As assistive technology applications are increasingly implemented in early childhood settings for children who are at risk or who have disabilities, it is critical that teachers utilize observational approaches to determine whether targeted assistive technology-supported interventions make a difference in children's learning. One structured…

We used a multi-method design to determine the quality of technology-enhanced performance-based peer feedback, teacher candidate strategy use, and child behaviors over time. We also explored teacher candidates' perceived social validity of technology-enhanced performance-based peer feedback. Eleven teacher candidates enrolled in an early childhood…

This final report describes accomplishments and activities of the 3-year Activating Children Through Technology (ACTT) Outreach program at Western Illinois University, which focused on the integration of assistive technology into early childhood services for children (ages birth to 8) with disabilities. Objectives included: awareness activities;…

Twenty-first-century preschool children, with and without disabilities, may be found using technology, including assistive technologies, on a daily basis in their homes, schools, and communities. Early childhood educators are exploring opportunities to integrate technology and interactive media into the present-day curriculum. The authors suggest…

This final report describes activities of the 3-year Activating Children Through Technology (ACTT) Outreach program housed in Macomb Projects in the College of Education at Western Illinois University, which attempted to integrate assistive technology into early childhood services for children, ages birth to 8, with disabilities. Major program…

The Technology Inservice Project (Project TIP) was designed to provide technology training and information to meet the staff development needs of early childhood administrators, teachers, and support personnel and early intervention team members, including families and regular educators. Approximately 2,000 people participated in 167 inservice…

Research shows that assistive technology (AT) can help young children with disabilities to learn developmental skills. Its use may help infants and toddlers to improve in many areas such as: (1) social skills including sharing and taking turns; (2) communication skills; (3) attention span; (4) fine and gross motor skills; and (5) self confidence…

Play is often considered the main occupation of early childhood. Despite the importance of play, young children with disabilities may not achieve the same experiences as their typically developing counterparts. Literature supports the use of specific instructional strategies to promote the acquisition of play skills. In addition to utilizing…

Institutions of higher education are increasingly relying on distance technologies to prepare teacher candidates. In early childhood special education (ECSE), a field that focuses on working with young children ages 0-8 with delays and disabilities and their families, many of these distance technologies are being used to improve teacher candidate…

This report summarizes an analysis of information needs among 42 state directors of special education and other state education agency (SEA) staff. Areas identified as moderate to strong needs for further information include: assistive technology, discipline and behavior management, early childhood, finance, Individualized Education Programs,…

"The Leading Edge of Early Childhood Education" aims to support the effort to simultaneously scale up and improve the quality of early childhood education by bringing together relevant insights from emerging research to provide guidance for this critical, fledgling field. It reflects the growing recognition that early childhood…

Early childhood education (ECE) has always been intertwined with the use of developmentally appropriate practice (DAP). To support excellence in ECE, it is critical how the knowledge about individual children and child development principles combined with the knowledge of effective early learning practices. Effective early childhood education…

Assistive technology use in secondary school and postschool has been shown to improve the educational attainment and life outcomes of students with high-incidence disabilities. This study used data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2--collected in the early to mid-2000s--to explore the relationship between receipt of assistive…

Purpose: The purpose of this inquiry was to examine the research skill building and career development lived experiences of a Native American who is blind serving as a disability and rehabilitation researcher at a National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR)-sponsored Rehabilitation Research and…

Assistive technology (AT) can help young children with disabilities fully participate in natural, inclusive learning environments--but many early childhood professionals don't get the training they need to harness the power of AT. Fill that gap with this unintimidating, reader-friendly resource, the go-to guide to recommended AT practice for…