This briefing paper explores Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) policies and practices that state early intervention (Part C) programs may consider implementing to meet the social-emotional and mental health needs of infants and toddlers in the context of relationships with their parents and other caregivers.

The following brief provides an overview of the separate but intersecting federal policies that govern the identification of and services provided to English learners and students with disabilities. This overview will frame key opportunities to serve ELs with disabilities more equitably with the aim of helping policymakers, advocates, and…

All children need access to equitable opportunities for developmental screening. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in gaps in well-child visits, and greater inequities in overall health. Young children who show signs of a delay or disability need effective screening practices so that prevention and/or early intervention can begin as soon as…

When a child's parents request a special education evaluation, the school generally must promptly evaluate the student. However, many schools implement response to intervention (RTI) to provide students with regular education interventions prior to evaluating the student for special education eligibility. School psychologists may find themselves…

The purpose of this Brief is to highlight available federal data about the characteristics of English learners with disabilities, including how the population has changed over time. Understanding the characteristics of English learners with disabilities is critical to ensuring that their needs are met appropriately during the assessment process.…

Purpose: The purpose of this clinical forum is to provide a broad survey of up-to-date, evidence-based information about dyslexia that can be readily applied to clinical practice by speech-language pathologists. Topics include (a) theoretical and clinical frameworks for understanding dyslexia in relation to other language-based communication…

The British Columbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF) represents 43,000 teachers and associated professionals in public schools across BC. We are committed to the inclusion of all students in BC's public schools, believing that every student can learn, and every student is entitled to an appropriate education and full range of education services in…

Cerebral or cortical visual impairment (CVI) is not the unknown condition it was 50 years ago. Although research had been conducted and papers published, it was not until the 1980s that it really became an issue of concern and much debate for educators. This interest was primarily sparked by the increasing numbers of children who had been…

Classroom teachers play a pivotal role in the early identification and treatment of students with selective mutism. In order to successfully identify students and to collaborate effectively with a professional team, classroom teachers must educate themselves on the intricacies of this anxiety-based disorder. Students with selective mutism remain…

Proposed guidelines have been published recently (Al-Hilawani, 2016) to help identify and determine for the first time the existence of learning disabilities among students in the Middle East Arab (M.E.A.) countries. These guidelines have been drawn from recent and up-to-date information available on learning disabilities. The purpose of this…

Each year, the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) releases a list of scientific advances that represent significant progress in the field. The "2018 Summary of Advances" provides short, plain language summaries of the top research breakthroughs selected by the IACC from a pool of research articles nominated by the members.…

All employees within the workplace must be treated fairly and equitably including those with disabilities who may require accommodations that serve to increase access to and maintenance of competitive employment. Human Resource Development (HRD) researchers and practitioners have experience in accommodating employees with disabilities but are now…

This article introduces the revised and updated "DC:0-5™: Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood." The authors describe the past and current efforts to create a developmentally based classification system for very young children. DC:0-3, published in 1994 by ZERO TO THREE,…

A school cannot be "good" unless it is good for all students -- including those with disabilities. In the 2018-19 school year, 14% of students in U.S. public schools received special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, yet effective inclusion of students with disabilities is too often an…

The goal of a Comprehensive K-3 Reading Policy is to ensure all students read on grade level by the end of third grade. A comprehensive policy ensures early identification of struggling readers and establishes intensive reading intervention for K-3 students who need more support to become successful readers. The policy focuses on demonstrated…