Improving Systems, Practices, and Outcomes

Updated regularly: Coronavirus (COVID-19), Remote Service Delivery and Distance Learning

Specific Disability Populations and Children At-Risk

On This Page

Autism Spectrum Disorders

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

NIMH's Topical page on ASD on includes Signs and Symptoms of ASD, Causes and Risk Factors, Diagnosing ASD, and Treatments and Therapies, along with other topics.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

See also: Autism Spectrum Disorders, Recursos en Español: Información Sobre el Autismo

National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practices (NCAEP)

NCAEP has published Evidence-Based Practices for Children, Youth, and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (2020), a systematic review of the current intervention literature that targets individuals with autism. NCAEP's review is a continuation of the evidence review that was completed by the National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders (NPDC) which included research published as of 2011. The current review extends the literature review up until 2017 and updates the review published by Wong, et al in 2015. NCAEP identified five new evidence-based practices (EBPs) in this review, bringing the total number of evidence-based practices to 28. The review also classified a number of evidence-based practices as Manualized Interventions Meeting Criteria (MIMC)and provided a chart indicating which evidence-based practices the MIMCs were included.

See also: FPG researchers find five new evidence-based practices for children and youth with autism, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (January 2021)

The Autism Focused Intervention Resources and Modules (AFIRM)

The Autism Focused Intervention Resources and Modules (AFIRM) are available for free and are designed to help professionals and parents learn, step-by-step, the process for planning, using and monitoring EBPs with learners with ASD from birth to 22 years of age. For more information, see Learn with AFIRM. Supplemental materials and resources associated with the modules are available for download. In addition, the COVID-19 Toolkit: Supporting Individuals with Autism through Uncertain Times highlights 7 support strategies for times of uncertainty and stress to meet the needs of individuals with autism. They are designed for use by caretakers. These materials have been translated or adapted into a number of languages.

Child Maltreatment

See: Child Maltreatment: Referral Requirements under CAPTA and IDEA

Communication Disorders

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)

The Identify the Signs campaign provides materials to support earlier identification of speech/language, hearing loss and communication disorders. These materials include:

Deaf-Blindness/Combined Vision and Hearing Loss

The National Center on Deaf-Blindness (NCDB)

The National Center on Deaf-Blindness (NCDB) is a technical assistance center funded by the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. NCDB works to improve the quality of life for children who are Deaf-Blind and their families. National initiatives include:

Deaf/Hard of Hearing

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

Implementation Tip Sheet: Promoting Early Hearing Detection and Intervention is written for primary pediatric health care providers. It provides timelines for the 1, 3, 6 benchmarks of the EHDI program with checklists and screening algorithms for the birth to 6-month period to ensure that screening, surveillance, referral, and intervention occurs at appropriate times. The tip sheet includes recommendations, resources for pediatric practices, links to NCHAM's list of state EHDI Coordinators, and resources for families.

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)

HRSA administers the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program and provides grants to states, territories, families, and providers In order to develop coordinated systems of care. The goal is early identification of newborns, infants and young children who are deaf or hard of hearing in order to get needed services.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities

Office of Special Education Programs

National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM)

NCHAM provides extensive resources for families of young children who are deaf or hard of hearing and for those who provide their services.

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)

  • Identify the Signs is a campaign that provides materials to support earlier identification of speech/language, hearing loss and communication disorders, including Know the Signs of Hearing Loss.

Hands & Voices

Hands & Voices(H&V) is a non-profit, parent-driven organization that supports families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Non-biased about communication methodologies, H&V believes that families can make the best choices for their children through access to good information and support. H&V provides thought leadership in health, education and parenting arenas, and works with families and supporting systems such as hearing screening, identification, early intervention, school-age, and transition from high school. See all the work that H&V is involved in.

  • The Family Leadership in Language and Learning Center (FL3) at H&V is a technical resource center for parents and caregivers of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Its goal is to increase family engagement and leadership, and strengthen family support in Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (EHDI) systems of care to enable families to optimize language, literacy, and social-emotional development. Work of the FL3 includes technical assistance, training and education, resource development, quality improvement methodology and evaluation, and policy initiatives.
  • 8 Reasons to say YES to Early Intervention for your child who is Deaf/Hard of Hearing(D/HH) ...What are you waiting for?: The Hands & Voices Family Leadership in Language and Learning (FL3) Center's new infographic 8 Reasons to Say Yes to Early Intervention for your Child who is Deaf/Hard of Hearing(D/HH) ...What are you waiting for? illustrates to families the positive aspects of early intervention. It provides information to help all families, regardless of the degree of their child's hearing loss/level or communication/language, understand and advocate for early intervention services when needed for their child. Providers can also share the resource when discussing early intervention and its importance. A companion webinar discussing the infographic is also available.

Fragile X

Learning Disabilities

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Development

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Development has an informational page on Learning Disabilities that describes Learning Disabilities and the signs, diagnosis, treatment options, studies and resources for parents and professionals.

Mental Health and Challenging Behaviors

Office of Special Education Programs

  • Fostering Healthy Social & Emotional Development in Young Children: Tips for Early Childhood Teachers and Providers (2015). Provides ideas for working with infants, toddlers and preschoolers and strategies for supporting social and emotional development including use of positive discipline practices, encouraging positive behaviors, and teaching young children how to recognize and talk about emotions.
  • National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations assists states and programs to implement the Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children (Pyramid Model) within early intervention and early education programs. The focus in on promoting the social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes of young children birth to five, reducing the use of inappropriate discipline practices, promoting family engagement, using data for decision-making, integrating early childhood and infant mental health consultation and fostering inclusion.

National Head Start Technical Assistance Centers

Prenatal Exposure to Substances

See: Young Children Exposed Prenatally to Substances and Their Families

Visual Impairments

Office of Special Education Programs

  • Eligibility Determinations for Children with a visual impairment (2017): This memorandum policy letter from OSEP provides additional guidance to assist states with supporting their local education agencies in reaching appropriate eligibility determinations for children with a visual impairment disability, including blindness. Links to resources are included to help states examine their procedures that relate to the identification and evaluation of children with this disability.

Prevent Blindness

Prevent Blindness: Your Baby's Developing Sight: Vision problems affect one in 20 preschoolers and one in four school-age children. Untreated eye problems can worsen and lead to other serious problems as well as affect learning ability, personality and adjustment in school.

Zika Virus

Centers for Disease Control

The Centers for Disease Control maintains information on Zika and Pregnancy:

See also: eNotes on Zika Virus