This study investigated the relationship between the social and play behaviors of young children with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) and without PDD. Videotaped observations of 21 preschool children (12 with PDD and 9 without PDD) were examined independently for (a) social complexity and (b) play complexity that was assessed on an…

University faculty were surveyed to ascertain the degree to which students in early childhood special education, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech?language pathology, and multidisciplinary personnel preparation programs received training in five early intervention practices (family-centered, individualized family service plans,…

In the past, the assessment of families' satisfaction with the quality of their partnerships with the professionals who serve their children has been restricted to specific programs or age groups, precluding investigation of the relationship between parents' perspectives on satisfaction and the importance of partnership components for children at…

In this article, the authors describe how they transformed their interdisciplinary personnel preparation program in early intervention from a traditional classroom format to a primarily Web-based format. The authors used force field analysis, informed by survey results of faculty and practitioners, to examine the external and internal factors that…

This study investigated families of children with autism spectrum disorders using early intervention and early childhood services, as well as the perceived efficacy and developmental outcomes related to the services and service delivery methods. Results indicated that a variety of recommended practices are not being used by families and…

This group study investigated the impact of teacher facilitation on the social interactions of young children during computer activities. The study compared 18 dyads comprised of children with and without disabilities who received teacher facilitation during computer activities to a group of children who did not receive teacher facilitation. The…

This qualitative study of 32 low-income families with infants or toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities (a) examines whether participation in one Early Head Start (EHS) program increased the likelihood that the families would pursue early intervention services, (b) identifies the phases through which the EHS families progressed in…

The authors conducted a national survey of Head Start preschool teachers to assess their views and practices related to emerging literacy. Results indicated that Head Start teachers use a variety of strategies to promote emerging literacy, with a major focus on book knowledge/appreciation and print awareness skills. The teachers indicated that…

Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act allows states to create family-centered developmental services for infants and toddlers (birth-3 yrs) with delays. Part C Early Intervention (EI) programs have grown enormously in size and cost since becoming operational in 1994. In this article, the author describes strategies that states…

This phenomenological interview study identifies the insights and experiences of one early childhood teacher, Anna, through her recollection of becoming an early childhood teacher leader and an advocate for social justice. This study falls at the nexus of the literature in early childhood education (ECE), teacher leadership, and social justice as…

Our graduate degree program includes a component of six one-credit courses, in which teachers find ways to bring into their own classroom practices theory learned in related three-credit courses. Prior research indicates that taking course work alone may not bring about changes in teachers' decision-making. Prior research also encourages higher…

With classrooms becoming increasingly diverse due to children's various cultural backgrounds and varying abilities, early childhood teacher education programs face the challenge of how best to prepare the workforce. Various initiatives have been implemented in teacher preparation programs to prepare early childhood educators to become competent in…

This was a correlational study conducted with a population of prekindergarten educators from a large, metropolitan school district. The purpose was to examine if there were relationships between and among early childhood teachers' sense of self-efficacy, their beliefs about the importance of mathematics, and their mathematics instructional…

This article explores beliefs of Asian Indian teachers regarding the importance of use of developmentally appropriate practices in early childhood classrooms. A total of 178 Asian Indian early childhood teachers working in various early childhood classrooms in the southern part of India participated in the study. The teachers filled out a…

Conflicting perspectives on the parent's role in the infant/toddler classroom can play a significant role in early educational settings. A recent ethnographic study of an Early Head Start program in New York City focused on conflict of this nature and raised the following set of questions: What sort of power and privilege should parents be given…