Programs for teenage mothers provided through school districts or community agencies often have their own curricular agenda for teaching teenage mothers about the proper care of and nutrition for infants and the typical stages of child development, but not all programs are successful in supporting the development of positive early relationships…

Most caregivers and teachers of young children are familiar with the five senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste. Many may not be aware that there are two additional senses: the proprioceptive and vestibular senses. Proprioceptive sensors are located in the joints and tendons and enable a person to know the location of each part of the…

Among families who have young children, feeding concerns are quite common (Brazelton, 1992). Feeding concerns can include, but are not limited to, inappropriate mealtime behaviors, lack of self-feeding, food selectivity, and food refusal (Kerwin, 1999). Given the complex nature of assessment of and intervention for feeding concerns in young…

This article provides information for early childhood educators so that they will understand what goes into the task of building positive relationships with children. Having a warm and open relationship with his or her teacher or child care provider is identified as an important protective factor for young children. Empirical evidence for the…

Mastery motivation is an internal drive to master a skill, behavior, outcome, or goal. It has been called persistence, "stick-to-it-iveness" (McCall, 1995), goal-directedness, determination, and tenacity. Mastery motivation is expected to foster development as the child is motivated to learn something new. Parents and other caregivers play an…

The purpose of this article is to describe the characteristics of modulation disorders that have been reported with sensory integration dysfunction and provide strategies for supporting positive development and engagement. Although not well understood, scientists are beginning to link structural and chemical imbalances of the brain with responses…

When children are young, the activities and routines in which they participate are influenced by family decisions as well as by opportunities for participation. Families report that finding community opportunities for their young children with disabilities can be difficult. Furthermore, ensuring their children's success in these settings requires…

This article provides a rationale for the use of choice in home and school environments, advocates for the systematic and careful use of choice as an intervention strategy, provides examples for embedding choice, and discusses guidelines for use and factors that may limit the use of choice. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

This article provides an overview of the family information gathering process in early intervention and the effect of cultural and linguistic diversity on family information gathering. Practical strategies that early intervention providers can use in interviews, surveys, and observations are discussed, as well as implications for personnel…

This article describes PIIE (identify Preference, choose Intervention, Implement, and Evaluate), a new approach designed to promote the communicative behaviors of young children with autism and pervasive developmental disorder. Two case examples are included to illustrate the process and its utility with toddlers and preschool age children.…

This article reviews early intervention resources for supporting infants and toddlers in intensive care units (ICUs) and their families. The resources cost $50 or less and include a video, three books, two Web sites, and a publication listing assessment tools, guidelines for family-centered practice, participatory exercises, and a bibliography.…

This article discusses the role of temperament in the development of young children with disabilities and the five dimensions of temperament: activity level, intensity, mood, persistence, and reaction to new experiences. Types of behavioral tendencies that exemplify each temperament dimension are described, along with interaction adaptation…

This article reviews routine-based teaching and monitoring and offers guidelines for using these strategies to track the progress of individual children with disabilities. The Individual Activity-Objective Matrix and the Group-Objective Matrix are explained as ways to help teachers to structure opportunities for a child to learn and practice…

This article discusses the increased emphasis on providing early intervention services within natural environments and how to maximize natural learning opportunities by using everyday activities that children experience and embedding intervention in daily routines. Guidelines for deciding the frequency of services, changing services, and the level…

This article describes resources for supporting parents who have developmental disabilities, including a study on the strategies of parents with disabilities, a video of a couple who moved from an institution to marriage and parenthood, a guide for supporting parents, a resource center, and an online support network. (CR)