As the rates of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) increase and early screening efforts intensify, more toddlers with high likelihood of ASD are entering the United States' (US') publicly funded early intervention system. Early intervention service delivery for toddlers with ASD varies greatly based on state resources and regulations. Research…

The long-term goal of the State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) and other federal and state early intervention and early childhood education initiatives is improved child and family outcomes. States play a critical role in supporting practitioners in the use of evidence-based practices to improve child and family outcomes. When practitioners…

National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (NECTAC) was asked to identify essential elements for supporting high performance and provision of high quality early intervention Part C services as determined by the Annual Performance Review (APR) required under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). To respond, NECTAC…

Response to intervention (RTI) can be both a system for providing early interventions to struggling students and a special education diagnostic tool for evaluating and identifying students with specific learning disabilities. Contributing to the very limited literature on state-level approaches, this report describes how nine states define and…

The Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities (Part C of IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Act) is a federal program that assists states in operating a system of early intervention supports and services for infants and toddlers with special needs and their families. In Colorado, the Part C initiative is called Early Childhood…

To directly address the state of Washington's concerns regarding student alcohol and other drug use, in 1989 the state Legislature passed the Omnibus Alcohol and Controlled Substances Act (ESSHB 1793). One part of this act called for the creation of a school-based alcohol and other dug abuse prevention and early intervention program. The Office of…

The article describes Louisiana's approach to implementing Individualized Family Service Plans, including four model formats developed by early intervention service providers and families of young children with disabilities. Formats differ in the way the required elements are expressed, allowing application to the unique characteristics of…

The Texas Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) Program is an interdisciplinary, interagency program established with the belief that programs working in partnership with parents will best serve the needs of infants and toddlers with developmental delays. Services for the children include physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech/language…

Reading Recovery is an early intervention program that helps low-achieving first-grade children to become independent readers who need no further remediation. Reading Recovery was introduced by Marie M. Clay who, in the mid 1970s, developed procedures with teachers and tested the program in New Zealand. In 1984, the success of the program in New…

This article describes progress made by states and U.S. territories in implementing the Part H program for handicapped infants and toddlers and the Section 619 preschool grants program, both authorized by the 1986 Amendments to the Education of the Handicapped Act. Challenges faced by states include financing, personnel supply and standards, and…

This 2004 edition of "Part C Updates" is a compilation of information on various aspects of the Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities (Part C) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The intent of the compilation is to collect, in a convenient format, a variety of resources that meet the…

This report summarizes statewide findings about Maine's Reading Recovery (RR) program based on data from the 1996-97 school year. The information presented in the report includes a brief history of the program in Maine, school-level implementation of the program, demographic information about the children served, the amount of time children spent…

In-depth case studies were conducted in six states, concerning interagency service coordination in implementing Part H of Public Law 99-457, which calls for a comprehensive and coordinated system of service delivery to developmentally delayed infants and toddlers and their families. Major findings included: (1) states were unable to answer…

This annual report describes the activities and accomplishments of the Colorado Part C statewide system of early intervention for fiscal year 1999-2000. It begins by discussing the agencies involved in the provision of services and other supports in early intervention. The innovative service delivery models that are used and the program's sources…

The goal of Minnesota's Early Childhood Screening (ECS) program is to identify normal aspects of a child's health and development while sorting out potential problems that need further evaluation. In addition, all parents are linked to resources in the school and community to enhance their child's development and their own parenting skills. This…