Early Intervention for Behaviour Problems in Young Children with Developmental Disabilities

This article reviews research on intervention for young children with dual developmental and behavioural problems. It makes a case for intervention to include family variables and to occur in the preschool years. Behaviour problems are common in young children with developmental disabilities. If untreated these problems are likely to persist and become more challenging and severe in adulthood. Behaviour problems interfere with cognitive, social and emotional development, create additional family stress, often lead to exclusion from community services, and result in additional financial costs to the community. Intervention research provides some support for the effectiveness of parent management training and interventions based upon applied behaviour analysis. However, randomised controlled trials with adequate follow-up periods are required, along with the measurement of outcomes for the family as a whole.     

The Cost-Effectiveness of Increasing Hours Per Week of Early Intervention Services for Young Children with Disabilities

Although there is a widespread belief that increasing the hours of early intervention services for children with disabilities will result in increased benefits for the participating children and their families, there is little research evidence to support this point of view. In this study, young children with disabilities were randomly assigned to receive either one hour per week of early intervention services, or three hours per week. Measures of child and family outcomes over the subsequent five-year period demonstrated no consistent benefits associated with increasing the hours of intervention. Possible reasons for the lack of benefits are discussed in the context of previous research.     

The Cost-Effectiveness of Increasing Hours Per Week of Early Intervention Services for Young Children with Disabilities

Although there is a widespread belief that increasing the hours of early intervention services for children with disabilities will result in increased benefits for the participating children and their families, there is little research evidence to support this point of view. In this study, young children with disabilities were randomly assigned to receive either one hour per week of early intervention services, or three hours per week. Measures of child and family outcomes over the subsequent five-year period demonstrated no consistent benefits associated with increasing the hours of intervention. Possible reasons for the lack of benefits are discussed in the context of previous research.     

Beyond Part C: Reducing Middle School Special Education for Early Intervention Children with Developmental Delays

This study examined the rates of special education placement during middle school grades (sixth through eighth) among children who participated in the Linda Ray Intervention Program (LRIP) center-based and home-based learning modalities. The study sample included 113 children in Miami Dade County Public Schools who had gestational cocaine exposure and received early intervention services due to developmental delays. This study found that children who participated in the center-based (25 hours per week) learning modality had a significantly lower rate of special education placement (14%) than the students in the home-based (three hours per week) learning modality (30%) in middle school. Also, results indicated that children who were socioeconomically disadvantaged (free/reduced lunch) and in the home-based learning modality were three to four times more likely to be in special education. This study provides evidence for the long-term impact of the LRIP center-based modality on special education outcomes.     

Early Intervention Programs in Korea for Children with Disabilities

A national survey of 53 early childhood special education teachers in Korea was conducted to investigate their knowledge and perceptions regarding various aspects of kindergarten and preschool programs for children with disabilities. Results from the study indicated that (a) children in the age range of 3 to 7 years were the group most frequently served by early childhood special education in Korea, (b) teachers reported infrequent assessment and scarcity of curriculum resources, (c) most teachers reported using a self- or school-developed curriculum, and (d) confusion exists regarding the concept and use of the Individualised Education Program (IEP). Because of a somewhat lower than expected teacher response rate further study is needed to determine if the results of this study are representative of programs nationally. Also, evaluative steps should be taken to ensure that curricula are appropriate for the various ages and types of learners. Likewise, research is needed to identify those factors that facilitate inclusion of children with disabilities in their schools and communities with peers as early childhood special education programs expand.     

Making the Case for Early Identification and Intervention for Young Children at Risk for Learning Disabilities

The early identification of children with learning disabilities (LD) is difficult but can be accomplished. Observation of key behaviors which are indicators of LD by preschool and kindergarten teachers can assist in this process. This early identification facilitates the use of intervention strategies to provide a positive early experience for children at risk for academic difficulties.     

The Positive Impact of Early Intervention for Children With Developmental Delays,Gestational Cocaine Exposure,and Co-Occurring Risk Factors

This article examined transition rates of young children (n = 102) from an early intervention program at the Linda Ray Intervention Program (LRIP) who had documented developmental delays and co-occurring prenatal drug exposure often coupled with verified child maltreatment. Findings indicated that there was significant group improvement from entrance to exit across all six Battelle Domains at the p < .05 level. Also, children who were enrolled for a longer period of time saw significantly better adaptive, personal-social, communication, and Battelle total scale scores at the p < .05 level. Finally, data revealed that boys were 5 times more likely than girls to be transitioned to Part B services after exit from LRIP. A longitudinal study of a subgroup of these children indicated that LRIP children who were in grades K–3 needed fewer special education services in elementary school than they needed at age 36 months, indicating a further reduction in special education needs for these children.     

The ‘Play’ Focus in Early Intervention: Children with Intellectual Disabilities

This paper examines the characteristics of ‘play’ within the conceptual framework of early education for intellectually disabled children, suggesting that early intervention programs and strategies may have transformed ‘play’ for these children into ‘work’.     

Social Responsivity: Judging Signals of Young Children With and Without Developmental Delays

This was an experimental study of the ability of adults to detect 1 social signal that is important in social interactions, children's glances or looks at their social partners. Adult judges were either parents of children with developmental delays, parents of nondelayed children, or nonparents with little experience with children. Each participant viewed 120 videotaped episodes in which very young children's looks (of 2 types, either a focus on parent's face or nonface focus) occurred or no looking occurred. Half the episodes featured children with documented developmental delays and half featured nondelayed children. Participants made judgments about the occurrence of a look in each episode and rated their confidence in each judgment. Participants made more accurate and quicker responses to social looks by children without than those with developmental delays. Accuracy effects were qualified by interactions with type of look. Participants were more confident of their judgments of looks for nondelayed toddlers than those with delays. Signal detection statistics indicated that looks of delayed toddlers were harder to identify and that judges set a more stringent criterion for responding to those looks. No effects of judges' level of experience with delayed or nondelayed children were found. Implications of these findings for social interaction involving individuals with developmental delays are discussed.     

Using the Multiple Intelligences to Enhance Instruction for Young Children and Young Children with Disabilities

The theory of the multiple intelligences are discussed in relation to working with young children and young children with disabilities. A rationale for the use of the multiple intelligences is discussed as well as practical suggestions on how they can be incorporated into early childhood programs.     

Mothers' Perspectives of the Peer-Related Social Development of Young Children with Developmental Delays and Communication Disorders

Mothers' perspectives of children's peer-related social development were obtained from matched groups of young children with developmental delays, communicative disorders, and typically developing children. Structured interviews elicited information on numerous issues including mothers' views of the importance of children's social skills development, rationales with respect to why children succeed or had difficulties on specific social tasks, and the socialization strategies mothers employ to promote children's peer-related social development. Mothers also reported on their efforts to arrange play with peers for their child and the degree to which they monitored that play. Results indicated that mothers rated children's social development as highly important, offered primarily internal rationales (e.g., traits, dispositions) for success or difficulties in achieving social tasks, and endorsed moderate and low power socialization strategies. Differences across the three groups were minimal. Mothers arranged play with peers least often for children with developmental delays and communication disorders, but monitored play more extensively for children with delays. These finding were discussed in terms of mothers adopting a developmental orientation to understand children's social development and their implications for maternal participation in peer competence intervention programs.     

A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Services for Young Children with Disabilities Using the ACEI Global Guidelines Assessment (GGA)

Because young children with special needs frequently experience unequal access to quality education worldwide, understanding characteristics of services currently provided to them is critical to identifying practices that work as well as gaps in services and the reasons behind these trends. Two studies were conducted using the ACEI Global Guidelines Assessment (GGA) to investigate the access to and quality of special education services in early childhood care and education (ECCE) programs across eight countries in the Americas and Asia. Study I included 138 participants in 69 programs across five Latin American countries and Study II included 336 participants in 168 programs across four countries and six sites. Results from both studies indicate that ECCE programs strive to provide equal access to young children regardless of ethnicity, religion, language, gender, and socio-economic status. However, insufficient resources and policies were cited as a barrier to services for children with disabilities. This situation was especially true in rural communities. Therefore, national policies are needed to improve the quality of service and to make funds consistently available for services for young children with special needs. This finding is congruent with international reports.     

Why and How Parents Promote Math Learning with their Young Children: A Mixed-Methods Investigation

SYNOPSIS

Objective. This study examined parental characteristics that related to children’s early math learning. Specifically, we examined how parents engage in math activities with their children in the home and how their practices were informed by parents’ experiences with and perceptions of math. Design. Using a mixed-methods design, we first quantitatively examined associations between two parental characteristics, past math experiences and current math anxiety, and various types of math activities to understand factors that predict home math engagement in a sample of 34 parents. We then conducted semi-structured interviews with a sample of 15 parents to identify additional factors that relate to parents’ engagement in math activities with their young children. Results. We found that parents’ math anxiety predicted their reports of math activity frequency in the home, controlling for demographics as well as prior measures of math enrichment. Through qualitative analyses, we demonstrated considerable variability in the way that math activities are implemented and described by parents and identify a novel theoretical construct – parents’ goals for children’s math learning – which relates to parents’ practices. Conclusions. These results suggest that survey measures may fail to capture important heterogeneity in parents’ practices and that additional predictors such as parental goals should be explored in future quantitative research.     

学障儿童与正常儿童心理理论四种成分的发展比较

采用统一背景的图片故事法,探讨7-12岁学障儿童（27人）和正常儿童（27人）在一级错误信念、二级错误信念、解释性心理理论和失言理解四个心理理论成分的发展趋势。结果表明,学障儿童的心理理论能力发展显著落后于正常儿童,主要表现在一级错误信念、二级错误信念、解释性心理理论方面;学障儿童的心理理论发展表现出随着年龄增长的特点,而正常儿童心理理论发展的年龄差异并不显著;整合全体被试探讨学龄期儿童心理理论诸成分之间的关系,结果表明,这四种心理理论成分的发展呈现复杂化的趋势。设计背景统一、内容简明的研究任务有助于全面考察心理理论能力的发展。     

浅析智障幼儿早期干预的现状

在智障儿童早期干预日趋重要的背景下,文章通过对智障幼儿早期干预相关文献的查阅和分析,总结了目前该领域的一些研究现状,主要内容包括早期干预的内容、方法和模式等,从不同的角度对该领域目前的一系列干预策略和方法对成效的影响进行分析,并在此基础上浅要分析了早期智障幼儿的干预所存在的问题和限制,最后进行总结,指出未来研究者应注意的问题及研究的发展趋势。目的在于为未来研究者提供内容上的借鉴、实践者提供干预上的建议。     

Promoting the Acquisition and Development of Self-Determination in Young Children with Disabilities

Self-determination is an outcome typically associated with adolescence and adulthood, yet unless there is a solid foundation established during the early elementary years, children will not be prepared to assume greater control over their lives when the time comes to do so. This article provides an introduction to and overview of self-determination and its development, and provides recommendations for instruction during the preschool and early elementary years. We also describe a model of instruction designed to promote self-determination for students from Kindergarten through third grade, and provide suggestions for supporting families to promote this outcome.     

Promoting the Acquisition and Development of Self-Determination in Young Children with Disabilities

Self-determination is an outcome typically associated with adolescence and adulthood, yet unless there is a solid foundation established during the early elementary years, children will not be prepared to assume greater control over their lives when the time comes to do so. This article provides an introduction to and overview of self-determination and its development, and provides recommendations for instruction during the preschool and early elementary years. We also describe a model of instruction designed to promote self-determination for students from Kindergarten through third grade, and provide suggestions for supporting families to promote this outcome.