Welcome! This page features resources organized by service type (service coordination, service provision, and family support). Use the tabs below to view a selection of resources under each type of service. To view all resources of a certain service type, use the following Menu:
Service Coordination
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The Harvard University Center on the Developing Child has created an infographic for parents and professionals alike to explain the basics of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). ACES and Toxic Stress: Frequently Asked Questions describes how ACES work to impact very young children and their families and how the effects of ACES can be mitigated. Wiew and download this graphic on the Center on the Developing Child website: https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/aces-and-toxic-stress-frequently-asked-questions/
The ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM) describes core knowledge and role-specific competencies needed for early intervention service provision, incorporating current research and evidence in the field of early intervention. To access the…
This resource from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) reviews the research on language development for young children who are dual language learners (DLLs) and offers tips for early childhood professionals to help multilingual babies and toddlers in their care feel safe, learn, and grow.
View this resource in its entirety at the National Association for the Education of Young Children website: https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/may2020/rocking-and-rolling.
The ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM) describes core knowledge and role-specific competencies needed for early intervention service provision, incorporating current research and evidence in the field of early intervention. To access the ESPM,…
The California Department of Education (CDE) recently distributed a handout entitled “Early Intervention Special Education Resources.” It gives a brief overview of three important programs:
Read the overview here:…
The Manifesto for Race Equity and Parent Leadership in Early Childhood Systems, published in 2019 by the Center for the Study of Social Policy, invites early childhood systems and programs to commit to "address[ing] inequities and racism by giving parents a voice and opportunity to be engaged and lead at all levels of change."
The Manifesto includes five "Core Commitments" for early childhood systems, with strategies to implement each of the commitments. This resource is also available in Spanish.
To learn more about the Manifesto, visit https://cssp.org/resource/parent-leader-manifesto/.…
Did you know that “research shows . . . having a strong foundation in early math . . . can lead to higher achievement in both math AND reading later in school.” That’s the kind of wisdom you’ll find in this tip sheet from the U.S. Departments of Health & Human Services and Education. The article defines S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering, and math) education in easy-to-understand terms then offers a long list of tips that families can try in their home language. These tips address such concept areas as measurement, counting, shapes, spatial relationships, patterns, and many more . . . all things inquisitive young minds are interested in learning. Give this tip sheet a read and see what S.T.E.M.…
alt="thumbnail of book cover"“Winning the Food Fights,” published on healthychildren.org by the American Academy of Pediatrics, is a light-hearted yet informative review of the book Food Fights: Winning the Nutritional Challenges of Parenthood Armed with Insights, Humor, and a Bottle of Ketchup, by Laura A. Jana, M.D., FAAP, and Jennifer Shu, M.D., FAAP. In the review the author poses such mind-bending questions as “Why do (toddlers) insist they hate something they’ve never even tried?” then proceeds to describe the “practical, reality-based answers” spelled out in the book. The areas addressed include “palatable peace-keeping strategies,” weight and eating habits, practicing patience, and applying the suggestions outside the home (which may not be helpful right…
For nearly four decades, the not-for-profit organization Pathways has been a “positive, trusted, inclusive partner to parents everywhere.” The dedicated staff at Pathways.org provide “free, trusted resources” based on the best available research and the expert opinion of pediatricians and therapists (e.g., OT, PT, SLP). Pathways’ resources include information on milestones; ability descriptions divided by age group; suggested activities to stimulate development; downloadable checklists, in both English and Spanish, that are easy to print and share; and countless video examples of the skills being discussed. Visit Pathways.org and take a few minutes to look around, then leave us a comment about what you found most interesting. We’d love to hear from you!
The ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM)…
Our friends at Zero to Three have done it again! In “How to Introduce Toddlers and Babies to Books,” they’ve provided the field with evidence-informed strategies for teaching very young children about the joy of reading.
The first and most important tip shared is to have fun, noting that “when children have positive interactions with books, they are developing good feelings about reading.” What follows is a litany of sage advice—everything from “a few minutes at a time is OK” to “make books a part of…
The National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations describes the Pyramid Model as “a conceptual framework of evidence-based practices for promoting young children’s healthy social and emotional development.” It’s used by both families and professionals and is “based on over a decade of evaluation data.” Modeled after a “tiered public health approach” to providing supports to children and families, the Pyramid Model is built on a foundation of an effective workforce, meaning professionals who are able to “adopt and sustain these evidence-based practices.”
This Pyramid Model poster we’ve provided here describes three tiers of intervention, looking first at the base of the pyramid, then moving…
The Office of Special Education Program’s Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL) and the Orelena Hawks Puckett Institute bring us this week, “Let Me Tell You What I Want.” The intention behind this practice guide is to capitalize on the gestures infants naturally use to communicate and to help parents find ways to adapt gestures and signs for children with disabilities who may struggle with communication.
The brochure offers step-by-step guidance on how to observe a young child’s attempts at gestures, then reinforce what’s working and what makes sense within their family. It also gives three real-life examples of families putting the practice to use with amazing results. If you work with a family of a child who is learning to communicate, this practice guide might be just what you need. Leave us a comment below to let us know how you used the information and what the family thought.
If you’d like to check…
The Family Focus Resource & Empowerment Center in L.A. produced this terrific video to share “Five Things You Can Do to Make Your Family Strong.” The content is based on the Five Protective Factors you may have heard about. Watch the video to learn more. It’s also available with Spanish subtitles if you click here.
The ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM) describes core knowledge and role-specific competencies needed for early intervention service provision, incorporating current research and evidence in the field of early intervention. To access the ESPM,…
The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University offers the field a timely infographic entitled “What We Can Do About Toxic Stress.” It explains the concept using a clever analogy of an overburdened truck hauling too much cargo and offers some practical advice about ways to lighten the load. “Just as a truck can only bear so much weight before it . . . stops moving forward, challenging life circumstances can weigh caregivers down (making) it hard to do the things they need and want to do.” The infographic suggests seeking out supports and services that “allow caregivers to focus on caring for themselves and their children,” such as food pantries, free activities for children and families, connecting with other parents, and…
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers a wealth of resources on its website. The one we’d like to call your attention to this week is entitled Information on Safety in the Home & Community for Parents with Infants & Toddlers (Ages 0-3). Click on the title to be taken directly to the site. There you’ll find a series of links on topics ranging from burns to medicine safety to water safety and everything in between. These links will take you to topic-specific pages within CDC’s website, many of which include prevention tips. Once you’ve explored, leave us a comment below to let us know which topic you found to be most useful in your day-to-day work with families.
The ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM) describes core…
In a “From Principles to Practice” Learning Brief, entitled “Building a Family Engagement Culture,” the authors address two questions:
In order to answer these questions, local advocates in L.A. County “developed a shared definition of family engagement” and outlined five guiding principles to “build upon the work of national advocates and stress the need to embed practices across the systems and settings that serve families with young children.”
The five guiding principles are as follows:
The Manifesto for Race Equity and Parent Leadership in Early Childhood Systems, published in 2019 by the Center for the Study of Social Policy, invites early childhood systems and programs to commit to "address[ing] inequities and racism by giving parents a voice and opportunity to be engaged and lead at all levels of change."
The Manifesto includes five "Core Commitments" for early childhood systems, with strategies to implement each of the commitments. This resource is also available in Spanish.
To learn more about the Manifesto, visit https://cssp.org/resource/parent-leader-manifesto/.…
The Family Resource Centers Network of California (FRCNCA) has developed a one-page infographic for families illustrating the variety of community resources to support infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. View the infographic below, or click here to download the PDF directly to your device.
Heather Lanier's daughter Fiona has Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, a genetic condition that results in developmental delays -- but that doesn't make her tragic, angelic or any of the other stereotypes about kids like her. In this talk about the beautiful, complicated, joyful and hard journey of raising a rare girl, Lanier questions our assumptions about what makes a life "good" or "bad," challenging us to stop fixating on solutions for whatever we deem not normal, and instead to take life as it comes.
This Report from the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University describes a set of “design principles” that policymakers and practitioners can use to improve outcomes for children and families. That is, to be maximally effective, policies and services should:
1. Support responsive relationships for children and adults.
2. Strengthen core life skills.
3. Reduce sources of stress in the lives of children and families.
“Getting Ready: Promoting School Readiness through a Relationship-Based Partnership Model” was published by Sheridan et al in 2008. “In the ‘Getting Ready’ model, collaborative partnerships between parents and professionals are encouraged to promote parent’s competence and confidence in maximizing children’s natural learning opportunities and preparing both parents and children for long-term school success.”* A more recent article by Marvin et al (2019), “Getting Ready: Strategies for Promoting Parent-Professional Relationships and Parent-Child Interactions,” expands on the original text and describes a set of “evidence-based ‘Getting Ready’ practices . . . which highlight daily opportunities” in which the practices can be implemented. Waters & Catlett (2020) review the newer article and include suggestions for professionals who work with young children and their families as well as instructors and faculty…
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) offers earthquake resources, focusing on things that can be done to support children before, during, and after an earthquake. For example, the site recommends that parents be encouraged to “give children factual information about earthquakes in simple terms,” appropriate to their developmental level. They also offer an app they created called Help Kids Cope, which provides information on how to talk with children of different developmental levels. Immediately after an earthquake, parents can “model calm behavior; provide simple but accurate information in a quiet, steady voice; encourage comforting or distracting activities; and practice their own self-care.” The NCTSN article concludes with a host of downloadable resources for both parents and teachers. Be sure to check…
This article from Hands & Voices describes some of the unique hearing and language needs of babies with unilateral hearing loss, as well as strategies for supporting an infant to attend to sounds and voices and tips for supporting overall development and keeping an eye out for possible warning signs of developmental delays.
Read the article on the Hands & Voices website here: https://handsandvoices.org/articles/early_intervention/uni_loss_tips.html
The ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM) describes core knowledge and role-specific competencies needed for early intervention service provision, incorporating current research and evidence in the field of early intervention. To access the ESPM, CLICK HERE.
This…
Zero to Three offers an excellent video resource entitled, “From Feelings to Friendships: Nurturing Healthy Social-Emotional Development in the Early Years.” It is part of their “Magic of Everyday Moments” series. The video describes the importance of the parent-child bond in building a child’s “ability to form relationships with others, express emotions, and face difficult challenges.” Supportive relationships encourage young children to “explore the world, develop empathy, and understand the difference between right and wrong.” The video offers ways parents can develop strong bonds and nurturing relationships with their young children. There’s also a tip sheet, which we’ve included here for easy access. It might be a great handout for the families you serve. Let us know in the comments below what you think.…
The National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM) at Utah State University published an e-book in 2019, entitled “A Resource Guide for Early Hearing Detection & Intervention.” Today’s post focuses on Chapter 6 of that publication: “Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing PLUS.”
The chapter defines Deaf or Hard of Hearing (or D/HH) Plus as children who are D/HH and also have developmental or medical difficulties. Research from Gallaudet University indicates that approximately 40% of the pediatric D/HH population falls into this category, likely related to “some of the risk factors for hearing loss . . . such as genetic syndromes, prematurity, congenital infections, and meningitis.”
The chapter also outlines other data that compares the rate of certain…
The Harvard University Center on the Developing Child has created an infographic for parents and professionals alike to explain the basics of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). ACES and Toxic Stress: Frequently Asked Questions describes how ACES work to impact very young children and their families and how the effects of ACES can be mitigated. Wiew and download this graphic on the Center on the Developing Child website: https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/aces-and-toxic-stress-frequently-asked-questions/
The ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM) describes core knowledge and role-specific competencies needed for early intervention service provision, incorporating current research and evidence in the field of early intervention. To access the…
Today’s article answers the age-old question, “Am I Really My Child’s First Teacher,” with a resounding, “Yes!” The folks at NAEYC provide a rationale for the claim and offer examples of routines-based interventions that support literacy development, like telling stories, looking around, and making books available. It’s a quick read. Check it out and let us know what you think in the comments below.
The ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM) describes core knowledge and role-specific competencies needed for early intervention service provision, incorporating current…
The California Inclusion and Behavior Consultation (CIBC) Network invites supervisors to apply to join the next cohort of professionals in a Reflective Practice Training and Mentoring series. This series is offered at no cost to participants and is designed to build capacity for engaging in reflective practice approaches across California’s birth to five service systems.
To Download More Information…
Click here for more information about participation
To Apply…
Individuals representing birth to five home visiting programs, early childhood Tribal programs, and Part C Early Start vendored programs are encouraged to apply. Space is highly limited, and individuals are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Applications will be accepted through…
This resource from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) reviews the research on language development for young children who are dual language learners (DLLs) and offers tips for early childhood professionals to help multilingual babies and toddlers in their care feel safe, learn, and grow.
View this resource in its entirety at the National Association for the Education of Young Children website: https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/may2020/rocking-and-rolling.
The ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM) describes core knowledge and role-specific competencies needed for early intervention service provision, incorporating current research and evidence in the field of early intervention. To access the ESPM,…
In a “From Principles to Practice” Learning Brief, entitled “Building a Family Engagement Culture,” the authors addressed two questions:
In order to answer these questions, local advocates in L.A. County “developed a shared definition of family engagement” and outlined five guiding principles to “build upon the work of national advocates and stress the need to embed practices across the systems and settings that serve families with young children.”
The five guiding principles are as follows:
Hands & Voices and the Family Leadership in Language & Learning Center (FL3) offer “Eight Reasons to Say Yes to Early Intervention” in this week’s resource. Hands & Voices and FL3 focus on families of children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, but many of the reasons they suggest apply to families much more broadly. Ranging from support for intervention embedded into everyday routines, the importance of accessing the wisdom of other parents, and becoming a strong advocate for your child, the information presented will likely ring true for a wide range of families. Check out the infographic below to learn about the ways early intervention can support young children and their families.…
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