Catherine Corr

The Components of Early Intervention Services for Families Living in Poverty A Review of the Literature

The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act mandates that very young children with disabilities be served through Part C services. Families of young children with disabilities who are also living in poverty are often the primary recipients of these services. To better understand the experiences of families, particularly those living in poverty, within the early intervention (EI) system, we reviewed four EI components: (a) family-centered orientation, (b) natural learning environments, (c) collaborative team processes, and (d) service integration. We discuss the implications of these components for the preparation and training of EI providers to work with families, including those living in poverty.

Court-Appointed Special Advocate Strong Beginnings: raising awareness across early childhood and child welfare systems

Abuse or neglect and disability often go hand in hand. Unfortunately, most professionals who work with maltreated young children are not aware of early childhood and disability-related resources and services available. In order to raise awareness across early childhood and child welfare systems, a five-week advanced training for volunteer child advocates, entitled Court-Appointed Special Advocate Strong Beginnings, was created. The pilot programme and formative evaluation are highlighted. Upon completion of the training, advocates reported being better prepared and more informed about both early childhood and child welfare systems. Future directions for raising awareness across the child welfare and early childhood special education communities are discussed.

Abuse and Young Children With Disabilities: A Review of the Literature

Legislation in the United States, such as the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act and the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act, mandates service system collaboration to meet the complex needs of young children with disabilities who have experienced abuse. This literature review examines extant literature related to young children with disabilities who have experienced abuse. Gaps in the literature are identified and future directions are discussed.

Beyond "Hoping for the Best": Home Visits in Impoverished Urban Areas.

Vol. 21 No. 2, June 2018 YOUNG EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN The primary author hosted a series of focus groups with early intervention (EI) professionals in a large midwestern urban area. Participants were asked to share their experiences supporting families who live in poverty and also receive EI services. Although positive experiences and successes were discussed, many EI professionals noted that when they make home visits in urban areas with high poverty, they often felt that they were just “hoping for the best.” Here are three brief vignettes detailing the situations EI professionals experienced when working with families living in poverty:

When Life Gets in the Way: The Complexities of Supporting Families Who Have a Child with Autism and Live in Poverty

This chapter discusses the challenges that families of very young children with autism who are living in poverty face when trying to support the child as well as the complexities that practitioners face when working with these families. What is known about the challenges of autism for families and the challenges of poverty for families is examined. Evidenced-based family-centered practices that when used by practitioners enhance parents’ confidence and competence are presented. In the last section, scenarios where family-centered practices are helpful when early interventionists are dealing with these complex situations are presented.

The Developmental Benefits of Parent-Child Interaction: Perspectives of Filipino Mothers of Children With and Without Disabilities

ABSTRACT In this article, the authors explored mothers’ descriptions of the benefits of interacting with their infants and toddlers with and without diagnosed disabilities. Interview data from 40 Filipino mothers, 20 mothers of children with a diagnosed disability, and 20 mothers of typically developing children were analyzed. Using qualitative methods, the authors identified several themes of child benefits that emerged from the data: (1) develop child’s competence, (2) develop child’s confidence, (3) strengthen child’s bonds with his or her mother and other caregivers, (4) promote the development and expression of child’s unique personality, and (5) support child’s moral and spiritual growth. These themes are described and illustrated for children with and without disabilities, and similarities and differences are noted. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.