Problem Statement: Since the law related to the inclusion of children with special needs was passed, the number of children with special needs in preschool classrooms has increased each year. Preschool teachers face serious challenges when they teach children with diverse abilities in the same environment. Although most of them support the idea of…

To ensure the best possible outcomes for young children with and without disabilities, early childhood educators must enter the classroom ready to conduct all types of early childhood assessment--including determining if children need additional services, planning and monitoring instruction, and determining program effectiveness. They'll get the…

Technical assistance (TA) has long been a standard, overarching strategy for assisting, states, agencies, family members, and practitioners with building capacity for service and system change initiatives. But, what is meant by the term "technical assistance"? What is known about the technical assistance strategies that are likely to…

Argues that understanding of five major dimensions of normal child development can be useful for those who work with special children: child development theories, norms, research models, intervention models, and communication techniques. (RH)

This article describes the one-week "rotational internship" program developed by the University of Washington and intended for practicing teachers, teaching assistants, and other early childhood program staff. It explains how the internship functions and illustrates how this approach can be merged with ongoing inservice activities.…

The Rural Early Intervention Training Project in Oregon is designed to meet the need for rural early intervention personnel. The program reflects a focus on technical skills, critical thinking, and reflective practice. University professors travel to a designated rural community to conduct coursework each month, and a practicum supervisor observes…

Teachers who have been trained to work with normal young children (early childhood certification) or with older handicapped children (special education certification) are often unprepared to assume the multiple responsibilities of the teacher of preschool handicapped children. The purpose of this project was to address this need by implementing…