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Background: In South Africa, low literacy rates among children, particularly in early grades, present a critical challenge to the nation's educational development. This study addresses the pressing issue of inadequate early childhood literacy education, aiming to bridge the gap between research and practice by advocating for effective interventions in the South African context. Objectives: The study seeks to understand the systemic challenges that hinder early literacy development in South Africa and to explore evidence-informed methods for improving literacy outcomes. By focusing on key elements of effective interventions, such as early initiation, evidence-based programme design, resource allocation, and monitoring and evaluation frameworks, this research aims to provide practical insights into reshaping literacy education in the country. Method: We conducted a qualitative case study of the BuddingQ intervention in Makhanda, South Africa, using interviews, observations, and content analysis. Results: The study revealed that prioritising early intervention, investing in evidenceinformed programmes, proper resource allocation, and implementing robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms are critical components of successful early literacy interventions. BuddingQ, by emphasising foundational skills development through play and movement, demonstrated a positive impact on children's emergent literacy capabilities. Conclusion: South Africa needs transformative leadership and policy reforms for early childhood literacy. Evidence-based methods can promote educational equity, social justice, and improved literacy outcomes. Contribution: This study provides insights into effective early literacy interventions in South Africa, offering practical recommendations for policymakers, educators, and researchers to reshape literacy education and foster progress.

Community-based youth-serving organizations are often seen by participants and their families as safe and supportive environments with no stigma attached to participation. Many children attend community-based afterschool programs five days a week. In such an environment, trusted adults can consistently monitor the moods and behaviors of participants. Thus, afterschool programs that successfully and effectively integrate behavioral health services can reduce barriers and increase equity in access to high-quality behavioral healthcare. The author's organization, Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Joseph County (BGCSJC) in South Bend, Indiana, has successfully implemented an integrated behavioral health model into its out-of-school time (OST) programming. Other OST organizations may consider integrating components of behavioral health into their programming in order to address the unmet mental health needs of their young participants.

Background: South African narratives of and by early childhood development (ECD) practitioners often focus on policies, practices and perspectives in research. While these are important for the development of the field, the voices of ECD practitioners, in this marginalised space, are silent. Aim: This article aims to understand: Who are the ECD practitioners? What are the conditions of their lives and livelihoods? How do they negotiate opportunities for employment, socioeconomic growth and further education and training? Setting: The study describes the marginality of ECD practitioners by narrating the lived experience of work and post-school education and training of one mature woman in the Western Cape. By narrating a single story, the stories of others unfold; working in similar circumstances and negotiating the same opportunities in the harsh reality of poverty and oppression. Employing a narrative methodology is a commitment to decolonising the practice of research, where voices of the 'Other' are centralised and amplified. Methods: An intersectional lens forms the theoretical grounding for this article with life history interviews as its primary form of data collection. Results: Adult women ECD practitioners are mainly poor, black and female. They pursue access into higher education to improve their lives and livelihoods. Conclusion: The intersections that shape their lives limit their opportunities for access and success. Contribution: The power of narrative research, displayed in this article, ensures that voice is used to move the lived experiences of black women ECD practitioners from the margins to the centre.

Background: South African learners face the double disadvantage of living in low socioeconomic conditions with access to few resources and attending schools with challenging learning conditions. Mathematics performance reflects such conditions with extreme performance gaps between wealthier and poorer learners. The need for early intervention is increasingly acknowledged. Aim: In this conceptual article, we draw out the features of mathematics games that can be used to develop learners' foundational number sense that will impact their learning trajectories. Setting: Based on our experience in working with learners from low socio-economic backgrounds in after-school mathematics clubs, we propose that these are opportune spaces for intervention. Methods: Drawing both on the research literature and our experience, we exemplify and discuss key features of mathematics games and argue why these are important to support the development of number sense. Results: We argue that to meaningfully develop young learners' number sense, activities need to be sufficiently engaging to retain their interest and be presented in a manner that club practitioners, who might not be teachers, are able to facilitate. Drawing on our experiences of designing and running mathematics clubs, we discuss why components like built-in checks, readily available resources, connection to calculation strategies and transferability to home settings are important design features. Conclusion: Particular design features are important to enable maths games to support learners' development of efficient and effective calculation strategies. Contribution: This article contributes a framework of key features for effective use of games to develop mental mathematics strategies for number sense.

Clearly defined professional standards result in better prepared professionals who positively impact outcomes for children and families by ensuring an effective workforce. This article describes the evolution of early intervention early/childhood special education preparation standards from the on-the-job competencies of the 1960s to the historic 2020 Initial Practice-Based Professional Standards for Early Interventionists/Early Childhood Special Educators (EI/ ECSE Standards), in concert with the evolution of the profession itself. Influencing factors include (a) changes in federal legislation and policy, (b) ages and characteristics of children served, (c) growing knowledge of effective practices, (d) collaboration with other disciplines, and (e) ongoing advocacy for EI/ ECSE as a profession. The article concludes with a vision for using the EI/ECSE Standards to guide the future local, state, and national agenda of the profession around preservice preparation and accreditation, professional development, state and federal policy, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and standards-informed research.

Field experiences provide opportunities for early childhood and early childhood special education (EC/ECSE) educators to implement effective practices in learning settings, and are, therefore, a vital part of EC/ECSE teacher preparation. In this article, we describe field placement models from four universities in the United States: The Bridge Project, Getting Started Early, Peer Coaching to Increase Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions, and University Supervisors Coaching Teacher Candidates: Supporting Young Bi/Multilingual Children with Disabilities. Although there is variety in the settings and effective practices supported through these field placements, performance feedback and collaboration are clear themes across models.

The personnel preparation of early intervention/early childhood special educator (EI/ECSE) candidates is a pivotal stage in supporting the development of professionals who can effectively work with young children with and at-risk of developmental disabilities, their families, and other service providers. This process encompasses a multifaceted approach to equip candidates with knowledge, skills, and attitudes/dispositions to successfully work within the field. This compilation article includes multiple authors of each section who share strategies, assignments, tools, and experiences to center the Initial Practice-Based Standards for Early Interventionists/Early Childhood Special Educators (Division for Early Childhood [DEC] of the Council for Exceptional Children [CEC], 2020; hereafter referred to as the EI/ECSE Standards) and DEC's Recommended Practices (RPs). These strategies are shared through a "spiraling curriculum" framework, and progress from an awareness level to reflection of candidates' own practice. In addition, this article shares related resources to consider in planning for innovative coursework and practicum/student teaching opportunities. Specific examples of spiraling experiences to deepen learning through opportunities to introduce content aligned to RPs and EI/ECSE Standards are included.

Making connections between macro and micro-level practices help teacher candidates to better understand the interdisciplinary nature of the system in which they work. Therefore, we present a collaborative approach to support an increase in early intervention and early childhood special education teacher candidate knowledge and application of best practices. We use a case study to illustrate example approaches and resources (e.g., coaching and reflective practice) that address both macro and micro-level considerations for leaders as they support cross-disciplinary collaboration and teaching practices. Implications for leaders are included to support their preparation of early intervention and early childhood special education teacher candidates.

This qualitative study involves six lecturers who have supervised students with disabilities. Participants were purposively selected and interviewed telephonically using semi-structured interviews. The study adopted a thematic data analysis approach to identify patterns in supervision experiences. The paper problematises a deficit approach that is dominantly adopted to identify and design programmes and manage students-at-risk. The analysis of the supervision of postgraduate students-at-risk is framed within the Humanising pedagogy which advances the accommodation of students' unique needs to develop their capacities for success. This theoretical framework is not adopted much in the open and distance learning context at postgraduate level and the use of supervisors' insights adds new knowledge to the field that is dominated by students' experiences. The study established that students do not communicate their disabilities to supervisors timely for early intervention, supervisors are responsive to students' challenges which include difficulties in academic writing and limited access to research resources and technologies, and supervisors experience systemic challenges in acquiring assistive technology for students with disabilities. This study proposes a humanised supervision model that advances disability inclusivity.

This study compared the outcome of Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention when supervision was given over videoconference for half of the meetings. This started after 3 months of intervention. The participating children were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and were randomly placed in either the videoconference group or in the onsite group. The dependent variables were autism severity, preferences for socially mediated stimuli and problematic behaviors. The independent variable was supervision onsite or by videoconference. The results showed no significant differences between the groups on any of the outcome measures. A limitation of this study was the small group sizes, which limits generalization of the results to other children and settings. Furthermore, the onsite group received some supervision sessions via videoconference due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, our tentative conclusion is that supervision via videoconference has the potential to replace onsite supervision at least partially, but that larger scale research in a variety of settings is needed.

Background: Two intervention approaches are implemented in South Africa to alleviate the deleterious consequences of congenital or early onset hearing impairment on language acquisition and subsequent poor learning outcomes. Aim: This study investigated the learning outcomes of foundation phase learners with severe to profound hearing impairment who received Listening and Spoken Language -- South Africa (LSL-SA) (adapted Auditory Verbal Therapy) therapy compared to those who received Traditional Speech-Language Therapy (TSLT). Setting: The study was conducted at four early intervention (EI) schools for children with hearing impairment across three provinces in South Africa. Methods: Data were collected through record reviews of their Speech-Language Therapy Outcomes and South African National Department of Basic Education academic report cards. Data were analysed using quantitative statistics. Results: Findings demonstrated that children with hearing impairment enrolled in LSL-SA outperformed those enrolled in TSLT in achieving age-equivalent language outcomes. A higher percentage of learners enrolled in LSL-SA achieved meritorious to outstanding learning outcomes. While a comparable number of learners progressed to mainstream schooling, children with hearing impairment enrolled in LSL-SA are enrolled for a shorter duration until discharge than those enrolled in TSLT. This is an important finding, particularly in low-middle income countries (LMICs). Conclusion: Listening and Spoken Language -- South Africa graduates achieved superior learning outcomes dependent on language attainment, providing contextually relevant evidence supporting the effectiveness of the LSL-SA EI approach. Contribution: These context-specific outcomes stress the obligation to upscale and fast-track EI services. Implications for investment in LSL-SA are proposed through collaboration between families, educators, and early interventionists.

Early literacy skills are essential for children's academic development. This research used a comprehensive approach that included observations, assessments, and interviews with children and educators from various kindergartens, which involved 1040 children and 99 teachers from 71 early childhood institutions. The comparison of difficulties in pronouncing letters was measured through observation and assessment of children's ability to recognize the shape and pronounce of letters using augmented reality digital flashcards with a companion application called KIDOPA. The results show that children have difficulty saying the letters b, d, m, w, p, q, n, u, x, and z while reading letters. These difficulties are linear with the teacher's understanding of the importance of teaching literacy to children.

Early identification of at-risk students for timely intervention is critical to prevent non-completion of study programs. This article proposes a flipped class framework to support the academic success of at-risk students in an undergraduate Calculus course. It comprises three main components of setting, conduct, and monitoring. A flipped support class was implemented as periodic sessions throughout the learning semester over six consecutive semesters for the selected total of 560 at-risk students. At-risk students who attended the flipped support class reported a higher passing percentage than those who did not, in each of the six semesters. A strong mathematics foundation contributed to the likelihood of passing the course; however, it can be further increased by attending more hours of the flipped support class.

Play is critical in the development of cognitive and language skills in young children with autism; however, few studies have examined the impact of the intervention on the development of play skills. The current study aims to address the change in developmental skills, including play after participation in the JASPER intervention, and to examine the initiation of joint attention as a moderator of the effect of treatment on changes in play skills. The study included 109 preschool-age children who participated in the JASPER intervention and examined changes in developmental skills, including play skills. Children who received JASPER improved significantly in both play diversity (F(1,99) = 4.89, p = 0.029, ES = 0.22) and complexity (F(1,98) = 5.21, p = 0.025; ES = 0.23) compared to children in control conditions. These gains in play skills were associated with concurrent improvements in cognition and communication skills. Additionally, children with more initiations of joint attention skills at entry made greater progress in play diversity (F(1,97) = 15.85, p < 0.001 ES = 0.40) and complexity (p = 0.096). Play and joint attention skills are critical intervention targets and outcomes for children with autism.

The Maryland's Premature Infant Developmental Enrichment (PRIDE) program is a unique collaborative endeavor between the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the Part C program for Baltimore City residents (Baltimore Infants and Toddlers Program; BITP). To evaluate the impact of PRIDE, the current study compared premature infants from low-income families who participated in BITP with (BWP) and without PRIDE (BWOP). A total of 956 premature infants (nBWP = 271; nBWOP = 685) were included in the study. Results showed that infants in BWP were referred at a younger age and stayed in BITP longer. A smaller percentage of parents in BWP withdrew from BITP and a larger percentage of BWP infants were eligible for special education preschool services under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) at age 3. These findings provide support for the relative benefits of PRIDE to the traditional system of early intervention referral, evaluation, and service coordination.

The role of education staff in supporting social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) difficulties is critical, however access to specialist mental health input can be difficult. Digitally-mediated service delivery was implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic and may be integrated in a post-COVID-19 world to support education staff. Using a systems change evaluation framework, this study explored staff perceptions of a digitally-mediated, multidisciplinary model for SEMH needs in primary school settings. Participants were education staff (n = 6) from five participating schools in a rural county in the UK and the multidisciplinary team (n = 7). Focus groups were conducted at baseline, 12 months, and 24 months during a 2-year pilot project. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Education staff and the multidisciplinary team perceived progress over time in relation to increased capacity (for early intervention) and improved coordination (between relevant children's services). Digitally-mediated service delivery facilitated changes in practice that were empowering for education staff and supportive in meeting communication needs. This study provides preliminary support for acceptability of digitally-mediated team communication as an enhanced model of SEMH service provision in primary school settings in the UK.

This study aimed to replicate and extend findings from the only known study that has conducted latent profile analysis of developmental profiles, measured by the Battelle Developmental Inventory, for children in Early Intervention (EI). Children (N = 57,966) who were enrolled in Massachusetts EI sites between 2011 and 2019 and completed a Battelle assessment at EI entry were included. Replicating previous findings, child Battelle profiles were best classified with four latent classes which were largely consistent with previously observed patterns (i.e., domain means within/between classes). Classes were labeled: "Marked communication delay, relative motor strength," "Communication delay, and average motor functioning," "Cognitive and motor delays, relative adaptive strength," and "Consistent mild delays." We described associations between class and sociodemographic factors and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis. We found large effects of age and ASD. Two profiles that demonstrated communication delays were associated with older age. The "Marked communication delay" profile was associated with an elevated likelihood of ASD. Results suggest that Battelle developmental profiles may be an additional indicator to improve the identification of ASD in community settings and that profile membership could guide tailored interventions for specific developmental needs. Continued research will help determine whether class membership is stable and associated with differential response to EI.

The purpose of these meta-analyses was to examine the effectiveness of home-based interventions aimed at improving literacy and mathematics outcomes for preschool-age children (mean age = 4.29 years; range = 3.07-5.32 years) and to develop an understanding of what home-based interventions work in different contexts. A total of 32 studies met the inclusion criteria for these meta-analyses; 30 studies included sufficient data for inclusion in the meta-analyses, and two studies did not contain sufficient quantitative data and instead were summarized in a narrative review. The average weighted effect size for interventions with literacy (d = 0.10; CI = [-0.17, 0.38]; n = 27) and mathematical outcomes (d = 0.18; CI = [-1.62, 1.99]; n = 8) were minimal. Hence, these meta-analyses showed that home-based interventions had minimal effect on literacy and mathematical outcomes for preschoolers. There were more home-based interventions with literacy (N = 28) than mathematical outcomes (N = 10). The heterogeneity showed no variability, indicating that all intervention impacted on children's outcomes to similar effect. Overall, many interventions were relatively light touch (i.e., time spent engaging in parent training), and the engagement requirement of the parent in some studies was minimal (e.g., reading a short text message). More in-depth research into the components of interventions (e.g., focus, training approaches) and evaluation of interventions before they are implemented is essential for ensuring that early interventions will be effective and lead to the development of the intended skills.

The link between a student's math fluency and their success in general chemistry has been thoroughly documented in the literature. One diagnostic instrument that can be used to assess a student's arithmetic skills is the Math-Up Skills Test (MUST), a 20-question, free-response math test completed in 15 min. The MUST instrument assesses the student's ability to conduct mathematical operations, including multiplication, division, fraction simplification, logarithms/exponents, and symbol manipulation without the aid of a calculator. In our study, we looked at how score changes per MUST question are affected by an early online math review implemented in a general chemistry class versus the control group that had an early online chemistry review across students of varying logical ability as measured by the online Test of Logical Thinking (TOLT). The Math Group significantly improved on ten questions involving all five types of mathematical operations, including one question in symbol manipulation involving balancing equations. The control Chemistry Group only increased on three questions involving faction simplification and logarithms/exponents beyond the two symbol manipulation questions on balancing equations, which were covered in their review of matter. As a function of logic ability, middle TOLT students benefited the most from the math intervention, as evidenced by a greater number of improved MUST questions post-treatment for that group compared to those for the low and high TOLT groups. Identification of item types affected by the math treatment could help instructors identify key arithmetic topics crucial to a student's performance, among many other factors, in first-semester general chemistry.

Although previous research has demonstrated that the acquisition of mathematical skills requires support from multiple cognitive abilities, the associations between cognitive precursors in different domains and mathematics at different hierarchical levels among primary school children are not well understood. This study explores the cognitive mechanisms underlying primary school children's mathematics learning by extending the original pathways model. A total of 409 children participated v.in the study. A battery of cognitive, symbolic number processing, and mathematics measures were performed on the participants. The cognitive pathways supported children's symbolic number skills, which in turn provided the foundation for formal mathematics. Different hierarchical mathematics skills were supported by different cognitive constellations. A hierarchical progressive development structure was found, from cognitive precursors, through symbolic number processing, to basic math fluency and complex numerical computation, and then, to problem-solving. The study also tried to divide children into two groups, grades 1-3 and 4-5. The exploratory results showed that there were commonalities and differences in the cognitive basis of mathematics learning in the two groups. These findings further explained the cognitive mechanisms underlying mathematical development in primary school children, with possible implications for the effective teaching and practice of mathematics knowledge and early identification and intervention of learning difficulties.

Professional standards identify what future educators should know and be able to do when they complete a program of study from an Institution of Higher Education (IHE). With support from the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), the first ever stand-alone Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE) Standards were approved in 2020. In this paper, we (a) discuss the rationale for stand-alone EI/ECSE Standards within the current context; (b) briefly introduce the Standards; (c) present an overview of how the Standards were developed; and (d) provide a vision for and guidance to the field in the development of personnel systems that ensure application of the EI/ECSE Standards for preservice and in-service preparation, IHE program accreditation, cross-disciplinary collaboration, research and development, and policy and advocacy.

There is a wide gap between what research evidence identifies as effective reading intervention and what is currently offered in schools. This effectiveness study reports the results of a long-term research/school system partnership that is implementing reading intervention for children with reading difficulties in Canadian community schools. In Study 1, growth-curve analyses revealed significant long-term shifts in the reading trajectories of children (n = 731) from Kindergarten to Grade 5 as a function of receiving the Empower™ Reading: Decoding and Spelling intervention. Long-term outcomes were higher in children who received intervention in Grade 2 than in Grade 3, supporting the benefit of earlier intervention. In Study 2, we compare reading outcomes before and after children participated in school system-led intervention (Empower™ Reading, n = 341) to results from previously reported researcher-led intervention and business-as-usual controls. Children in both school system-led and researcher-led interventions showed greater improvement than controls on standardized measures of decoding and reading comprehension. Among school system participants, greater gains were seen for those with stronger reading skills at pre-test. Findings demonstrate successful school system implementation of research-originated and validated reading intervention. Researcher/school system partnerships may be integral in closing the research-practice gap.

A little less than half of the students of higher Ed institutions in the US graduate in four years, and only around 60% finish in six years. Retention rates are also less than ideal. Colleges have been experimenting with a variety of programs and policies to address this issue, especially less selective institutions whose rates are significantly lower. In this paper, we evaluate a student success and retention program called Early Alert that was implemented at a public state university in the US with a medium-to-large student body. Our dataset contains several years' worth of information on students' socio-demographic characteristics, class standing and average grades (GPAs), as well as their midterm and final grades in undergraduate courses. We employ several causal inference techniques developed for observational studies and elicit negative average treatment effects on the treated (ATT). Since it is conceivable that unobserved confounders are the real drivers of our empirical results, not the treatment, we carry out two different types of sensitivity analyses. Together with our treatment effect estimations, they lead us to the main conclusion that Early Alert does not improve student performance, at least not in the short run (as measured by course performance), and likely has a negligible impact.

In the autism field, there is increasing interest in translating evidence-based interventions (EBIs) into systems that serve young autistic children and their families. Public Early Intervention systems have been a focal point of research-based implementation efforts given that these systems are federally mandated to provide services to children birth to three years of age with developmental delays under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Although a growing number of research studies are now training Early Intervention providers to deliver autism EBIs, this work has been conducted on a relatively small scale and has only just begun to consider the alignment of these models with Early Intervention systems and whether sufficient infrastructure exists to scale up these training efforts and to sustain their public health impact. This commentary aims to address this gap by reviewing factors that have been found to uniformly impact the scale-up of EBIs across diverse public systems (Fagan 20, 1147-1168, 2019), and to extend this framework to the implementation of EBIs within public Early Intervention systems. These factors include developer and funder capacity, the public's awareness of and support for EBIs, the system's leadership support for EBI use, the capacity for community engagement in implementation efforts, the availability of a skilled workforce capable of delivering EBIs, and the capacity for data monitoring and quality improvement. This commentary discusses how these factors may specifically impact the scale-up of autism EBIs within EI systems to support toddlers and young, autistic children, and implications for autism researchers.

There is no relationship more vital than the one a child shares with their primary caregivers early in development. Yet many children worldwide are raised in settings that lack the warmth, connection, and stimulation provided by a responsive primary caregiver. In this study, we used data from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project (BEIP), a longitudinal study of institutionally-reared and family-reared children, to test how caregiving quality during infancy is associated with average EEG power over the first 3.5 years of life in alpha, beta, and theta frequency bands, and associations with later executive function (EF) at age 8 years. The sample comprised 189 children (129 institutionally-reared; 60 family-reared) who contributed data on observed caregiving quality during infancy (baseline; average age of 22 months), resting EEG power at baseline, 30, and 42 months, and performance-based data on a series of EF tasks at 8 years. Using Bayesian estimation, observed caregiving quality at baseline was marginally linked with higher average alpha and beta power, and lower theta power, from baseline to 42 months. In turn, higher average beta power and lower average theta power were marginally associated with higher EF at 8 years. In indirect effects models, higher caregiving quality at baseline was associated with higher EF at 8 years, with a marginal indirect effect through average theta power from baseline to 42 months. Variation in the quality of the early caregiving environment may be associated with later executive function, which is partially underpinned by individual differences in brain activity during early childhood.

Synchronous positive affect (SPA) is a key element of parent-child interaction quality which is related to favorable developmental outcomes. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their parents tend to show less SPA compared to other populations. The current study explored changes in SPA made by parents and their children with ASD following the Preschool-Based Early Start Denver Model (PB-ESDM) intervention. Thirty children receiving PB-ESDM and 23 receiving treatment-as-usual (TAU) were assessed pre- and post- intervention using microanalysis of video-recorded parent-child interactions, in which SPA was quantified. Results showed a significant increase in SPA among children receiving PB-ESDM who had lower pre-treatment adaptive functioning. These findings suggest that SPA may serve as a sensitive treatment outcome measure for children with poorer adaptive functioning, who often struggle to show significant changes on standardized measures. The study's modest sample and non-randomized design are noted as limitations.

Background: As autistic children are being diagnosed at a younger age, the need to identify appropriate early supports has increased. Therapist-delivered and parent-mediated autism intervention may benefit children and parents. Objective: This pilot study examined developmental outcomes for autistic pre-schoolers and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for their parents (n = 53) following a 10-month intervention period. Methods: All families were accessing therapist-delivered interventions--the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) or usual community services--and some families also received additional parent-coaching ESDM (P-ESDM). Families were assessed at 3 timepoints. Results: Overall children made significant gains in cognitive skills and adaptive behaviour, with no differences between groups. Parents overall reported increased parenting stress over time. P-ESDM conferred no added benefit for child outcomes, and similarly, no clear benefit for parent outcomes. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that children receiving early intervention make developmental gains, regardless of type of intervention, and challenges assumptions that, as an adjunct to other intervention programs, P-ESDM improves child or parent outcomes. Further research is needed to explore the effects of parent-mediated programs.

In low-resource settings, non-profit organisations play an essential role in providing services and support for families with young children with autism. However, resource constraints limit access to quality training in evidence-based interventions. Web-based training may help fill this gap. This study examined the feasibility, acceptability and appropriateness of the web-based Autism Navigator® JumpStart to Coaching in Everyday Activities course for 26 non-profit organisation providers (10 specialists and 16 non-specialists) in South Africa. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used including a post-training survey. Sixteen providers (62%) completed the course over an average period of 5.58 months, with many completing the course during lockdown restrictions, suggesting time as a barrier to course completion. No provider characteristics were related to attrition, nor to the time taken to complete the course. Better English proficiency, higher education levels and more positive attitudes to implementing an evidence-based intervention were associated with the number of attempts needed to pass some learner assessments, and to perceptions of course feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness. Adaptations in the training delivery (using a group format and local group conference calls) and inclusion of South African video clips were identified as potential facilitators to acceptability and appropriateness.

The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) collaborates with the Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE) community and allied partners to create resources (such as publications like Young Exceptional Children [YEC] and The Journal of Early Intervention [JEI] and products like The DEC Recommended Practices and Learning Decks) that reflect collective expertise. These resources address field needs and support DEC's mission of guiding early intervention and special education services for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with or at-risk for disabilities and their families. To advance equity, DEC members are committed to studying, discussing, and applying DEC's Racial Equity Point of View (RE POV; Division for Early Childhood [DEC], 2023) to all its resources and the system that produces them. To create transformative change within DEC's resources, this article includes reflections on how DEC's RE POV can inspire new associated practices and policies to foster a more equitable and inclusive resource system. Also included are reflective questions for readers, DEC members, and non-members alike, to build their critical consciousness related to the need to disrupt structural racism and ableism and (re)build DEC's resource system into one that prioritizes equity.

Effective collaboration among team members is a fundamental responsibility for all Early Intervention (EI) professionals. EI can be described as a particular type of service and support for infants and toddlers with delays/disabilities under three and their families provided through Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Teaming and collaboration in EI are complex and require providers from different disciplines to work together to achieve the best outcomes for young children and their families. This article presents elements, supported by literature, experts, and Recommended Practices (RPs) in the field, which may strengthen teaming and collaboration (TC) practices.

Ensuring providers have the knowledge and skills they need to be able to provide families with navigation support while they orient to the idea of an ASD diagnosis is crucial. Doing so may help families to feel supported and increase access to meaningful services. Project ECHO is an evidence- based approach to delivering and facilitating high-quality, virtual case-based support, training, and opportunities for collaboration among participants. ECHO reduces barriers to effective multidisciplinary collaboration by providing dedicated time to engage in case-based learning while eliminating issues related to accessibility.

Parents may experience a range of emotions when hearing that their child may be on the autism spectrum, including shock or denial (Martins et al., 2021). While hearing the word "autism" can be challenging for families, early identification of autism (also referred to as autism spectrum disorder [ASD]) allows families more time to process the diagnosis and find the best supports for their unique child. The purpose of this manuscript is to give providers an evidence-informed process that will guide them toward early conversations about autism with families using family-centered and culturally responsive best practices.

Therapeutic playgroups have potential to benefit families and children enrolled in early intervention. A pretest-posttest, mixed methods, sequential explanatory design was utilized to explore the effectiveness and feasibility of an 8-week SEE Me (Social Emotional Education) therapeutic playgroup delivered by a collaborative team of providers using a convenience sample of 28 parent and child dyad participants and 19 early intervention providers. Results indicated statistically significant improvements in parent efficacy and parent-child interaction (affection and responsiveness) following participation. Parents and providers highlighted the role of the parent and reported improvements in child engagement, social interaction, and skill development in successful playgroups. Play activities and objects, facilitator support, and parent capacity were rated as supports for feasible delivery; challenges included child engagement and program implementation. These results provide preliminary evidence for both the effectiveness and feasibility of providing therapeutic playgroups as part of comprehensive early intervention services.

Preschoolers' language abilities are associated with their social interactions in early childhood classrooms. Few studies, however, have examined associations between social interactions and objective measures of children's real-time classroom language environments, information key to informing interventions to support preschool children at risk for language delays. In this pilot study, we examined associations between objective measures of real-time language environments (input and output) recorded via the Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) system and observations of children's positive and negative interactions with peers and teachers in an early intervention classroom for children with developmental delays (n = 9, seven girls). Mixed effects regression models revealed associations between children's language environments (input and output) and their social interactions with peers and teachers. More talkative children were more likely to have a high number of positive peer interactions. Children who received more language input from teachers were more likely to have a higher number of positive teacher--child interactions, an effect that was stronger for children with the lowest language output. The results of this pilot study build on prior research by using real-time objective measurement to examine how children's language input from peers and teachers and children's own language output supports positive interactions within early intervention classrooms.

The value of early intervention is well demonstrated; however, less is known about the processes that initial evaluation teams use to evaluate and determine young children's eligibility for early intervention (EI) and preschool special education. The present study surveyed multidisciplinary early childhood providers (N = 1445) who conduct initial evaluations for young children. Quantitative survey data were analyzed using descriptive analyses to describe the location of initial evaluations, tools used, team membership, and approaches to eligibility determination for children with possible delays and disabilities. Evaluation practices varied greatly, but evaluation teams most often included early childhood special educators and speech and language pathologists, school psychologists or other specialists were less frequently involved. Eligibility approaches were also wide-ranging with percentage delay and standard deviation below the mean most often used; several challenges when determining eligibility were also described. Evaluations for EI and preschool special education were compared to look at variations. Statistically significant differences were found when comparing evaluations focused on eligibility for EI or preschool special education. Implications and future directions are explored.