Understanding Implicit Bias and Its Role in Early Learning Environments

Archived Webinar - This webinar was originally recorded on June 6, 2018.

Description: Racial inequities have long been present in our educational system. Recently, there has been a growing emphasis on the role of implicit bias in how programs discipline children, implement classroom practices, and establish teacher-child relationships. This session aims to support early childhood professionals in reducing implicit biases and using culturally responsive practices. Specifically, the session will focus on (1) identifying barriers to equity in early childhood environments for children of color (L7; E1); (2) defining implicit bias and its role in perpetuating inequitable practices (L7); (3) describing strategies for identifying and overcoming implicit bias (INS6); and (4) providing specific culturally responsive practices that can be used in early learning environments to promote equitable outcomes for children from culturally diverse backgrounds (E1; INS2; INS6). This session will actively engage participants in learning self-reflection and debiasing strategies, and how to use culturally responsive practices.

After taking part in this session, participants will be able to:
1. Identify barriers to equity in early education, specifically related to the disproportionate number of Black children who are suspended or expelled from programs.
2. Have a basic understanding of implicit bias and its role in early childhood education.
3. Describe specific strategies for identifying and overcoming implicit biases.
4. Describe the components of a culturally responsive teaching practices, including an emphasis on family involvement, how to view child development through a culturally responsive lens, and specific culturally responsive strategies designed to prevent challenging behaviors within early learning environments.

Presenters: Jen Neitzel, PhD, Megan Vinh, PhD, Ebonyse Mead

JENNIFER NEITZEL, PhD, is a Research Scientist at the FPG Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Neitzel’s work is focused on implicit bias, early childhood suspensions and expulsions, and racial equity in early childhood education.

MEGAN VINH, PhD, is the Co-Director of the Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center, a co-PI of the Early Childhood Recommended Practice Modules project (RPM), and the evaluation lead for the Center for IDEA Early Childhood Data Systems (DaSy).

EBONYSE MEAD is the Family Support Program Officer at the Smart Start of North Carolina. In her work, Ms. Mead focuses on implicit bias and its role in early childhood education, particularly related to families and their experiences within early learning environments.

Everyone on Board: Implementing the Pyramid Model Program-Wide

Archived Webinar

Description: Implementing the Pyramid Model program-wide involves several key components, such as obtaining staff buy-in, establishing a leadership team, and employing Pyramid Model practices to fidelity across classrooms. This learning deck will provide an overview of the steps to program-wide implementation and describe tools, resources, and examples of how it has worked in real world early childhood programs.

Presenters: Elizabeth Steed, PhD, Lise Fox PhD

ELIZABETH STEED, PhD is an Assistant Professor at the School of Education and Human Development at University of Colorado Denver. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Purdue University and was an Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator for the ECSE program at Georgia State University. She has been the Principal Investigator on a number of research grants related to young children’s challenging behavior. She is also the first author of a published assessment tool used to measure critical features of program-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports in early childhood settings, the Preschool-wide Evaluation Tool (Steed, Pomerleau, & Horner, 2012).

LISE FOX, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Child and Family Studies and the Director of the Florida Center for Inclusive Communities, the University of South Florida Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. She also serves as Division Director of The Florida Center for Inclusive Communities (FCIC). She has a PhD in early childhood special education from Florida State University (1989) and was a faculty member in the Department of Special Education of the University of Florida prior to her appointment at the University of South Florida. She is the principal investigator of the OSEP funded Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention for Young Children and a faculty member with the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning.

Family-Centered Practice in Early Intervention Context

Archived Webinar

Description: Research has documented the impact family-professional partnerships have on family and child outcomes. This learning deck will guide participants in understanding the benefits and barriers to family-professional partnerships in early intervention context.

Participants will learn effective and strength-based practices to collaborate with families to support young children. Applications of these practices will be demonstrated through scenarios. Specifically, participants for this learning deck will:
1. Understand the importance of collaborating with families
2. Reflect on best practices to support families from diverse background.
3. Learn key strategies to incorporate families as partners during home-visits/intervention sessions

Presenters: Angel Fettig, PhD

ANGEL FETTIG, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at University of Massachusetts, Boston’s College of Education and Human Development. Angel Fettig received her doctorate in special education with a concentration in early childhood from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in May 2008. Her dissertation examined the effects of function-based parent intervention in reducing children's challenging behaviors. She completed a post-doctoral research fellowship in 2012 at Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and worked as an investigator on the National Professional Development Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Feeding Challenges in Young Children: An Overview

Archived Webinar

Description: Many young children with disabilities and developmental delays experience feeding challenges. While their cause and treatment vary, there are a number of common approaches to assessment and intervention. This session will provide ways to collect information about feeding development and an overview of effective strategies and specialized interventions to facilitate feeding development. An emphasis on collaboration across professions will be shared. Resources will also be offered.

Presenters: Deborah A. Bruns

DEBORAH A. BRUNS, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Counseling, Quantitative Methods and Special Education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Dr. Bruns teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in early childhood special education and working with families. She serves on Editorial Boards for the Journal of Early Intervention, Early Childhood Research & Practice and Young Exceptional Children. Dr. Bruns is the Principal Investigator of the Tracking Rare Incidence Syndromes (TRIS) project focusing on rare trisomy conditions. Dr. Bruns also conducts research, provides professional development and publishes on strategies and interventions to address feeding difficulties in young children.

Focusing on the Environment: How the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) Framework is Linked to Child Participation

Archived Webinar

Description: The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) framework provides a means of examining a child’s ability to participate in daily routines and activities. A primary focus of the ICF is the environmental factor, which includes physical, social, and attitudinal environmental components. Specifically considering the environmental factors of the ICF affords practitioners with a framework for considering all possible facets of a child and his/her life that may be limiting full participation.

Participants in the Learning Deck will:
(1) Describe each component of the ICF with specific consideration of the physical, social, and attitudinal components of the environmental factor.
(2) Explore the environmental factors that can be facilitators and barriers to participation.
(3) Identify environmental modifications that can be used to facilitate child participation.

Presenters: Lynn Jeffries, PT, DPT, PhD, PCS, Alyssa LaForme Fiss, PT, PhD, PCS

LYNN JEFFRIES, PT, DPT, PhD, PCS is an Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. She is director of clinical education and has teaching, research and service responsibilities. She primarily teaches pediatric and professionalism topics. Dr. Jeffries participated as co-investigator on the multi-site PT COUNTS, Move & PLAY, and On Tracks studies. These studies focused on school-based physical therapy services and children with cerebral palsy. Dr. Jeffries has presented at state, national, and international conferences. Locally she held many positions with the state association and recently was the Chair of the Practice Committee of the Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy.

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ALYSSA LAFORME FISS, PT, PhD, PCS is an Associate Professor and Director, Physical Therapy Research at Mercer University, where she teaches courses in research, pediatric physical therapy, and pediatric service learning. Dr. Fiss served as a co-investigator in the Move & PLAY and On Track research studies which focus on children with cerebral palsy. Her other research interests include models of service delivery and effective interventions for children with disabilities. Dr. Fiss has presented at state, national, and international conferences. She is board certified as a Pediatric Clinical Specialist and continues to provide services for children with disabilities. She currently serves as the Chair of the Practice Committee for the Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy.

Giving Our Quietest Children a Voice: Implementing the Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology

Archived Webinar

Description: This webinar will provide information learned from an ongoing longitudinal, mixed-methods research study. The purpose of the research is to examine the impact of implementing the Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology (QIAT) with educational teams supporting six young children with various disabilities, all with varying degrees of Complex Communication Needs (CCN). The children range in age from three to six years old. The comprehensive team supporting the children include the Child Development Lab (CDL) Director, two university-based researchers, teachers, teacher assistants, a Speech and Language Pathologist and an Occupational Therapist from Oklahoma Able Tech, and our state Assistive Technology (AT) agency. Following the eight QIAT guidelines, multiple Recommended Practices from the DEC are being followed and implemented. Families are an integral part of the research process. Each child receives individualized interventions and are now using different AT communication devices. Results, challenges, and successes will be shared in the webinar.

1. Participants will develop a deeper understanding of the eight steps in the Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology (QIAT) and how they relate to the DEC Recommended Practices.
2. Participants will examine documents from the longitudinal, mixed-methods study and be able to relate and connect them to their own settings and needs.
3. Participants will be able to integrate the new knowledge gained regarding the implementation, successes, and challenges identified of the steps of the QIAT with six young children within the session.

Presenters: Gretchen Cole-Lade, PhD, Claudia Otto, PhD, Dianna Ross, MS

GRETCHEN COLE-LADE, PhD, is a retired special education teacher and an assistant professor teaching early childhood education pre-service teachers. She earned a BS in Special Education, an MEd in Early Childhood Education and a PhD in Professional Education Studies with an emphasis in Special Education.

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CLAUDIA OTTO, PhD, was a special education teacher and is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor preparing K-12 pre-and in-service teachers to meet the diverse needs of students with disabilities. She earned a BS in Business Administration, an MS in Teaching, Learning, and Leadership, and a PhD in Professional Education Studies.

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DIANNA ROSS, MS, is the director of the Child Development Lab at Oklahoma State University. She earned a BS Family Relations and Child Development and MS in Curriculum and Instruction. Her expertise is child development, and children with and without developmental delays and disabilities.

Grandparents Matter: Strategies for Involving Grandparents in ECSE Settings

Archived Webinar

Description: Grandparents play an important role in the lives of children with disabilities and their families. In this webinar, we will examine the roles grandparents play in supporting their grandchild with disability and the family, and the barriers they face in navigating care for their grandchild, their adult children, and themselves. Join us as Marci Nemhauser, a psychologist and a grandmother to a child with disability shares her unique perspective as a grandparent and a professional. Participants will learn about strategies for professionals and schools to engage different groups of grandparents, including grandparents from diverse backgrounds.

Presenters: Xueyan Yang, Marci Nemhauser, PsyD, PCC

XUEYAN YANG is a doctoral candidate in the Early Childhood Special Education program at the University of Washington. She has been involved in research projects in Singapore, her hometown, on early childhood intervention programs and facilitators and barriers to inclusion. More recently, her areas of interest focus on the supports and experiences of parents and grandparents of children with autism and other developmental disabilities.

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MARCI NEMHAUSER, PsyD, PCC is a retired Clinical Psychologist and currently a Professional Certified Coach. Over her 30 plus years in clinical practice, she worked with many people and families. Once she became a grandparent, her focus turned to supporting her son and his family as they deal with their son's autism. It is a journey of love, patience, laughter, and learning.

HealthyInfants: Prevention-Promotion Supports for Vulnerable Families in Rural and Urban Communities

Archived Webinar

Description: Participants will be presented with the prominent features of the Healthy Infants model including the application of RTI for the infant and toddler population. A set of tools will illustrate the impact of using innovation and collaboration to ameliorate the effects of toxic stress and promote caregiver responsiveness and infant development in both urban and rural communities. We will provide recommendations for using strategies to support caregiver responsiveness and decrease the cumulative effects of adverse life events.

Presenters: Jennifer Tepe, PhD, Audra Redick, MEd, and Stephen Bagnato, EdD

AUDRA REDICK, MEd received her M. ED in Special Education at Waynesburg University, and her BS in Elementary Education from West Virginia University. She has worked in the early childhood field for the past 20 years. She currently works with Early Childhood Partnerships, Healthy CHILD and Healthy Infant projects within the Northern Panhandle Head Start and Early Head Start programs. Healthy CHILD and Healthy Infants are both RTI based approaches to social and emotional education for young children.

STEPHEN J. BAGNATO, EdD, NCSP is a Developmental School Psychologist and Professor of Psychology and Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh, Schools of Education (Applied Developmental Psychology) and Medicine (Pediatrics). He is director of the Division for Early Childhood Partnerships (www.earlychildhoodpartnerships.org) at the University (Office of Child Development), and affiliated with Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC at the LEND Center at the University of Pittsburgh as a core interdisciplinary faculty member in leadership education for Maternal and Child Health Bureau fellows specializing in neurodevelopmental disabilities.

JENNIFER HARRIS TEPE, PhD received her PhD in Early Intervention at the University of Pittsburgh and her MEd in Special Education from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is currently the Project Manager for Healthy Infants at Early Childhood Partnerships at The University of Pittsburgh. Much of her experience is in home-based early intervention an urban setting. She is an adjunct instructor for the University of Pittsburgh CASE program with a focus on mentoring student teachers. Her focus continues to be on developing supportive interdisciplinary teams to increase developmental competencies and positive parent-child interactions through family-centered practice.

Home Visiting in Early Childhood Special Education: Effective Strategies and Practices

Archived Webinar

Description: Home visiting is a common service delivery model in early childhood special education, yet home visitors are often provided with little training and support to do this complex work. This webinar will cover best practices for home visitation with families of children with special needs, emphasizing the concept that “families own the agenda” for these visits. We will share strategies for effective home visits, data sheets, forms and ways practitioners can support families in embedding instruction within their ongoing routines.

Presenters: Ariane Gauvreau, PhD, BCBA-D, Tara Godinho, MEd, BCBA

ARIANE GAUVREAU, PhD, BCBA-D, is a teaching associate and lead fieldwork coach at the in the College of Education at University of Washington. Her research centers on effective practices for young children with disabilities, technology in early childhood, and parent support. She has worked at the Haring Center for many years as a Lead Teacher in Project DATA, where she home visited with many families with children with disabilities.

TARA GODINHO, MEd, BCBA is the Lead Behavioral Therapist for the Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention Day Treatment Program at Seattle Children’s Autism Center. Prior to her work at SCAC, Tara worked at the University of Washington’s Haring Center for several years in a variety of roles, including as a Lead Teacher in the Preschool and Infant Toddler Programs, and as the Toddler DATA Research Project Coordinator

Intentionally Using Environmental Practices to Support Child Access to Learning Opportunities

Archived Webinar

Description: Learn about a newly published comprehensive package of materials called PEAT's Suite that helps service providers, educators, families, and other stakeholders support the participation of young children with differing abilities in typical routines and activities. PEAT’s Suite makes the process of identifying physical environment feature and assistive tool solutions explicit and easy to undertake. Explore how anyone can use the materials to identify barriers to a child's full participation in everyday activities and to create a plan for fixing the problems — instead of fixing the child.

Participants will discuss the benefits of using these materials through one child's real-life story of preschool and transition to kindergarten. Participants will also learn about the principles behind this approach to individualizing plans that promote children's full participation in everyday routines and activities. These materials put a new twist on the approach used in the highly regarded and DEC distributed "CARA's Kit for Preschoolers" (Milbourne and Campbell, 2007).

Presenters: Suzanne Milbourne, Elizabeth Kennedy

SUZANNE A. MILBOURNE is the Director of a five-year, federally funded project focused on using assistive technology with young children. She is the co-author of the highly regarded CARA’s Kits (2007; 2012), and the TAM Technology Fan for Young Children (2006). Along with her co-presenter they field-tested a child- specific-AT-planner.

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ELIZABETH KENNEDY is a speech language pathologist with a special interest in assistive technology. She is the AT coordinator for a large school district preschool program in Delaware. Along with Dr. Milbourne, Ms. Kennedy designed and leads the on-site activities to field-test a child-specific-AT-planner.

Just in Time: Providing “Real Time” Feedback to Teachers Around Individualized Behavior Support Strategies

Archived Webinar

Description: Challenging behavior can be frustrating and isolating for teachers. Coaches can play an important role in helping teachers design and implement individualized behavior support plans. Learn about a study that examined the use of Bluetooth technology to provide immediate feedback to professionals in real time as they provided behavior support strategies for young children. Coaches will share lessons they have learned and provide tips for providing efficient, respectful, and practical feedback in real time.

Presenters: Kathleen Artman Meeker, PhD, and Ashley Penney

KATHLEEN ARTMAN MEEKER, PhD, is an assistant professor of early childhood special education at the University of Washington. Kathleen has worked extensively with teachers around preventing challenging behavior and promoting young children’s social-emotional development. She is particularly interested in ways of designing efficient and effective professional development. Kathleen has been active in a number of educational roles throughout her career: childcare assistant, special educator, supervisor, coach, researcher, and faculty member. She has designed professional development materials for military childcare and collaborates with the Head Start National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning (NCQTL) to design and deliver professional development that supports coaches in Head Start classrooms. Kathleen is a co-author of the chapter “Helping Teachers Implement the Pyramid Model Using Practice-based Coaching” in YEC Monograph No. 15.

ASHLEY PENNEY is a doctoral student in special education at the University of Washington and a behavior and education consultant at the UW Autism Center. She is a certified special education teacher and earned her M.Ed. in special education at the University of Washington with an emphasis in applied behavior analysis in 2009. Upon completion of her degree, Ashley coordinated an intensive instruction program for preschool students with autism in a Pacific Northwest school district. She is also certified in reciprocal imitation training (RIT), a naturalistic behavioral intervention for young children with autism.

Making the Most of DEC Resources in Teacher Education

Archived Webinar

Description: DEC products can help you enhance your college courses, professional development events, or in-service trainings. Learn about the many valuable publications and products available through DEC. We will share successful strategies for combining low-cost or free resources like position statements, DEC Recommended Practices products, and archived Learning Decks into meaningful learning units. We will share syllabi, learning activities, and other recommendations for using DEC products in higher education, personnel preparation, or inservice professional development.

Presenters: Kathleen Artman Meeker, PhD, BCBA-D

KATHLEEN ARTMAN MEEKER, PhD, BCBA-D is an Assistant Professor at the University of Washington and the Director of Research at the UW Haring Center for Education and Training in Inclusive Education. She has worked as a childcare assistant, K-3 special education teacher, educational coach, and professional development provider. She earned her Ph.D. at Vanderbilt University and has led state, local, and national trainings around preventing challenging behavior, promoting social-emotional competence in young children, and coaching early childhood educators. Kathleen is currently the chair of the DEC Publications and Products Committee and a co-author of the DEC Position Statement on Challenging Behavior in Young Children.

Managing Up: Using the DEC Recommended Practices for Leadership as a New or Beginning Practitioner

Archived Webinar

Description: New or beginning practitioners may struggle to understand how the DEC Recommended Practices for Leadership are not just meant for administrators and supervisors but connect to their work and professional growth as well. In this session, participants will learn the key principles of managing up to create an effective and productive relationship with program administrators or supervisors and how to create opportunities to use the Leadership Recommended Practices in their own work. The webinar will include an overview of the Leadership practices so that new practitioners start from a place of knowing what leaders are striving to do. Particular emphasis will be given to ways in which new practitioners can effectively communicate and advocate for the implementation of the Leadership practices in their programs. Topics of the session that will be connected to the practices include: developing positive working relationships; effective communication; identifying opportunities for growth; and providing constructive feedback. Participants will be given the opportunity to reflect on their own experience and will leave the session with at least two new strategies to utilize in their professional context.

Participants will:

1. Know the content of the 14 DEC Recommended Practices for Leadership.

2. Understand how the Leadership practices can be applied for a new or beginning practitioner.

3. Understand the key principles of managing up and how they can be utilized to create leadership opportunities regardless of their role.

4. Understand how they can support the implementation of the Leadership practices in their program or school.

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Presenters: Kathi Gillaspy, Sarah Geldart, PhD, Corin Collier

KATHI GILLASPY has over 25 years of experience as an early intervention and early childhood special education provider, program administrator, and technical assistance provider. She currently serves as the Technical Assistance Program Director at AnLar, a small educational consulting firm based in the Metro DC area.

SARAH GELDART, PhD, is a Senior Technical Assistance Specialist and works on educational and policy programs for district, state, and national projects. She has developed and provided more than 50 trainings on early childhood special education. Sarah is particularly skilled in evaluation, professional development, facilitation, and training design and delivery.

CORIN COLLIER, is a Technical Assistance Program Analyst who supports statewide early childhood special education projects. She has experience designing high- quality professional development opportunities for families and educators incorporating the DEC recommended practices and effective leadership skills. She brings a keen eye to incorporating adult learning theory into training design.

Maximizing the Benefits of Shared Story Reading for Young Children with Autism and Developmental Disabilities

Archived Webinar

Description: Reading to young children is a developmentally appropriate practice common in many homes and early childhood classrooms. Shared reading is also an excellent context to teach important early literacy skills that can provide the foundation for reading success. Many children with autism and other developmental disabilities may require behavioral supports and reading modifications to encourage active participation in shared book reading. This webinar will cover practical, evidence-based strategies that caregivers, teachers, and other adults can immediately implement to increase the quantity and quality of shared reading experiences.

Presenters: Veronica Fleury, PhD, BCBA-D

VERONICA FLEURY, PhD, BCBA-D, is an assistant professor of special education and the autism licensure and degree program coordinator at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Fleury’s research focuses on intervention for young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with a particular emphasis on the identification and development of instructional strategies that are both effective and feasibly implemented by caregivers and teachers. She has worked on several federally funded projects focused on ASD and is a co-author on the evidence-based practice technical report published by the National Professional Development Center on ASD. Dr. Fleury is a former special education preschool teacher and has worked with children with ASD and their families for over 15 years.

Mindfulness in Early Childhood for Educators and Students

Archived Webinar

Description: Are you looking to be more present in your professional and personal life? The goal of this presentation is to equip educational staff with tools to better manage their own wellness and relationship to stress. Participants will learn techniques that will allow them to teach from a place of mindfulness. Attendees will take home strategies to support their students in building the resource of awareness and healthy habits of the brain and body. Mindfulness is not just a catchphrase; it is something that can be naturally embedded into daily life for people of all ages.

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Participant Outcomes: This training will provide educators with - 
1) An introduction to Mindfulness.
2) An increased understanding of how the practice of Mindfulness can impact one’s personal and professional life.
3) Evidence based techniques for the young child.
Qualitative data on a pilot curriculum being implemented in St. Louis County.
4) Ways to infuse mindfulness throughout the early childhood day.
5) A plan on how to begin implementing mindfulness techniques in their classroom & in their personal lives.

Focus Age Group: 0 - 8

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Presenter: Melanie Fitzgerald

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MELANIE FITZGERALD has over 30 years of educational experience in a variety of settings. She has extensive experience in providing professional development for staff and parents. She educates students, staff, and guardians on the importance of developmentally appropriate practice in support of young children learning self-regulation and mental focus skills.

More than Just Manipulatives: Teaching Math in Preschool Classrooms

Archived Webinar

Description: It is important that children have high-quality, developmentally appropriate math experiences from an early age. In this learning deck, we will discuss how engaging learning activities can be developed and implemented in preschool classrooms to help children learn a variety of math skills, from counting to patterning and beyond! We also will discuss how intentional, systematic instruction can be used in the context of engaging activities to ensure student learning.

Presenters: Jessica Hardy

JESSICA HARDY, PhD is an assistant professor in early childhood special education at the University of Louisville. She was formerly a Head Start teacher and a preschool special education teacher in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Hardy’s research interests include evidence-based instructional practices, early childhood math instruction and learning, social-emotional instructional practices, and early childhood coaching. She has published articles and book chapters about blended practices in early math instruction, coaching teachers to use social-emotional teaching practices, and assessing early academic skills.

Music to Promote Engagement and Learning for Children with ASD: The What, Why and How

Archived Webinar

Description: Music is an important part of young children’s everyday routines within their home and school environments. Everyday engagement to music may include listening, singing, dancing, moving to different rhythms, and playing musical instruments. Active engagement to music holds the potential to promote cognitive, emotional, and social abilities of young children in an interactive and engaging context. This is especially important for young children with ASD, who may have challenges participating in-group activities and miss important learning opportunities. Music can be one inclusive strategy that holds the potential to promote all children’s engagement, including those with ASD, in a contextually meaningful and developmentally appropriate way.

Participants in the Learning Deck will: 1) Understand different musical characteristics as the active ingredients of teaching and learning. 2) Reflect on music strategies to enhance engagement and academic growth of all learners. 3) Learn music strategies to embed within their classroom routines.

Presenters: Potheini Vaiouli, PhD

POTHEINI VAIOULI, PhD, is a Lecturer at European University, Cyprus. Dr Vaiouli holds a background in music therapy and music in early childhood special education and has extensive experience working with young children with ASD and their families. Her primary research interest focus on the use of music as a tool for supporting young children at risk and their families. Specifically, she is interested in promoting music as an instructional tool in inclusive early childhood settings, the social and academic growth of young children with ASD, and family partnerships. She has published and presented her work nationally and internationally.

Ordinary People Design and Build Extraordinary Assistive Tools for Children with Disabilities

Archived Webinar

Description: Acquiring assistive tool (or technology) solutions is a process not an event. It starts with considering and trialing a variety of tools until the “fit” between the user and the solution seems to be successful. However, there are instances when: 1) the time between the identification of a solution and the delivery of the tool to an individual is extraordinarily long; 2) even simple tools can be costly and are often paid for by the consumer; and 3) the “just right fit” tool might not be commercially available. To address these issues one idea is the installation of a Maker Movement that provides opportunity for ordinary people to design, create and build extraordinary assistive tools for individuals with disabilities. Real life examples from a local initiative called “fabricATe” will demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach that provides families and children with access to low- and light- assistive tool solutions. Access to the tools in turn promotes access to and participation in everyday routines and activities and finally and multiple opportunities for learning. This approach compliments the process described in the DEC distributed “CARA’s Kit for Preschoolers" (2007).

Participants will: 1. Gain knowledge about working with family and other adults to modify and adapt the physical environment to promote each child’s access to and participation in learning experiences. 2. Explore real-life stories about how a community-oriented maker movement is identifying and meeting children's needs for assistive technology. 3. Leave the session with a plan to create a low-tech assistive tool to promote a child's access to and participation in learning experiences. 

Presenters: Suzanne Milbourne

SUZANNE MILBOURNE, pediatric occupational therapist, is founding member of a DYI maker-initiative called fabricATe. Suzanne is the co-author of the highly regarded CARA’s Kits and the TAM Technology Fan for Young Children and of numerous articles and presentations on assistive technology in early childhood associated with DEC.

Outdoor Behavior of Young Children With and Without Disabilities in Early Childhood Environments

Archived Webinar

Description: Individuals with disabilities, including autism spectrum disorders and Down syndrome, may engage in less moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) than their peers without disabilities. In addition, delays in peer-related social behaviors, such as sharing and engaging in conversations, may further limit engagement opportunities for these children as they play on playgrounds or engage in outdoor activities. This webinar will provide an overview of physical activity and social behaviors of young children with and without disabilities in childcare and preschool settings, will review research-based procedures for increasing MVPA and prosocial behaviors, and will provide suggestions for practitioners for improving these behaviors in typical settings.

Presenters: Jennifer R. Ledford, PhD

JENNIFER R. LEDFORD, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt University and is a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA-D). Her interests include improving prosocial, academic, and physical activity behaviors of young children with disabilities in inclusive school-based settings.

Play to Teach: Promoting Language Through Play in the Classroom

Archived Webinar

Description: This webinar will provide early childhood personnel with evidence-based strategies for facilitating language among young children with developmental disabilities (DD) during play-based activities in early childhood settings. These strategies include: (1) Following the child’s lead; (2) noticing and responding to all types of communication; (3) contingent imitation; (4) modeling and expanding language according to each child’s skill level; (5) environmental arrangement; and (6) prompting procedures. Participants will learn practical strategies for (1) naturalistic assessment of language skills; (2) selecting individualized language goals; and (3) embedding naturalistic language instruction into play-based activities with multiple children at a time with varying language skills. Video models on the use of naturalistic teaching strategies during play will be provided to facilitate learning. Participants will also be provided with access to printable materials to use in their classroom to aide with assessment and embedded instruction.

Participants will understand how to implement naturalistic teaching strategies to promote language with multiple children with varying levels of language skills during play-based activities; understand how to conduct naturalistic assessment of individual child language skills; understand how to select individualized language goals among children with varying levels of language skill.

Presenters: Rebecca Frantz

REBECCA FRANTZ, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow (Family IMPACT) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her research interests include supporting natural change agents, or individuals the child interacts with in their daily lives, to use evidence- based practices in real world settings to promote young children's social communication and decrease challenging behavior.

Possibilities & Obligations: Our Role in Supporting Young Children with Disabilities Who Have Experienced Abuse

Archived Webinar

Description: Early Childhood (EC) and Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) professionals support young children with disabilities who have experienced maltreatment every day. However, many EC/ECSE professionals have reported feelings of uncertainty and confusion regarding supporting children who have been maltreated.

Participants in this Learning Deck will explore:
(1) the connection between disability and maltreatment in the early childhood years;
(2) how early maltreatment can impact engagement, readiness, achievement;
(3) DEC’s position statement on Child Maltreatment

Presenters: Dr. Catherine Corr, Dr. Carlomagno Panlilio

CATHERINE CORR, Ph.D. is a Research Associate in the Department of Special
Education at Vanderbilt University.

CARLOMAGNO PANLILIO, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Education in the
Network on Child Protection and Well-being Faculty at Penn State University.

Preschool Inclusion: Challenges, Solutions, National Trends and Resources

Archived Webinar

Description: This webinar will present US data on the extent to which preschoolers with disabilities are receiving their special education and related services in regular early childhood settings alongside their typically developing peers. Common challenges to preschool inclusion will be described as well as solutions to those challenges. Participants will hear about national trends and resources and will have opportunities to ask questions.

Presenters: Barbara J. Smith, Ph.D.

BARBARA J. SMITH, Ph.D. is a Research Professor at the School of Education and Human Development, University of Colorado Denver. Barbara’s areas of interest include policy and professional development in early childhood. She serves on the Leadership Team of the national Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center as well as co-directs an early childhood policy doctoral program. She worked with DEC, NAEYC and other organizations on guidance to support quality inclusive early childhood environments. She is co-author of The Preschool Inclusion Toolbox: How to Build and Lead a High-Quality Program. Dr. Smith was an early developer of the Pyramid Model leadership strategies and consults with the Pyramid Model Consortium.

Preschoolers, Private Parts and Playmates: When to Really Worry!

Archived Webinar

Description: Do you know when “playing doctor” and experimenting is normal for kids and when it’s not? The types of behaviors that are clear cause for concern? How to keep your vulnerable kids safer? When you know the different phases of child sexual development, common and uncommon behaviors, and how to effectively talk to kids who are behaving this way, the kids in your care are protected - and so are you. In this class you will learn – Childhood psychological and social sexual development and the common behaviors for each age group; a simple checklist you can use to quickly assess a child’s behavior; techniques and scripts for interacting with children engaging “playing doctor” and other behaviors; and tips for keeping kids with disabilities safer from sexual abuse.

Presenters: Amy Lang, MA

AMY LANG, MA has a Master of Arts in Applied Behavioral Science and her focus was in adult education and group facilitation. Additionally, she has been a Sexuality Educator for over 20 years and has worked specifically teaching adults about childhood sexuality and how to talk to kids about sex for the past ten years. She’s presented at multiple ECE conferences including NAEYC, WA-AEYC, Infant And Early Childhood Conference and most recently as the keynote for the OR AEYC 2015 conference. She is also adjunct faculty at Saybrook University in the Psychology department and teaches their human sexuality classes. You can learn more about Amy and her work at

Prevent-Teach-Reinforce for Young Children: An Individualized Model of Positive Behavior Support for Early Childhood Settings

Archived Webinar

Description: Now you see challenging behavior, now you don’t! This webinar will focus on Prevent-Teach-Reinforce for Young Children, an individualized model of positive behavior support for young children in early childhood settings. Through the use of video footage from actual PTR-YC participants, presenters will demonstrate the PTR-YC process. By reviewing each step of the PTR-YC process, presenters will teach participants how they can use PTR-YC to prevent challenging behavior, teach proactive communication and social skills, and reinforce positive behavior

Presenters: Phil Strain, PhD, and Jaclyn Joseph, MSW, BCBA

PHIL STRAIN, PhD, has worked in the field of early intervention since 1974. He is the author of more than 300 scientific papers, and he serves on the editorial boards of more than a dozen professional journals. His primary research interests include intervention for young children with early onset conduct disorders; design and delivery of community-based, comprehensive early intervention for children with autism; and analysis of individual and systemic variables affecting the adoption and sustained use of evidence-based practices for children with severe behavior disorders. Phil recently served as faculty on two national training and technical assistance centers related to children’s social emotional development and challenging behavior, the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) and the Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention (TACSEI), as well as other national
centers related to autism, social competence, and behavior.

JACKIE JOSEPH, MSW, BCBA, is a doctoral student at the University of Colorado, Denver, concentrating in early childhood education/early childhood special education and a research assistant for the PELE Center working on the randomized control trial of PTR-YC. Prior to her work and studies at UC Denver, Jackie was primarily involved with the provision of services for young children diagnosed with autism and in performing consultations with school districts regarding programming for young students with challenging behaviors. Jackie has also worked as a psychologist assistant performing psychological evaluations for children and adolescents with mental health and behavioral health needs and as an outpatient therapist supporting children and caregivers to improve parent-child relationships and reduce challenging behaviors in the home setting.

Using Embedded Learning Opportunities in Inclusive Preschool Routines and Activities

Archived Webinar

Description: Embedded learning opportunities (ELOs) are an evidence-based practice for helping young children with special needs learn new skills through practice on IEP goals during routines and activities. Have you wondered why it is challenging to embed intervention that meets the needs of all learners? If so, then join us for a webinar designed to help early educators better understand when and how teachers use ELOs in inclusive settings. We will report the results of a mixed-method study in which classroom videos and teacher interviews were analyzed to learn more about how teachers use ELOs. We will discuss barriers to implementation, supports needed for consistent implementation of ELOs, and specific tips and strategies for increasing your use of ELOs when working with young children with special needs. Participants will define ELOs, identify barriers and supports to ELOs, and discuss how to use ELOs within daily routines.

Presenters: Naomi L. Rahn, PhD, Christan Grygas-Coogle, PhD, and Jennifer R. Ottley, PhD

NAOMI L. RAHN, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in Special Education at West Virginia University. She has over 15 years of experience in the field of early childhood special education. Her research interests include early language and literacy interventions for young children with disabilities, naturalistic interventions, and tiered models of intervention.

CHRISTIAN GRYGAS-COOGLE, PhD, is a Teaching Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at West Virginia University. She has several years of experience with young children with special needs. Her research interests are focused on bridging the research to practice gap by investigating embedded interventions, effective interventions for children experiencing autism, personnel preparation, and professional development.

JENNIFER R. OTTLEY, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in Early Childhood Special Education at Ohio University. She has six years of experience working with general and special educators to assist them in meeting the needs of young children with disabilities and those with environmental risks for developing learning challenges. Her primary expertise is the provision of professional development and personnel preparation to enhance educators’ knowledge, beliefs, and practices as a means to support children’s development.

Using Prompting Procedures to Teach Skills

Archived Webinar

Description: We describe three basic prompting procedures that are evidence-based practices for teaching skills to young children with disabilities: least-to-most prompting, most-to-least prompting, and time delay. For each prompting procedure, we provide a step-by-step guide for using the strategy, present video examples of parents and teachers using the prompting procedure with a child and provide recommendations for determining when to use the strategy.

Presenters: Hedda Meadan, PhD and Melinda Snodgrass

HEDDA MEADAN, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Illinois and a board-certified behavior analyst. Her research interests focus on the communication and social behavior of young children with autism and other developmental disabilities, on families of individuals with disabilities, and on teaching strategies.

MELINDA SNODGRASS is a doctoral student at the University of Illinois and former special education teacher. She works primarily with individuals with intellectual disabilities and complex communication needs, exploring effective augmentative and alternative communication practices.