Birth to age 3 are critical years for development, especially for children with disabilities who need extra support. Early interventionists meet with families and provide services such as occupational, speech or physical therapy to help children learn and grow.
For the nearly 7 million American children who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and have not developed functional vocal speech, communication can be difficult — and frustrating.
One promising option is augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), including speech-generating devices that support, supplement or replace vocal speech. Research suggests that using AAC in early interventions through play and other everyday activities may enhance language, social communication and play skills in children with autism.
For many, work-related stress is often seen as part of the job, with emotional exhaustion, burnout and turnover reported across nearly every industry in the U.S.
For the early childhood workforce, however, such stress can reach beyond teachers’ well-being and into the classroom. Research shows that when educators are navigating ongoing stress and emotional exhaustion, it can affect how they respond to children and families, shaping the tone of interactions and the overall learning environment.
Deafblindness is a combination of vision loss and hearing difference that makes accessing the environment, language and communication more complex. It varies in severity and type and can be present at birth or acquired at any age.
With both vision and hearing impacted, access to the world often requires individualized supports for independent living, education and social interaction.
University of Nebraska–Lincoln students will soon have access to new online courses designed to provide career-ready training in early childhood care and education.
Starting in the 2026–27 academic year, undergraduates in all majors can enroll in Connections for Kids — a series of five online courses focused on preparing them to promote young children’s social and emotional development through innovative, evidence-based practices.
This holiday season, a new statewide campaign is reminding Nebraskans that the smallest moments of connection can have the biggest impact on children’s lives.
Nurture Nebraska aims to boost awareness around the importance of children’s social and emotional development from birth to age 5. The campaign highlights how everyday interactions — a warm greeting, a kind response or a little extra patience to work through big feelings — help children develop confidence and skills that will benefit them throughout life.
For more than two decades, the Getting Ready research program has promoted healthy development for children age 5 and younger by bringing evidence-based parent engagement strategies to early childhood programs throughout Nebraska.
As one of the first projects launched by CYFS in 2004, Getting Ready has focused on cultivating and fortifying relationships in children’s lives, including relationships among parents, children and the early childhood educators connected to the family.
For many Nebraska families, finding affordable child care can seem like piecing together an impossible puzzle.
Parents juggle waitlists, long commutes and tough choices between work and staying home — all while early childhood teachers themselves face low pay, long hours and stress.
