MEETING THE CHALLENGES OF ESTABLISHING INTERDISCIPLINARY PRESERVICE PREPARATION FOR INFANT PERSONNEL

As the federal, state, and local guidelines for early intervention develop to fit the needs of infants who are at risk or disabled and their families, the need for qualified infant specialists will remain significant. Research has shown that although there are no consistent methodologies for training infant specialists across or within disciplines nationally, interdisciplinary approaches are recommended by personnel preparation programs. The current literature on interdisciplinary preparation of infant personnel is reviewed, and some of the challenges of implementing such programs are discussed. Finally, Temple University's Interdisciplinary Infant Intervention Program is described as an example of how these challenges may be met.