Purpose: The aims of this study were (a) to evaluate the convergent validity of the Language Use Inventory (LUI) with measures of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms, language, and social skills and (b) to assess discriminant validity of the LUI with measures of nonlanguage skills, including daily living skills and motor development. Method:…

Reflection is a continuous process that is an essential part of an educator's work and their commitment to being a lifelong learner, actively working to improve professional practice (Division of Early Childhood [DEC], 2022). Reflective practice allows practitioners to continue to refine their knowledge and skills to become more effective in their…

Purpose: This research aimed to evaluate evidence of Pathways parent-mediated early autism intervention as a culturally and linguistically sensitive intervention (CLSI) for Hispanic families with autistic children. Methods: We used Bernal et al.'s ecologically valid (EV) framework to evaluate current practice and Hispanic parents' perceptions of…

This report presents the details of a year-long study conducted by Research for Action of the impact and implementation of the Children's Literacy Initiative (CLI) Pre-K Intervention. Thirty-five district-operated and community-based Pre-K programs from Broward County Public Schools and the Early Learning Coalition of Broward County were enrolled…

Early intervention is a system of services designed to strengthen child outcomes and build family capacity. One approach of service provision is the Routines-Based Model which implements adult-learning practices wherein service providers and caregivers partner to build family-mediated interventions for children. Owing to COVID-19 and the benefits…

Background: Many children experience delayed or missed identification of an intellectual disability diagnosis, meaning that key opportunities for early educational intervention may be lost. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were used to explore the views of teachers, parents, and clinicians (n = 22), about the use of the Child and Adolescent…

Decision-making between professionals and families is an integral part of early intervention (EI), as reflected by family-centered philosophies and practices embodied in the Division for Early Childhood's (DEC, 2014) Recommended Practices. In this article, the author first briefly defines decision-making and two forms of decision-making relevant…

Caregiver-mediated interventions have been used to address social communication and challenging behavior in young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and caregiver adherence to programs has predicted child outcomes (Strauss et al., 2012). Recent reviews have summarized the literature on caregiver training interventions based on the…

Early interventionists may frequently encounter ethical dilemmas due to the complex nature of early intervention (EI) service delivery (e.g., EI system infrastructure and building and sustaining collaborative relationships within the system). Therefore, the purpose of this research study was to explore the experiences of EI professionals related…

STEM is not just about learning four discrete subject-specific content areas (McClure et al., 2017), but also an approach of higher order thinking (i.e., the ability to think critically, logically, and creatively, and solve problems; Baharin et al., 2018). In this article, the authors use STEM learning to describe children's learning about STEM,…

A recent review of literature indicated limited research about the preparation of doctoral students in early intervention/early childhood special education (EI/ECSE). The purpose of this pilot study was to address this gap in research and investigate the mentorship of doctoral students who participated in the Division for Early Childhood's…

Over the past several decades, the early intervention (EI) model for families of deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children has evolved from deficit-based and child-centered to strengths-based and family-centered. The family-centered early intervention (FCEI) model is based on family-systems theory, which emphasizes the central role parents play in…

This mixed methods study investigates the factors influencing job satisfaction and retention among early intervention (EI) providers in Washington State. The research aims to provide insights into the challenges faced by EI providers and identify strategies to improve workforce stability within the state's EI system. The quantitative phase of the…

Background: The aim of many interventions used by speech and language therapists (SLTs) is to change behaviours related to communication and interaction. Parent-led language interventions for children in the early years (0-5 years) rely on SLTs supporting parents to change their behaviour in child-focused interactions to effect a change in the…

Secure attachment has broad and long-lasting benefits for the development and wellbeing of a child. Conversely, disorganized attachment is associated with social, emotional, and behavioral problems in children, and later psychopathology. Children with a developmental delay or disability (DD) may be at greater risk of insecure or disorganized…