Early childhood intervention is a complex system of supports and services aimed at facilitating developmental and behavioral outcomes for infants and young children. Likewise, families are also a target of intervention for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that children spend a majority of time with families; therefore, families provide a rich context for child learning opportunities. Recent federal requirements have focused on the reporting of both child and family outcomes for those receiving services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This has called attention to the many variables that could contribute to the achievement of positive outcomes as a result of IDEA participation. Some of the most pertinent of these variables are professionals and paraprofessionals who provide services through the statewide early intervention system or preschool special education program. Although much has been written about the personnel preparation and ongoing professional development needs of service providers, this component of early childhood intervention has not received the attention or resources necessary to ensure a quality workforce for which positive child and family outcomes can be attributed.

I was delighted when Mike Guralnick asked me to edit this special issue on personnel for Infants & Young Children. Qualified personnel to provide children and families with evidence-based and high-quality services has, and will continue to be, a passion of mine. This is because I believe personnel are the key variable in any translation research paradigm: that is, any research-to-practice model is contingent on the ability of personnel to implement the research-based practices with fidelity, enthusiasm, and a commitment to improving child and family outcomes.

In 2003, my colleagues Vicki Stayton and Laurie Deinebell and I were given the privilege of jointly directing the Center to Inform Personnel Preparation Policy and Practice in Early Intervention and Preschool Special Education by the Office of Special Education Programs. We initiated 3 lines of investigation: (1) the certification and licensure requirement for personnel working with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, (2) the quality of training programs that prepare professionals, and (3) the ongoing professional development opportunities available for professionals in the field. We have completed 10 studies over 5 years, which can be accessed at http://www.uconnucedd.org/per_prep_center/index.html. These studies form components of some of the articles included in this special issue.

The first 2 articles we present are authored by our center core team of researchers. Stayton and colleagues provide an overview of current certification and licensing of early childhood special educators as an indicator of the status of personnel standards for other disciplines, or those for other age groups (0-3). The study by Bruder and colleagues portrays some of the confusion in the field of what constitutes a highly qualified workforce. Second, we present a study that focuses on in-service training systems in both early intervention and preschool special education. The data that were collected provide more evidence of the challenges service providers face when trying to access continuing education to feel confident and competent in their job. Next, we present 2 articles that portray the current status of higher education training programs for personnel in early childhood intervention, using data collected by us. Campbell and colleagues provide an overview and recommendations for therapists in early intervention, and Woods and Snyder examine higher education leadership programs for interdisciplinary students in early childhood intervention. Both groups of authors participated in center studies and data analysis and interpretation at various stages. Next, our colleague Carl Dunst, also a center collaborator, defines evidence-based practices and provides a model from which personnel preparation faculty may develop competencies for those they are preparing to serve in the field of early childhood intervention. Finally, 2 articles present ongoing models in personnel preparation that attempt to address the inadequacies of the field through 2 different strategies, both of which are inclusive of preservice, in-service, and policy audiences. Winton and Catlett report on a project initially focused on higher education that became more comprehensive and inclusive as a result of strategic planning. Turnbull and colleagues present a model that was created to be an inclusive community of practice and use current technology via the Web.

These articles present but a start in what will hopefully continue as an ongoing discussion in what I have always felt was the most important variable in measuring the effectiveness of early childhood intervention: the quality of those who provide services and mediate learning with both child and families. The studies and models presented here challenge us to do better in the area of personnel preparation and development because children and families deserve nothing less.

-Mary Beth Bruder, PhD

Professor

Director of University of Connecticut A.J. Pappanikou Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education University of Connecticut Health Center