The early education world is full of news and developments these days:
New Tool to Detect Autism: A new autism screening checklist, which parents can fill out while waiting for their child’s one-year checkup, is creating a buzz in the media today.
"This does show that a respectable percentage of babies who eventually get a diagnosis [of autism-spectrum disorders] show subtle signs at one year," said Karen Pierce, lead author of the study and assistant director of the University of California, San Diego's Autism Center of Excellence. "The only chance we have right now in changing that path to having full-blown symptoms is early intervention, and there's no reason not to try." Autism Questionnaire Improves Well-Baby Visits, Says Pediatrician. Wall Street Journal. 4/28/11.
The new tool, though, is not ready for widespread use, MSNBC.com reports.
“Still, the study shows early screening is feasible in the hectic everyday offices of regular pediatricians. That's important as scientists now develop various screening tests,” said Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer of Autism Speaks, which co-funded the work. – “Simple checklist may spot signs of autism by age 1.” 4/28/11.
New Resource on State Work Infant/Toddler Efforts: U.S. states are doing a lot of work to develop higher quality infant and toddler programs and this week The National Women’s Law Center released a useful resource on promising initiatives.
Most of these initiatives do not yet include all of the necessary elements to have the greatest impact on children and families…. Unfortunately, these initiatives may lose the opportunity to fulfill their promise, due to the possibility that the ARRA funding, which helped states jumpstart or build on many of these initiatives, will not be extended or that baseline CCDBG funding may be cut. –
“Promising State Child Care Quality and Infant/Toddler Initiatives.” 4/11.
Quote of the Day: What does PreK-3rd really mean?
Policies that promote and ensure alignment, integration, access, and quality are but specific reflection of a more broad recognition: that school starts at 3. – “PK-3: An Aligned and Coordinated Approach to Education for Children 3 to 8 Years Old.” Social Policy Report: Giving Child and Youth Development Knowledge Away, 2005.