Quality literacy instruction in preschool can be critical to the future academic success for all children, but may be even more so for children with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to examine progress in emergent literacy skills of young children with disabilities, compared with their typical peers, in an inclusive preschool setting.…

Results of the field validation survey of the revised initial and new advanced Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Division for Early Childhood (DEC) early childhood special education (ECSE)/early intervention (EI) personnel standards are presented. Personnel standards are used as part of educational accountability systems and in teacher…

This article describes the process for alignment of the personnel preparation standards developed by the Council for Exceptional Children and Division for Early Childhood with the standards developed by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The results identify areas of convergence across the two sets of standards and areas…

Special education placements for more than 69,000 preschoolers with disabilities were examined within and across five southern states. Data were gathered from the 2007 December 1st Child Count reported to the U.S. Department of Education. All states examined offered state-funded prekindergarten programs. Analyses compared disproportionate…

This study investigated the perceptions of 20 grandmother caregivers related to their concerns and needs in caring for their grandchildren with disabilities. The research focused on grandmother caregivers who had a grandchild with a disability between the ages of 3 and 12 years. Almost all the grandmothers reported they were involved in the…

In this study, the authors compared the self-reported needs of and sources of supports for African American and European American caregivers of young children with disabilities living in urban and rural areas. One hundred twenty caregivers of young children in one state's early intervention (EI) system responded to two instruments, the "Family…

A study investigated eight preschool special educators' evolving views of their changing needs and responsibilities during their first year as facilitators of inclusion into community settings of children with disabilities. Results found the teachers become much more specific in expressing their roles and needs as they gained experience.…

The literature is reviewed on sibling relationships involving a child who is handicapped. An analysis of interaction patterns for nonhandicapped children is also provided. Factors contributing to a sibling's adjustment include family size, socioeconomic status, and characteristics of the child who is handicapped. Potential instructional roles of…