The Evolution of the National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center

Abstract

This review traces the evolution from 1971 to the present of a national technical assistance (TA) program to support the creation, expansion, and improvement of services for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with special needs. From its beginning as a TA resource for demonstration projects, to linking outreach projects' expertise with state efforts to expand services, to supporting national constituencies across the research, development, and policy communities, to promoting program improvement and accountability for results, the OSEP-funded national early childhood TA center has been an important piece of a comprehensive infrastructure for early childhood special education. Through its collaboration with other agencies' early childhood TA programs, the National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center is committed to influencing the development of an infrastructure for early childhood to better serve all of our children.