Title: Early Contingency Learning and Child and Teacher Concomitant Social–Emotional Behavior

Author(s): Melinda Raab, Carl J. Dunst, Linda L. Wilson, & Cindy Parkey

Pages: 1-14

Abstract: The value-added benefits of young children’s response-contingent learning were examined in a study of three children (2 females, 1 male) with multiple disabilities and profound developmental delays. Contingency learning games were used to increase child operant responding, and both the children’s and their teachers’ concomitant social–emotional behavior associated with operant responding were mapped onto child learning. Results showed that the learning games promoted child learning and that collateral child and teacher behavior were predictably associated with operant responding. The manner in which the findings extend the results from previous research are described.

Keywords: Response-contingent stimulation, learning games, operant behavior, social-emotional behavior.

Title: Intervention Practices in Kokebe Tsibah Special Unit for Children with Intellectual Disabilities: An Ethiopian Experience

Author(s): Fantahun Admas

Pages: 15-31

Abstract: This paper focuses on the intervention practices of Kokebe Tsibah special unit for children with intellectual disabilities. The data were collected through interview of three teachers who served for 20 years in the unit, observation of teachers and children, and analysis of documents. Qualitative data analysis was employed to analyze the data. The results indicated that children with intellectual disabilities received interventions in the form of educational, adaptive skills and vocational intervention. Teachers practice intervention in the unit by providing educational intervention, adaptive skills training and vocational training for children with intellectual disabilities. Considerable results are recorded through the application of these intervention practices. Stakeholders should fully involve in the intervention of children with intellectual disabilities.

Keywords: Intellectual disabilities; intervention; educational intervention; adaptive skills; vocational skills

Title: An Exploratory Study of the Oral Language and Behavior Skills of Children with Identified Language and Emotional Disabilities in Preschool

Author(s): Claudia Rinaldi, Diana Rogers-Adkinson, & Alka Arora

Pages: 32-45

Abstract: As the pre-school initiative in the USA continues to grow in the public school sector, the need to understand and be prepared to address the needs of this population of students is vital. This paper provides an exploratory analysis of language and behavioral skills in children aged three to five years old served in inclusive public preschools. Preschool children documented with language impairments (LI), or emotional and behavioral disorders (ED) were compared to a typically developing group using the Test of Early Language Development-3 and the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales. Results suggest that preschoolers with identified language delays or behavior disorders were significantly different in both language development and behavior ratings when compared to typical developing peers. Second, no significant differences were found between students with language delays and socio-emotional disabilities. Implications regarding the need for comprehensive screening, continuous assessment, targeted intervention, and professional development for teachers across both developmental areas in the early childhood education settings are presented.

Keywords: Language disabilities, emotional and behavioral disabilities, inclusion, preschool

Title: Erken Çocuklukta Özel Eğitime İlişkin Türkiye’de Gerçekleştirilmiş Lisansüstü Tez Çalışmalarının Gözden Geçirilmesi

         A Review of Master and Doctoral Dissertations in the Field of Early Childhood Special Education in Turkey

Author(s): Seray Olcay Gul & Ibrahim H. Diken

Pages: 46-78

Özet: Bu çalışmanın amacı Türkiye’de gerçekleştirilen erken çocuklukta özel eğitim (EÇÖZE) kapsamı içerisindeki lisansüstü tez çalışmalarını gözden geçirmektir. Bu çalışma kapsamında belirlenen ölçütleri karşılayan ve erken çocukluk dönemindeki gelişimsel gerilik/yetersizlik/yetersizlik gösteren çocuklar, aileleri ve onlara sunulan hizmet ve uygulamaları konu alan toplam 24 tez çalışmasına ulaşılmıştır. Ulaşılan tez çalışmaları konularına göre kategorilere ayrılmış, her bir kategorideki tez çalışmalarına ilişkin bilgi verilmiş ve aynı kategorideki tez çalışmaları karşılaştırmalı olarak incelenmiştir. Ulaşılan tez çaşlışmaları konularına göre yedi kategoride analiz edilmiştir. Beceri öğretimi kategorisinde dokuz, okul öncesi dönemde kaynaştırma kategorisinde dört, ailelere çocuklarına öğretim sunma becerisi kazandırma kategorisinde üç, gelişimsel gerilik/yetersizlik gösteren çocukları birbirleri ve normal gelişim gösteren akranları ile karşılaştırma kategorisinde üç, annelerin duygu-durumlarını inceleme kategorinde üç, çocuklara sunulan hizmetler kategorisinde iki ve çocuklara ilişkin bir durumu betimleme kategorisinde bir tez çalışması karşılaştırmalı olarak incelenmiştir.

Anahtar Sözcükler: Gelişimsel gerilik/yetersizlik/yetersizlik, erken çocuklukta özel eğitim, lisansüstü tezler

Abstract:The purpose of the present study is to review master and doctoral dissertations in the field of early childhood special education carried out in Turkey.  Within the context of this study, 24 studies during early childhood were found in Turkey concerning children with developmental delays/disabilities, their parents and the services provided for them. The studies were analyzed in seven categories according to the subject covered. Nine studies in the category of teaching of skills, four studies in the category of preschool inclusion, three studies in the category of helping parents acquire skill of instructing their children, three studies in the category of comparing children with development delays with each others and peers with normal development, three studies in the category of examining mothers’ emotional status, two studies in the category of services provided for children and one study in the category of describing a situation regarding children have been identified and reviewed.

Title: Relationship Focused Intervention (RFI): Enhancing the Role of Parents in Children’s Developmental Intervention

Author(s): Gerald Mahoney

Pages: 79-94

Abstract:This article describes Relationship Focused Intervention (RFI) which attempts to promote the development of young children with developmental delays and disabilities by encouraging parents to engage in highly responsive interactions during daily routines with their children. This approach to intervention is based upon the Parenting Model of child development and was derived from research on parent-child interaction. Evidence is presented that RFI can be effective both at helping parents to learn how to interact more responsively with their children as well as at promoting children’s development and social emotional function. The argument is made, that although there is no research comparing the effectiveness of RFI to interventions derived from the Educational model of child development which places less emphasis on parent involvement and stresses direct instructional activities, still the effectiveness of all interventions appears to be related to the degree to which parents are involved in and become more responsive with their children. As such RFI may not simple be an alternative model for early intervention, but may reflect a paradigm shift pointing to the effectiveness of parent involvement and responsive interaction as key elements of early intervention practice.

Title: Autism and Developmental Delays in Young Children

Author(s): Ozcan Karaaslan and Ozlem Kaya

Pages: 95-101

Abstract:This book review article provides information on a book entitled “Autism and Developmental Delays in Young Children”, written by Gerald Mahoney & James D. MacDonald, published in 2007