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Parent involvement and regular communication between families and their child's school is a hallmark of a high-quality early childhood program. Yet practitioners may struggle to regularly communicate and connect with all families in a meaningful way. Teachers report feeling unprepared to communicate effectively with families, especially those from cultural and linguistic backgrounds different from their own. When traditional modes of parent-teacher communication do not serve all families, practitioners must consider other methods for sharing information. This article explores alternative ways early childhood practitioners working in group care settings (e.g., child care centers, preschools, etc.) can share information with families using mobile technologies as a support. The authors propose that these technologies can be used to support parents and share information about children across all age ranges.

Differential outcome and differential response to research-based interventions are challenging issues for researchers, teachers, and families of young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this article, the authors present information on responders to an early education program, Project DATA (Developmentally Appropriate Treatment for Autism), designed for children with ASD. Using case study methods, the authors identified six themes that were associated with optimal responders. The themes include the following: responders made continual progress, their challenging behaviors served clear functions, teachers were able to identify motivators, responders became sociable, they learned efficiently in group arrangements, and they generalized new skills. Findings are discussed in terms of implications for individualizing intervention approaches within the context of comprehensive treatment models.

Impairment in the development of reciprocal social interaction and other social skills is one of the defining characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). There is a need for assessment tools that will help guide social skills interventions and document outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the potential usefulness of two behavior rating scales with young children with ASD in an early childhood program. The results showed that the two social skills measures, the SSRS and PKBS, had adequate psychometric properties in terms of internal consistency, construct validity, convergent validity, and criterion validity with the AEPS, and were found to be predictive of how the tests would function when assessing young children with ASD in a natural setting. However, their usefulness in detecting social skills progress over time or intervention outcomes for young children with ASD may not be satisfactory.

What does it mean to provide an appropriate program to toddlers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)? As the number of children with ASD continues to increase, this opening question is one that parents, providers, researchers, advocates, and taxpayers struggle with on a daily basis. Boyd and colleagues (2010 [this issue]), in their thoughtful review, begin to describe what researchers suggest may meet the needs of young children with ASD and their families. These authors applaud their careful analysis and the propaedeutic description they provide of what are evidence-based practices and common elements across comprehensive treatment models for toddlers with ASD. Nevertheless, the authors are concerned that they did not discuss the gross discrepancies between the types of services that are recommended by researchers and what services most families receive in Part C programs. As a field, there is a need to carefully consider what provision of appropriate early intervention services might mean for Part C providers, families, and administrators if all infants and toddlers with ASD had access to a "comprehensive treatment model" through a publicly funded program. The purpose of this commentary is to consider what Boyd and colleagues' recommendations might mean for Part C and its consumers and participants. Specifically, the authors want to pose two fundamental questions for the field to ponder under the larger umbrella question "What is the role and responsibility of publicly financed programs in meeting the needs of toddlers with ASD and their families?" Their questions are about access and outcomes: (1) What are the issues surrounding equal access to the diagnosis of ASD?; and (2) What are the issues surrounding equal access to interventions using evidence-based strategies for children with ASD?

The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children is a professional association whose responsibility is to develop and disseminate standards of practice related to young children with special needs and their families. The intention is to identify practices that result in high-quality early intervention/early childhood special education (EI/ECSE) programs, services, and supports that have a positive impact on both child and family outcomes. DEC's Recommended Practices were developed in 1993 and updated, revised, and expanded in 1998. Through a project called "Bridging the Gap" funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the DEC studied the implementation of the Recommended Practices. In this project, the DEC partnered with two inclusive early childhood programs (a public school preschool program and a community-based program serving children from birth to age 5) to identify strategies for using the DEC Recommended Practices for program improvement and, theoretically, to improve outcomes for children. The experiences of these programs in using the DEC materials and implementing the Recommended Practices has led to many lessons learned and strategies to help others implement the practices and improve their services for children with disabilities. This article describes how to use the practices and some of the lessons learned from working with these programs. Specifically, it describes a series of seven sets of activities that facilitate a programs implementation: (a) getting started; (b) identifying a set of practices for initial focus; (c) assessing implementation; (d) using assessment information to improve practice; (e) reassessing, celebrating, and planning; and (f) planning for the future. (Contains 4 tables.)

Because more children under the age of 3 years are being diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), early interventionists face the challenge of identifying appropriate programs to meet the unique needs of very young children with ASD and their families. Project DATA (Developmentally Appropriate Treatment for Autism) for Toddlers is an inclusive early intervention program for children between 1 year and 3 years old who have been diagnosed with ASD and is based on an existing program for preschoolers with ASD at the University of Washington. Project DATA for Toddlers uses the effective preschool model and makes modifications to meet the unique developmental needs of toddlers. In this article, the authors describe the components of Project DATA for Toddlers and present preliminary findings, specifically, child outcome data from the areas of cognition, communication, self-regulation, functional skills, and elementary school placement. They also discuss the implications for early intervention service delivery programs.

The collection and use of data are generally accepted as important educational practices. Nevertheless, evidence exists that interventionists' data collection practices tend to be infrequent and nonsystematic. This study investigated the perspectives of early childhood interventionists about the use of data in their classrooms. Perspectives about the use of data for monitoring children's progress, improving instruction, and communicating with families and other professionals also were studied. Participants were teachers, assistant teachers, and therapists in an integrated setting. Participants identified a number of perceived barriers, including the nature of the setting, management issues, lack of time and skill, and the nature of individualized education programs. Implications for improving the data collection practices of early childhood interventionists are discussed.

Presents eight synthesis points from the Early Childhood Research Institute on Inclusion. Notes that: inclusion is about belonging and participating in a diverse society; individuals define inclusion differently; inclusion beliefs influence implementation; programs should be ready for inclusion; collaboration is the cornerstone to effective inclusion; specialized instruction is important; adequate support is necessary; and inclusion can benefit all children. (KB)

Presents case studies of three children with autism who received educational services in a public-school-affiliated early childhood program during preschool and kindergarten and have had positive outcomes. All children made substantial developmental and academic progress, entered elementary school in inclusive settings, and continue to thrive. (Author/CR)

This article describes TORCH infections, a congenital cluster of infections including toxoplasmosis, syphilis, rubella, cytomegalovirus, and herpes which often results in developmental disabilities for infected children. Methods of transmission, incidence, and developmental outcomes for common TORCH infections are described, as are program implications for early intervention. (Author/PB)

This article reviews experimental studies of home-based early interventions for infants at biological risk and their families. The paper presents a description of developmental interventions in intensive care nurseries, a rationale for continuing developmental interventions (in particular, home-based services), and implications for early intervention service providers. (Author/JDD)

Three frequently used procedures for analyzing developmental outcomes (developmental age, developmental quotient, and prediction indices) were compared using data from an early intervention program for 29 handicapped children (birth to age three). The procedures led to different conclusions regarding program effectiveness. Alternative measures of child progress are offered. (Author/DB)

The Computer-Assisted Program (CAP) serves 42 developmentally delayed or otherwise educationally underserved children (ages 0-3) who live in remote areas of the United States or overseas and lack access to early intervention programs. The program develops individualized computer generated Home Activity Packages and monitors child progress. Preliminary evaluation data are positive.(DB)

The interrater reliability of three interaction scales--the Maternal Behavior Rating Scale, the Rating Scales of Mother-Child Interaction, and the Teaching Skills Inventory--were estimated with four statistical techniques. The estimates varied widely, both within and across the three interaction scales. Suggestions are offered to help researchers decide which approach to use. (Author/JDD)