Topics in Early Childhood Special Education RSS feed -- OnlineFirst Articles

Technologies for Expanding the Reach of Evidence-Based Interventions: Preliminary Results for Promoting Social-Emotional Development in Early Childhood

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:04:38 PST

In great demand are efficient mechanisms for delivery of evidence-based interventions for promoting social-emotional development and early positive behavior of all children, and especially for those with or at risk for disabilities. The rise of Internet use has created potentially new avenues for intervention delivery, which, when paired with the many recent advances in computer networking and multimedia technology, is fueling this demand. This article describes the development of an Internet-based, computer-delivered parent-training intervention, Infant Net, with infants at risk for poor social-emotional outcomes. Results of a randomized control trial of the Infant Net intervention with 40 parent-infant dyads showed significant increase, reflecting a medium to large effect size, in infant social engagement and engagement with the environment for infants in the intervention group as compared to the control group. Implications are discussed with regard to future research.

Use of a Case-Based Hypermedia Resource in an Early Literacy Coaching Intervention With Pre-Kindergarten Teachers

Powell, D. R., Diamond, K. E., Koehler, M. J. — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:44:45 PST

Use of a case-based hypermedia resource (HR) was examined in a Web-based early literacy coaching intervention with pre-kindergarten teachers of at-risk children. Web usage logs, written records of coach feedback to teachers on their instruction, and a teacher questionnaire were the primary data sources. Visits to the HR content pages were unevenly distributed across literacy topics, with 9 of 16 cases in the video-intensive HR receiving a majority of all page visits. Usage patterns of both teachers and coaches point to selective engagement of the Web’s resources rather than usage driven by the available number of items in each of the HR’s content areas. Teachers provided highly favorable assessments of the video exemplars, including their ecological validity. Implications for the design and uses of Web-based professional development are discussed.

A Web-Based Tool to Support Data-Based Early Intervention Decision Making

Buzhardt, J., Greenwood, C., Walker, D., Carta, J., Terry, B., Garrett, M. — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:44:45 PST

Progress monitoring and data-based intervention decision making have become key components of providing evidence-based early childhood special education services. Unfortunately, there is a lack of tools to support early childhood service providers’ decision-making efforts. The authors describe a Web-based system that guides service providers through a decision-making process informed by child performance on Infant and Toddler IGDIs (Individual Growth and Development Indicators), the provider’s professional judgment, and information from the child’s primary caregiver. Using a case example, the authors describe how a service provider integrates the system into an existing service delivery model. Finally, they describe barriers and potential solutions to implementation within the context of a traditional early childhood service delivery model and implications for policy and practice.

Using Desktop Videoconferencing to Deliver Interventions to a Preschool Student With Autism

Gibson, J. L., Pennington, R. C., Stenhoff, D. M., Hopper, J. S. — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:53:22 PST

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of functional communication training on elopement when consultation support is delivered via desktop videoconferencing. An ABAB design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of functional communication training to reduce the elopement of a preschool student with autism. Intervention development, teacher training, and data collection were conducted at a distance using technology. Results show that the teaching staff was able to implement the intervention with a high degree of fidelity and that elopement was significantly reduced during intervention phases. The authors discuss the implications of using desktop videoconferencing to deliver consultation support, along with future applications in early childhood settings.

Demographic Factors Associated With the Early Identification of Children With Special Needs

Guarino, C. M., Buddin, R., Pham, C., Cho, M. — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:41:47 PDT

Early and accurate identification of special needs, coupled with an appropriate course of treatment and educational plan, is important to academic progress, in particular for economically disadvantaged children with fewer family resources to catch up if they fall behind. A first step in improving mechanisms to promote early identification is to uncover factors influencing the timing of identification. This study investigates how early identification—defined as identification prior to kindergarten entry—varies by demographic characteristics. Using data from the California Department of Education, the authors find systematic differences in the timing of identification, even after adjusting for disability and other factors. Girls are less likely to be identified with special needs prior to kindergarten entry than boys. African Americans are less likely than children of other races to be identified early, despite disproportionately high overall identification rates. English learners are less likely than non-English learners to be identified early.

Sibling-Implemented Intervention for Skill Development With Children With Disabilities

Kim, T., Horn, E. — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:41:48 PDT

The research synthesis presented here reviewed the currently available evidence on the effectiveness of sibling-implemented interventions for their siblings with disabilities. The search for appropriate research literature spanned from 1975 to 2008 and resulted in a total of eight studies that met the inclusion criteria. All eight studies in this synthesis employed single-case design as the primary research methodology. The analysis of the eight studies is summarized into (a) experimental design and participants, (b) intervention features, (c) measurement procedures, and (d) findings. Taken together, the outcomes of this research synthesis provide support for the effectiveness of sibling-implemented intervention for children with disabilities. Furthermore, implications for further research are discussed including taking into account specific siblings’ characteristics (e.g., socialization, intellectual ability) and ensuring that future studies sufficiently address generalization and maintenance of intervention effect and collect rigorous data on implementation fidelity.

Provider Perspectives on Adopting and Using Collaborative Consultation in Natural Environments

Salisbury, C. L., Woods, J., Copeland, C. — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:13:16 PDT

An exploratory case study was undertaken to investigate the perspectives and experiences of six early intervention providers as they adopted and implemented a collaborative consultation approach to home visiting in urban neighborhoods. Survey, semistructured interview, and focus group methods were used over a 2-year period to obtain data about provider perspectives about the home visiting approach and their experiences in implementing it with parents of infants and toddlers receiving Part C services. The intensity of provider concerns about the use of collaborative consultation and routines-based, family-centered home visiting practices improved at posttest. Providers attributed these changes in large part to the culture of the organization as a learning community and its ongoing administrative support for reflective practice and problem solving about implementation issues. Providers also identified specific factors, such as time and opportunity to practice and problem solving with feedback, as having an impact on their ability to move forward in adopting and using family-centered home visiting practices. Challenges were identified related to home visiting generally, and a consultative approach specifically, in complex urban family settings. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

The Effects of Choice Making on Toy Engagement in Nonambulatory and Partially Ambulatory Preschool Students

Liso, D. R. — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:47:24 PDT

This study evaluated the effects of an experimenter-delivered choice-making procedure. Three nonambulatory and partially ambulatory preschoolers were given access to six teacher-nominated preferred toys in two conditions: child choice and interventionist choice. Using an alternating treatment design and a 10-second momentary time-sampling procedure, results showed that children were comparably engaged with the toys in both conditions. Results are discussed in terms of implementing choice procedures with very young children with severe disabilities. Suggestions for further study of the effects of choice using comprehensive preference assessment strategies and considerations of individual participant characteristics are discussed.

Dimensions of Literacy Coaching With Head Start Teachers

Powell, D. R., Steed, E. A., Diamond, K. E. — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:32:21 PDT

Plans to improve literacy instruction (N = 1,504) developed by teachers and early literacy experts in coaching sessions (N = 280) conducted in 31 Head Start classrooms were examined to describe a general trajectory of coaching with regard to content coverage, pedagogical emphasis (instructional material, teaching behavior), and progression (new, repeated, expanded plan). A secondary aim was to determine whether pedagogical emphasis and progression in improvement plans differed across four major literacy content areas (reading, writing, letter-word knowledge, phonological awareness). Overall, improvement plans (a) most frequently addressed children’s letter-word knowledge and least frequently addressed phonological awareness, (b) pertained to teaching behaviors to a greater extent than instructional materials, and (c) mostly focused on large group instruction. A majority of plans were new versus expansions or repeats of improvement plans developed in prior coaching sessions. There were significant differences in pedagogical emphasis and progression across four literacy content areas.Effect sizes were small to medium.