Background: Early intervention (EI) can improve a range of outcomes for families of children with developmental disabilities. However, research indicates the level of access does not always match the level of need. To address disparities, it is essential to identify factors influencing access. Method: We propose a framework where access to EI is…

Children born preterm are at risk for developmental deficits across multiple functional domains. As the rate of survival for preterm infants increases due to medical advancements, a greater understanding is needed for how to meet the needs of this growing population in schools. Because approximately 50-70% of children born preterm require…

The author reports on recent Soviet studies of developmentaly delayed (DD) children, which compare clinical characteristics of DD, mentally retarded, and normal children relative to such aspects as attention, memory, intellectual functioning, and verbal facility. Noted is the similarity of DD children to American learning disabled children.…

This book presents 19 papers on child abuse and neglect. A brief introduction by Health and Human Services Secretary, Margaret Heckler is followed by 13 major issue papers: "Combatting Child Abuse and Neglect" by the assistant secretary for Human Development Services, Dorcas R. Hardy; "What Have We Learned about Child…

Evidence today indicates that the causes of mental retardation are biological, psychological, and social in origin and that a combination of these causes frequently occur in a single individual. Mental retardation is identified clinically by the presence of several signs that include, but are not limited to, a significant impairment of…

The first in a series of three publications which address the prevention and treatment of developmental handicaps, this volume includes sections on developmental issues and the consideration of linkages. Section I includes the four following papers: "Early Intervention: The State of the Art" (N. Johnson and H. Chamberlin);…

The teacher's role as advocate for developmentally disabled students is described, and a model program for preparing teachers to be advocates is considered. Twelve competencies to be demonstrated in the Florida International University Vocational Education for the Handicapped Professional Certificate Program include knowledge of alternate role…

Part of a special issue on the national network of University Affiliated Facilities, the article defines independent living (IL) and discusses the development and application for the IL concept. An IL model is presented that focuses on improving the community environment and offering assistive devices to persons with severe disabilities.…

This document reports on a project of the Illinois Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities to assess needs of current transition practices in Illinois for preschool children with special needs. The project involved: analysis of a comprehensive review of the relevant research literature; recommendations from advisory board members, workshop…

The Questions About Behavioral Function (QABF), a 25-item rating scale, was developed to identify the function(s) of maladaptive behavior in individuals with developmental disabilities. The authors adapted it for use with individuals with serious mental illness who engage in maladaptive behavior and assessed the psychometric characteristics of the…

Prior to the early 1990s, Special Olympics research consisted of collecting anecdotal information about the "good stories." In 1993, Special Olympics International gathered its first statistical data on its athletes in conjunction with the first "Team USA" coming together from programs throughout the United States and traveling to Austria to…

The Child and Family Neighborhood Program, located in a suburb of Detroit, is an early childhood intervention project aimed at strengthening informal and formal family suoport systems and increasing parents' knowledge of child development. The program works with clusters of 10 parents and their young children (0-3 years) twice weekly in a…

This paper describes and evaluates a gymnastic program for children (ages 4-9) with autism and related developmental disorders. An introductory section reviews the literature on characteristics of children with autism and discusses how traditional education is inadequate for such children. Review of the literature on effective interventions notes…

Five bulletins of the National Center for Clinical Infant Programs provide articles with the following titles and authors: "Motor Control as a Resource for Adaptive Coping" (G. Gordon Williamson et al.); "Fostering Emotional and Social Development in Infants with Disabilities" (Stanley Greenspan); "Dramatic Responses in a…

Second in a series of three publications which address the prevention and treatment of developmental handicaps, the volume continues the effort to expand working relationships among university affiliated facilities (UAFs) and Title V Maternal and Child Health Programs. Five papers in Section I address developmental issues as of 1984:…