Young children with visual impairment and their families often require specialized assistance through early intervention to develop adaptive routines, cues, and environmental settings during mealtimes and other daily tasks. There is little empirical data in the area of mealtime routines available to support families of young children with visual…

This paper aims to provide a position on the need for enhanced personnel preparation for special instruction in Early Intervention (EI). The need for specialized training is discussed, followed by the research, current issues, and needs. A framework for personnel preparation is provided: professional standards, competencies (knowledge, skills, and…

Executive functions (EFs) involve a number of interconnected systems that, when compromised, can result in difficulties that affect a child's ability to perform tasks across early childhood settings, including the home and community-based settings. In retrospective research studies, researchers have found that a young child's…

These two papers offer parents of infants and toddlers with developmental disabilities and feeding problems both general advice and specific intervention strategies. The first paper examines the causes of feeding difficulty (such as a physical structure problem, fear of eating, or difficulty learning to eat); the need for intervention while…

This review of the effects of contingency experience on development and data from a model intervention program provides evidence demonstrating how basic technology can be used to teach young children with developmental disabilities that the environment is responsive and controllable and to promote positive attentional, emotional, and motivational…

The article describes a programmatic approach that measured the qualitative dimensions and performance of functional movement in 43 infants and young children with delayed motor development (ages 4 weeks to 5 years). Procedures involved selection of posture and movement intervention targets, baseline assessments, intervention sequences,…

A resource and activity guide for the developmentally disabled that focuses on fine motor skills is presented. Attention is directed to fine motor behavior during the first year (vision, grasp, and release and reaching), and behaviors developing at 13 months (the interaction of fine motor and cognitive skills). An introductory section considers…

A resource and activity guide for the developmentally disabled that focuses on methods to teach students skills essential to learning is presented. It is noted that once students begin to acquire these critical skills, they can become active participants in group learning activities, rather than waiting for their turn in individual sessions. They…