To use technology effectively, teachers of severely handicapped young children require technological competencies (especially competency with microcomputers) in the areas of assessment and program planning, program implementation and administration, family involvement, and personal productivity. A list of these competencies is provided, along with…

Therapists and educators in early childhood special education programs have several potential sources of conflict ensuing from differing professional backgrounds, quality control, coordination problems, material equity, and lack of policy. A model for intensive and extensive training to improve the integration of therapy and therapists into the…

A model of communicative development is described that includes seven progressively more complex levels of competence and a set of six criteria (communicative features) for individual assessment at particular developmental levels. Research evidence supporting the model is reviewed. Implications for assessment and intervention with communicatively…

Research on the development of perceptuomotor coordination in sighted children, specifically, the ability to (1) reach to objects, (2) explore objects once they have been attained, and (3) use actions to transform spatial relationships, is reviewed for implications for development of perceptuomotor skills in visually impaired children. (Author/DB)

Research on characteristics of Down Syndrome infants affecting the interaction between mother and child is reviewed. Differences in the development of the social communication behaviors of state control (sleep and awake); gaze patterns; coordination of gesture, gaze, and vocalization; and frequency of vocalization have implications for parental…

Seven techniques for measuring information processing in infants are proposed to aid in the early identification of mental retardation. The techniques are based on conditioning, attentional, and manual exploration paradigms and could be combined into an assessment battery more valid than current infant IQ tests in predicting later disability.…

A national program to promote effective, mandatory, and comprehensive training at the residency level to prepare primary care pediatricians to serve handicapped children and families is described. A structured curriculum designed for a clinical rotation in developmental pediatrics is described. Results of subjective and objective evaluations of…

The article examines recent developments in seizure mechanisms and management in young children. Emphasis is directed toward neurodevelopmental sequelae and important genetic/environmental influences. (Author)

Basic health and day care policies and procedures should be implemented and closely monitored with the help of a health consultant, particularly in terms of respiratory tract, enteric, skin, invasive bacterial, and multiple system infections; Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome; vaccine preventable diseases; and general safety procedures.…

Assessment of the expectations of families with handicapped (N=9) and nonhandicapped (N=50) young children before and after the introduction of handicapped children into a day care center revealed both groups felt that greatest benefits were derived from exposing children to the "real" world and promoting acceptance of handicapped children.…

A set of developmental norm data for reflexive and voluntary visual-motor development was compiled, revised after extensive clinical use, and found to have highly significant interrater agreement. Use of the resultant Erhardt Developmental Visual Assessment is illustrated with a multiply handicapped three-year-old. (Author/JDD)

This conference summary presents the views of five early childhood special education professionals, each of whom recommended one child outcome measure and one family outcome measure for use in a typical early childhood special education program serving children from birth to five years with a range of handicapping conditions. (Author/JW)

A follow-up study of stress and coping abilities in 45 parents where fathers had participated in a program for fathers of young handicapped children (birth to 5) for 1-3 years revealed a significant decrease in fathers' depression, stress, and grief over time. Both father and mother variables were examined. (Author/JW)

The paper examines four assumptions of intervention programs that must be clarified before the question of efficacy can be addressed: (1) implicit theory of human development, (2) conceptualization of the specific interventions, (3) how developmental change is measured, and (4) strategies used for selecting program participants. A final discussion…

Sixty-four high-risk children were randomly assigned at birth to a more intense treatment condition (Educational Daycare Plus Family Education) or a less intense treatment condition (Family Education Alone). Both groups were compared to control Ss. IQ score gains at 36 months were greater for the more intense group than for the other two groups.…