Learning to explore, communicate, and interact with others and the environment through play can be problematic for young children with disabilities, but with parental support, children can learn and interact successfully during play activities. To determine how parents engage their preschool children with disabilities in play and what behaviors they use to enjoy interaction and support development, 13 studies were reviewed. Play behaviors of young children with a variety of disabilities were also examined to determine how children engage with toys and adults and what types of play have a positive impact on development. Collaborative play was found to be beneficial to children regardless of their disability. Parents appear to use their knowledge of their children to engage them in play while scaffolding interactions to facilitate social communication, daily routines, and learning. Because play provides a context for the provision of early intervention supports, implications for practice are discussed.
A survey was distributed in 8 states to learn about perceived strengths and challenges of service coordination from those working in early intervention (EI) programs under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Survey responses from 769 service coordinators and other EI personnel in 8 states provide an overview of state systems and the implementation of service coordination activities within these state EI systems. Respondents suggested that service coordinators experience the following needs: (1) balancing the workload by reducing the number of families served per service coordinator and decreasing the amount of paperwork; (2) improved compensation and funding; and (3) better and more frequent training opportunities. Findings from this survey were analyzed and used by representatives from participating states to determine state and national action plans for improving the professional development and identity of service coordinators, with the goal of prioritizing support for this important part of the early childhood intervention workforce.
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