Appendix B Evidence-Based Practices Supporting Early Intervention in Natural Environments

Appendix B Evidence-based practices supporting early intervention in natural environments

Evidence from interdisciplinary sources (early childhood, neuroscience, occupational and physical therapy, speech-language pathology, social sciences, medicine and nursing) provides critical support for early intervention in natural environments, as follows:

· A child’s relationships with primary caregivers organizes all his or her early development.

Atkins-Burnett, S. & Allen-Meares, P. (2000). Infants and toddlers with disabilities: Relationship-based approaches. Social Work, 45(4), 371-377.

Commission on Children at Risk. (2003). Hardwired to connect: The new scientific case for authoritative communities. New York, NY: Institute for American Values.

Gunnar, M, Brodersen, L., Krueger, K., & Rigatuso, R. (1996). Dampening of behavioral and adrenocortical reactivity during early infancy: Normative changes and individual differences. Child Development, 67: 877:889.

Meisels, S. Dichtelmiller, M. & Liaw, F. (1993). A multidimensional analysis of early childhood intervention programs. In Handbook of Infant Mental Health. New York, NY: Guildford Press.

Schore, A. (2003). Quoted in Hardwired to Connect: The new scientific case for authoritative communities (p. 16). New York, NY: Institute for American Values.

Shore, R. (1997). Rethinking the brain. NY: Families and Work Institute.

Thompson, R. (1999). Early attachment & later development. In Cassidy & Shaver (Eds), Handbook of Attachment: Theory, Research & Clinical Applications (pp. 265-286). NY: Guilford Press.

Weston, D. Ivins, B. Heffron, M. & Sweet, N. (1997). Formulating the centrality of relationships in early intervention: An organizational perspective. Infants and Young Children, (9)3, 1-12.

· Children are active participants in their own development, based on their drive to explore and master their environment.

Chandler, B. (Ed.) (1997). The essence of play: A child's occupation. Bethesda, MD: The American Occupational therapy Association, Inc.

Dalgeish, T. & Power, M. (1999) (Eds.) Handbook of cognition and emotion. New York: NY: John Wiley and Sons.

Dunst, C. J., Bruder, M. B., Trivette, C. M., Raab, M., & McLean, M. (2001). Natural learning opportunities for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Young Exceptional Children, 4(3), 18-25.

Hamilton, V., Bower, G., & Fridja, N. (!988). (Eds.) Cognitive perspective on motivation and emotion. NATO Asi Series, Series D, Behavioral and Social Sciences Vol. 44. New York,, NY: Kluwer Academic Publications.

Mandler, J. (2000). Perceptual and cognitive processes in infancy. Journal of Cognition and Development, 1, 3-36.

National Research Council and Institute of Medicine (2000). From neurons to neighborhoods: The science of early childhood development. Committee on Integrating the Science of Early Childhood Development. Jack P. Shonkoff and Deborah Phillips, eds. Board on Children, Youth, and Families, Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. D.C.: National Academy Press. (see www.nap.edu/execsumm/0309069882.html for an executive summary)

Parritz, R., Mangelsdork, S., & Gunnar, M. (1992). Control, social referencing and the infant’s appraisal of threat. In S. Feinman (Ed). Social referencing and the social construction of reality in infants (pp. 209-228).

· New motor and communication behaviors are learned and used when a child has repeated opportunities for practice in meaningful situations with generalization of skills across different settings.

Dunn, W., Brown, C., McGuigan, A. (1994). The ecology of human performance: A framework for considering the effect of context. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 48, 595-607.

Eiserman, W., McCoun, M. & Escobar, C. (1990). A cost-effective analysis of two alternative program models for serving speech-disordered preschoolers. Journal of Early Intervention, 14(4), 297-317.

Greenough, W. (1987). Experience and brain development. Child Development, 58, 539-59.

Heriza, C,. & Sweeney, J. (1994). Pediatric physical therapy: Part I. Practice scope, scientific basis and theoretical foundation. Infants and Young Children, 7(2), 20-32.

Lewthwaite, R. (1990). Motivational considerations in physical activity involvement. Physical Therapy, 70, 808-819.

MacLean, P. (1990). The triune brain in education. New York, NY: Plenum Press.

McEwen, I. & Shelden, M. (1995). Pediatric therapy in the 1990s: The demise of the educational vs. medical dichotomy. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, 15(2), 33-45.

McLean, L. & Woods Cripe, J. (1997). The effectiveness of early intervention for children with communication disorders. In M. Guralnick (Ed), The effectiveness of early intervention (pp 349-428). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.

Schmidt, R. & Lee, T. (1999). Motor control and learning: A behavioral emphasis (3rd edition). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

· The knowledge and resources of early childhood specialists are shared with a child’s key caregivers through adult-adult relationships that support family members in their day-day responsibilities caring for their children.

Bricker, D, Pretti-Frontczak, K, & McComas, N.(1998). An activity-based approach to early intervention (2nd edition). Baltimore: Brookes Publishing Co.

Dunst, C. J. (2001). Participation of young children with disabilities in community learning activities. In M. Guralnick (Ed.), Early childhood inclusion: Focus on change (pp. 307-333). Baltimore: Brookes

Dunst, C. J., Hamby, D., Trivette, C. M., Raab, M., & Bruder, M. B. (2000). Everyday family and community life and children’s naturally occurring learning opportunities. Journal of Early Intervention, 23, 151-164.

Hanft, B., Rush, D., & Shelden, M (2004). Coaching families and colleagues in early childhood. Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing.

Mahoney et al (1999). Parent education in early intervention. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 19(3), 131-140.

Marvel, M. Epstein, R., Flowers, K., Beckman H. (1999). Soliciting the patient’s agenda: Have we improved? JAMA, 281, 283-287.

Odom, S. Favazza, Brown & Horn, E. (2000). Approaches in understanding the ecology of early childhood environments for children with disabilities. In Behavioral observation: Technology and application in developmental disabilities (pp. 193-214). Baltimore: Brookes.