Webinar: Supporting Babies with Special Needs

Transcription

1 Webinar: Supporting Babies with Special Needs Welcome to the Early Head Start Webinar on Supporting Babies with Special Needs! We are glad you have joined us! This webinar will explore some of the available resources, materials, and adaptations that can be made in the family child care and home visiting program options. During the webinar, faculty will discuss: Supporting young children with special needs in the family child care and home visiting program options; Developing and strengthening the partnership between family child care staff and Part C specialists; Supporting home visitors in connecting families with needed services and resources. To get the most out of this training experience: Review the handouts before the start of the webinar. They are designed to help you prepare and use what you hear. Invite your partners to participate with your team in this experience. Schedule time for reflection and/or discussion at the conclusion of the webinar. You can use the Applying the Information discussion questions individually, or share them with your team or program. In most instances, it s best to share information, strategies, and ideas for evaluating and improving your program as a team. The handouts can be used to discuss new information and for future planning and discussion.

2 Faculty Biographies Kimberly Diamond-Berry, Ph.D. - Moderator Senior Writer/Training Specialist Early Head Start National Resource ZERO TO THREE Dr. Kimberly Diamond-Berry is a Senior Writer/Training Specialist for the Early Head Start National Resource Center ZERO TO THREE. Her primary duties are to develop and provide training and technical assistance to Early Head Start, Head Start, and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs. Dr. Diamond-Berry also served for four years as Assistant Director of the Safe Babies Court Teams ZERO TO THREE and worked closely with the Project Director to supervise court teams in eleven locations around the country. Prior to joining ZERO TO THREE, Dr. Diamond-Berry worked for the Alexandria Head Start Program and developed and implemented a comprehensive mental health program for infants, toddlers, parents, and staff. She has worked in the areas of multicultural counseling, community psychology, and private practice, and lectured at the university and community college level. A licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Diamond-Berry received her doctorate in counseling psychology from Loyola University Chicago.

3 Angie Godfrey Infant/Toddler Program Specialist Office of Head Start Angie Godfrey is the Infant and Toddler Program Specialist in the Office of Head Start supporting Early Head Start Services. Prior to joining the Office of Head Start in December 2008, Angie was director of the American Indian and Alaska Native Technical Assistance Project, where she worked for five years. Prior to that, she worked as the Senior Early Childhood Associate for AIAN, providing support to 44 Early Head Start grantees. Angie worked several years as adjunct instructor at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria, VA, teaching infant and toddler courses for infant toddler child care providers. She is also the former Head Start Director for a Head Start program in Alexandria, VA.

4 Carla Peterson, Ph.D. National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education College of Human Sciences Iowa State University-Ames, IA Dr. Carla A. Peterson is a Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education in the College of Human Sciences at Iowa State University. She has worked with early childhood programs, including Head Start and Early Head Start, for over 30 years. She has also collaborated with the Mid-Iowa Community Action, Inc. (MICA) on Project HOME (Home Observation to Measure Effectiveness) and the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project. Currently, she is leading an evaluation of Iowa s Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) programs. As well, she is a faculty member of the National Center on Excellence in Teaching and Learning (NCQTL) taking specific responsibility for preparing training materials for Early Head Start and Head Start home-based programs. Dr. Peterson earned her doctorate in educational psychology from the University of Minnesota in 1991.

5 Maria Bocanegra Family Child Care Home Coordinator Pajaro Valley Unified School District Migrant Head Start Program Maria Bocanegra has been the Family Child Care Home Coordinator with Migrant & Seasonal Head Start for 18 years. She has worked with the Migrant program for a total of 26 years. She has also worked as a teacher, Parent Involvement Coordinator and substitute teacher with the program. Maria is certified in the Beginning Together Training for Quality with the Program for Infant & Toddler Care, the California CSEFEL Infant/Toddler Training of Trainers, and a Pre-K CLASS Observer. Maria has an AS degree in Early Childhood Education.

6 Terry Brady-Carothers Teacher of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing Pajaro Valley Unified School District Early Start Program Terry Brady-Carothers has been a Teacher of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing with Pajaro Valley Unified School District for 31 years. She currently works in the Early Start Program which services children birth to three years old with special needs in children's homes, Migrant Head Start Centers, and home daycare settings. Terry has worked in this capacity for 28 years. She has also taught sign language classes for parents at the Center for Education of the Infant Deaf in San Francisco. She is a credentialed Learning Handicapped, Resource Specialist, Communication Handicapped: Deaf/Hard of Hearing Resource Teacher, and she has an Autism authorization. Terry received her master s degree in the Education of Exceptional Children: Deaf/Hard of Hearing program at San Francisco State University.

7 Key Guidance to Providing Services for Infants and Toddlers with Special Needs Head Start Program Performance Standards 45 CFR Child health and developmental services. (f) Individualization of the program. Grantee and delegate agencies must use the information from the screening for developmental, sensory, and behavioral concerns, the ongoing observations, medical and dental evaluations and treatments, and insights from the child's parents to help staff and parents determine how the program can best respond to each child's individual characteristics, strengths and needs. (2) To support individualization for children with disabilities in their programs, grantee and delegate agencies must assure that: (i) Services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families support the attainment of the expected outcomes contained in the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) for children identified under the infants and toddlers with disabilities program (Part H) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, as implemented by their State or Tribal government; (ii) Enrolled families with infants and toddlers suspected of having a disability are promptly referred to the local early intervention agency designated by the State Part H plan to coordinate any needed evaluations, determine eligibility for Part H services, and coordinate the development of an IFSP for children determined to be eligible under the guidelines of that State's program. Grantee and delegate agencies must support parent participation in the evaluation and IFSP development process for infants and toddlers enrolled in their program; (iii) They participate in and support efforts for a smooth and effective transition for children who, at age three, will need to be considered for services for preschool age children with disabilities; and

8 (iv) They participate in the development and implementation of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) for preschool age children with disabilities, consistent with the requirements of 45 CFR CFR Education and early childhood development. (a) Child development and education approach for all children. (1) In order to help children gain the skills and confidence necessary to be prepared to succeed in their present environment and with later responsibilities in school and life, grantee and delegate agencies' approach to child development and education must: (ii) Be inclusive of children with disabilities, consistent with their Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) or Individualized Education Program (IEP) (see 45 CFR ); (5) In center-based settings, grantee and delegate agencies must promote each child's physical development by: (iii) Providing an appropriate environment and adult guidance for the participation of children with special needs. 45 CFR Home based program option. (5) Maintain an average caseload of 10 to 12 families per home visitor with a maximum of 12 families for any individual home visitor. (b) Home visits must be conducted by trained home visitors with the content of the visit jointly planned by the home visitor and the parents. Home visitors must conduct the home visit with the participation of parents. Home visits may not be conducted by the home visitor with only babysitters or other temporary caregivers in attendance.

9 (1) The purpose of the home visit is to help parents improve their parenting skills and to assist them in the use of the home as the child's primary learning environment. The home visitor must work with parents to help them provide learning opportunities that enhance their child's growth and development. (2) Home visits must, over the course of a month, contain elements of all Head Start program components. The home visitor is the person responsible for introducing, arranging and/or providing Head Start services. 45CFR Definitions. (n) Family child care is care and education provided to children in a private home or other family-like setting. Head Start family child care means Head Start and Early Head Start comprehensive services provided to a small group of children through their enrollment in family child care. 45 CFR Family child care program option. (2) Serving children with disabilities. (i) Ensure the availability of family child care homes capable of serving children and families with disabilities affecting mobility as appropriate; and (ii) Ensure that children with disabilities enrolled in family child care are provided services which support their participation in the early intervention, special education, and related services required by their individual family service plan (IFSP) or individual education plan (IEP) and that the child's teacher has appropriate knowledge, training, and support.

10 Provider Tip Sheets: Early Head Start for Family Child Care Project Inclusion Planning Checklist: Home Visiting Programs These four provider tip sheets focus on important aspects of becoming a family child care provider under the Early Head Start umbrella. Topics include the importance of partnerships, seamless service delivery, understanding program regulations, and important considerations in becoming a future family child care provider. This checklist is a tool for providing collaborative home-based services to infants, toddlers, or preschoolers with disabilities and their families. The checklist offers suggestions for activities that will ensure that high-quality integrated services are provided. (Adapted from the SpecialQuest Multimedia Training Library, Session 7 of the Including Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities Volume, 2008) Building the Legacy for Our Youngest Children with Disabilities Training Curriculum This training curriculum on early intervention is provided by the Center for Parent Information and Resources. There are a variety of modules available for reading, downloading, and training.

11 Applying the Information The questions below can be used to guide individual reflection or group discussion. They can also support family child care and home visiting programs as they support families with young children who have special needs. 1. Consider the key guidance and Head Start Program Performance Standards on child health and developmental services, and education and early childhood development. How does this information guide your work with families who have young children with special needs in the family child care and home-based program options? How might it inform and strengthen the development of your program in this area? 2. How does your program prepare home visitors who are tasked with going into families homes and providing support/encouragement to parents of children with special needs? How can home visiting staff in your program encourage parents in using daily and weekly routines to support their children s development and learning? 3. What is your process for connecting families/parents in the home-based option to the local Part C Infant/Toddler Specialist and local community services? 4. How does your program provide opportunities for family child care staff to connect with each other for networking, and sharing ideas and best practices, and for professional development opportunities? 5. How has the partnership between family child care providers and Part C Infant/Toddler Specialists evolved in your program/community? How could your program strengthen and sustain this partnership moving forward? 6. How does your program prepare family child care providers to have sensitive conversations with families/parents about their infant s/toddler s development when there is a concern? How are families/parents encouraged to share concerns about their child s development with family child care staff?

12 Resource List Annie E. Casey Foundation Data book: State trends in child well-being (Baltimore, MD: Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2013). Available at: Applequist, Karen L., Laura Umphrey, Eugene Moan, and Becky Raabe. Using Effective Communication Techniques when Presenting Initial Information to Families. In Young Exceptional Children Monograph Series No. 10, edited by Carla A. Peterson, Lise Fox and Patricia M. Blasco, 19-32, Missoula, MT: Division for Early Childhood, Brault, Linda, and Janet Gonzalez-Mena. Appendix C: Talking with parents when concerns arise. In Guidelines for Early Learning in Childcare Home Settings, edited by John McLean and Tom Cole, Sacramento, CA: California Department of Education, Available at: Bromer, Juliet, Martha Van Haitsma, Kelly Daley, and Kathy Modigliani. The Family Child Care Network Impact Study: Promising Strategies for Improving Family Child Care Quality. Chicago: Erikson Institute, Herr Research Center for Children and Social Policy, Available at: California Department of Education. Inclusion Works! Creating Child Care Programs That Promote Belonging for Children with Special Needs, edited by Faye Ong and Tom Cole, Sacramento, CA: California Department of Education, Available at: Campbell, Phillippa. Promoting Young Children s Participation in Activities and Routines through Adaptation and Assistive Technology Interventions, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start, Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center, Available at: n/promotingyoungc.htm Division for Early Childhood. DEC Recommended Practices in Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education 2014, The Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional

13 Children, Available at: Hebbeler, Kathleen, Donna Spiker, Kathryn Morrison, and Sangeeta Malik. A National Look at the Characteristics of Part C Early Intervention Services. In Young Exceptional Children Monograph Series No. 10, edited by Carla A. Peterson, Lise Fox and Patricia M. Blasco, 1-18, Missoula, MT: Division for Early Childhood, Jones Harden, Brenda. Home-based Early Head Start: Kitchen Therapy, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start, Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center Available at: McCormick, Katherine M., Sarintha Stricklin, Theresa M. Nowak, and Beth Rous. Using Eco- Mapping to Understand Family Strengths and Resources, Young Exceptional Children 11 (2008) Morrissey, Taryn W. and Patti Banghart. Family Child Care in the United States. Child Care & Early Education Research Connections. Ann Arbor, MI and New York, NY: Research Connections, Available at: Office of Head Start, Early Head Start National Resource Center. Early Head Start Family Childcare Toolkit. A Toolkit Resource to Support Partnerships between Early Head Start and Family Child Care, 2014, 1 compact disc. United States Department of Commerce, United States Census Bureau. Child Care: An Important Part of American Life. 2014, Infographic. Available at:

14 Webinars and Webcasts Family Child Care An Effective Program Option for Children, Families, and Communities Parent-Child Relationships: The Cornerstone to School Readiness in the Home-based Option Websites California Map to Inclusion and Belonging. Making Access Possible Council for Exceptional Children The Division for Early Childhood Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (click on Topics at top of homepage) Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Special Education Research (click on Research Programs at top of homepage)