Implementing Early Intervention: From Research to Effective Practice

The passage of Public Law 99-457 mandates the creation of early intervention service delivery systems for infants, toddlers, and young children. In addition, the recent passage of Part H stresses interagency linkages, holistic services, and a shift to family-centered early intervention. While there is a clear need for reform in children's services, translating the mandates into effective practices poses a major challenge for practitioners and program directors alike. Addressing the need for a single, accessible text that presents the best practices for service deliveries to fulfill all the requirements of recently enacted Public Laws, this book offers an up-to-date resource of the most current theory and practice.

The book opens with an examination of the concept of early intervention from a theoretical standpoint. It includes an extensive overview of the evolution of early intervention and an in-depth discussion of the issues surrounding definitions, especially in terms of how they impact early intervention dollars. Practical information regarding eligibility and utilization of services and effective methods for screening are provided.

Chapters then apply theory to practice, interpreting state and federal policies with an emphasis on Part H. Techniques are presented to help families assess their concerns and priorities, and guidelines are outlined for setting up intervention programs. In one chapter, these guidelines are tailored specifically to the needs of infants and toddlers, and instruments are reviewed for the practitioner. Throughout, early intervention experts answer fundamental questions about building program models, provide the research basis for full inclusion, and offer strategies for creating optimum working environments.

Chapters covering budgetary concerns, analyze the financial ramifications of Part H and examine cost information, a critical component in the creation of intervention programs. A methodology for forecasting costs is presented, and sources for potential funding are reviewed, highlighting those that are available but under utilized. Finally, the book summarizes policy issues relevant to Part H, and analyzes its implications from both a state and national perspective, including discussion on the impact of diversity. Throughout, each chapter reviews the research, major issues, and offers guidelines for translating research into best practices.

Providing the context for services, detailed information about specific and frequently conducted services, and suggestions for future state and federal policy, IMPLEMENTING EARLY INTERVENTION is a necessary reference for all professionals operating under the mandate of Public Law 99-457 and Part H. As such, it is must reading for anyone who sets up or works in early intervention settings.

Donna Bryant, Ph.D., is the Director of Family and Child Care Research Program at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center at the University of North Carolina. The Center is a fully inclusive model of family-focused, educational child care that serves 62 children from infancy to age 5. Other ongoing projects include a study of Head Start to public school transitions, a community-based demonstration of home- and center-based intervention for infants from disadvantaged families, and an evalution of North Carolina'a new initiatives to enhance child care and family services.

Mimi A. Graham, Ed.D., is Associate Professor in Research at Florida State University's Center for Prevention and Early Intervention Policy, where she conducts policy research on at-risk infants and toddlers and their families. A designer of instructional training modules, she has conducted "Train the Trainer" workshops statewide on early intervention issues. She began her career as a Head Start Director in rural Virginia and served as principal of the Mailman Center for Child Development/Debbie School at the University of Miami Medical School. She was Education Director of the Robert Wood Johnson Miami site of the National Collaborative Infant Health and Development Program and is currently Project Director of a Florida replication of that study through the Centers for Disease Control.