This investigation focused on the quality of parent-provider relationships in a Part C early intervention program. An observational coding system was developed as an exploratory tool to describe aspects of the parent-provider relationship over a 1-year period. In particular, we were interested in the extent to which the quality of the…

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…

In this exploratory case study, 4 early intervention providers' use of collaborative intervention strategies and everyday activities was examined in relation to the participation of a small group of Latina mothers (n = 10) during home visits over a 6-month period in an urban community. Videotapes (n = 40) of home visits were clustered into more…

This paper reviews research suggesting that parents' adaptation to their children's diagnoses has been found to predict both family well-being and the children's attachment security. A parent group intervention designed to promote adaptation among such parents is then described, including the rationale, goals, and guidelines of the eight-session…

Analysis of transcripts of interviews with 16 Taiwanese mothers of babies with Down syndrome identified two themes. The first theme highlights ways in which mothers talked about the abilities and limitations of their babies; the second describes what appear to be two distinct frames of reference (pessimistic and optimistic) with respect to having…

This article discusses attachment problems and disorders among infants and young children, the consequences of attachment problems in child development, and factors leading to attachment problems. It provides the current status of diagnostic criteria and classification systems means of assessment and available empirically supported interventions.…

This article discusses the prevalence and stability of disruptive behavior in preschool-age children and the use of parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT) to treat such children and their parents. PCIT focuses on changing ineffective parent-child interaction patterns by first focusing on child-directed interaction and then on parent-directed…

This article addresses issues in parent-child attachment, identifies the implications such attachment relations have for child development, and provides strategies to facilitate optimal parent-child attachment. Strategies for early child educators include speaking up and helping if awkward attachment relations are sensed and honoring and affirming…

A rationale for and components of a development systems model are presented to guide early intervention programs. Core principles emphasizing a developmental framework, integration, and inclusion are expressed in the context of a multicomponent interactive system. The model's focus on maximizing family patterns of interaction by addressing…

After reviewing attachment research, this article argues enhancing early child-parent relationships involves two principle tasks: helping parents identify children's needs and parents' responses to these needs; and helping parents gain insight into how their "states of mind with respect to attachment" influence their parenting behaviors and their…

This article describes an early intervention model for enhancing developmental opportunities for a child with a disability by expanding on and strengthening the parent-child relationship in a group environment. The theoretical underpinnings and components of the Parents Interacting with Infants model are discussed, along with practice indicators…

Drawing on interviews with six American and Korean mothers, this article explores the range and coalescence of ideas that mothers from different cultures have about interactions with their 12-month-old babies in social interactive play and joint play with objects. Differences and similarities about the mothers' ideas about interaction are…

This article examines learning processes of the infant and the caregiver role in the development of social-emotional skills. The "lived experience" model is discussed that takes into account the dual coding of affect and behavior as the architecture of social and emotional development, along with the caregiver role in this process. (Contains…

A survey of 984 mothers in Bavaria of young children with disabilities investigated their views regarding cooperation and what they expect to achieve from parent-expert partnerships. Results indicate dialoguing with professionals and model learning during intervention is the most helpful way for parents to learn how to cope with their child.…

This article describes the Pride in Parenting Group Intervention Curriculum, developed as part of a multicomponent intervention with a population of indigent African American women and their infants. Exit interviews with 57 mothers indicated parent satisfaction was high for developmental and parenting information and for the support of the group…