International Resources on Early Intervention

DISES, a division of the Council for Exceptional Children, is meant to serve as a catalyst for the international exchange of information on practice, research, technologies, and issues related to education and services for children and youth who have disabilities and/or are gifted and talented.

ISEI provides a forum for professionals from around the world to communicate about advances in the field of early intervention. Linkages between basic science and applied research, interdisciplinary collaborations, and connections between research and practice are emphasized. The ISEI Web site includes an online Professional Training Resource Library with free training materials in the field of early intervention. ISEI has also sponsored a Book Series on International Issues in Early Intervention.

ISSA was established in the Netherlands in 1999 to connect professionals and organizations working in the field of early childhood development and education. Today its network reaches across the globe from Europe to Asia and the Americas. ISSA promotes equal access to quality education and care for all children, especially in the early years of their lives. Each year ISSA organizes an Annual Conference, bringing together early childhood experts from more than 35 countries to exchange ideas and experience.

The Bernard van Leer Foundation funds and shares knowledge about work in early childhood development. Its mission is to develop and support programmes that create significant positive change for children up to the age of eight who are growing up in circumstances of social and economic disadvantage. Its vision is one of a world where, in spite of such circumstances, young children reach their full potential.

The aim of the ECD initiative is to better understand how to successfully scale-up and sustain effective ECD programs and policies in the developing world. In December 2008, the initiative hosted the second conference in a series of international events on this topic, Early Child Development for the Developing World. After the conference, a related discussion took place on the importance of early child development and its impact on sustainable economic development. A transcript of the discussion (2008) is available online.

The Commonwealth Fund promotes improved quality of and access to health care services for society's most vulnerable citizens, including vulnerable young children. A Commonwealth Fund report, entitled An International Comparison of Early Childhood Initiatives: From Services to Systems (2009), describes efforts of the United States, England, Canada, and Australia to develop early childhood policies that produce lasting gains for young children.

The CGECCD is a global inter-agency consortium that focuses on young children (prenatal to 8yrs), their families and communities. It works to identify gaps, critical issues and emerging areas of need and interest related to early childhood care and development. Its mission is to improve early childhood policy and practice focusing on children in disadvantaged circumstances.

The EIU was commissioned by the Lien Foundation to produce Starting Well: Benchmarking Early Education Across the World (2012), a report that looks at the extent to which 45 countries provide a good preschool environment for children between the ages of three and six, specifically considering the relative availability, affordability and quality of preschool. Some of the key findings show that Finland, Sweden and Norway perform best, while many high-income countries rank poorly (including the U.S, which ranked 24th). The lower ranking for the U.S. is not because quality preschool programs are lacking, but because they are not available or affordable to all strands of society and quality standards vary widely from one area of the country to another.

The European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education was established to provide a platform for collaboration in the field of special needs education. It is maintained by the Ministries of Education within the member countries: Austria, Belgium (Flemish and French speaking communities), Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK. The Early Childhood Intervention project examined Early Childhood Intervention services, training of professionals and other relevant national information in 19 European countries from 2003 to 2004.

This analysis of early childhood interventions from 23 countries showed substantial cognitive, behavioral, health and schooling benefits that were sustained over time. The authors also found that education and nutritional assistance together seems to improve child development more than nutritional assistance alone. (2009)

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a collaborative international organization, provides a forum for governments to share experiences and seek solutions to common problems. OECD has had a special initiative focused on early childhood and early care (ECEC) since 1996. This Web site provides reports and recommendations from the ECEC initiative, including, for example:

• Starting Strong III: A Quality Toolbox for Early Childhood Education and Care (2012)
• Starting Strong II - Early Childhood Education and Care (2006)
• Starting Strong - Early Childhood Education and Care (2001)
• Country Profiles, Country Notes, and Background Reports

OECD also has initiatives related to Families and Children and Preschool and School, which produce information of interest to the early childhood community. For example, see the following reports:

• Doing Better for Children (2009)
• Does participation in pre-primary education translate into better learning outcomes at school? (2011)

This Social Policy Report from the Society for Research in Child Development provides a conceptualization of quality across Early childhood development (ECD) settings and systems and identifies future directions for improving the quality of ECD programs globally. (2011)

The mission of UNESCO's early childhood programme is to support early childhood policy development with the aim to build a solid foundation for a child's lifelong learning. UNESCO actively works with Member States in their efforts to develop and strengthen their national capacity to meet the first goal of the 2000 Dakar Framework for Action, which aims to expand and improve comprehensive early childhood care and education for all children. Of special interest see:

• Policy Briefs on Early Childhood
• Strategies for Reaching the Education for All Goal on Early Childhood Care and Education (2008)
• The Contribution of Early Childhood Education to a Sustainable Society (2008)

UNICEF works with governments, national and international agencies, and civil society to support each phase of the life cycle of the child. UNICEF focuses on three areas of intervention for early childhood development:

1. quality basic health, education and protection services;
2. good care practices for children within the family and community; and
3. early child development policies.

Some related resources include:

• Early Childhood Development and Disability: A Discussion Paper (September 2012)
• Report Card 8 - The Childcare Transition: A League Table on Early Childhood Education and Care in Advanced Countries (2008)

The World Health Organizationis is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. This site provides links to WHO resources on the topic of child development. Some additional highlights on the WHO Web site include:

• Early Childhood Development and Disability: A Discussion Paper (September 2012)
• The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health for Children and Youth (ICF-CY) (2007) is a derived version of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF, WHO, 2001) designed to record characteristics of the developing child and the influence of environments surrounding the child. The news release for the ICF-CY quoted Rune J. Simeonsson, Chair, WHO Work group on ICF-CY, University of North Carolina, who described it as "a tool that can be shared by clinical services as well as by schools, community agencies and government entities. Further, with the visibility of an international WHO standard, the ICF-CY can serve to affirm the universal needs and rights of children."
• WHO Resources on Child Development
• WHO Resources on Disabilities
• Fact Sheet on Mental Health and Psychosocial Well-Being among Children in Severe Food Shortage Situations (2006)
• Children's Environmental Health

The importance of early childhood education and care in providing the foundations for lifelong learning is now widely acknowledged. This journal aims to broaden the international debate about the best provision for young children by representing a wide range of perspectives from different countries, different disciplines and different research methodologies. As the official journal of TACTYC (Training, Advancement and Co-operation in Teaching Young Children), Early Years publishes up-to-date papers on all issues associated with early years education. An email table-of-contents alert service is available free of charge.

Founded in 1954, this is a multi-disciplinary peer-reviewed journal with an international focus. It provides a single source of information on the education and development of persons with disabilities. IJDDE aims to publish the very best research and review articles concerned with all aspects of education, human development, special education and rehabilitation. An email table-of-contents alert service is available free of charge.

The International Journal of Early Childhood is a blind, peer reviewed journal with members from organizations and libraries in over seventy countries throughout the world. It is distributed twice yearly and features articles in English, French, and Spanish. The journal focuses on key issues in the field of early childhood education and care (ECE). Themes of specific interest are: making children in different cultures visible, multicultural and cross-cultural studies, children's learning and sustainable development, infants and toddlers in ECE, children's rights, and curriculum questions relatd to ECE.

This online, open-access, peer-reviewed journal offers scholarly articles on various issues related to young children with special needs (0-8 age) and their families. INT-JECSE publishes empirical research, literature reviews, theoretical articles, and book reviews in all aspects of Early Intervention (EI)/Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE). Studies from diverse methodologies, including experimental studies using group or single-subject designs, descriptive studies using observational or survey methodologies, case studies, and qualitative studies, are welcome. The INT-JECSE is published twice (June and December) a year.

International Journal of Early Years Education is a forum for researchers and practitioners to debate the theories, research, policy and practice which sustain effective early years education world-wide. It offers a comparative perspective on research and major new initiatives in the care and education of young children. Since its inception the journal has carried reports and research articles which evaluate and highlight innovative practice throughout the international community. An email table-of-contents alert service is available free of charge.