Imagine there is no one in the world with whom you can communicate. All your attempts to reach out and make sense in the world are thwarted because there is no one who understands your language. This is a normal event in child development. Yet the child with disabilities has less adaptive skills than other children her age. Attempts are more frustrating. To make matters worse, the whole circle of communication between adult and child becomes thwarted as parents and therapists, instead of reading nonverbal cues accurately, misjudge them and send the whole communication circle spiraling downward. The character, the pacing, the whole theatre of our play and movement with young children is extremely important. As we believe children must learn to speak, we adults, parents and therapists, must learn to play. It’s not that adults are not well meaning. Very many are. It’s just that most adults have no idea "how to be" in the child’s preverbal world. It is to this preverbal task that ChildDance is addressed. It describes one therapist’s encounter with six different children with special needs, how child development theory and practice is woven together to form a fabric for preverbal communication.

In easy-to-understand and clear language, the author provides the practical guidance needed to successfully operate a child care and education center. Engagingly written, this handbook invites readers to examine the many duties and responsibilities inherent in managing staff, budgets, and a quality program that conforms to all legal and regulatory requirements. Each chapter carefully addresses one leadership or management task to provide concise, yet comprehensive coverage of every aspect of child care administration. Overall the book provides both practicing and future administrators a wealth of helpful support and resources, including forms, documents, recommended readings and websites, and reflective prompts, to flourish in their positions.

This text will help students move from identifying the annual goals for a child to embedding these goals in the regular classroom routine. It is set up to provide information and then teach how to appy this information in a practical setting.