Attitudes Toward Inclusion and Benefits Perceived by Families in Schools with Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

The aim of this study was to find out about attitudes toward inclusion and benefits perceived by families with children enrolled in schools attended by students with ASD at different educational stages (from kindergarten to high school). 323 families of classmates of students with ASD from different educational stages of 16 mainstream schools participated. The analysis of the attitudes, perceived benefits, relationship with the teacher, and relationship with the school was carried out through questionnaires. The results show positive attitudes toward the inclusive education of students with ASD in all families, but especially among families of children with SEN. All the families identified the benefit of inclusion. Attitudes are related to collaboration with the school and satisfaction with teachers.

Rasch Analysis of Authentic Evaluation of Young Children's Functioning in Classroom Routines.

This study evaluated the functioning of children in early childhood education classroom routines, using the 3M Functioning in Preschool Routines Scale. A total of 366 children aged 36 to 70 months and 22 teachers from six early childhood education centers in Spain participated in the study. The authors used the Rasch model to determine the item fit and the difficulty of the items in relation to children's ability levels in this age range. The Rasch Differential Item Functioning (DIF) analysis by child age groups showed that the item difficulty differed according to the children's age and according to their levels of competence. The results of this study supported the reliability and validity of the 3M scale for assessing children's functioning in preschool classroom routines. A few items, however, were identified as needing to be reworded and more difficult items needed to be added to increase the scale difficulty level to match the performance of children with higher ability levels. The authors introduced the new and reworded items based on the results of this study and the corresponding ICF codes per item. Moreover, the authors indicate how to use the ICF Performance Qualifiers in relation to the 3M scale response categories for developing a functioning profile for the child.

Rural and Racial/Ethnic Differences in Children Receiving Early Intervention Services.

A review of the literature shows that racial and ethnic minority children (eg, African American, Asian, and Hispanic) received diagnoses for developmental concerns later in life compared with their age-matched white counterparts. Research has also documented disparities in access to and receipt of health care services among children with developmental concerns as compared with children with other disabilities. OBJECTIVES: We examined health care providers' (HCPs') responses to parents' developmental concerns about their children. We looked at the association with race, ethnicity, gender, rurality, and time to diagnosis. METHODS: All data were secondary and derived from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Survey of Pathways to Diagnosis and Services. Participants consisted of 1321 parents of children who had received early intervention services as reported by respondents' data collected in 2011. RESULTS: From a nationally representative sample of families receiving early intervention services, 76% were white, 10% were African American, 3% were Asian, 5% were Native American, and 9% were Hispanic. Families who were Hispanic were more likely to have received only a delaying response from HCPs. The average time to a developmental delay diagnosis was 5 months longer for families who received a delaying HCP response. CONCLUSIONS: Families who were Hispanic or who were from rural areas were most likely to receive a delayed HCP response; for parents who received a delayed HCP response, a developmental delay diagnosis took 5 months longer than for families from the other groups listed.

The Routines-Based Model Internationally Implemented.

Professionals from 10 countries are implementing practices from the Routines-Based Model, which has three main components: needs assessment and intervention planning, a consultative approach, and a method for running classrooms. Its hallmark practices are the Routines-Based Interview, support-based visits with families, and a focus on child engagement. Implementers were interested in actual practices for putting philosophy and theory into action in their systems and cultures. We describe implementation challenges and successes and conclude that (a) models have to be adaptable, (b) some principles and practices are indeed universal, (c) we can shape excellent practices for international use, and (d) leadership is vital.

The impact of checklist-based training on teachers' use of the zone defense schedule.

We assessed the impact of checklist-based training on teaching teams' use of the zone defense schedule. Three teaching teams (lead teacher plus 2 assistant teachers) in an inclusive early childhood program participated. A multiple baseline design across teams was used to determine whether accurate implementation of the zone defense schedule increased when checklist-based training was provided. All teaching teams reached the preestablished criterion, implementing a minimum of 80% of checklist items accurately for 3 consecutive observations.

Parents' reactions and recommendations after diagnosis and hearing aid fitting.

This study was designed to explore parent reactions to the early stages of audiologic assessment and intervention. A total of 213 parents whose children were under the age of 6 years returned a mail survey. Respondents from 45 states participated. Parents were asked to (1) report the approximate age of diagnosis and hearing aid fitting; (2) comment on reasons for any delays encountered from diagnosis to fitting; and (3) respond to questions concerning their reactions to the initial fitting of amplification. The median age of identification was earlier than some previous investigations; however, substantial delays occurred between diagnosis and hearing aid fitting. Reasons for delay included the need for further audiologic evaluation, problems obtaining return appointments, illness of the child, and difficulties obtaining adequate earmolds. Parent reactions to hearing aids, once fitted, included concerns about appearance and questions about maintenance and use, but attitudes regarding hearing aids and their perceived benefits improved over time.

Age of peers and early childhood development.

We examined the developmental trajectories of 59 children between 21 and 67 months of age randomly assigned to same-age or mixed-age child care groups. Children were assessed at 6-month intervals with the Battelle Developmental Inventory. Using a hierarchical linear model for analysis, we computed individual and group growth curves for overall development and development within 5 domains: communication, cognitive, motor, adaptive, and personal-social. Group assignment affected the developmental trajectories for communication, cognitive, motor, and overall development, with mixed-age children showing a quadratic trajectory and same-age children a linear trajectory. For adaptive and personal-social development, however, the trajectories were similar. Across all domains, the mixed-age children tended to score higher than the same-age children at the younger ages, but these average differences decreased over time and had disappeared by age 5 years.

A new challenge for pediatric audiology: Public Law 99-457.

When fully implemented, the most recent amendments to the Education of the Handicapped Act will have a substantial impact on expanding services to infants and toddlers with handicapping conditions and their families. Audiologists in many settings will be called upon to participate in the implementation of this new mandate. It is imperative that audiologists be well informed about Public Law 99-457 as state and local policies are being developed and implemented. This article reviews the new law with emphasis on its implications for young hearing-impaired children, their families, and the audiologists who serve them.