Research suggests spending time outdoors and with natural materials can benefit all young children across different areas of development. However, children with developmental disabilities often have fewer opportunities to engage with nature as a result of the limited understanding and negative views about nature expressed by their caregivers and…

Little research about fathers with young children with developmental disabilities or delays and their participation in early intervention/Part C programs is available. This study adds to existing scholarship through a narrative inquiry into the experiences of six fathers with children who have participated in early intervention services. Emergent…

Executive functioning abilities have been associated with important behaviors such as adaptive skills and cognitive abilities in children with and without disabilities. Executive functioning has primarily been measured as a strong predictor of later abilities in children with neurodevelopmental disabilities, such as attention-deficit/…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to expand the scarce information available on how mothers first observe their children's early development, assess potential problems, and then come to recognize their concerns. In-depth knowledge about mothers' perspectives on the discovery process can help social workers to promote identification of…

Despite the clearly established, elevated need for early intervention services among Child Protective Services (CPS)-involved infants and toddlers, extant research consistently demonstrates a gap between CPS-involved infants' and toddlers' apparent developmental need for early intervention services and their receipt of an Individual Family Service…

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare genetic disorder that adversely impacts child development and health conditions, and is often associated with significant behavioral challenges. In particular, children with PWS typically exhibit extremely high levels of maladaptive behavior (e.g., excessive food seeking, hording, and binging; temper tantrums;…

Because child welfare workers serve the most vulnerable children and families, it is necessary that they have sufficient knowledge, skills, and values (competencies) to provide quality services. This study focuses on competencies that the Division of Child and Family Services, Utah (DCFS) views as essential for entry-level child welfare work, and…