Resources on Early Intervention Service Provision

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 Backpack Connection Series features 25 downloadable handouts on how parents and early childhood professionals can “work together to help young children develop social emotional skills and reduce challenging behavior.” The handouts provide a wide variety of tools and strategies for caregivers across four main categories: Addressing Behavior, Emotions, Routines and Schedules, and Social Skills. Examples include “Addressing Behavior – How to Help Your Child Stop Biting,” “How to Help Your Child Transition Smoothly Between Places and Activities,” and How to Help Your Child Learn to Share.” View these handouts online at https://challengingbehavior.cbcs.usf.edu/Implementation/family.html#collapse2. These resources are also available in Spanish and Chinese at the California Teaching Pyramid…

California Department of Developmental Services, Early Start Section and California Department of Education, Special Education Division. WestEd Center for Prevention and Early Intervention, 2013.

Click here to download this resource directly.

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A project of Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy, Story Blocks is “a collection of 30-60 second videos designed to model (for) parents, caregivers, and library staff . . . songs, rhymes, and finger-plays appropriate for early childhood.” The video clips also provide early literacy tips “to increase caregivers’ understanding of child development and pre-literacy needs.” Songs and rhymes are also offered in nine different languages. It’s a fun site to explore to be reminded of tried and true favorites as well as to learn new songs and rhymes children will enjoy. Check it out here and leave your comments below.

The ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM) describes core knowledge and role-specific competencies needed for early…

The Let’s Participate! Model Demonstration Program was funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to assist early childhood programs in “implementing and sustaining promising practices in the effective use of assistive technology (AT) by infants, toddlers, and preschool children with disabilities and, as a result, improve their functional outcomes” (CAInclusion.org). Staff and managers can access a variety of trainings and resources to learn more about using AT with the young children they serve, including how to create child-specific AT plans, build a lending library of AT devices and apps, and identifying AT supports for different needs. Learn more at https://www.letsparticipate.org/.

The ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM) describes core knowledge and role-specific competencies needed for early intervention service…

The McKinney-Vento Homelessness Assistance Act's definition of homelessness includes the following: “individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence” [Title 42, Chapter 119, Subchapter VI, Part B, Section 11434a]. However, it goes on to explain in greater detail what is meant by homelessness for children and youth. Head Start’s Early Child and Language Center offers an eight-module course on the subject to help broaden your understanding of this important topic. Click here to find the modules. Learn to recognize families who are “experiencing homelessness, conduct community…

Published in 2016, by the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children, this week’s featured resource offers “guidance to practitioners and families about the most effective ways to improve the learning outcomes and promote the development of young children . . . who have or are at-risk for developmental delays or disabilities.” DEC Recommended Practices with Examples was designed to “help bridge the gap between research and practice,” to “support children’s access and participation in inclusive settings and natural environments,” and (to) “address cultural, linguistic, and ability diversity.” Production of this resource was guided by the following parameters:

Recommend practices:

• Have the highest expected leverage and impact…

The First Words Project at Florida State University has developed a series of free resources for families of children 0-3 to help parents better understand and support their child’s development. All resources are available in both Spanish and English, and the Communication Checklist is also available in Portuguese and Canadian French. There is also a curated list of websites of possible interest to families of young children.

To access these resources, visit the First Words Project webpage at…

In a position statement from September 2012, the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) outlined six recommendations “for the promotion of health, safety, and well-being of all young children including those with or at‐risk for disabilities.”

These six recommendations included the following:

• Prenatal care services and early universal screening;
• Culturally-responsive, developmentally appropriate, individualized care in affordable, safe, nurturing, and inclusive environments;
• Correctly administered, ethical, valid, reliable, culturally sensitive, formal and informal assessments;
• High quality systems of pre‐service and in‐service professional development;
• Advocacy efforts focusing on public regulations and policies for supporting the provision of…