Personal Thoughts on Early Childhood Special Education Research: An Historical Perspective, Threats to Relevance, and Call to Action

Abstract

This article is based on my 2016 keynote address at the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) Conference, Louisville, Kentucky. Historical tendencies as well as current day research funding mechanisms and priorities are presented. I argue for a more field-initiated research process, a focus on individual participant needs, and a more thoughtful study of factors that lead practitioners and administrators to adopt, use with fidelity, and sustain the use of DEC’s Recommended Practices.