Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children experience systematic barriers to equitable education due to intentional or unintentional ableist views that can lead to a general lack of awareness about the value of natural sign languages, and insufficient resources supporting sign language development. Furthermore, an imbalance of information in favor of spoken languages often stems from a phonocentric perspective that views signing as an inferior form of communication that also hinders development of spoken language. To the contrary, research demonstrates that early adoption of a natural sign language confers critical protection from the risks of language deprivation without endangering spoken language development. In this position paper, we draw attention to deep societal biases about language in information presented to parents of DHH children, against early exposure to a natural sign language. We outline actions that parents and professionals can adopt to maximize DHH children's chances for on-time language development.

The Latino community has been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in unique challenges. This paper explores the lived experiences of five Spanish-speaking Latina mothers of young children receiving early childhood special education (ECSE) services during the pandemic. Through in-depth qualitative interviews, this paper focuses on the following research questions: (1) What barriers have Spanish-speaking Latino families encountered in ECSE service delivery during this pandemic? (2) How have families overcome those barriers? Latina mothers describe how despite encountering numerous barriers to ECSE service delivery during the pandemic, they also experienced key areas of support and strength. We discuss how ECSE professionals can leverage these sources of support and strength in a culturally responsive manner to better support the Latino community through the pandemic. By presenting interviews with Latina mothers, this paper offers a unique interpretation of their experience, which is often left out of educational research.

Authors conducted a systematic literature review on early identification steps leading at-risk young children to connect with Part C services. Authors classified data collection settings as primary (settings for general population) or specialized (settings for children at risk of developmental delay) and according to the phases of early identification in the study: (a) original population of children aged 0 to 6 years who had received Part C services, (b) screening and/or referral and/or developmental assessment from 0 through age 2 years, and (c) were deemed eligible and/or received Part C services. Authors identified 43 articles including at least two phases of the early identification process. The literature about connecting children to Part C early intervention (EI) is sparse and fragmented; few studies document the full process from community monitoring to service receipt. Results indicate opportunities for development of systems to better track and improve the identification of young children in need of EI.

Generalizability and decision studies provide a mathematical framework for quantifying the stability of a given number of measurements. This approach is especially relevant to the task of obtaining a representative measure of communicative behavior in young children and supports an alternative to the debate regarding which type of assessment yields the most representative scores. The current paper provides a report of a generalizability and decision study on 63 toddlers with developmental delay who were treated for 6 months using an intervention that targeted communication and vocabulary goals. Two variables - rate of intentional communication acts and rate of different words - were measured across three assessment contexts at four communication sampling periods. Results verified that measurement stability increased with time and development for both variables, regardless of the type of assessment procedure used.

Preschool experience plays a role in children's development. However, for programs with language and early literacy goals, the question remains whether or not preschool instructional experiences are sufficiently effective to achieve these goals for all children. In a multisite study, we conducted a process-product description of preschool instruction and children's growth and outcomes in typical programs (i.e., Pre-Kindergarten, Title 1, Head Start, Tuition-Based) using a Response to Intervention (RTI) perspective. Results indicated that (a) students in their preschool year prior to kindergarten made small gains, but students starting the year in lower Tier 2 and 3 performance levels did not close initial skills gaps, (b) variations were noted by program types with varying socio-demographics and instructional processes, and (c) the quality of instruction (Tier 1) received by all was low with room for improvement. Implications for future research on the application of the RTI approach and potential benefits are discussed.

High stress and burnout are common for early childhood special educators, contributing to high rates of attrition, diminished educational effectiveness, and high turnover. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a promising approach for the prevention and treatment of a wide variety of problems. Using a randomized wait-list control design, this pilot study evaluated whether ACT workshops delivered to preschool teachers who serve children with developmental disabilities would improve stress-related problems of teachers (i.e., stress, depression, and burnout) and increase collegial support. At pretest, measures of (EA) and (MA) showed significant relationships to reports of depression, stress, and burnout. The intervention reduced staff members' EA, increased teachers' MA and (VL), and improved teachers' sense of efficacy. This suggests that ACT workshops can help influence factors affecting depression, stress, and burnout in an early childhood special education setting.

Young children with multiple disabilities have unique needs and challenges. Many of these young children struggle to communicate their wants and needs, to freely move their body to access and engage their world, and to learn abstract concepts and ideas. Professionals and families working together must identify the individual supports each child needs to ensure that the young child with multiple disabilities is an active participant in all aspects of their lives and makes meaningful progress toward valued life outcomes.

Young children with developmental disabilities may be at heightened risk for experiencing problem behavior. Evidence suggests that inappropriate behavior in young children may be related to negative parent-child interactions. Parent education and support programs have a long history of utility and effectiveness in reducing negative parent-child interactions and behavior problems. Although these programs may be effective in preventing and resolving childhood behavioral problems, not every family benefits uniformly. This article discusses how a three-tier model of intervention can be applied to parent education for young children with developmental disabilities in the context of early childhood education programs. Furthermore, the authors discuss how a problem-solving model can be used to make decisions regarding intervention provision.