Setting the proper conditions to ensure that vulnerable young children and families can actually access services continues to be a major concern in the early intervention field. Similarly, families and professionals are often unable to locate existing materials or identify well-tested strategies to ensure that those services are state-of-the-art and comprehensive. One barrier to access is that created by the increasing numbers of children with a childhood disability being raised in poverty. The inability of families to access the needed health and developmental services for a variety of reasons can have a devastating impact on children's well-being. This concern is addressed in this issue of Infants & Young Children (IYC). Similarly, unless information and materials reach both professionals and families in a timely way, intervention is compromised. Inservice education and developing collaborative models continue to be important means to help minimize this problem. Accordingly, this issue of IYC contains a number of important articles relevant to this concern focusing on promoting language development, the use of Web-based technology, and strategies for serving infants and toddlers with hearing loss. A related article focusing on international concerns demonstrates the feasibility of parent-implemented intervention programs for children with Down syndrome.

The availability of new information through technological advances, particularly the rapid pace of information about specific genetic disorders, is altering our understanding of the entire field of developmental disabilities. It is also influencing early intervention, posing new challenges for professionals and families, and will continue to do so in the future. IYC addresses this important topic in this issue.

Finally, IYC considers the important topic of identifying children during the early years when challenging behaviors are likely to persist. This allows focused, preventive efforts. The current state-of-the art is reviewed in this issue of IYC.

Michael J. Guralnick, PhD

Editor, Infants & Young Children