Innovations and Evidence-Based Approaches in Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education
A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 October 2026 | Viewed by 781
Special Issue Editor
Interests: autism and spectrum disorder education; special education and disability; professional development; teacher preparation; coaching
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Early intervention plays a critical role in improving developmental, educational, and long-term outcomes for young children with disabilities and developmental delays. Grounded in decades of research, early intervention and early childhood special education emphasize timely, individualized, and evidence-based supports delivered within natural and inclusive environments. Despite strong empirical foundations, gaps remain in translating research into practice, ensuring implementation quality, and responding to emerging challenges and innovations across diverse contexts.
This Special Issue aims to advance the field of early intervention in special education by bringing together high-quality empirical studies, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and practice-oriented research that address contemporary issues and future directions. We welcome contributions examining evidence-based instructional practices, family-centered and parent-mediated interventions, coaching and professional development models, inclusive early childhood systems, and technology-enhanced approaches, including digital and AI-supported tools. Studies focusing on implementation fidelity, feasibility, equity, cultural and linguistic responsiveness, and policy implications are particularly encouraged.
Research spanning classrooms, homes, and community-based settings is central to this Special Issue and is intended to strengthen connections between research, practice, and policy. Collectively, the contributions aim to inform educators, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers about effective strategies and innovative approaches that can enhance the quality, accessibility, and impact of early intervention services for young children and their families.
We invite scholars, researchers, and practitioners to submit original manuscripts to this Special Issue and to contribute to advancing knowledge and practice in early intervention and early childhood special education.
Dr. Serife Balikci
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- early intervention
- early childhood special education
- evidence-based practices
- family-centered interventions
- parent-mediated interventions
- inclusive early childhood education
- implementation fidelity
- professional development and coaching
- technology-enhanced interventions
- equity and cultural responsiveness
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