The recent history of early intervention services for children who are vulnerable and their families in the United States has certainly been one of progressive expansion and refinement. The model projects operating in select communities or university settings and the beginnings of more widespread programs in the 1960s and 1970s have been transformed into a vibrant and visible national program p...

There is significant variability in treatment outcomes across different interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and between individuals receiving the same intervention. This is likely related to the considerable phenotypic variability in ASD, which is posited to arise from a developmental cascade whereby a primary deficit in attention to social stimuli leads ultimately to widespread an...

Infants begin to learn language in the earliest months of life. In the absence of early identification and intervention, infants who are deaf or hard-of-hearing experience significant and lasting deficits in language learning, academic achievement, social-emotional development, and quality of life. Evidence is mounting that early identification of infants who are deaf or hard of hearing through...

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication skills as well as repetitive, restricted or stereotyped behaviors (1). Early interventionists are often found at the forefront of assessment, evaluation, and early intervention services for children with ASD. The role of an early intervention specialist may include assessing de...

Family-based preventive intervention has emerged as a promising modality for preventing antisocial behavior problems in youth. This article introduces an intensive, family-based preventive intervention for high-risk adolescents: Multidimensional Family Prevention. Multidimensional Family Prevention combines the advantages of standard prevention models (curriculum based and protection focused) w...

This single subject design study examined two models of intervention: Denver Model (which merges behavioral, developmental, and relationship-oriented intervention), and PROMPT (a neuro-developmental approach for speech production disorders). Ten young, nonverbal children with autism were matched in pairs and randomized to treatment. They received 12 1-h weekly sessions of therapy and daily 1-h ...

AIM This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a parent education program, the Happy Parenting program, for Chinese preschool children with developmental disabilities. METHODS This study adopted randomized controlled trial design without blinding. Participants were randomized into intervention group (n=62) who were offered the Happy Parenting program delivered by educational psychologists a...

objective neuromuscular characteristics in down syndrome result in generalized muscular hypotonia, developmental delays and sensory integration deficits. the aim of this study was to compare the effects of simultaneous sensory stimulations and current occupational therapy approaches on motor functions development of infants with down syndrome. materials & methods eighteen infants with down synd...