EI Talk is an online forum where practitioners, students, and researchers can discuss contemporary issues that impact young children and their families.
Disability
The Role of Pediatricians in Early Intervention: Supportive Allies or Missed Opportunities
February 6th, 2026
In the United States, about 15% of children under the age of 3 are referred to early intervention services, but only 8% are found eligible and receive services (U.S. GAO, 2023). One of many barriers…
Intervention
What Is a Mental Health Consultant?
January 23rd, 2026
Mental health consultants work with early childhood providers and families to address the social-emotional needs of young children. Rather than delivering direct therapy, they collaborate with…
Disability
Hand Therapy in Early Intervention: A Guide for Parents and Providers Supporting Fine Motor Development through Early Intervention Practice
January 2nd, 2026
Early childhood is a time of rapid growth and development in all parts of the body including our hands. Challenges with hand use during early childhood can create difficulties when completing their…
Disparities
Not just a Lesson – A lived experience: Understanding Experiences of Implicit Bias in Fieldwork
December 9th, 2025
When you’re training to become an occupational therapist, you’re taught to see the whole person. You learn about empathy, therapeutic use of self, client centered care; all the important things.…
Development and Learning
“What Is a Special Instructor?” Understanding a Key Role in Early Intervention
November 20th, 2025
Joey is an 11-month-old boy born premature. He is eligible to receive EI services, and his most recent evaluation indicated that he shows delays in both motor and cognitive skills. At his IFSP…
Early Childhood
Scrolling Toward Support: How Social Media Expands Awareness and Access to Early Intervention Services
October 29th, 2025
For families of infants and toddlers, early intervention (EI) services can be life-changing–offering support during the most critical years of development. Despite the importance of early…
Disparities
Covering the distance: Can we better support children living in rural America through telehealth?
October 7th, 2025
In March of 2020, the world collectively experienced a dramatic increase in the use of telecommunication, shifting from solely in-person medical care. Part C early…
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
Empowering Spanish-Speaking Parents Receiving Early Intervention (EI) Services Through Co-Creating a Video Resource on Family Rights in EI
September 12th, 2025
Throughout the years, there have been efforts to decrease language barriers for families who primarily speak a language other than English at home. Yet these efforts have not fully addressed the…
Disability
Why We Don’t Talk About Spirituality in Early Intervention—And Why We Must
August 22nd, 2025
Why We Don’t Talk About Spirituality in Early Intervention—And Why We Must Category: Disability Topic: Intervention A mother kneels beside her toddler’s crib and whispers a quiet…
Development and Learning
Safe Sleep Revisited
January 29th, 2024
by Sydney Carlson, Jamika Acevedo, Samantha Daugherty (GU CEI ’23) The American Academy of Pediatrics recently released updated recommendations on safe sleep (2022). The guidelines were…
Development and Learning
Parenting is Hard, Accessing Services Can Be Harder
January 23rd, 2024
by Leigh-Kirsten Sims, Andres Alejandro Crucet-Choi, and Nicole Telfer (GU CEI and GULEND ’23) My third child has a condition that was not diagnosed by his pediatrician until he was almost 4…
Development and Learning
“I will never forget him”
January 23rd, 2024
How EI Providers Can Make a Difference For Mothers Experiencing Maternal Depression. by Minelva Holove, Veronica Val, and Abigail Ernharth (GU CEI ’23) “What affected me the most was my…
Development and Learning
DC Early Intervention External Services & Resources for Early Intervention Providers and Families
January 9th, 2024
by Priya Kumrah, Nicole Huitt, Kristen Mitchell (GU CEI’23) “The main focus [of early intervention] is to build the capacity of caregivers and the services are free to DC…
Disability
Engaging Fathers & Family Members in EI Services
January 2nd, 2024
by Faith Kretzer, Ashley Rubalcava, and N’Zinga Townes (GU CEI’23) There are limited statistics available regarding fathers and father figures’ engagement in early intervention (EI)…
Disability
How Soon is Now? Building Foundations for Supported Decision Making (SDM) as Early as Possible for Children with IDD/DD
December 20th, 2023
by Mona Ghuneim and Jennifer Berzok (GU LEND ’23) As a nurse, disability advocate and consultant, as well as the parent of a now adult man with autism and a significant mental health disorder,…
Development and Learning
Reach Up and Learn Parenting Program
December 14th, 2023
by Melody Emenyonu, (GU SH ’24) While many who choose to engage in the journey of parenthood are well prepared it is a transformative experience that presents challenges. As parents, the goal…
Development and Learning
Exploring the Magic of Waldorf Steiner Education
December 4th, 2023
by Wesley Sun (GU ‘25) Waldorf Steiner education is a unique teaching style that emphasizes holistic student development. This approach is based on the educational philosophy of Rudolf Steiner,…
Development and Learning
The Reggio Emilia Teaching Style: Nurturing Children’s Creativity and Curiosity
November 27th, 2023
by Zoe Noor (GU ’25) When it comes to early childhood education, different countries across the world have come up with many different approaches. In hopes of providing a holistic and fostering…
Development and Learning
Disability Doesn’t Mean Disadvantage: The High Scope Approach to Early Education
November 20th, 2023
by Ian Timoteo Franza (GU ’25) Comprehensive and accessible early education is essential for all children but is especially important for those with disabilities. Early education helps children…
Development and Learning
The Portage Project: Empowering Children with Disabilities through Early Intervention
November 13th, 2023
by Ella Kulicki (GU’25) Early intervention is crucial for providing children with disabilities the support they need to thrive. The Portage Project emerged as a pioneering approach focusing on…
Disability
A Holistic Approach to Educating Young Children with Disabilities: Developmentally Appropriate Practice
November 7th, 2023
by Audrey Fung (GU, School of Nursing ‘24) Strong advocacy of inclusive education for children with disabilities must continue and expand globally. It is essential to employ effective and…
Disability
Best Buddies: A Contemporary Analysis
October 30th, 2023
by E. Ramirez-Pineda, C. Moon, M. Shay, C. Ficca, J. Stakely, M. Nalysnyk (GU) Since its conception in 1989, Best Buddies has grown into an internationally recognized nonprofit organization known…
Development and Learning
A Comprehensive Guide to Charter Schools for Parents and Guardians of Students with Disabilities
October 24th, 2023
by Grace Kearns, Caitlin Katz, Michael Eze, Grant Frazee, and Grace Jensen (GU) When parents and guardians need to decide where to send their kids to school, the first thing that comes to mind is…
Development and Learning
Is the Biggest Barrier to Learning the School Itself?
October 16th, 2023
by Yakelin Aparicio, Jacquelyn Coyne, Cameron Bresnahan, Kennedy Watson, Gianna Mammone, Samhita Vellala (GU) Frequently, Individualized Education Programs (IEP) indicate that a child needs…
Disability
Grandparents of Children with Disabilities
October 10th, 2023
by Allie Augur, Emma Bebarta, Ally Archer, Claire Tebbutt, Cassidy Wiley, Michael Parker Yang and colleagues studied the psychological impact on grandparents of children with disabilities (CWD).…
Disability
Empowering Children with Disabilities Against Climate Change
October 4th, 2023
One program that provides inclusive care to parents with disabilities is Through the Looking Glass, found in the San Francisco Bay Area.…
Development and Learning
Is STEM education too hard for students with learning disabilities?
March 20th, 2023
STEM education refers to the education of students in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. …
Disability
Parents with Disabilities: Through The Looking Glass
March 20th, 2023
One program that provides inclusive care to parents with disabilities is Through the Looking Glass, found in the San Francisco Bay Area.…
Disability
The need for paid paternity leave, especially for fathers of children with disabilities
March 20th, 2023
Raising a child with a disability is challenging, and family dynamics tend to shift significantly as members adjust to meet the demands placed upon them. …
Disability
Human-ness of Go-Baby-Go
March 20th, 2023
What is human-ness? Is it what makes our personalities? The ability to make choices or use language? How about the ability to be mobile?…
Development and Learning
Engaging Families
April 11th, 2022
There is a difference between the meaning of family involvement and family engagement.…
Development and Learning
Parents with Intellectual and Other Developmental Disabilities (IDD)
March 15th, 2022
Parenting, in general, is a challenge. It is full of highs and lows, and parents have many questions about whether they are doing what is absolutely best for their children. …
Development and Learning
Barriers to Widespread International Adoption of Inclusive Education
February 15th, 2022
Representatives of 92 governments and 25 international organizations attended the World Conference on Special Needs Education in 1992 producing the UNESCO Salamanca Statement…
Development and Learning
Accessibility to Mental Health Services for Children: How Can We Improve?
January 24th, 2022
Mental health disorders can be detrimental to many aspects of life, including relationships, employment, long-term health effects, etc.…
Development and Learning
Covid-19 and Child Development
December 21st, 2021
For the past year and a half, Covid-19 has greatly affected the way we live.…
Development and Learning
Hiding in Plain Sight: Females with ASD
October 25th, 2021
One aspect of disability that warrants attention is the sex disparity in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnoses.…
Development and Learning
COVID-19’s Impact on Special Education
September 4th, 2021
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020 has resulted in a complete shift to remote learning, which has posed an incredible set of challenges for educators, students, families, and caregivers.…
Development and Learning
Equity in Education: How UDL Fosters an Accessible Learning Environment for All
July 15th, 2021
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an educational framework that optimizes learning for all individuals based on scientific research into how humans learn.…
Disability
Disability: A Reflection
July 15th, 2021
Since becoming a disability studies minor, my conceptions of disability have radically evolved.…
Disability
Minority Representation in Special Education: Untangling A Decades-Old Debate
July 1st, 2021
The status of racial, cultural, and linguistic minority students in special education remains one of the most hotly debated topics in the field of educational justice today.…
Development and Learning
Expanding Child Tax Credit
June 1st, 2021
This expansion essentially provides a guaranteed income for families with children, a proposal that seemed improbable in the US, especially after the government’s former cash assistance program…
Development and Learning
Early Childhood Learning – Brain Science and the Effects of Stress and Trauma
March 29th, 2021
For a developing child, the value of family-centered care and the impacts of trauma on childhood learning are linked.…
Policy
Physician as Advocate
March 21st, 2021
The responsibility of a physician is not limited to just providing medical care. …
Development and Learning
Applying Brain Science and the Effects of Stress and Trauma on the Practice of Speech and Language Pathology
February 15th, 2021
Because stress and trauma can hinder a child’s development, the child may not communicate their wants and needs effectively.…
Development and Learning
Positive Relationships in Response to Stress Help to Promote Healthy Development
February 1st, 2021
Toxic stress situations affect negatively healthy development because the lack of positive relationships…
Disability
Service Coordination and Early Intervention DEC/ITCA Joint Position Statement Executive Summary
January 4th, 2021
Service coordination is an essential EI service that, along with other educational and therapeutic services, has an equal and impactful role in the experience of families. …
Development and Learning
The Parenting Support Program (PSP) and COVID 19: The Home Visitors Perspective
July 15th, 2020
As a home visitor who typically meets the parents in natural environments, finding new ways to communicate was perhaps the greatest challenge.…
Development and Learning
The Parenting Support Program (PSP) and COVID 19: Programmatic Perspective
July 1st, 2020
The Parenting Support Program (PSP) is a home visiting program intended to meet the unique educational and support needs of pregnant/parenting adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities with children up to kindergarten or 5 years of age. …
Development and Learning
The Impact of COVID-19 School Closures on Children with Disabilities
April 6th, 2020
When Georgetown University announced that all classes would move to remote, online methodologies on March 13, it felt as if the world was ending for most of us Hoyas.…
Development and Learning
Innovation Showcase
February 25th, 2020
The Administration on Children and Families, Office of Early Childhood Development sponsored the 2020 Showcase on Innovation in Early Childhood Development and Learning at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington DC.…
Development and Learning
Universal Design for Learning: The Case for UDL Lesson on Knowledge Production around 9/11
February 4th, 2020
UDL is a framework that “guides the shift from designing learning environments and lessons with potential barriers to designing barrier-free, instructionally rich learning environments and lessons that provide access to all students.”…
Development and Learning
Ready or Not? Early Childhood Teachers and Children with Disabilities
September 30th, 2019
As an Early Childhood Teacher in my native Turkey and here in the United States, I did not feel I had enough knowledge about working with infants, toddlers, and young children with disabilities to include them in programming or be an effective teacher.…
Development and Learning
Facilitating Attuned Interactions (FAN) and Its Relevance to EI Services
March 8th, 2019
Working with families in early intervention is a rewarding area of service provision. Working in collaboration with families requires service providers to develop meaningful relationships which can be smooth or not so smooth.…
Development and Learning
Italian Early Childhood Education Approaches: Montessori and Reggio Emilia
January 17th, 2019
Europe has been a rich source of many influential educational ideas. In elementary and early childhood education, two of the best-known approaches with European origins are Montessori, and Reggio Emilia.…
Disability
Skipping the Straw: The Intersection of Sustainability and Accessibility
October 30th, 2018
On July 1st, Seattle became the first major U.S. city to ban the use of plastic straws and utensils, with businesses facing a fine of up to $250 if they are found to be in violation of the ban. …
Disability
Early Childhood Education and Disability Bias
October 30th, 2018
by Sharice Lane, October 30, 2018 I took a course in administration and leadership as participant in Georgetown University Certificate in Early Intervention. One of the course’s…
Disability
The Intersection of Legislation, Immigration, and Disability
October 30th, 2018
The rights and needs of people with disabilities are being increasingly recognized in the human rights and development fields.…
Development and Learning
Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs: US Policy Statements
April 15th, 2018
When American society implements policies for inclusion of people with disabilities during early childhood, a tremendous growth will be seen in the social awareness and empathy of the next generation.…
Disability
ECI in DC: What do we know about Part C Implementation?
March 14th, 2018
Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) is provided to infants and toddlers with disabilities or delays by states under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).…
Disability
Children who Experience Homelessness: Policy Implications
January 31st, 2018
While the policy statement more broadly targets early childhood and housing providers, the recommendations set forth throughout the document carry paramount implications for childcare and primary school teachers.…
