Using data from the Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study that included more than 11,000 students (ages 6-12), this study explored the primary disability classification assigned to students by their schools, the variety of disabilities that parents reported, functional limitations associated with students' disabilities, disability…

This fact sheet explains the concept of "systems of care" in meeting the mental health needs of children and adolescents with behavioral, emotional, or mental health problems. Community-based systems of care provide a coordinated range of mental health and related services and supports. Teams representing public and private organizations…

This final report describes the activities and outcomes of a service coordination outreach project designed to assist states in meeting their urgent needs for qualified and appropriately trained personnel to carry out their new roles as service coordinators in the provision and coordination of early intervention services as stipulated in federal…

Behavioral problems are the most common mental health problem in children and adolescents worldwide. For several decades there has been a growing body of scientific knowledge of the factors influencing the development of antisocial behavior. There are several intervention and prevention programs, the most effective of which activate parents,…

This booklet provides an overview of the characteristics and needs of young children with autism spectrum disorders or pervasive developmental disorders. It addresses: (1) different disabilities under the classification of autism spectrum disorders or pervasive developmental disorders; (2) characteristics of autism; (3) characteristics of children…

Recognizing the need to support the work of educators and others in evaluating the quality of early childhood programs, this toolkit provides a framework for continuous program improvement based on a 6-phase planning process focused on assessing childrens progress and on analyzing the quality of teaching and organizational effectiveness. The guide…

This document presents discussions of current research and activities by experts in early intervention and behavior disorders. It offers a range of evidence-based strategies, procedures, and models appropriate for prevention and early intervention programs with young children at risk for emotional and/or behavioral disorders. Following an…

This document consists of four issues of the quarterly report "Alaska's Children," which provides information on the Alaska Head Start State Collaboration Project and updates on Head Start activities in Alaska. Regular features in the issues include a calendar of conferences and meetings, a status report on Alaska's children, reports…

Noting that the number of students served in special education programs has increased at alarming rates since 1975, this paper posits that this increase is due to recent social and political variables and their impact on the educational system. Special emphasis is placed on how state and local educational leaders respond to national education…

Smart Start is a comprehensive public-private initiative to help all North Carolina children enter school healthy and ready to succeed, and provides children from birth to age five access to high-quality and affordable child care, health care, and other critical services. This document comprises the first two issues of "Smart Start…

This booklet presents information gathered at the November 1997 conference conducted by the National Institute on Early Childhood Development and Education in cooperation with EduTech, Ltd. The conference brought together educators, social workers, health professionals, researchers, teen parents, grandparents, government officials, and others…

This paper examines the importance of children's early experience and its implications for the future. The paper notes three important societal changes--changes in women's roles, changes in the concept of marriage, and changes in the nature of childhood--and discusses the factors underlying these trends. Current research suggests that the…

In an effort to discover how Maine schools are operating their Reading Recovery (RR) programs, Maine Reading Recovery teachers provided information related to school-level implementation. Although completion of the Maine data forms was optional, three-fourths of the 346 Maine RR teachers completed the forms. Two types of implementation data were…

This article argues that successful implementation of Reading Recovery requires a systematic plan to ensure that everyone at the district level, school level, teacher level, and parent/home level understand the goals and benefits of the program, including school board members, community members, central office administrators, principals, teachers,…

Schools must work together with agencies, groups, and individuals to eliminate the forces leading children to violence. Chapter 1, "School Safety: Working Together to Keep Schools Safe," stresses the importance of community collaboration in violence prevention. Effective prevention requires sharing information about students, consistent…