Inclusion is central to work in early intervention and early childhood special education (EI/ECSE) and reflected in the core beliefs and recommended practices of the field (Division for Early Childhood [DEC], 2014). Inclusion, according to the joint statement of the DEC and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (2009), means…

How can families of children with disabilities plan for lasting financial security at every stage of life? Find clear answers in "The Special Needs Planning Guide," a step-by-step companion for parents as they progress through the complexities of planning for the future of their family and their child. Written by two financial planning…

The purpose of the current study was to examine what caregivers with children who have disabilities desire regarding inclusive recreational facilities and playgrounds for their children, the constraints that affect their recreational opportunities for the family as a whole, and the dream recreational facilities and playgrounds that would support…

Difficult life circumstances can make anyone vulnerable. For example, families of children with special needs are at risk, as are families facing other stressful circumstances, such as poverty or parental mental illness. This article builds on previous action research by Plavcak (2020) and introduces a new research problem. We conducted a…

More than 50 years of research has demonstrated the profound effect that aphasia has on people with the condition and their family members. In the International Classifcation of Functioning, Disability and Health, the World Health Organization described the impact of an individual's health condition on a signifcant other as "third-party…

Background: Despite a growing body of literature investigating the impact of disabilities on family relationships, the experiences of ethnic minorities remain underexplored. Method: Semi-structured online interviews were conducted with eight young people (aged 18-28 years) with disabled sibling(s) within an immigrant family to understand how this…

More than 10% of children in Ontario have an additional need that may influence long-term lifestyle patterns, including physical activity (PA). This study sought to assess the status of PA as well as the barriers to and facilitators of PA for families in southwestern Ontario raising children with and without disabilities. Complete survey data were…

This study examines the prevalence of home-based child care providers who report serving at least one child whom they identify as having a disability. Although many families choose home-based child care, researchers know very little about how many home-based providers care for young children with disabilities. Through secondary analysis of the…

Families who have children with delays or disabilities are often expected to become advocates for their children. Despite this inherent expectation, there is limited research available focused on advocacy during the early years (birth to three). The purpose of this study was to use qualitative inquiry, specifically semi-structured interviews, to…

The Shaping Futures Together agenda highlights policies and investments that families and practitioners say will ensure all children thrive. This playbook provides recommended policy and research strategies that Start Early believes will help to realize those priorities. Each section includes legislative and administrative policy recommendations…

Raising a young child with challenging behavior can have a significant impact on families' well-being and family functioning. Despite advancements in the field, there is a paucity of research focused on effective ways to address their unique experiences. This qualitative meta-synthesis aims to identify the needs of families with young children who…

The term "family caregiving" applies to a variety of caregiving situations: individuals caring for family members who are older adults; grandparents raising their grandchildren without the presence of the children's parents; parents caring for adult children with physical or intellectual disabilities; and minor children providing care to…

The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly impacted daily life, including the educational experiences of school-age children with and without disabilities and their families who supported them. This descriptive qualitative study examined the experiences of families with children with extensive support needs and complex communication needs during the…

This report discusses the Person and Family-Centered Approaches in Mental Health and Co-Occurring Disorders Training Project, a training project that the Research and Training Center (RTC) at the Institute on Community Integration (ICI) at the University of Minnesota performed for the Minnesota Department of Human Services. This project was born…

Youth with disabilities face barriers to success that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the pandemic of racism that has generated protests in support of Black Lives Matter. The Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) reached out to a group of youth and young adults with disabilities to share their most pressing concerns and to…