This publication emerged from an invitational meeting held by "Project Zero to Three" to address how best to provide effective, culturally sensitive, and comprehensive early intervention programs to all infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families in an equitable way. Following an overview of the concept of culture and how that…

This monograph provides a framework for programs, states, and organizations to think about the issues in developing culturally competent programs for families of children with special needs, and offers a variety of examples from programs across the country that are providing exemplary services. The monograph is designed to help program makers…

A series of self-study questions is presented to examine policy and practice issues important in developing culturally competent programs for children with special needs and their families. Cultural competence refers to a program's ability to honor and respect the beliefs, interpersonal styles, attitudes, and behaviors both of families who are…

This report describes the National Extension Leadership Development (NELD) Program. Section I offers interns' reflections on the meaning of NELD in Wisconsin. Section II is a history of NELD. Section III presents minutes of meetings of the National Advisory Committee. Sections IV-X provide overviews of the various programs offered through NELD in…

This report examines various vocational rehabilitation models that serve American Indians and Alaska Natives with disabilities, with examples and case studies to demonstrate how the models work in real client-counselor situations. Stressed throughout is the importance of issues of cultural diversity, cultural competency, and self-determination.…

This paper examines the present conditions of gifted education, both nationally and in Ohio. It offers an historical perspective including a 200 year timeline of milestones in the areas of gifted education programs, legal authority, personnel preparation, public awareness, and testing and identification. Federal and Ohio State support of gifted…

If early childhood systems are to be effective at the population level then they must be able to provide family-centered care to all the racial, ethnic and cultural groups that they serve. Despite major policy driven and technological advances in healthcare, health disparities across different races and ethnicities persist. For example, the infant…