The gluten-free, casein-free (GFCF) diet is widely used by families of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Despite its popularity, there is limited evidence in support of the diet. The purpose of this article was to identify and evaluate well-controlled studies of the GFCF diet that have been implemented with children with ASD. A review…

A systematic analysis was conducted of measurement and reporting practices related to procedural fidelity in single-case research for the past 30 years. Previous reviews of fidelity primarily reported whether fidelity data were collected by authors; these reviews reported that collection was variable, but low across journals and over time. Results…

Recently emerging intervention studies for toddlers with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) were reviewed through a systematic assessment of intervention outcomes, research rigor, and intervention features. The review includes published peer-reviewed experimental studies of toddlers with high risk for or diagnosis of ASD in which the majority of…

Cocaine use during pregnancy is a high-risk indicator for adverse developmental outcomes. Three levels of intervention (center, home, and primary care) were compared in a full service, birth to age 3, early intervention program serving children exposed to cocaine prenatally. Data were collected on 130 children from urban, predominantly poor,…

Functional behavioral assessment (FBA) is the process of identifying the events in the environment that consistently precede and follow challenging behavior. The use of FBA has increased significantly following the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1997, which mandated FBAs be conducted when children with…

Six curriculum-based measures of math performance were developed for use with 4-year old preschool children. Measures included counting objects, selecting numbers, naming numbers, selecting shapes, counting, and visual discrimination. Technical properties of probe scores were assessed in two rural public preschool programs. Alternate forms,…

This article examines provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that relate to cases of parents requesting the Lovaas intense training method for their young children with autism. It also addresses related research issues, relevant published federal cases, and public policy issues that have surfaced as a result of the…

This synthesis reviewed the findings of 13 intervention studies, published between 1975-1999, that examined the effects of manipulation of toys or group composition on social behaviors of children (ages 3-5) with disabilities. Positive outcomes were associated with children's playing with social toys and playgroups that included typical children.…

This article provides an overview of important family and environmental factors that affect early development of infants and children with Down syndrome. It concludes that a moderately directive parenting style combined with sensitive, responsive, and reciprocal interactions, embedded in a general stimulating environment, are favorable to the…

This article discusses alternative analyses that reflect the practical significance of test results and the role of sample size in the interpretation of results. It explores effect size reporting and using "what if" analyses to reflect on the role of sample size in the decision to accept the null hypothesis. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Results are reported from an analysis of the research literature including children with disabilities (birth through age 5), their families, personnel who serve them, and policies and systems change strategies related to the provision of services. Analysis reveals trends in research methods and for studying particular topics and information about…

This paper describes the qualitative research studies reviewed by the Council for Exceptional Children's Division for Early Childhood (DEC) for its Early Childhood Recommended Practices Project. These studies were more likely to address issues of families, policy, interdisciplinary models, and personnel preparation than other topic areas. Most…

This article describes three potential levels of accountability for providing certain types of support for families in early intervention and preschool programs for children with disabilities: providing the legally required services for families, providing services that are considered recommended, and achieving certain outcomes as a result of…

Review of the literature on early development of typical and abnormal stereotyped and self-injurious behaviors found that such behaviors usually reach a maximum at age 2 and then decline but may increase again when the child reaches school age. Findings suggest that the second year may be a sensitive period for emergence of abnormal stereotyped…

Synthesizes discussions that occurred among a consortium of professionals responsible for the evaluation of early-intervention programs and highlights issues emerging from state-level evaluations of early-intervention programs in the context of six different areas: measures, outcomes, service integration, eligibility, funding models, and cost…