Many autistic children require support to meet their learning needs. Given the heterogeneity within the autism spectrum it is plausible that different types of support might be better suited to different children. However, knowledge on what interventions work best for which children is limited. We examined the outcomes of autistic preschool-aged…

Naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions (NDBIs) are evidence-based interventions for young children with autism spectrum disorder. There has been growing interest in implementing manualized NDBIs within the early intervention (EI) system without a clear understanding of how these programs and the broader strategies encompassed within…

Background: Children with motor delays are at increased risk for delayed means-end problem-solving (MEPS) performance. Objectives: To evaluate children with motor delays: 1) the impact of motor delay severity and MEPS mastery timing on developmental trajectories of MEPS; and 2) the effectiveness of Sitting Together And Reaching To Play…

Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs) have a strong and growing evidence base. Yet, NDBIs are not implemented on a wide scale within early intervention programs for children on the autism spectrum. Potential reasons for the slow adoption of NDBIs likely stem from the differing theoretical orientations of behavioral and…

This book focuses on the provision of early intervention for children with disabilities (0-6 years) and their families throughout the Asia-Pacific. The motivation for the book stems from a policy brief by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) issued in 2021. This brief urgently called for young children with…

Globally, two in five children under the age of five are at risk of not reaching their full developmental potential. Investing in early childhood is essential to uphold every child's right to survive and thrive. Nurturing care interventions have proven to be an effective means of improving early childhood outcomes. However, there is limited…

Many parents of toddlers and young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face challenges in identifying community childcare centers that are adequately prepared to provide developmentally appropriate care for their toddler while also obtaining the recommended amount of early intervention services in their communities. Implementing…

Children with complex congenital heart defects often show delays and deficits in cognitive, language, motor, and social-emotional functioning. As such, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Associated recommend ongoing monitoring and support of development. In conjunction with the formal therapeutic supports frequently…

Background: Language development is critical for children's life chances. Promoting parent-child interactions is suggested as one mechanism to support language development in the early years. However, limited evidence exists for a causal effect of parent-child interactions on children's language development. Methods: Data from the Language in…

Over the past several decades, the early intervention (EI) model for families of deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children has evolved from deficit-based and child-centered to strengths-based and family-centered. The family-centered early intervention (FCEI) model is based on family-systems theory, which emphasizes the central role parents play in…

STEM is not just about learning four discrete subject-specific content areas (McClure et al., 2017), but also an approach of higher order thinking (i.e., the ability to think critically, logically, and creatively, and solve problems; Baharin et al., 2018). In this article, the authors use STEM learning to describe children's learning about STEM,…

The World Health Organization-Caregiver Skills Training Program, a parent-mediated early intervention facilitated by non-specialist providers piloted in urban India was evaluated using mixed-methods for feasibility and effects on child and caregiver outcomes. Caregivers (n = 22) of children (2-9 years) with social-communication delays participated…

Family-centered care represents a collaborative partnership between caregivers and service providers, and is associated with positive caregiver and child outcomes. This approach may be especially important for caregivers with early concerns about autism, as service providers are often the gateway to appropriately-specialized intervention.…

This study examined whether parent-reported atypical development in their child's first year was associated with age of diagnosis and age when parents first needed to consult a specialist about their child's development. It involved 423 children who participated in the Australian Autism Biobank. Most parents retrospectively identified [greater or…

Early intervention (EI) sessions are intended to occur in a child's natural environment. Part of a child's natural environment includes the materials they typically can access. Recommended practices in the field suggest that EI providers should use materials in children's homes rather than bringing a toy bag to address the child and family goals.…