Additional information
by Serra Acar (Author), Marci J. PH. D. Hanson (Author), Eleanor W. PH. D. Lynch (Author)
Families of young children are more complex and diverse than everâ "and todayâ (TM)s early childhood professionals must be fully prepared to meet their needs. With the third edition of this bestselling text, pre- and inservice practitioners will develop the critical skills and knowledge they need to understand and support diverse families of children birth to 5. Enhanced with timely updates reflecting changes in the research and the field, this new edition is ideal for use as a professional reference or a core introductory text for child and family courses. Early childhood educators and interventionists will keep this book close at hand year after year to advance their cultural competence and help them meet the individual needs of each family they work with.
LEARN HOW TO:
- work effectively and respectfully with families across different contexts, from site-based intervention to home visits
- better understand the racial, cultural, ethnic, and linguistic underpinnings of a family's life
- develop interventions that reflect each family's viewpoints, practices, and preferences
- communicate and collaborate effectively with every family
- provide culturally responsive support to families of children with disabilities
- address risk factors such as poverty, addiction, and violence
- support the emotional well-being of families and strong caregiver-child attachment
- guide families in developing the confidence and competence to achieve their goals and help their children thrive
New and updated information on: linguistic challenges and translanguaging immigrant and refugee families DEC EI/ECSE Standards and Recommended Practices race, equity, and social justice foster families unhoused families curriculum materials
Author Biography
Serra Acar, Ph.D.
Dr. Acar received her doctorate degree from the Early Intervention Program at the University of Oregon in 2013. She is an associate professor in the Early Care and Education in Inclusive Settings (EECIS) program at the University of Massachusetts Boston and teaches courses on family systems, assessment, ethics, and introduction to research. Dr. Acarâ (TM)s primary research interests are culturally and linguistically responsive assessment and personnel preparation in early intervention/early childhood special education (EI/ECSE).
Service to the field is an important part of Dr. Acarâ (TM)s work. She has served as the vice president of the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). She is also an active member of DECâ (TM)s International Committee. She received the Merle B. Karnes Award for Service to DEC in 2020. She is the recommended practices ambassador (aRPy) for Massachusetts and a higher education representative at the Massachusetts Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC).
Dr. Acar is committed to inclusive early childhood education and is interested in examining the intersectionality of culture, language, and EI/ECSE systems. She is directing and codirecting several personnel preparation and research grants.
Marci J. Hanson, Ph.D.
Professor Hanson was actively engaged in teaching, research, and service related to young children and their families. She taught courses on family systems and services, learning and development, atypical infant development, and early childhood curriculum development and assessment. She directed the Joint Doctoral Program in Special Education with the University of California, Berkeley, and codirected the early childhood special education graduate program at San Francisco State University.
Dr. Hanson received her doctorate in special education with a minor in developmental psychology from the University of Oregon. Prior to joining the faculty, she worked as a research scientist in the Institute for the Study of Exceptional Children at Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey. For many years, Dr. Hanson was actively involved in research and community service with a primary focus on the inclusion of young children with disabilities in early childhood settings. She also directed a number of federally funded personnel preparation and research grants in early childhood and two model demonstration early intervention programs focused on family involvement in early education. The graduate training programs and the early intervention programs reflected the wide diversity of the San Francisco Bay Area and the country.
Dr. Hanson has presented and consulted widely in the United States and internationally. She has contributed extensively to the peer-reviewed professional literature and has authored a number of books and chapters. She is the author, with Dr. Eleanor Lynch, of Developing Cross-Cultural Competence: A Guide for Working with Children and Their Families (4th ed.) (Brookes, 2011). As Professor Emerita, she continues to consult on statewide and national projects and mentors college students within her community.
Eleanor W. Lynch, Ph.D.
Throughout her academic career, Dr. Lynch focused on advocacy, opportunities, and inclusive services for individuals with disabilities and those at risk. Teaching, community outreach, research, and service led her to concentrate on young children with disabilities and their families, incorporating the critical need for systems and professionals to become more effective at interdisciplinary practice and to understand the impact of cultural diversity on interactions. She taught courses on early childhood assessment, curriculum, and strategies to promote effective interactions with children, families, and other professionals.
Dr. Lynch received her M.A. degree in special education and her doctorate in exceptional children with a minor in school psychology from The Ohio State University. After completion of her doctorate with an emphasis on interdisciplinary practice, she joined the Educational Psychology faculty at Miami University (Ohio). She subsequently held dual appointments at the University of Michigan, including assistant professor in the Department of Special Education and Special Education Program Director at the clinically based, interdisciplinary Institute for the Study of Mental Retardation and Related Disabilities (ISMRRD). At San Diego State University, Dr. Lynch directed the credential and masterâ (TM)s degree programs in early childhood special education. She also directed state- and federally funded projects focusing on personnel preparation in early childhood special education, interagency collaboration to improve early intervention services for infants, toddlers, and families, and best practices in developing individualized family service plans.
Dr. Lynch has contributed to the peer-reviewed professional literature and has authored numerous books and chapters. She is the author, with Dr. Marci J. Hanson, of Developing Cross-Cultural Competence: A Guide for Working with Children and Their Families (4th ed.) (Brookes, 2011). She has consulted throughout the United States and served on a USAID project to train special education faculty in Indonesia.
Dr. Blasco is an adjunct professor at the Institute on Development and Disability, Department of Pediatrics at Oregon Health & Science University. She is an infant assessment specialist and member of the Neurocognitive/Language Workgroup of HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD), a federally funded national project through the National institutes for Health (NIH). Her other research project involves the feasibility of the NIH Baby Toolbox (NTB) as an assessment tool for young children born preterm.She is active in the Division of Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children and is a former editor of the journal Young Exceptional Children. She continues to present locally, nationally, and internationally and publish her research. Dr. Blasco is also a professor in the infant/Toddler Mental Health graduate certificate program at Portland State University and assisted with redesigning and updating coursework or the program.
Kelly Brown, M. Ed., CEIS, is an adjunct faculty member in the Psychology and Brain Sciences Department at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She is also the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Specialist at the Easthampton Family Center, where she provides services to children between birth and five-years-old and their families. She serves as chair of her town's Special Education parent Advisory Council. Over the past five years, she has presented at both local and national conferences on topics related to early childhood and special education. As an adoptive parent of three neurodivergent children, she brings both professional and lived experience to her work. Her passion lies in supporting the social-emotional and educational needs of children who have experienced trauma, and in empowering families to advocate effectively within the special education system.
Elvia Cortes, Ph.D., M.S.W., is the founder and director of California's FINE (Family Intervention Nurturing Empowerment, Inc.) program, an early intervention in-home-based program serving young children and their families, As an experienced practitioner of over 20 years, she collaborates with Early Intervention Part C infant program practitioners to work with families and their young children at risk of developmental delays or diagnosed with a disability. Dr. Cortes provides coaching, reflection, and dyadic interactions to promote ethical practices within the early intervention community. She conducts developmental assessments for young children, provides direct services to families, and presents at conferences. Dr. Cortes believes adequate professional development in infant mental health and ongoing reflective practice is essential to program outcomes and implementation to enhance parental practices and healthy family relationships with children and practitioners.
Ashley Falandys, CEIS, is the Director of Community Outreach for a mission-driven care provider. She has more than 11 years of experience as a Developmental Specialist in early intervention and has also worked at the intersection of disability and the child welfare system, implementing an innovative program focused on permanency for youth with disabilities. She has held leadership positions with her local Special Education Parent Advisory Council and served on her town's Commision on Disabilities. As a neurodivergent adoptive parent of a child with a disability, Ashley is deeply committed to promoting equity, accessibility, and genuine inclusion for all children and their families by working to ensure that professionals' approaches are informed by the perspectives of those with lived experience.
Lisa Terry, M.S., M.Ed., IMH-E, provides support for the design and implementaiton of professional development activities for early interventionists in Virginia. She has worked in early intervention for more than 15 years in various roles as an educator, service coordinator, and clinical supervisor. Ms. Terry hosts the podcast "Meaningful Moments: Connecting Infant Mental Health to Early intervention." She is a certified trainer in the Growing Brain, a Zero to Three curriculum. She maintains endorsement as an infant mental health mentor-research/faculty and is the cofacilitator for DEC's Infant Mental Health Community of Practice and an aRPy ambassador. Ms. Terry remains dedicated to promoting and supporting the emotional well-being of all families.
Katherine T. Volk, Ph.D., IMH-E, specializes in applying child development knowledge to the everyday work of being with children. She has particular expertise in family homelessness, infant mental health, early childhood development, and trauma-informed care. Dr. Volk has worked with hundreds of organizations around the United States, spanning early education/care, homelessness, mental health, and substance abuse/recovery systems. She is a teacher, researcher, technical assistance provider, and subject matter expert and serves as visiting faculty at Wheaton College (Massachusetts). She has a master's degree in child development and public policy from Tufts University and a doctorate in early education and care from the University of Massachusetts, Boston.
