This manual was designed primarily for use by people with disabilities. The hope is that it is also useful for families, as well as service coordinators and providers who directly assist families and individuals with disabilities. The focus of this manual is to provide easy-to-read information about available resources, and to provide immediate…

Center-based community early childhood programs are essential options for pre-kindergarten care and education. Consistent with federal legislation (IDEA, 2004), these settings should be accessible so that young children with disabilities can receive their special education services there. In the United States, fewer than 50% of children who…

This manual was designed primarily for use by individuals with developmental disabilities and related conditions. It is hoped that it is also useful for families, as well as service coordinators and providers who directly assist families and individuals with developmental disabilities. The focus of this manual is to provide easy-to-read…

This "2018-2019 Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) Strategic Plan Update" is the work of the IACC membership that was appointed under the Autism CARES Act of 2014. The Committee agreed that the "2016-2017 IACC Strategic Plan" reflected a comprehensive review of the state of the field and provided a set of 23 new…

Background: This implementation feasibility study was conducted to determine whether an evidence-based parent-implemented distance-learning intervention model for young children at high likelihood of having ASD could be implemented at fidelity by Part C community providers and by parents in low-resource communities. Methods: The study used a…

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of parents of children with mild language delays who were referred to an Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) birth-to-3 or preschool program, were determined not eligible for services, and were referred on to a community-based program for short-term speech-language therapy.…

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative is the only federal funding source dedicated exclusively to supporting local afterschool, before-school, and summer learning programs. Over the years, the program has evolved to become a local afterschool model -- serving students attending high-poverty, low-performing schools in…

This manual was designed primarily for use by individuals with developmental disabilities and related conditions. It is hoped that it is also useful for families, as well as service coordinators and providers who directly assist families and individuals with developmental disabilities. The focus of this manual is to provide easy-to-read…

This document outlines strategies and guidance on collaborative funding strategies and mechanisms, including braided funding, to create and sustain high-quality inclusive regular early childhood settings that are inclusive of preschool children with disabilities. The use of federal funds is outlined specific to supporting young children with…

The State Family Outcomes Measurement System Framework (S-FOMS) is a framework originally developed by the Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) Center that identifies seven key components of a high-quality family outcomes measurement system at the state level. This document contains background information about the framework's seven components, 15…

The State Family Outcomes Measurement System Framework (S-FOMS) is a framework originally developed by the Early Childhood Outcomes Center that identifies seven key components of a high-quality family outcomes measurement system at the state level. The seven components are: (1) Purpose; (2) Data collection and transmission; (3) Analysis; (4)…

Community-based youth sport coaches are often unprepared to accommodate the unique learning needs of athletes with hidden disabilities. The consequences of not knowing how to work with these athletes can be disastrous for both the athletes and the coaches. Universal design for learning, a practice borrowed from educational theory, can help…

Parent-professional partnership literature continues to emphasize the importance of including the parent voice. Spanish-speaking families are often excluded from such studies because of the language barrier. This article presents a qualitative interview study of eight Latina mothers of children with severe disabilities. All participants were…

This text offers case studies, models, and specific techniques to assist children, teenagers, and adults with disabilities to participate more fully in local school and neighborhood social and leisure activities. Three basic themes are stressed: first, that of using a community leisure facilitator to support people with disabilities in community…

This article on the use of community resources by families of young children with special needs discusses the rationale for the use of community resources in federal legislation, strategies for building resources, barriers to the use of community resources, and recommendations for increasing the use of community resources. (CR)