Under Part H
Authors: PETERSON NANCY L.
Published: December 2008

This article examines the role of interagency collaboration as it pertains to the unique requirements of PL 99-457—Part H (early intervention services for handicapped infants/toddlers and their families). Questions discussed here include (a) What is unique about the application of the interagency concept within Part H compared to collaborative efforts that have preceded it? (b) What requirements under PL 99-457 and its minimum components for a “statewide system” underscore collaborative issues and create situations where interagency cooperation is imperative if a truly coordinated, comprehensive service system is to be built? (c) What are some critical points or junctures where decisions by state and local planners will either build the foundation for interagency teamwork or detract from it? (d) What complex dynamics or realities affect cooperative work among agencies and suggest strategies to facilitate more comfortable, productive liaisons? (e) What interagency issues lie ahead in the 1990s as states work toward full services for infants, toddlers, and their families? Conclusions give several predictions for the 1990s.
Impact of Completing Infant Developmental Questionnaires on At-Risk Mothers
Authors: SQUIRES JANE , BRICKER DIANE
Published: December 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of developmental questionnaires with a sample of at-risk mothers. Thirty-six mothers with infants between 4 and 30 months were randomly assigned to experimental or control condition. Mothers in the experimental group each completed one Infant Monitoring Questionnaire (IMQ) on their infants. Infants in both groups were assessed with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, and all mothers completed the Bayley Interview, an interview in which items from the Bayley Scales of Infant Development have been modified into a parent interview format. Mothers in the experimental group had scores on the Bayley Interview more in agreement with the professional-completed Bayley assessment of the infant than mothers who had not completed an IMQ (t = -1.81, p < .04). Correlations between scaled scores from the mother-completed Bayley Interview and the professional-completed Bayley assessment were high for the experimental group (r = .80) and were significantly different from the correlations for the contol group (r = .25). Validity, measured by the percentage of agreement between the infant's classification (i.e., normal or abnormal) based on the questionnaires completed by at-risk mothers and the classification based on the professionally administered standardized assessments of the infants, was also high (89%).
Multi-Element Designs for Early Intervention Research
Authors: HAINS ANN HIGGINS
Published: December 2008

In single-subject research, multi-element designs often are recommended to compare the effectiveness of two or more independent variables. This article describes the multi-element design and discusses its advantages and disadvantages for research in early intervention. A list of resources for further information is provided.
A Comparison of Emotional Facial Display by Children with Autism and Typical Preschoolers
Authors: Mcgee Gail G. , Feldman Robert S. , Chernin Leslie
Published: December 2008

This study compared, within the context of a socially integrated preschool, the nonverbal emotional expressions of young children with autism to those of typical children. Measures were taken of happy, sad, angry, and neutral facial expressions, and of the environmental contexts in which these emotional displays occurred. Comparison groups were five children with autism and five typical children, matched for chronological age. The results indicated that children with autism were similar to typical children in the frequency of their emotional displays, with both groups spending the majority of time in a neutral stance. However, the two groups of youngsters displayed differing facial expressions in various situations; specifically, children with autism displayed happy, sad, and angry faces during incongruent contextual events. These findings have both diagnostic and educational implications.
Concurrent Validity of the Griffiths' Mental Development Scales with a Population of Children Under 24 Months
Authors: McLEAN MARY E. , McCORMICK KATHERINE , BAIRD SAMERA M.
Published: December 2008

The Griffiths' Mental Development Scales have been recommended for use in diagnostic assessment with infants and toddlers with special needs. The Griffiths' scales are British in origin, were developed in 1950, and cover five areas of infant development. This study compared results of Griffiths assessments with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development and the Battelle Developmental Inventory for a population of 30 children under 24 months of age. All children had been referred to an early intervention program. While the Griffiths correlated well with the two comparison measures, age equivalents obtained on the Griffiths were considerably higher than those obtained from the Bayley and the Battelle. The authors suggest that the Griffiths be restandardized on an American population of infants to increase its usefulness as a diagnostic instrument for early intervention programs.
Parent and Teacher Perceptions of Outcomes for Typically Developing Children Enrolled in Integrated Early Childhood Programs
Authors: PECK CHARLES A. , CARLSON PATRICIA , HELMSTETTER EDWIN
Published: December 2008

We conducted a survey of 125 parents and 95 teachers currently involved in programs integrating children with disabilities into regular preschool and kindergarten classes. In contrast to the predominance of earlier research on mainstreaming and social integration which has focused mainly on children with disabilities, the focus of this study was on outcomes of this arrangement for typically developing children. Results indicated that both parents and teachers of typically developing children perceived important benefits accruing to these children as a result of their Involvement in the integrated program. The data further indicated that common concerns about potential drawbacks to integration, such as reduction in teacher attention to typically developing children, were not generally perceived as problems in these programs. These results are discussed in terms of their implications for broadening the rationale for Integrated programs to include more focused consideration of the potential benefits of mainstreaming for all children.
Early Start
Authors: McCORMICK CHRISTINE E. , KERR BONNIE M. , MASON JANA M. , GRUENDEL ELIZABETH
Published: December 2008

Early Start is a center-based program for 4-year-old prekindergarten children at risk of academic failure because of their home or community environment This state-funded program successfully incorporated literacy activities into a supportive environment which informally encouraged practice with early reading and writing. The article describes the development of the program, the project's dally activities from the perspective of emergent literacy, and evaluative findings regarding literacy development. Researchers conducted direct child assessment and classroom observations to document the children's capabilities and participation in literacy activities during the course of the school year.
Conditions of Employment, Job Satisfaction, and Job Commitment Among Early Intervention Personnel
Authors: KONTOS SUSAN , FILE NANCY
Published: December 2008

Conditions of employment (characteristics and benefits), job satisfaction, and job commitment were examined for 73 staff members in early intervention (primarily infant-toddler) programs working in one of the following five job categories: teachers and early intervention specialists, social-service and family-service providers, therapists, administrators, and aides. Staff were more likely to receive “professional” benefits, such as paid time for planning and staff meetings, release for conferences and inservice training, and written job descriptions than “personal” benefits, such as full medical insurance, life insurance, and retirement or pension plans. Levels of job satisfaction and job commitment were relatively high for the staff and did not vary with job category. Salary emerged as a primary source of concern for the staff, with promotion and job advancement also desired by many. The most attractive employment alternatives for the staff involved similar jobs, in either similar or different settings, with career advancement
The Relationship of Parental Knowledge to the Development of Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants
Authors: DICHTELMILLER MARGO , MEISELS SAMUEL J. , PLUNKETT JAMES W. , BOZYTNSKI MARY ELLEN A. , CLAFLIN CAROL , MANGELSDORF SARAH C.
Published: December 2008

This study examined the relationship between parental experience, parental knowledge, and the development of extremely low birth weight infants. The subjects (N = 40) were extremely high-risk infants averaging 1000.0 grams birthweight and 28.1 weeks gestational age. The study found that mothers of preterm infants called upon the same types of experiences and sources of information about infancy as mothers of full-term infants. Further, ratings of maternal accuracy on the Knowledge of Infant Development Inventory accounted for 13% to 15% of the variation on the Mental Development Index (MDI) and Psychomotor Development Index (PDI) of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development at 8 months corrected age. The infants of mothers with greater than average knowledge about infancy scored approximately one standard deviation higher on both the MDI and the PDI than did the infants of mothers who had less than average knowledge about Infancy. Implications for intervention are discussed.
Facilitating Basic Vocabulary Acquisition with Milieu Teaching Procedures
Authors: WARREN STEVEN F.
Published: December 2008

The generalized effects of milieu language intervention procedures on the acquisition and use of common nouns and action verbs was investigated using a multiple baseline design across subjects. The subjects were 5 young children with mild to borderline levels of mental retardation in the early one-word stage of productive language acquisition. After a baseline period, the subjects received three or four small group training sessions weekly. Milieu instruction was embedded in ongoing conversation between the trainer and the target child about the play activity at hand. Generalization was measured along a variety of dimensions. Results indicated that milieu training had a clear facilitative effect on the acquisition and generalized use of common nouns and verbs by 4 of the 5 subjects.
The Purposes, Importance, and Feasibility of Program Evaluation in Community-Based Early Intervention Programs
Authors: JEPHSON MELANIE BRITT
Published: December 2008

The purpose of this study was to gather information on service providers' perceptions related to program evaluation in community-based early intervention programs. The directors of 61 programs in Texas responded to a 22-item questionnaire. Respondents ranked eight program evaluation purposes, rated the importance and feasibility of five types of program evaluation on a Likert-type scale, and indicated on a checklist factors potentially hindering each type. Results indicated that program improvement should be the main reason for conducting program evaluation. Evaluating program goals and child progress were considered the most feasible strategies; evaluating program quality and evaluating family progress were perceived as most difficult. Although numerous factors hinder program evaluation efforts, a lack of appropriate methods and measurement instruments was perceived as the greatest constraint. Implications of these results for training and practice are discussed, and recommendations are made for future research.
A Longitudinal Study of the Social Exchanges of Young Children with Disabilities
Authors: LIEBER JOAN , BECKMAN PAULA J. , STRONG BEVERLY N.
Published: December 2008

The purpose of this study was to describe the development of social exchanges occurring between young children with disabilities in early intervention programs. Thirty-eight children were videotaped for 15 minutes at four data points across 16 months. Data were transcribed and coded using a modification of Vandell and Wilson's (1979) coding system. Results showed that the proportion of time spent in social exchanges remained low throughout the 2 years of the investigation. There were changes, however, in complexity of social behavior over time: the exchanges that did occur became more purely social in nature. In addition, the frequency of vocalizations and object-related acts increased over time. Results are interpreted with respect to implications for early intervention.
Teaching Play Activities to Preschool Children with Disabilities
Authors: LIFTER KARIN , SULZER-AZAROFF BETH , ANDERSON STEPHEN R. , COWDERY GLYNNIS EDWARDS
Published: December 2008

The purpose of this study was to determine whether three preschool children with autism or autistic-like behaviors would learn and generalize pretend play activities targeted at two different play levels—a developmentally appropriate (DA) level and an age appropriate (AA) leve—-differently. The children's readiness for the DA play level was assessed with the Developmental Play Assessment (DPA) instrument (Lifter, Edwards, Avery, Anderson, & Sulzer-Azaroff, 1988). We taught individual exemplars from the two different play levels one at a time, to each of the children, in a sequential treatments design. In contrast to the consistently acquired DA activities, the activities of the AA category apparently were more difficult, and in most cases, they were not acquired. In addition, the children were less likely to generalize the AA skills to other activities or toys. The results are discussed in terms of (a) the importance of developmental considerations in selecting instructional objectives, and (b) the usefulness of directly teaching play activities to children with developmental disabilities.
Comparison of Progressive Time Delay and Transition-Based Teaching with Preschoolers Who Have Developmental Delays
Authors: WOLERY MARK , DOYLE PATRICIA MUNSON , GAST DAVID L. , AULT MELINDA JONES , SIMPSON SUNNY LICHTENBERG
Published: December 2008

A progressive time delay procedure in one-to-one instructional sessions using massed-trial presentation was compared to transition-based teaching that involved distributed trials presented during transitions from one activity to another. Four preschool children with developmental delays were taught to read words and name letters/numerals and to produce manual signs for photographs. The classroom teacher conducted one daily massed-trial session with each student using progressive time delay for a set of behaviors, and provided an equal number of distributed trials at transition times to each student with a transition-based teaching procedure for another set of behaviors. The procedures were compared on the number of children meeting criterion (effectiveness) and on the number of trials and errors to criterion and the percentage of errors to criterion (efficiency). The parallel treatments design was used to evaluate the two instructional strategies. The results indicated that (a) both procedures were implemented reliably, (b) both procedures were effective in establishing criterion level performance, and (c) no substantial differences existed on the efficiency measures, although the number and percentage of errors were slightly higher for 3 of the 4 children with the transition-based teaching procedure. Implications for practice and future research are described.
Informational Needs of Parents of Young Children with Special Needs
Authors: GOWEN JEAN W. , CHRISTY DEIRDRE SCHOEN , SPARLING JOSEPH
Published: December 2008

A national sample of 367 parents (267 mothers and 100 fathers) of children with special needs, ages birth to 8 years, were surveyed regarding their informational needs and preferred sources for parenting information. The major need that emerged was for information on how to promote the development of their children with special needs. Parents also expressed a need for information on dealing with the emotional and time demands of parenting, identifying community resources, planning for their child's future, and understanding their child's legal rights. Preferred sources for information varied according to topic and the educational level of the parent. Responses are reported for mothers by level of education and for fathers.
The Accuracy of Three Developmental Screening Tests
Authors: GLASCOE FRANCES PAGE , BYRNE KAREN E.
Published: December 2008

Developmental screening tests are widely used for early identification but few are studied for their accuracy—the percentage of children with and without problems correctly detected. The absence of such data makes it difficult for professionals to choose measures wisely and to avoid those that under-detect or over-refer. In this article, the accuracy of three developmental screening tests was assessed. Measures included the Academic Scale of the Developmental Profile-II (DP-II), the Denver II, and the Battelle Developmental Inventory Screening Test (BDIST). Each was administered, along with a criterion battery of intelligence, adaptive, language, and achievement measures, to 89, 7- to 70-month-old children, enrolled in one of five day care centers. Twenty percent of the children tested were found to have developmental disabilities, including language delays, mental retardation, developmental delay, and autism. The Academic Scale identified fewer than one in four of the children with diagnoses, although under-referrals were minimal. The Denver-II detected the majority of children with difficulties, but most children without problems also failed the measure. The BDIST, using the 1.5 cut-offs, was more accurate than the other screening tests and identified correctly 72% of the children with difficulties, and 76% of the children without diagnoses.
Family Diversity and Patterns of Service Utilization in Early Intervention
Authors: SONTAG JOANNE CURRY , SCHACHT ROBERT
Published: December 2008

This study reports the results of face-to-face interviews with 536 families receiving early intervention. The purpose of the study was to describe the nature of early intervention services received and to investigate differences in the type of services based on family ethnicity, income, and the age of the child. The findings identified significant barriers to early intervention service utilization for American Indian families, low-Income families without medical assistance, and children under 18 months of age. Additional factors influencing the service utilization pattern, including parental and professional preference and service availability, are discussed.
Teachers' Schedules and Actual Time Spent in Activities in Preschool Special Education Classes
Authors: OSTROSKY MICHAELENE M. , SKELLENGER ANNETTE C. , ODOM SAMUEL L. , McCONNELL SCOTT R. , PETERSON CARLA
Published: December 2008

Preparing a schedule for classroom activities is an important component of most successful educational programs. However, such preparation is only as effective as its implementation in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to compare teachers' schedules of classroom activities and direct observations of children's actual participation in those activities. Schedules of classroom activities and direct observation of actual activities, using the Ecobehavioral System for the Complex Assessment of Preschool Environments (Carta, Greenwood, & Atwater, 1986) were collected in 24 early childhood special education classrooms. Although preschoolers with developmental delays generally engaged in activities that their teachers had scheduled, significant differences were found between the amount of time that teachers allotted for these activities and the amount of observed time that children engaged in the activities. More time was scheduled for play and self-care than was actually observed. However, children were obsewed engaged in transition and story for longer periods than had been scheduled by their teachers. Implications for classroom practices are discussed.
Models and Styles of Consultation
Authors: BUYSSE VIRGINIA , SCHULTE ANN C. , PIERCE PATSY P. , TERRY DELORES
Published: December 2008

This study examined preferences for consultation models and styles among 67 professionals who worked in early intervention programs in Colorado. Preferences were examined using questionnaire and analog formats. We found that a collaborative approach involving shared responsibility across all stages of the consultation process was preferred. In addition, results indicated a marked preference for a directive style that involved sharing specific strategies to address the concerns of a consultee over a nondirective style that consisted merely of facilitating the consultee's own problem-solving abilities. Implications of these findings for emerging practice and future research in early intervention are presented.