The DEC Recommended Practices provide guidance to families and professionals about the most effective ways to improve learning outcomes and promote development of young children, birth through age 5, who have, or are at-risk for, developmental delays or disabilities. "Interaction: Enhancing Children's Access to Responsive Interactions"…

The DEC Recommended Practices provide guidance to families and professionals about the most effective ways to improve learning outcomes and promote development of young children, birth through age 5, who have, or are at-risk for, developmental delays or disabilities. "Instruction: Effective Strategies to Support Engagement, Learning, and…

Developed as a resource for educators and parents who teach and support the more than 6.5 million students with disabilities, this book includes contributions from acknowledged special and general education professionals. Contributors address overarching issues in the field and focus on topics that are relevant to students no matter what their…

Research suggests that the use of positive social skills with peers early on can lead to the development of positive peer relationships, acceptance, and friendships. Although many children develop these positive social skills naturally, some children do not. Children who are withdrawn as well as young children with mental retardation, autism,…

Studies have documented that schedules and routines influence children's emotional, cognitive, and social development. Predictable and consistent schedules in preschool classrooms help children feel secure and comfortable. Also, schedules and routines help children understand the expectations of the environment and reduce the frequency of behavior…

Studies that show the effectiveness of self-management have been conducted with young children who have behavior problems, children with developmental delays, children at-risk, and children with identified disabilities. This "What Works Brief" presents strategies for teaching young children to manage their own behavior. It uses a simple format…

This brief discusses the confusion some young children feel in moving from one activity to another (e.g., bus to classroom, cubbies to book reading, art time to lunch) that often results in frustration and challenging behaviors. The paper provides practical information on a variety of strategies to help preschool children make smooth, independent…

The What Works Briefs are a series of short, easy-to-read, "how-to" information packets designed to: (1) promote practices that support young children's social and emotional development and prevent challenging behaviors; (2) highlight practices, strategies, and intervention procedures that have been found to effectively prevent and address…

Research has indicated a strong relationship between low peer status in childhood of children with and without and later problems in adolescence and adulthood and children with social deficits often show similar patterns of behavior. They may be withdrawn and hesitant to interact with peers, socially aloof and "unaware" of their peers, or they may…

Natural environments is a term used in the regulations for Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It states that early intervention services must be provided in natural environments, including home and community settings in which children without disabilities participate. Questions addressed in this paper include: (1)…

This brief discusses the challenge of learning English as a second language and the social interaction patterns these children exhibit, along with limited communication abilities, that are similar to those exhibited by children identified with specific language impairments or with speech impairments. It is not uncommon for many of these children…

These three videotape recordings focus on provision of inclusive, family-centered programs for children with disabilities, birth through age 8. The first video is 14 minutes long and is titled "ICC Parents Share Their Stories." In it, four parents who serve on state interagency coordinating councils (ICCs) for early intervention share…

This annotated bibliography identifies resources for families of young children who have disabilities or who are at risk of delayed development. Criteria for inclusion were: materials that are current, generally available, and especially useful for families. For each resource, the information includes the title, author, publisher, publisher's…

Developing literacy skills at the preschool level is a crucial foundation for continued success in school environments; nevertheless, questions about when and how to teach beginning reading and writing are among the most controversial topics in early childhood education. As part of a series of works examining strategies for school improvement and…