About the Book
Key Benefit Comprehensive and practical, this resource provides an interdisciplinary, inclusive, and family-focused introduction to very young children with special needs.
Key Topics This professional resource provides the most compelling information on how to serve young children with special needs. In three parts, the book articulates a philosophy that is foundational for early childhood professionals (Part 1, Foundations), considers the biological and environmental factors that influence development (Part 2, Human Development, Typical and Atypical), and describes the educational programs and services that are available to very young children with special needs (Part 3, Educational Programs and Services). The authors also present information about typical development, how health and genetics affect potential, and the influence of the child's family and environment on realizing that potential. A foundational text that is both comprehensive and practical, it offers a thorough review of early intervention and early childhood special education, and the most detailed information available about the causes of disabling conditions in young children.
Market: Written especially for pre-service early childhood special education teachers, it also serves as a professional resource for people who work with special needs children, including: health care professionals, social workers, physical and occupational therapists, childcare providers, agency service providers, and parents and other family members of children with special needs.
About the Author:
Vikki F. Howard began her career working with families with infants and toddlers in Eastern Ohio. Later she served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Jamaica, serving families with very young children and school aged children with disabilities. As a professor at Gonzaga University, Dr. Howard collaborated with Dr. Williams to develop an ECSE program. She is author of many articles, chapters and funded grants associated with infants, toddlers and preschoolers with disabilities and their families. Currently, she teaches at the University of Montana Western where she directs the special education program and collaborates with tribal colleges in Montana to deliver special education pre-service education.
Betty Fry Williams has over 30 years teaching in schools with very young children with disabilities and in higher education. She is professor of education at Whitworth University in Spokane Washington, where she chairs the Special Education program and teaches courses in early childhood special education. Her body of professional work reflect her interests in behavior analysis, methods of teaching infants, toddlers and preschoolers with disabilities and autism.
Denielle Miller retired from public school teaching after 25 years of serving children with special needs. She taught students ages 3-21. Denielle received her BS and MA from Montana State University-Billings. She is currently working for Side-by-Side K-12 Consulting and for the Office of Public Instruction as a consultant for the Montana Behavior Initiative (MBI) and Response to Intervention (RTI). In addition, she provides professional development to Headstart teachers on several of Montana's Native American reservations. Denielle trains and assists schools in setting up school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports and creating literacy rich environments. She is an adjunct professor in the special education department at the U of M Western.
Estee Aiken has worked in early childhood education for more than a decade across numerous states. She has spent the last five years educating pre-service teachers, predominantly in preparation for careers in the field of early childhood. In addition to her interest in the education of very young children, she also works with and conducts research with gifted children. Estee currently teaches in the Education Department at the University of Montana Western.
