As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many school districts have moved from brick-and-mortar instruction to remote instruction with little planning time and limited resources. Rural localities, already facing barriers and hardships, attempted to provide special education and related services in accordance with rapidly changing state and federal…

Transition education is a distinctive aspect of special education that extends well beyond the boundaries of the school building, engages partners from all corners of the local community, and addresses so many different life domains. In the midst of a pandemic, creative strategies are needed to equip students with the skills, knowledge,…

In this paper, we address the shortage of behavior analysts serving rural communities and outline a model of service delivery for rural students with autism spectrum disorders. The model involves the use of pre-service behavior analysts to provide behavioral intervention to students with ASD in exchange for district-supported training and…

The United States is becoming increasingly diverse with the largest growth in Hispanic populations. Diversity also is increasing in rural America. This diversity is reflected in the participants in early care and education programs and K-12 students. Unfortunately, demographics for college and university teacher education programs do not match…

National shortages of qualified personnel in the field of early childhood special education are well documented, with shortages magnified in regions characterized by poverty and rural geography. This article provides an overview of the challenges faced and innovations implemented by an alternate-track, personnel preparation program in Appalachian…

This article provides an overview of the planning and instructional delivery of a course in Applied Behavior Analysis using Adobe Connect Pro™. A description of software features used by course instructors is provided along with how each feature compares to resources found to deliver instruction in a traditional classroom setting. In addition, the…

Designed for rural areas in Washington state, the Early Childhood Home Instruction Program for Young Hearing Impaired Children (ECHI) provides an opportunity for hearing-impaired children and their families to receive individual training, acquire information, address concerns, and promote child development within the familiar surroundings of their…

Sums up the contributions of Handicapped Children's Early Education Program (HCEEP) and explains recent changes brought about by Public Law 98-199, which mandates state-level comprehensive service delivery systems and emphasizes interagency and interdisciplinary collaboration. Notes 102 demonstration projects, 28 outreach projects, and…

Describes the Wyoming Infant Stimulation Program (WISP) and its numerous collaborative activities with federal, state, and local agencies including the Agricultural Extension Service and maternal and child health programs. Notes that successful collaboration was informal and involved cooperation on specific, discrete joint projects responding to…

The Sensory Impaired Home Intervention (SKI*HI) Model provides services for rural, hearing impaired children at an average annual cost of $1,400 per child. Weekly home visits are provided by nearby or local part time parent advisors, thus minimizing travel costs and eliminating employment problems associated with long travel hours. (JHZ)

Describes Technical Assistance Centers established by the Virginia Department of Education to provide support services to preschool professionals throughout the state. Technical assistance--provided only at the request of the person who will receive it--includes needs assessments, information services, library services, on- and off-site…

During 1984-85 New York's 14 Early Childhood Direction Centers responded to 10,609 service requests and assisted 5,283 parents, 376 professionals, and 666 agencies in obtaining services for 5,510 handicapped children aged birth to 5. The network operated at a cost of only $218 per child matched to services. (JHZ)

Project LINCS (Linking Infants in Need with Comprehensive Services) is based on a process orientation to the delivery of comprehensive services for rural handicapped infants and their families. Effective regional-community linkage is developed by community analysis, community entree, formal linkage development, formal structured interaction, and…

Describes a report on New Mexico's public school services for three- and four-year-old handicapped children, focusing on features of special interest to rural educators. Topics are curriculum selection, program models, and program delivery system alternatives. (JHZ)

Describes a program that trains parents as support personnel in classrooms serving handicapped preschoolers, a program that combines computer technology and professional expertise to assist families without access to early intervention programs, and a program that uses parents to mediate an instructional program for handicapped children from birth…