This article describes professional perceptions of the current status of family involvement in early intervention programs in four states. Significant discrepancies between current and ideal practices were found in four dimensions: parent involvement in decisions about child assessment, parent participation in assessment, parent participation in the team meeting and decision making, and the provision of family goals and services. In identifying barriers to ideal programs, professionals most frequently mentioned family barriers (35.8%) and system barriers (35.1%). Professional barriers, or those related to a lack of skill, accounted for only 14.8% of the barriers mentioned.

For many children and families, a multidisciplinary team evaluation is their introduction to special education systems. Increasingly, federal guidelines mandating parent involvement in all aspects of service provision have meant that parents are being asked to participate as part of the evaluation team. If families and professionals are to serve as partners in the evaluation process, mutual respect and understanding of one another's perspectives will be crucial. This paper uses survey data from 39 parents and 81 professionals to examine the various expectations and perceptions brought by participants to the assessment process. Results indicated that there is substantial variability of perceptions among parents and professionals about the nature of child assessment and their respective roles in it. Implications for research and practice are discussed, along with techniques for involving families in the assessment process in more meaningful ways.

In trying to prevent developmental delays, we are continually searching for specific events or factors that are responsible for less than optimal development. Recept attention has focused on the effects of cocaine exposure in utero, with the most common effects appearing to be subtle neurobehavioral differences. The purpose of this study was to determine if, at the age of 6 months, infants exposed to cocaine exhibit significant differences in behavior and cognitive abilities. Results of this study revealed differences between exposed and nonexposed infants in both temperament and behavioral characteristics. Temperamentally, children prenatally exposed to cocaine were reported to be less cooperative, more difficult to manage, and more arrhythmic. The drug‐exposed group was also rated lower on behavioral characteristics of responsiveness, communication, and participation. The two groups were similar in terms of cognitive development. The impact of these behavioral effects on the mother‐infant relationship is discussed in terms of clinical and research implications of this study.

Communication is a process that begins at birth and continues throughout life. For young children with developmental delay or disability, the acquisition of expected communication skills may be compromised. Compromised communication skills, in turn, may lead to additional challenges when participating in daily activities and routines, forming social relationships, and developing independence. Assistive technology (AT) is one means by which a child's current communication skills can be expanded and enhanced within the child's natural environment. Increased awareness by both parents and professionals of the availability of AT has led to the inclusion of AT strategies within routine day-to-day early intervention practices. This article briefly highlights early aspects of communication development in typically developing infants and toddlers, then provides a framework through which AT strategies can be identified and utilized by parents and professionals to improve a child's existing communication skills.

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