Shavaun M. Wall

Early Head Start: Identifying and Serving Children with Disabilities

Early Head Start (EHS) is a comprehensive, two-generation program that provides services to low-income families with children under the age of 3 years. As part of their mandate, staff members of EHS programs collaborate with other service providers in their local communities, including Part C and childcare providers. The incidence of disabilities among low-income children was tracked as part of the EHS Research and Evaluation Project. The incidence of indicators of disabilities (or potential disabilities) was extremely high (87%) among these very young children living in poverty; however, only 99 participating families (4.7% of the sample) received Part C services. Receipt of Part C services was related negatively to specific family characteristics (e.g., mother less well educated, being of color, not speaking English). Participation in EHS had a positive impact on receipt of Part C services.

Policy and Management Supports for Effective Service Integration in Early Head Start and Part C Programs

Effective service integration between Part C programs for infants and toddlers with disabilities and Early Head Start (EHS) offers opportunities to serve children with disabilities in natural environments and to provide a full range of comprehensive services for low income families. This study was a qualitative inquiry in five states and six local communities to learn how state and local administrators, direct care providers, and parents perceive the process of service integration in Part C and EHS. Through open-ended interviews, respondents shared perceptions of collaboration between the two programs at referral and intake, evaluation and individualized planning, service delivery, and transition out of the programs. Researchers sorted narrative material into categories through both thematic analysis and computerized software. Respondents perceive effective service integration to include administrative structures (e.g., interagency agreements, personnel policies), and interpersonal relationships among the direct providers and families involved. Parents emphasized structural factors such as a stable staff with minimal turnover, and interpersonal factors such as a comfortable and harmonious atmosphere among themselves and staff from the two programs. Staff stressed informal and open channels of communication, as well as clear and understandable procedures. Administrators highlighted joint trainings, policies coordinating schedules for evaluation and planning, and mutual respect for each others programs. Research, policy, and practice implications of the identified factors are discussed.

Child Care for Low-Income Children with Disabilities: Access, Quality, and Parental Satisfaction.

Using data from the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project, this study analyzed the similarities and differences of variables associated with child care services for low-income families with young children with disabilities and low-income families with typically developing children. Four major variables were analyzed: access to child care; maternal participation in self-sufficiency activities, such as work or education; quality of care; and parental satisfaction with care. Rates of child care utilization and maternal self sufficiency activities were similar for both groups. At age 3, however, children with disabilities received care of lower quality than their typically developing peers, and their parents were less satisfied with the child care arrangements. Policy and research implications, stressing the importance of improving child care quality for low-income children with disabilities across all types of settings, are presented.

Early Head Start and Access to Early Intervention Services: A Qualitative Investigation.

This qualitative study of 32 low-income families with infants or toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities (a) examines whether participation in one Early Head Start (EHS) program increased the likelihood that the families would pursue early intervention services, (b) identifies the phases through which the EHS families progressed in accessing such services, and (c) describes how EHS helped the families obtain access. The study analyzes data from interviews, program records, and research measures. The authors found that the EHS families obtained early intervention services at higher rates than the control families. Case studies illustrate how EHS staff developed individualized strategies to help the families obtain early intervention services.

Mother and Soldier: Raising a Child with a Disability in a Low-Income Military Family

This article presents the results of a study of six low-income women, each of whom is raising a child with a suspected or diagnosed disability while also serving as an active member of the armed forces. Their experiences as they attempt to strike a balance between the highly demanding work role of the military and their role as a mother of a child with disabilities are examined. This article also discusses the personal strengths these women display, the barriers they confront, the strategies they use to negotiate competing demands, and the impact of this effort on their personal and professional lives. Practice and policy implications are drawn for early intervention and family support programs.

An Investigation of Children's Perceptions of Dominance Relations

The factors which contribute to childrens perceptions of dominance are unclear although evidence for dominance hierarchies has been obtained through childrens rankings of toughness in their classes. Three potentially influential factors were examined in the present study: who is being ranked (self or other), where the child fits in the class hierarchy (high or low rank), and what terms are used for ranking (“gets own way” or “is toughest”). Fifty-two fourth grade students ranked themselves and their classmates on “own way” and “toughness” and then defined the terms. While the children differentiated the two terms in their definitions, their rankings produced overlapping hierarchies. For both terms, boys were ranked higher than girls. Dominance rankings of self and others varied according to hierarchy position and terms used for dominance behavior. Children in both the high and low groups on the hierarchies overranked themselves on “toughness” relative to class judgments. Both high- and low-group members slightly overranked others on “toughness.” In contrast, high-group members underranked themselves while low-group members overranked themselves in judgments of “own way.” Both groups only slightly underranked others on “own way.” A multidimensional approach to the study of perceived and observed dominance in children is recommended.

A comparison of parent and teacher reports of selected adaptive behaviors of children

Abstract Assessment of childrens adaptive behavior has been recommended for full multidimensional and nondiscriminatory evaluations. Additionally, previous research has reported discrepancies between teacher and parent reports on adaptive behavior. The purpose of this study was to compare mother and teacher reports on two scales from the Adaptive Behavior Inventory for Children of the System of Multicultural and Pluralistic Assessment (SOMPA). Black students from second through fourth grades (N = 24; 4 males and 4 females per grade) in an urban, parochial school were selected. The interviewers were two trained female graduate students (one white, one black). Each childs mother and teacher were interviewed in accordance with SOMPA assessment procedures. The results indicated that there was little agreement (.38 to .64) between mother and teacher reports. Additionally, mothers tended to provide higher ratings of adaptive behaviors than did teachers, irrespective of grade level. Implications of these findings for the assessment of childrens adaptive behaviors are discussed.

Predicting School Readiness for Low-Income Children with Disability Risks Identified Early

This study examined school readiness at kindergarten entry for low-income children whose disability indicators were identified before age 3. Data were collected as part of the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Longitudinal Follow-up study. Children who had suspected developmental delays and did not receive Part C services had lower preacademic skill scores at kindergarten entry than those who had no disability indicators. In contrast, the preacademic skills at age 5 of children who received Part C services did not differ from those who had no disability indicators. A large proportion of children who had suspected developmental delays and did not receive Part C services by age 3 received Part B services later. Results highlight the importance of early intervention for low-income children who have suspected developmental delays to enhance their school readiness skills.

American Men's Friendships: Self-Reports on Meaning and Changes

Summary Differences in friendships by sex have been suggested, but little empirical data pertain to the nature and development of mens friendships. Fifty-eight American, college-educated, employed men were interviewed and compared by age (25–34; 35–50) and marital status. While most men valued interpersonal qualities in friends, the factors aiding in or inhibiting friendship formation and satisfaction with current friendships varied by groups. General patterns of decreasing numbers of friends from childhood into adulthood and greater difficulty forming friends with age emerged. Although friendships with men outnumbered those with women, attitudes toward the importance of friendships with each sex varied by groups. Findings are discussed in relation to traditional and changing male roles.

The Urban Paraeducator Goes to College

The ParaMet training program was jointly established by an urban university, a disability service provider, and an urban public school system to assist the school system in complying with the paraeducator training and supervision requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendments of 1997 and, eventually, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001. This article analyzes the strengths and needs of the first 2 cohorts of paraeducators accepted into the ParaMet program. The findings indicate that the paraeducators, who are predominantly from the minority group served by the local public schools, bring unique strengths to the special education teams. However, many will also require extraordinary academic supports to be successful in undergraduate-level training.