Early Childhood
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Description: Challenging Behavior Tips for Families - Young children need help from adults to learn how they are expected to behave in social situations. Check out these helpful tips for how families can promote their child’s positive behavior during common routines that can sometimes be challenging. Disabilities coordinators can download and share the handouts with educators to use during home visits and family nights, or directly with families. Coordinators and education staff may consider creating a...
Description: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Updated Resource to Support the Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs (11/2023) Recently, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Education (the Departments) announced the release of an updated joint-policy statement on supporting the inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood programs. The HHS-ED Policy Statement on the Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood...
Description: New Resources for Supporting Quality Inclusion (Resources Within Reason, DEC) Every quarter a concise set of free resources on a key early childhood/early childhood special education topic is posted. Whether the topic is family engagement (May 2018) or the evidence for inclusion (January 2017), this one-page summary highlights great materials to use or share. Resources to Support Practice Resources Within Reason From Article to Action DEC Recommended Practices Monograph Resources
Description: VDOE is pleased to announce the Early Childhood Provisionally Licensed Teacher Incentive Program. This program provides funding of no more than $30,000 each for school divisions, to provide financial incentives to provisionally licensed teachers in preschool programs operated by the school division. To qualify for the incentives, teachers must:? Teach in preschool programs operated by the school division, including:? Early Childhood Special Education Teachers?? Virginia Preschool...
Description: The Virginia Family’s Guide to Special Education is a revision of the former A Parent’s Guide to Special Education that was originally published in 2010. This new state guide was developed by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to help those involved in special education, whether as families, teachers or school administrators, advocates, or students. Meeting the needs of children with disabilities requires an understanding of rights and responsibilities which include the...
Description: Building a Partnership with Your Child’s Teacher - Research shows that children thrive when their families are involved in their care and education. This article provides some ways you can collaborate with your child’s teacher to create and maintain a great relationship.
Description: This webinar provides information and strategies to support children with disabilities and their families through planned transitions. Learn how to use relationship-based practices to strengthen family engagement and contribute to successful adjustments.
Description: As we get to know the children and their families in our program, we share their joys as well as their challenges. And sometimes there’s a child who we feel worried about. Maybe it’s something about their behavior, or maybe their development and skills. We all know it can be challenging to talk about worries like these with parents. But we also know how helpful intervening early can be when we have a concern. We’re going to look at raising a concern with a parent about their...
Description: When children can fully access their learning environment, they participate and learn. Discover how disability services coordinators can help program staff think about ways to give children with disabilities or suspected delays access to a full range of learning experiences and activities. Explore how to support educators to recognize each child's level of participation. Learn how to set up the learning environment for full participation and when to modify activities and materials, including...
Description: Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for increasing access to education environments and opportunities, including in infant and toddler settings. Learning environments, materials, and activities are planned ahead of time, with the aim of welcoming all learners. UDL supports all children, including infants and toddlers with disabilities, to help them engage more fully in learning. It doesn't take the place of individualized curriculum modifications necessary for particular...
Description: Effective Practice Guides: Social and Emotional Development (ECKLC) - Positive social and emotional development in the early years provides a critical foundation for lifelong development and learning. Social development refers to a child’s ability to create and sustain meaningful relationships with adults and other children. Emotional development is a child’s ability to express, recognize, and manage his or her emotions, as well as respond appropriately to others’ emotions....
Description: Video: Supporting Social and Emotional Learning for Children with Disabilities (ECLKC) - Developing social and emotional skills are important for all young children! Making and keeping friends, solving social problems, and paying attention to emotions are key skills for children to learn during their early years. After all, social and emotional development is the foundation for lifelong learning and development. Learning these critical skills is especially important for young children with...
Description: Engaging families of children with disabilities is essential to supporting children’s learning and development. It is rooted in foundational Head Start resources, including the Parent, Family, and Community Engagement (PFCE) Framework and Relationship-based Competencies to Support Family Engagement. Learning about the hopes and goals of families of children with disabilities is important. It is equally crucial to communicate to families in culturally and linguistically responsive and...
Description: Early Childhood Recommended Practice Modules are developed for early care and education, early intervention, and early childhood special education faculty and professional development providers to use within their coursework and trainings. These modules are designed to support the implementation of the Division of Early Childhood Recommended Practices. Specifically, there are modules to support the use of 7 of the DEC Recommended Practice topic areas. The modules support your learners in:...
Description: Early Literacy - IES Practice Guide: Preparing Young Children for School (Literacy Sections 5-7) (2022), Elementary - IES Practice Guide Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade (2016), IES Practice Guide: Improving Reading Comprehension in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade (2010), IES Practice Guide: Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers (2012), IES Practice Guide: Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective...
Description: Valerie C. Williams, director of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), released a blog series on discipline and behavior. The newest blog addresses OSEP’s priorities of calling on “state and local leaders to double down on their efforts to reduce their reliance on exclusionary discipline practice,” and “creating safe, predictable learning environments for students and educators.” In addition to sharing how OSEP’s discipline...
Description: Programs can support education staff and families by using the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) Pyramid Model as a framework for understanding children's behavior. Many strategies can support healthy social and emotional development and prevent or reduce behaviors that could negatively affect children's development and learning. Education managers, child development specialists, home-based supervisors, mental health consultants, and coaches can help...
Description: Why is DEC taking a stand? Challenging behavior often can interfere with the development of social-emotional competence. Conversely, children with low social-emotional competence may develop challenging behavior as a way to communicate their needs. Punitive practices don’t teach children needed social and communicative behaviors. Additionally, punitive practices, such as corporal punishment, suspension, and expulsion disproportionately affect young children of color. Professionals and...
Description: Behavior Problems - Behavior issues are a common problem for many families. Understanding what’s behind a child’s behavior is often the first step to helping. Additional information is provided on the following topics: Behavior Basics Toddlers and Young Children, Managing Big Emotions, Common Behavior Issues, Behavior and School, Strategies for Managing Behavior, Mental Health and Problem Behavior and Treatment for Problem Behavior.
Description: Social communication is a core area of difficulty for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Children with ASD express fewer gestures to communicate and may be less engaged with others. This webcast will review early core challenges in social communication, including joint attention, among young children with ASD and describe different types of engagement states. As educators play a role in teaching gestures and joint attention, this webcast will also review how to support the development of...
Description: The Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program (VKRP) aims to build a more comprehensive understanding of school readiness. As an assessment system, VKRP adds measures of mathematics, self-regulation, and social skills in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten to complement Virginia’s statewide assessment of literacy skills (Pre-K Language and Literacy Screener and PALS K-3). VKRP uses the Early Mathematics Assessment System (EMAS) to measure children’s mathematical thinking. The EMAS is a...
Description: In this Teacher Time episode, explore the math component of STEAM.(STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, art, and math.) Learn how preschoolers explore everyday math concepts through daily routines and interactions. Preschool teachers and family child care providers will learn strategies and teaching practices that help all children explore math. Discover ways to use art to encourage math concepts and skills. Additional resource includes a document with Books That Support Math...
Description: Before they start school, most children develop an understanding of addition and subtraction through everyday interactions. Learn what informal activities give children a head start on early math skills when they start school.
Description: The 2022 VATTS: Resource Guide provides instructional strategies, AT solutions, modifications, accommodations, and examples used to address areas of need identified through the AT consideration process to support student success. There are two Resource Guide PDFs: an ADA Compliant version and a printable table version.
Description: The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Head Start are releasing new documents to encourage collaboration between state educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and Head Start programs to effectively meet the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requirements. These documents make clear that SEAs, LEAs, and Head Start programs all have responsibilities for...
Description: Joint attention is a critical skill that develops early in life for typically developing children, however, those with ASD may struggle with this skill for many years. VCU-ACE has developed a fact sheet on joint attention to help families and professionals support the development of this skill.
Description: It’s back to school time for many children, families, faculty, and early childhood professionals. Many children - and adults - find the start of the school year to be nerve wracking as we figure out new routines and make new friends amongst many other new experiences. We have just the resources for you from STEMIE and from other partners. Having predictable, comprehensible routines is one of the key ingredients to successful inclusion. The National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations...
Description: A child’s social, emotional, cognitive, and academic development is strengthened when educators and families work together. When a child sees a positive relationship developing between educators and family, the child recognizes that the important people in his or her life are working together and trust each other, and he or she will do the same. This collaboration also provides a strong foundation for communication about children’s learning. To foster family involvement, interactions...
Description: This practice guide, developed in conjunction with an expert panel, distills contemporary early childhood and preschool education research into seven easily comprehensible and practical recommendations. The guidance will help to prepare young children to benefit from the learning opportunities they will encounter in school.
Description: Arts integration can inspire children with a lifelong love of learning and of the performing arts. When you bring the arts into the classroom, you create joyful, active learning experiences that engage children in ways that can increase academic and social-emotional development for all kinds of learners. Wolf Trap Institute’s professional development empowers infant, toddler, preschool, and kindergarten teachers to integrate the performing arts into their classrooms. For more than 35...
Description: Preschool LRE Reference Points and Discussion Prompts is a summary of the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) provisions of the IDEA as it applies to preschool aged children with disabilities can be used as both a quick reference guide and training tool. Topics under the five sections outline reference points and discussion prompts. Reference points are drawn from several sources such as IDEA regulations and Federal Register comments. Discussion points are intended to help state and local teams...
Description: A Guide to Adaptations - Adaptations, such as those shared in this guide, can ensure that each and every child, including young children with disabilities, can fully participate and engage in STEM [and other] learning opportunities and experiences at home, in early childhood programs, and in the community.
Description: This guide highlights evidence-based practices to be used by adults or, in some instances by other children, to facilitate children’s participation in everyday routines, learning experiences, and activities. Each section (e.g., prompting, scaffolding, modeling, descriptive talking, wait time, and reinforcement) includes a description of the practice, examples of how it might be implemented, and links to additional information.
Description: Learning Paths are small collections of curated activities that focus on an early intervention topic. To learn about the topic, you will complete each activity on the path. Activities might include reading an article, taking an online module, watching a video, etc. Once you complete the learning path, you will take a final quiz to earn a certificate documenting the professional development hours earned. Autism Pathways Functional Assessment Pathways Transition from Early Intervention Pathways...
Description: When including children with disabilities in regular early childhood programs, it is important to carefully consider class size and the proportionate amount or limits to the number of students with IEPs. This resource outlines requirements and regulations that impact the number of students with IEPs placed in a classroom as well as offers guidance for best practice. This resource should be used to plan and schedule for inclusive classes. This can include VPI, Head Start, Title 1,...
Description: Ready Regions will bring unprecedented levels of coordination, accountability, and family engagement to early education programs in every community in the Commonwealth. Starting in 2022, Ready Regions will help every Virginia community to be: Accountable. Virginia’s early education system must prepare children for success. Parent-centered. Families must be engaged in designing a system that works for them. Responsive. Parents must be able to choose the child care they want and need....
Description: The Making Sound Preschool LRE Decisions guidance document lists important actions in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) development process that should inform placement decisions for young children with disabilities. Organized by important actions within the IEP process. It includes reference to the corresponding IDEA rules and regulations to each action. A guiding principle is listed within each action, followed by additional guidance and resources. Most of the principles in this...
Description: The Early Childhood Virtual Town Hall held on April 19, featured State Superintendent Jillian Balow, Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera, Deputy Secretary of Education McKenzie Snow, and was moderated by Deputy Superintendent Jenna Conway.
Description: Radford University (RU) and the University of Lynchburg (UL) offer tuition support for teachers who are fulfilling requirements for their provisional Birth-5, Children with Disabilities license. This opportunity is funded through the Virginia Department of Education Early Childhood Special Education Consortium grant. Tuition support is available for students who are non-degree seeking (just taking courses to fulfil their license) or degree seeking (pursuing a Master’s degree). Support...
Description: The Ready B5 Recap newsletter will focus on how we work together to support all Virginia children- from birth to age five - to enter school ready. All programs that serve children from birth to age five including schools, Head Starts, child care centers, family day homes, preschools and faith-based programs, will be included. With this quarterly newsletter, we seek to: Appreciate – Ready B5 Recap highlights the incredible work happening in early childhood in Virginia. Build community...
Description: The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), with the collaboration and support of Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center and Center for IDEA Early Childhood Data Systems (DaSy) (for Sections II and III), developed this voluntary self-assessment tool to help local education agencies (LEAs) strengthen their child find system. The goal is to ensure that children eligible for special education and related services are referred and enrolled. This toolkit can also be used by state...
Description: Transitioning from early childhood programs to kindergarten involves a lot of moving parts for all young children. However, transitioning from the preschool to kindergarten classroom for the child with ASD can be especially tricky. This process involves the child, their family, the preschool teacher, the receiving kindergarten teacher, and a multitude of other people including related service providers such as speech and language pathologists (SLPs), occupational therapists (OTs), and other team...
Description: Early childhood encompasses birth to age 8. It is a critical time for child development. Children are learning a variety of academic and social-emotional skills they will need throughout their life. Parents are a child’s first and most important teacher, and you know your child better than anyone. Finding out your child has a disability or developmental delay can be overwhelming. It can be challenging to navigate a new diagnosis, learning how to support your...
Description: This is a listing of vestibular, proprioceptive, tactile, auditory and visual alerting sensory activities.
Description: In this TedX Talk, Grace Lin, award-winning children’s book author and illustrator, shows how the books that are not on a child’s bookshelf are just as important as those that are. Lin shares how books provide children with a window into the larger world, as well as a mirror for self-reflection, both of which foster our ability to build bridges of tolerance. Use the guiding questions provided to connect the message from this webinar to your classroom.
Description: Institute for the Advancement of Family Support Professionals - The Institute offers Family Support Professionals everywhere the opportunity to learn new skills and grow their careers. Through engaging, online modules and a personalized learning map feature, professionals take charge of their growth and advancement.
Description: Promoting Staff Well-being includes: Staff Wellness Staff Mental Health Staff Physical Health Adult Immunizations
Description: We need to take care of ourselves when we work with people who have experienced trauma. The effects of those experiences on them can affect us, too. They can cause us to experience vicarious trauma. They can also bring back—or trigger—the effects of trauma that we may have experienced in our own lives.
Description: Practicing Self-Care and Professionalism People who take care of others often put their own needs last. Does that sound familiar? Caring for yourself is important for your health and wellness, and it is directly related to your ability to care for others and succeed at work. Although you can’t avoid all stress, too much stress can make it hard to provide care for others, especially infants and toddlers who depend on your physical and emotional availability. Taking care of yourself...
Description: The Infant Mental Health (IMH) CoP focuses on building capacity for professionals around IMH topics, increasing knowledge of IMH topics within local communities (including parents), supporting higher education in providing accessible courses and/or certification related to IMH, increasing awareness of and advocating for IMH within local/state agencies, and exploring funding opportunities for IMH activities. We encourage DEC membership, but anyone can join regardless of membership status....