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The purpose of the current study was to examine what caregivers with children who have disabilities desire regarding inclusive recreational facilities and playgrounds for their children, the constraints that affect their recreational opportunities for the family as a whole, and the dream recreational facilities and playgrounds that would support families in overcoming social participation constraints. This study involved 491 caregivers. Results showed that caregivers (a) take their families to recreational facilities and visit them often, (b) indicated that their child with a disability could not fully participate in the facility's offerings, (c) felt that recreational facilities and playgrounds were not appropriate for their child with a disability, and (d) dreamed of a recreational facility and playground that met the needs of "all" family members. Results and implications are discussed by disability category.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the overall effectiveness of a three-tier model of positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS), which was developed and tested in Head Start (HS) programs. Ten HS classrooms from five HS programs participated in the current study. Results indicated that PBIS was effective in improving classroom quality as evidenced by a statistically significant change on the classroom organization domain on the Classroom Assessment Scoring System and the overall score on the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale-Revised. We also found that children's social skills on the Social Skills Rating System significantly increased from the pre- to post-assessment whereas problem behaviors on the Child Behavior Checklist decreased. The data described here are encouraging and add to the expanding database supporting the value of the three-tier model of PBIS.

Schools and communities typically design and build playgrounds with little knowledge that the selected playground equipment meets the needs of children, caregivers, and teachers. In this article, the various categories of playgrounds are discussed and analyzed. The focus of this discussion includes an overview of the legal requirements and guidelines for school and community playgrounds, a description of prior research highlighting the inadequacies in currently available playgrounds, and an explanation of the trends in playground design over the years. We relate these topics to the need for universally designed playgrounds and a deeper commitment to designing playgrounds and play equipment that is empirically tested and meets the needs of all children, their teachers, and their families. By discussing practical examples and research findings to illustrate the gap between playground manufacturers and their play equipment and playground consumers, this paper serves as a meaningful resource for teachers and other stakeholders so they have the knowledge to advocate for their students with disabilities in playground endeavors. Taking recent research findings into account, we provide a vision for playground policy change.

The most researched and effective practice for instructing children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is applied behavior analysis (ABA; Baer, Wolf, & Risley, 1968; Reichow, 2012; Smith & Eikeseth, 2011; Virués-Ortega, 2010). ABA is a scientific approach to systematic instruction, data collection, and data analysis based on observable behaviors and measurable outcomes (Baer et al., 1968). One commonly used procedure in ABA is discrete trial training (DTT). DTT is a heavily researched instructional strategy for children with ASD (Smith, 2001) across a variety of skill acquisition tasks (language, daily living skills, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, etc.). A discrete trial is a small unit of instruction, consisting of five parts: (1) presentation of stimulus and establishing operation; (2) prompt; (3) response from child (or nonresponse); (4) consequence; and (5) intertrial interval (brief pause before next cue is presented; Smith, 2001). Discrete trials are ideally implemented in a distraction free setting, although, when teaching in a classroom, this is not always possible. This article offers early childhood special educators a step-by-step guide with a framework, rooted in evidence, for teaching nonvocal children with ASD to use speech-generating devices to effectively communicate.

The importance of play to children's overall development is well-documented. One of the relevant contexts in which play is both supported and observed is the outdoor playground. There are variations in playgrounds for which multiple forms of knowledge are required in their design and development. Indeed, fully addressing the complexity of child, family, school, and community interests and needs when designing and developing playgrounds is beyond the scope of any single disciplinary perspective. Thus, the convergence of knowledge of personnel representing different disciplines and community members is crucial for developing innovative playgrounds that allow children to develop, make friends, and play as equals. Despite this need, there is a significant divide in how the different personnel approach playground design. In this position paper, we consider efforts to collaboratively bridge the gap between stakeholders and offer steps for engaging in a shared educational approach to interprofessional collaborative playground design. We describe the overarching context of both the academic and business environments; differing logics; time concerns; communication practices, rigor and relevance, and interests and incentives. We consider efforts to collaboratively bridge the gap between stakeholders and offer steps for engaging in a shared educational approach to interprofessional collaborative playground design and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study involving 244,610 children (ages 6-8) investigated birth risk factors for learning disabilities. Very low birth weight, low 5- minute Apgar score, and low maternal education were associated with highest individual-level risk. Low maternal education, late or no prenatal care, and tobacco use were associated with highest population-level risk. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

The purpose of the current study was to survey and interview caregivers of children with disabilities (ages 2-5 years) to obtain their input as to whether current playground equipment meets their child's needs. A total of 149 participants agreed to participate. Caregivers (i) indicated that their child with a disability could not fully participate in the playground's offerings, (ii) felt that the playground was not appropriate for their child with a disability and (iii) dreamed of a fully inclusive playground that met their child's needs. The results also demonstrate that social participation barriers continue to remain for families who have children with disabilities despite the passing of international human rights standards targeting individuals with disabilities and a global focus in improving the overall well-being of children with disabilities.

A substantial challenge confronting public education systems across the world is the employment and retention of high-quality paraprofessionals (also known as teaching assistants and educational assistants). The current study expands upon previous research by employing a mixed methods design to examine the relationship between paraprofessionals' perceptions of their responsibilities and the corresponding satisfaction and issues relating to their job in the USA. Analytic induction through the generation of themes was used to analyse the qualitative data and revealed that paraprofessionals perceive or demonstrate issues relating to three primary domains: confusion of responsibilities in different contexts, relational power dynamics between paraprofessionals and teachers, and satisfaction based on both monetary compensation and recognition. In addition to the qualitative findings, researchers designed the paraprofessional perception survey, a quantitative survey measuring the concept of paraprofessional perceptions relating to their job. Results from the survey analysis revealed similar findings across domains. Additional results, practice implications and directions for future research are discussed.

The perceptions and beliefs of 303 special education professionals toward currently available playgrounds in their school or community were examined. Survey respondents (a) indicated that their students with a disability could not fully participate in their school or community's playground offerings, (b) discussed the need for a peer buddy program on the school or community playground setting, and (c) dreamed of a fully inclusive playground that meets the needs of "all" students with and without disabilities. Implications of these findings for playground developers and special education professionals are discussed in terms of universal design facilities and a need to also include social-emotional intervention.

The current study evaluated the play behaviors of children with disabilities (e.g., developmental delays, specific language impairment) who participated in a social communication intervention targeting skills such as initiations, responses, name use, proximity, and turn-taking. Three children who were enrolled in an inclusive classroom met the inclusion criteria. A multiple baseline design was used to determine the effects of the intervention. The social communication intervention was highly effective for all children in increasing the rate of parallel play behaviors. Several implications for practice were derived from the findings. By teaching children social communication strategies, the quality of social interactions that children have with their peers is likely to improve. The intervention offers a more systematic technique for teaching social communication and play skills than do informal strategies commonly used by teachers. Social validity assessments indicated that teachers found the intervention acceptable and produced important changes in behavior.

Teachers play an important role in expanding and supporting children's play and interactions with peers. This manuscript provides specific guidelines for interventions teachers can use to promote successful peer interactions in preschool settings. The strategies discussed include: (a) preparing the physical environment for play (e.g., toy selection, themes); (b) entering and exiting children's play gracefully, (c) using talk to promote play episodes and social interactions, and (d) selecting the most appropriate intervention strategies based on direct obeservation.

The purpose of this demonstration was to evaluate a universal intervention during teacher-identified routines that were characterized by significant classwide problem behavior. Six Head Start classrooms (seven groups of children, with one classroom divided into two groups) received two workshops and two coaching sessions on universal Positive Behavior Support. Participating teams were taught to use an antecedent-behavior-consequence problem-solving process and to develop and implement action plans addressing prevent-teach-respond (PTR) strategies to improve targeted routines. Following intervention, children's inappropriate behavior decreased to below baseline levels in all six classrooms. Intervention fidelity in all six classrooms averaged 82.6% for the total intervention. Social validity ratings indicated that interventions were feasible for use in their classrooms and had positive effects on students and staff. This program evaluation suggests that, with support, preschool classroom teams can apply assessment-based action plans using PTR strategies to reduce the inappropriate behavior of students during difficult classroom routines.

The current study evaluated the peer-to-peer interactions of at-risk children enrolled in Head Start who participated in a social pragmatic intervention targeting skills such as initiations, responses, name use, proximity, and turn-taking skills. Eight Head Start classroom teams received two workshops and two coaching sessions and were taught to use an antecedent-behavior-consequence problem-solving process to develop and implement action plans addressing prevent-teach-respond strategies to improve targeted routines. Nine out of 10 children showed increases in average percentage of interactive play behavior from baseline to intervention. Nine of the 10 children targeted for participation in the social pragmatic intervention showed decreases in average noninteractive play from baseline. Social validity ratings obtained from participants indicated that training materials and procedures were feasible for use in Head Start classrooms and intervention had positive effects on study participants.

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the turn-taking skills of children with and without disabilities who participated in a social communication intervention targeting peer-directed initiations and responses. Eight children met the selection criteria for inclusion in the study. A multiple baseline design across participants (dyads) was used to determine the effects of the social communication intervention. All eight participants showed increases of initiations with an immediate peer response. Follow-up assessments showed that the effects were maintained in the return to baseline condition but did not generalize into the classroom setting. Classroom teachers found the intervention procedures and the behavioral changes in participants to be socially valid. Several implications for practice can be derived from the findings of the present study. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)

Social skill acquisition is an essential step in young children's development with lasting implications for the quality of social experiences throughout life. Difficulties with social skill acquisition may be related to delays in physical development, communication methods, and/or social awareness that limit one's ability to progress along a typical social developmental trajectory. These limitations may contribute to social delays that lead young children with disabilities to fall behind their typically developing peers beginning as early as birth. Teaching social skills to young children with disabilities as early as possible may help to develop a foundation on which appropriate social behaviors can develop. Early childhood special education (ECSE) classrooms provide a natural environment for implementing effective social skill interventions. Whether ECSE classrooms include typically developing children, opportunities for social interaction are abundant. In this article, the authors introduce intervention strategies for increasing social competence in young children enrolled in ECSE classrooms. (Contains 4 tables.)

This study used interviews and classroom observation to follow up a survey of 78 Head Start staff from five programs in the mid-Atlantic region. The purpose of the study was to collect additional details about administrator and staff needs in regard to addressing children's challenging behavior in order to design a PBS in-service intervention. Interviews were conducted with 45 adults from the same preschool sample, and direct observation occurred in 10 classrooms. Similar to prior survey results, it was found that interview respondents (a) listed externalizing behaviors as the predominant challenging behavior, (b) identified prevention and replacement methods for addressing problem behavior, and (c) indicated that families of children with challenging behavior were given opportunities to be involved in intervention planning and implementation. However, interview and observation results further exposed the use of reactive practices and revealed five primary barriers to addressing children's challenging behavior. Finally, interview respondents reported that all programs had defined procedures they followed when children exhibited challenging behavior that in most programs was based on a traditional, child-focused, mental health approach rather than on a comprehensive systems approach like positive behavior support. (Contains 1 table.)

We examined the self-reported practices of Head Start personnel toward children's problem behavior in order to design an intervention for preschool personnel that was compatible with their needs. This study involved 78 Head Start staff from five programs in the Mid-Atlantic region. Participants were asked to respond to four questions concerning their practices for addressing their students' problem behaviors. We found that survey respondents (a) listed externalizing behaviors as the predominant challenging behavior, (b) identified prevention and replacement methods for addressing problem behavior, (c) indicated that families of children with challenging behavior were involved in intervention planning and implementation, and (d) reported a need for additional training on classroom management and positive behavior support. Participants also were asked to respond to four conflict scenarios that were designed to measure how teachers would handle problem behavior situations. The majority of participants' responses received a medium rating on a scale of low, medium, or high. Implications of these findings for preschool programs were discussed in terms of professional development and improved needs assessment measures. (Contains 1 figure and 3 tables.)

Play allows preschoolers to use creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, motor, cognitive, language, and socioemotional abilities (Ginsberg, 2007). Play gives children the opportunity to be creative, develop their verbal skills, and learn how to get along with their peers. Skills that children learn during play include sharing, negotiating, resolving conflicts, and making decisions. Adults play a crucial role in expanding and supporting children's play, particularly in terms of helping children interact with peers (Vygotsky, 1962). Children with disabilities and delays often lack the skills they need to enter into and maintain play with others (Kamps & Tankersley, 1996; Stanton-Chapman, Denning, & Jamison, 2008). Adults may need to scaffold or support the child by providing hints or assistance to help them enter into and benefit from interactions with their typically developing peers (Goldstein, English, Shafer, & Kaczmarek, 1997; Stanton-Chapman, Kaiser, & Wolery, 2006). This article provides specific guidelines for interventions to promote peer interactions in preschool settings. The strategies to be discussed include: (1) naturalistic intervention strategies; (2) milieu teaching strategies; and (3) incidental teaching strategies. (Contains 1 table.)

The current study evaluated the turn-taking skills of preschoolers with disabilities who participated in a social communication intervention that targeted initiations, responses, and turn-taking skills, and taught children to repair and revise and to avoid interruptions and overlaps. Ten children who enrolled in an inclusive at-risk classroom met the inclusion criteria. A multiple baseline design across two dyads replicated across three additional dyads was used to determine the effects of the intervention. The social communication intervention was highly effective for five children, moderately effective for three children, and mildly effective for two children in increasing the rate of initiations with an immediate peer response from baseline to intervention. The social communication intervention was highly effective for one child, moderately effective for three children, mildly effective for two children, and ineffective for four children in improving turn-taking skills. Generalization results showed that nine out of ten participants demonstrated increased peer play following the intervention, increased levels of child-initiated interactions with a positive peer response, and decreased levels of solitary play. Several implications for practice were derived from the findings. By teaching children turn-taking strategies, the quality of social interactions that children have with their peers is likely to improve. The intervention offers a more systematic technique for teaching social communication and play skills than do informal strategies commonly used by teachers. Social validity assessments indicated that teachers found the intervention acceptable and produced important changes in behavior.

Children's social skills are an important class of learned behaviors that facilitate success in the classroom; the primary method used in the assessment of social skills involves having parents or teachers complete standardized checklists using judgments of frequency or intensity. Children's (N = 1,102) social skills were modeled as time-varying predictors of student achievements within a latent growth curve model that allowed for estimation of student level variation and the possibility of non-linear achievement growth across 4-5 years of age and grades one, three, and five. Separate models were examined to determine whether ratings provided by mothers' accounted for more achievement score variance than ratings provided by teachers', and multi-group time-varying conditional latent growth curve models were investigated for boys and girls separately by informant type. Results indicated that children's social skills accounted for levels of achievement score variance that were most pronounced at pre-school age, that teachers' ratings of children's social skills generally accounted for more achievement score variance than those obtained by mothers' regardless of the child's sex, and that the explanatory power of social skills for boys and girls was dependent upon the type of achievement considered. (Contains 1 figure and 4 tables.)

The present study examined whether deficits in inhibitory control in preschool-aged children are predictive of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and certain social difficulties in middle childhood, specifically third grade. Although many studies have examined the concurrent relationships among disinhibition, ADHD and social competence, few have focused on the preschool-aged population and the longitudinal relationship between early inhibition and later ADHD symptoms and social skills. Using a non-referred sample of children, laboratory measures of inhibition administered at 54 months of age, and parent/primary caregiver and teacher ratings of ADHD behaviors and social skills at third grade, the study revealed a significant but modest relationship between early disinhibition and later ADHD symptoms and social difficulties. Regression analysis indicated that early difficulties with inhibitory control could explain little of the variance in later inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity and social competence. (Contains 4 tables.)

Purpose: The current work examined which theory of reading development, the "cumulative reading trajectory or the compensatory trajectory of development," most accurately represents the reading trajectories of children with language difficulties (LD) relative to their peers with typical language (TL) skills. Specifically, initial levels of reading skills, overall rate of growth, and patterns of growth were examined. Method: Children were classified according to whether or not they exhibited LD at 54 months of age (LD n = 145; TL n = 653), using data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's Early Child Care Research Network (see NICHD, 1993). A latent shape growth curve model was used to model reading skills at 4 time points from preschool through fifth grade. Results: In comparison to children with TL, children with LD showed lower reading skills in preschool, but their overall reading growth was faster. All children developed the skills associated with reading more rapidly at earlier ages compared to later ages. Children with LD continued to exhibit reading skills that were substantially lower than those of children with TL during fifth grade. Conclusion: Results supported the compensatory trajectory of development. Speech-language pathologists are encouraged to adopt evidence-based practices in order to boost reading outcomes for children with LD beginning in preschool.

This study examined the effects of a multicomponent social communication intervention to promote language learning and peer-directed social interactions in preschool children with disabilities. Participants were eight children with developmental disabilities who met the specified criteria for the study. The intervention consisted of three components: (a) a planning period for instructional purposes, (b) a play session to practice skill, and (c) a brief reporting period to review skill performance. A multiple baseline design across two dyads replicated across two additional dyads were used. Results indicated an increase in peer-directed requests, verbal requests, and word diversity for 6 of the 8 participant postintervention. Implications of the results are discussed. (Contains 5 tables and 2 figures.)

We applied a public health approach to the study of mental retardation by providing a basic descriptive epidemiological analysis using a large statewide linked birth and public school record database (N = 327,831). Sociodemographic factors played a key role across all levels of mental retardation. Birthweight less than 1000 g was associated with the highest individual-level risk, but the impact varied considerably, depending on maternal educational level. Low maternal education was associated with the largest effects at the population level for mild and moderate/severe mental retardation. Focusing exclusively on specific biomedical causes is of little use in developing public health plans; a broader biosocial perspective reflecting the interactive complexity of the risk factors comprising the various etiological patterns is needed.

The effects of a multicomponent intervention strategy to increase peer-directed social communication in eight Head Start children at risk for poor language and social skill development were examined. The intervention consisted of three components: (a) a planning period, including reading a storybook that illustrated the play theme and use of the social pragmatic communication strategies, practice using vocabulary to be used in play, and choosing roles for the thematic activity; (b) a 10-min play session in which the interventionist coached children to interact while they played with the thematic related toys; and (c) a brief reporting period in which children reviewed their use of the social pragmatic strategies and specific vocabulary. A multiple-baseline design across dyads with pre- and postgeneralization probes was employed. Children increased their use of peer-directed communication over baseline levels, target vocabulary words, and other social pragmatic skills.

This study examined the social and behavioral characteristics of children with specific language impairment (SLI) as compared with a group of children with typically developing language skills (TL). The participants were 45 children (17 girls and 28 boys) with SLI and 53 children (27 girls and 26 boys) with TL. Maternal ratings of participants' social and behavioral characteristics were obtained using the "Social Skills Rating System" (Gresham & Elliott, 1990) and the "Child Behavior Checklist" (Achenbach, 1995). Analyses of variance revealed differences between the two groups of children in all areas of social skills as well as in specific indices of internalizing behaviors, although no differences were observed for externalizing behavior. The prevalence of clinically significant difficulties was significantly high in the area of social skills but not for behavioral problems. Implications of the results are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a prompt versus no prompt condition in combination with a peer-directed intervention package that targeted children with low language or behavior problems. The current study (a) tested two conditions of a multi-component intervention package to increase social interaction between peers, and (b) evaluated which condition of the intervention increased the use of positive verbalizations, social pragmatic strategies, and specific language forms. An alternating treatments design was used to compare the two variations of the intervention. Results of the study indicated no differential effects between the prompt and no prompt conditions. While the study does not add to the literature supporting the use of prompts in social interaction, results comparing baseline to intervention performance show promise for improving preschoolers' social communication skills. (Contains 3 tables and 3 figures.)

This study utilized an electronic data linkage method to examine the effects of risk factors present at birth on language development in preschool. The Preschool Language Scale-3 (PLS-3) was administered to 853 low-income children, and cumulative risk data were abstracted from linked birth records. At least one risk factor was present in 94% of this sample, while 39% were exposed to three or more risk factors. On average, a girl's PLS-3 Total Score decreased by 2.3 points with each risk factor; the average decrease for boys was 1.1 point per risk factor. The accumulation of multiple risk factors thus appears to increase the negative effects of poverty. Researchers are encouraged to use historical administrative data sets to support prevention and early identification efforts.

This study investigated birth risk factors for school-identified specific language impairment among 244,619 students. Very low birth weight, low 5-min Apgar scores, late or no prenatal care, high birth order and low maternal education were associated with high individual-level risk, and low maternal education and unmarried mothers were associated with highest population-level risk. (Contains references.) (Author/PB)