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About the Editor and Contributors

arl J. Dunst, Ph.D., is Director and Senior Research Carolina. She received her master’s degree in Biosta-
C Scientist, Orelena Hawks Puckett Institute, Ashe- tistics from the School of Public Health, University of
ville and Morganton, North Carolina. His background North Carolina--Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She has
is in both early childhood special education and devel- been involved in conceptualizing and conducting data
opmental psychology. He has been involved in research analysis using advanced statistical analysis methods and
and practice in early childhood intervention for more than techniques in various research projects conducted at the
40 years. His interests include the key characteristics of Orelena Hawks Puckett Institute, including the evalua-
capacity-building early childhood intervention practices, tion of the effects of different kinds of early childhood
the manner in which parent involvement in intervention intervention practices on child, parent, parent-child,
positively influences parenting confidence and compe- and family functioning. Ms. Hamby has also performed
tence, and the development of intervention tools to im- meta-analyses of studies of early childhood intervention
prove practitioners’ use of evidence-based early child- practices that are the foundations for many of the perfor-
hood intervention practices. The latter includes many of mance checklists described in this monograph.
the performance checklists described in this monograph,
ones developed at the Orelena Hawks Puckett Institute onna E. Nelson, Ed.D., is Program Director, Expand-
and the Family, Infant and Preschool Program (Morgan- D ing Horizons Early Intervention Program, Center
ton, NC), and those published in journal articles and book for Early Childhood, East Tennessee State University,
chapters. Johnson City, Tennessee. Early Horizons serves young
children with disabilities and developmental delays and
arilyn Espe-Sherwindt, Ph.D., is Director of the their families in rural northeast Tennessee. She earned
M Family Child Learning Center (FCLC), Talmadge, an undergraduate degree in Psychology at Gardner Webb
Ohio. FCLC is the early intervention, research, and train- University, a Master’s of Science degree at the University
ing center of the Akron Children’s Hospital. She has di- of Tennessee in child and family studies, and completed
rected multiple federal and state-funded demonstration, a doctoral degree in educational leadership and policy
personnel preparation, and outreach projects, and has analysis at East Tennessee State University. Dr. Nelson
served as the external evaluator for other early childhood has co-authored a number of books and articles on family
intervention projects. Her research, publications, presen- involvement in early intervention. She has also presented
tations, and workshops have focused on collaboration, at numerous state, local, and national conferences focus-
family-centered practices, family engagement, imple- ing on family-based principles and early intervention.
mentation science, early identification and intervention
of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, and the use inda L. Wilson, M.A., is Director, Enola Group Early
of technology to deliver early intervention services and L Head Start Program, Morganton, North Carolina. She
supports. As part of grants and contracts awarded to the has a B.S. degree from Indiana University and a M.A.
FCLS by various state and local agencies and organiza- degree from Appalachian State University, Boone, North
tions, Dr. Espe-Sherwindt has designed and implemented Carolina. Ms. Wilson has a wide range of experiences in-
program evaluations, practice guidance documents, and cluding classroom teaching, in-home early intervention,
has delivered inservice training for families, early inter- program development and evaluation, training and staff
vention practitioners, Head Start staff, and preschool edu- development, and program management. Ms. Wilson has
cation personnel. developed or co-developed a number of checklists and
intervention tools for measuring adherence to family-
eborah W. Hamby, M.P.H., is Research Analyst, centered practices and for promoting the use of everyday
D Orelena Hawks Puckett Institute, Morganton, North activities for facilitating child learning and development.

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