Topics in Early Childhood Special Education current issue

Addressing Early Learning Standards for All Children Within Blended Preschool Classrooms

Grisham-Brown, J., Pretti-Frontczak, K., Hawkins, S. R., Winchell, B. N. — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:01:52 PDT

Preschool teachers working in blended classrooms are faced with identifying which children need intensive instruction as well as being responsible for directly linking individualized learning outcomes with state or federal early learning standards. The series of studies presented were designed to illustrate how teachers working in blended preschool programs provided intensive instruction on individual skills that were related to a common early learning standard (i.e., prewriting). Results suggest that embedding intensive instruction during daily activities is not only effective but also efficient given the relatively short amount of time it took for children to acquire individualized skills. Future research should examine interventions that produce effective and efficient results given the constraints imposed by the schedule of publicly funded blended preschools.

Siblings of Infants and Toddlers With Disabilities in Early Intervention

Kresak, K., Gallagher, P., Rhodes, C. — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:01:52 PDT

The current study investigated the perceptions of families regarding the inclusion of siblings of children with disabilities by early intervention providers. Eighty-seven respondents who had a child enrolled in one state’s Part C early intervention program completed the survey. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed. Results indicated a significant correlation (a) between having goals for siblings on the Individualized Family Service Plan and parents’ report of whether siblings were included by the service provider in sessions, (b) between wanting goals and the respondent’s relationship to the child, and (c) between having goals and county of residence. Qualitative results verified how siblings were included in early intervention routines by early intervention providers, that goals related to siblings were not often included in the Individualized Family Service Plan, and that parents reported that siblings wanted more information about the child’s disability. In addition, families viewed explaining the disability to siblings as a critical component for helping siblings understand the child with disabilities.

"Just Good Different Things": Specific Accommodations Families Make to Positively Adapt to Their Children With Developmental Disabilities

Maul, C. A., Singer, G. H. S. — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:01:52 PDT

Fifteen parents and two grandparents of children with developmental disabilities (DD) were interviewed to discover common themes regarding specific ways in which they devised positive adaptations to their everyday routines to accommodate the needs of their children with DD, how they decided upon the accommodations, and how much help they felt they received from professionals in making the accommodations. Interviews were audiorecorded and transcribed. Using grounded theory methods, the authors analyzed the transcriptions to determine common themes, which were found to be (a) lost opportunities replaced by new opportunities, (b) the family as a team, (c) time adaptations, (d) the idiosyncratic nature of family accommodations, and (e) an insistence on normalcy, accompanied by a resistance to stigma. Participants most commonly described their decision-making process as "trial and error," and the majority felt professionals had given them good help in making accommodations.

Differential Item Functioning Analysis of the Preschool Language Scale--4 Between English-Speaking Hispanic and European American Children From Low-Income Families

Huaqing Qi, C., Marley, S. C. — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:01:52 PDT

The study examined whether item bias is present in the Preschool Language Scale—4 (PLS-4). Participants were 440 children (3—5 years old; 86% English-speaking Hispanic and 14% European American) who were enrolled in Head Start programs. The PLS-4 items were analyzed for differential item functioning (DIF) using logistic regression and a one-parameter item response theory (IRT) model. The logistic regression analysis identified Auditory Comprehension (AC) Item 35 as having non-uniform DIF. Using IRT, AC Item 55 and Expressive Communication (EC) Items 30 and 31 displayed statistical evidence of DIF. AC Item 55 and EC Item 30 were more difficult for Hispanic children than for European American children, whereas the opposite was true for EC Item 31. These findings did not find strong evidence of cultural bias for the PLS-4 against English-speaking Hispanic children from low-income families.

CAPTA Referrals for Infants and Toddlers: Measuring Early Interventionists' Perceptions

Herman-Smith, R. L. — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:01:52 PDT

In 2003, Congress amended the Child Abuse Protection and Treatment Act (CAPTA) to require that all child victims of substantiated abuse or neglect under the age of 3 years be assessed for developmental concerns. To date, there has been little study of CAPTA’s implementation in Part C early intervention programs. The Professional Interventionist CAPTA Survey (PICS) was developed to assess perceptions of Part C providers related to serving children and families referred from child welfare. The PICS provides a measure of providers’ perceptions of the CAPTA mandate. Initial results of the PICS suggest that it holds promise for future implementation research and program assessment for Part C early childhood intervention related to CAPTA.