Early intervention (EI) for children with physical disabilities is advocated as a means of enhancing child outcomes and family functioning. The issues confronted by service providers in delivering this support have received relatively little attention. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the experiences of frontline EI staff…

This article uses the developmental systems approach, an approach developed by M. Guralnick (2001), with an aim to assess and evaluate early childhood intervention (ECI) practices in Australia. The author explores the Australian national context of ECI and its complexities and conclude with recommendations to address (a) the possibility of a…

The Republic of Ireland is an island situated in north-west Europe inhabited by 4.6 million people, with 2.8% between 0 and 4 years of age with a disability (Central Statistics Office, 2012). The Irish Government funds the Irish health services, which, in turn, directly and indirectly funds disability services. Education and Disability legislation…

The mentor of a parent-child playgroup, an experienced student playgroup facilitator, and a faculty member teaching a family-professional collaboration course describe opportunities for preservice student facilitators to learn about and implement family-centered practices. The experiences of one student facilitator are used to explain the…

Family-centered early childhood services for children with physical disability and their families can afford developmental advantage for children and avert unnecessary stress for families. This study aimed to determine how characteristics of children and families and perceptions of family-centered practice (FCP) relate to satisfaction with early…

We describe a targeted professional development (PD) intervention designed to improve the quality of individualized family service plans (IFSPs) and to support IFSP planning, development, and decision making. The theoretical and empirical foundations for the PD intervention and its key components are reviewed. Building on an established online…

Using data from the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study, this study provides a framework for characterizing the delivery of early intervention services based on the combinations of service providers who work with infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. Five groups of providers were identified. Results showed that the…

This article discusses a new approach to knowledge translation using Web 2.0 technologies in an online Community of Practice (CoP). The purpose of the CoP is to promote wisdom-based action, a process that encourages people to engage with knowledge, match it to their own values, vision, and contexts, make a well-informed decision, and act on that…

The purpose of this study was to conduct a "pilot participatory evaluation" of Every Child Succeeds (ECS), a well-established home visitation program in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, using Photovoice methodology. Every Child Succeeds serves first-time, at-risk mothers and their infants. Seven ECS mothers participated in the Photovoice study…

This article describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of an online professional development course designed to develop an understanding of the foundations, perspectives, and strategies used by key disciplines (e.g., occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech-language pathology, early childhood special education, visual…

There are multiple ways to gather information from families receiving early intervention services (J. J. Woods & D. P. Lindeman, 2008). In this article, we discuss a specific strategy for doing this through information-gathering conversations with families. The routines-based interview (RBI; R. A. McWilliam, 1992, 2005a) was developed to meet a…

In family-centered intervention, one important issue is to support families' different ways to manage stress. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether professionals encourage positive coping strategies in families of children with disabilities. Data (videotaped planning meetings and interviews) from 5 families enrolled in intervention…

This article presents an overview of personality disorders in adults and suggests strategies for early interventionists to use in interacting effectively with these families. Three vignettes of parents with personality disorders accessing the early intervention systems are provided to illustrate the challenges and suggested techniques of working…

This article describes a family-centered assessment and intervention approach that empowers and enables families of young children with disabilities in the selection and use of assistive technology. Included in the discussion are key characteristics of parent/professional partnerships and effective, helpful practices that facilitate the level of…

This article presents a model for viewing and conducting early intervention in a way that de-emphasizes professional services and emphasizes the support that professionals can provide. Key strategies for providing informational support, material support, and emotional support to families of children with disabilities are described, along with…