Engaging Community Partners to Enrich Preschoolers Learning Experiences with Dramatic Inquiry

Interdisciplinary teams of adults are needed to enhance the capacity of schools to provide the most appropriate educational experiences for young children who have or are at risk for developmental delays and disabilities (Division for Early Childhood, 2014). When educators, families, and community partners connect around shared goals, we begin to reimagine instructional opportunities and create more equitable access to educational resources for children and families. We share insights from community partners who participated in a collaborative dramatic inquiry study designed to enrich preschoolers’ learning experiences and serve children and families

Environment: Improving Access and Participation

In this introduction to the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) Recommended Practices, we will briefly explain what we mean by the environment and what it means for young children with disabilities and their families. This will provide a framework for conceptualizing the inter-relatedness of environmental settings and features. We will also define types of environments in which children develop and grow and outline key ideas to consider when implementing the Environment recommended practices. This chapter will use vignettes to illustrate important themes and show examples of how practitioners can best use the Environment recommended practices

SPED 861: Infants with Disabilities and Home Visiting

This portfolio documents the process I used to redesign and assess students learning in SPED 861 Infants with Disabilities and Home Visiting. This is a course students in the Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) take while pursuing a master’s degree or graduate certificate in ECSE. This portfolio documents how I aligned the course objectives, content, and activities to Division for Early Childhood (DEC) recommended practices and DEC EI (Early Intervention)/ECSE professional standards (still in draft form as of June 2019). Then, I share the results of two methods used to assess student learning in SPED 861 (pre/post-test and assessment report). Finally, I reflect on my experiences with peer review of teaching and how it has improved my ability to design meaningful courses for students

Coaching as a Framework for Early Intervention Service Delivery

Abstract The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) has set forth a list of high leverage practices that have significant impact on children with special needs from birth through early childhood. One of these impactful strategies is building family capacity, which can be effectively addressed using a coaching framework for service delivery. Research in the field has not yet clearly defined coaching terms, definitions or characteristics, which impacts the fidelity of the practice and requires research and consensus moving forward. This body of work seeks to look at current research around the topic of coaching and it’s effectiveness in meeting student and family outcomes. In addition it includes a personal experience using the components of the coaching framework and its coordinating fidelity tool with a family in early intervention. Keywords: early childhood, early intervention, family capacity, service delivery, coaching, caregivers, triad

Coaching and Embedding in Early Childhood

Coaching and embedding has become an increasingly popular service delivery model in early childhood and has led to higher developmental outcomes for children and increased caregiver confidence and competence in working with their children with delays or disabilities. Coaching and embedding is an evidence based practice and considered a recommended practice by the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children as a service delivery model for early intervention. Coaching involves many strategies and can be delivered through a variety of modalities including in-person or virtual services. This project includes a review of literature on coaching and embedding in early childhood, development of three coaching videos, a summary reflection on the process for developing coaching videos and next steps for implementation with families, and the outcomes of early intervention. Key words: early intervention, coaching, embeddin

Consequences of Categorical Labeling of Preschool Children

The use of categorical diagnostic labels prescribed in P.L. 94--142 with children below school age is examined in this article. National practices relative to categorical labeling are reviewed, and questions are posed concerning the consequences of categorical labeling for children from 3 to 6 years old. Data from the state of New Hampshire concerning the frequency of usage for specific categorical labels are presented and are found to be consistent with national trends. Data are presented on the number of children who transition from non-categorical early intervention programs serving children birth to 3 years into categorical preschool programs for children 3 through 5 years. Almost one-third of all children served in early intervention are found not to be eligible for preschool services because of the requirement for a categorical label. The roles of demographic factors related to place of residence, age, and local school policies in deciding who is eligible for services and what diagnostic category is assigned, were considered. Finally, the consequences of categorical labeling for children, parents, and programs are discussed

Supporting High Quality Early Childhood Experiences for Children with and Without Disabilities and Their Families in Nevada

It has become common for young children to be enrolled in some form early care or education programs before entering kindergarten (Whitebrook, McLean, & Austin, 2016). These experiences can encompass a range of programs and many families use multiple programs to meet their needs (U.S. Census Bureau, 2013). According to the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Education (DHHS/DOE; 2014) early care and education includes programs that: provide early care and education to children birth through age five, where the majority of children in the program are typically developing. These include, but are not limited to, private or publicly funded center or family-based child care, home visiting, Early Head Start, Head Start, private preschool, and public school and community-based pre-kindergarten programs, including those in charter schools. (p.1) Quality early childhood programs help to promote children’s learning and development across all domains of development and prepare them for kindergarten. For children with disabilities, being meaningfully included in early care and education programs can support positive gains in development and learning. Furthermore, these early childhood programs have become vital for parents of young children to seek out employment, further education, and respite from the demands of parenting (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000). However, families of young children with and without disabilities continue to struggle with access to affordable programs that meet the complex needs of families and support high quality and evidence-based early childhood education. As with the rest of the country, Nevada has been working to further the quantity and quality of early care and education experiences for its youngest residents and their families. However, as early childhood programs cross multiple sectors, departments, funding streams, and state and federal policies as well as challenges to serving children in urban, rural, and tribal areas of the state, moving ideas into action has been difficult

Early Childhood Special Education in a Refugee Resettlement Community: Challenges and Innovative Practices

There has been a significant increase in the number of children who are culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) who qualify for early childhood special education (ECSE) services (Banerjee & Guiberson, 2012). The current study investigates the challenges and innovative practices in the evaluation and (ECSE) services for preschool aged children who are refugees. Twenty-eight early childhood educators who work in a small refugee resettlement community participated in a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews resulting in themes regarding challenges and innovative practices. Challenges include: lack of validated assessments, wait time for evaluations, different cultural perspectives and family advocacy. Innovative practices include: assessing skills not dependent on language and including caregivers in evaluations. Implications for future research and teacher preparation are discussed

Social Validity Assessment in Social Competence Interventions for Preschool Children: A Review

Social competence intervention studies published from 1970 to 2008 for preschoolers were reviewed for reports of social validity assessment. Analysis of 90 studies indicated that nearly 27% (n=24) of studies reported at least one measure of social validity assessment for: the goals (n=7), procedures (n=8), or effects (n=19). The methods used for these assessments were described including information about the participants, time of assessment and results. Trends in the rate of social validity assessment, methodological concerns and recommendations for further social validity assessments are discussed

The Relationship Between Pre-Service Training and Teaching Self-Efficacy for Inclusive Practices

Pre-service programming is instrumental in providing skills to teachers that builds positive teaching self-efficacy. This becomes increasingly important for those teachers who are hired to work in inclusive settings. Directives by the Division for Early Childhood and the Individuals for Disabilities Act have outlined content areas that teachers working in special education settings should have knowledge of and are comfortable in implementing (Division of Early Childhood 2014; United States Department of Education 2017). Many teachers, however, continue to come away from pre-service experiences without these skills (Lewis et al. 1999). Institutions continue to struggle with the integration of course content and curriculum around early intervention (Cochran et al. 2012; Stayton, Whittaker, Jones, & Kersting 2001). The purpose of this study is two-fold: 1) to examine the relationship between teaching self-efficacy for inclusive practices and perceptions of pre-service preparation and 2) to determine of perceptions of pre-service preparation predict measures of teaching self-efficacy for inclusive practices. A random sample of 250 licensed teachers from a Kansas were surveyed, 62 responded and 27 were included in the analyses. Results indicated that perceptions of pre-service preparation were related to overall teaching self-efficacy and measures of competence, not confidence