Transcript Early Childhood Inclusion: A Joint Position Statement of

Just the Facts, Ma’am:
Evidence-based
Practices for
Supporting Each
Young Child
Montgomery County Infants and Toddlers Program Kick-Off
October 22, 2013
Camille Catlett
Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute
[email protected]
Things we KNOW that impact quality
• Evidence-based practices
• Professional preparation
• Caseloads
• Compensation
Things that may be even more important
• Developmentally, culturally, linguistically and individually
responsive practices
• Intentional teachers and therapists
• Individual attention
• Family engagement
• Time to play
Early Childhood
Inclusion: A Joint
Position
Statement of DEC
and NAEYC
Definition
Early childhood inclusion embodies the values, policies, and
practices that support the right of every infant and young
child and his or her family, regardless of ability, to
participate in a broad range of activities and contexts as full
members of families, communities, and society. The desired
results of inclusive experiences for children with and
without disabilities and their families include a sense of
belonging and membership, positive social relationships
and friendships, and development and learning to reach
their full potential. The defining features of inclusion that
can be used to identify high quality early childhood
programs and services are access, participation, and
supports.
What
evidencebased
practices
support each
and every
child in
inclusive
settings?
Defining Features
Access – means providing
a wide range of activities
and environments for
every child by removing
physical barriers and
offering multiple ways to
promote learning and
development.
Access
EBP: Universal Design and
Universal Design for Learning
UD and UDL mean the removal of
physical and structural barriers
(UD) and the provision of multiple
and varied formats for instruction
and learning (UDL).
UDL in every day use
UDL in early childhood
Three key concepts
Multiple Means of
Representation
Various formats:
kinesthetic
Visual
auditory
What can it look like?
• Books that are small or large, hard or soft
• Books on tape
• Some items or materials that are familiar and
others that are novel
• Materials that support earlier developmental
levels and later developmental levels
• Materials that enable children to work
individually or with others/support
UDL: Multiple Means of Engagement
Attention
Interests
preferences
curiosity
What can it look like?
• Children get to make choices (toy or
activity)
• Children get to choose how and where they
want to engage with materials
• Children get to choose to
work alone or with others
UDL: Multiple Means of Expression
Typing/texting
What can it look like?
 Children get to choose the method/form in which
they express or demonstrate their understanding
(that matches the teacher’s learning goal)
 There ample opportunities, materials, or guidance to
support children in expressing themselves in multiple
ways
 There are many different things children produce,
and/or a variety of observable, evaluative child
actions (differentiated product)
What can it look like?
• Children get to choose the method/form in which
they express or demonstrate understanding (that
matches the targeted goal or outcome)
• There are ample opportunities, materials, or
guidance to support children in expressing
themselves in multiple ways
Meet Sophia
• 2 ½ years old
• Lives with parents who recently arrived from Colombia to take
faculty positions at a local university. Family speaks Spanish
at home but is eager for Sophia to learn both English and
Spanish
• Cognitive and motor skills appear to be age-appropriate;
significant delays in receptive and expressive language
• Receives early intervention services in a local child care
program
• Sophia’s teacher reports that she rarely
initiates or engages with her Englishspeaking classmates; often seems very
quiet or withdrawn
• Loves: housekeeping area, singing Spanish
songs with her parents
Supporting Sophia with UDL
How might you use
• multiple means of representation (visual, auditory,
kinesthetic)
• multiple means of engagement (interests, preferences,
curiosity, motivation)
• multiple means of expression (speaking, pointing, singing,
drawing, gestures)
to support Sophia and children like her?
EBP: Assistive Technology (AT)
Assistive technology (AT)
interventions involve a range of strategies to
promote a child's access to learning
opportunities, from making simple changes
to the environment and materials to helping
a child use special equipment.
Source: CONNECT Module 5: Assistive Technology
AT to Support Access to Writing
AT to Support Access to Literacy
AT to Support Access to Literacy
AT to Support Access to Learning
Defining Features
Participation – means
using a range of
instructional
approaches to
promote engagement
in play and learning
activities, and a sense
of belonging for every
child.
Participation
Handout 1.2 Peer Supports
EBP: Scaffolding Strategies
Scaffolding strategies are structured,
targeted approaches that can be used
with children who require more intensive
supports across a wide variety of
teaching and learning contexts, and in
combination with other approaches.
Scaffolding strategies include modeling,
response prompting, peer supports, and
corrective feedback.
Adaptations Help
All Children
• Adaptations can be used to:
• Make situations better
for a particular child.
• Improve situations for
the entire group.
Meet Drew
• 2 ½ years old
• Lives with parents and two brothers, one older and one
younger
• Diagnosed with autism at 18 months
• Cognitive skills are near age-appropriate
• Significant delays in social and communication skills
• Rarely initiates or engages in social conversation
• Favorite toys: trains, Disney figurines, markers
• Tendency to tantrum
• Difficult time following directions
• Reacts strongly when told “no”
Putting It All Together
Drew can find transitions to be
very challenging. With a partner,
use the Adaptation Notes to
strategize about ways in which
you can help Drew’s family to
support successful transitions at
home and in community settings.
Defining Features
Supports – refer to broader
aspects of the system
such as professional
development, incentives for
inclusion, and opportunities
for communication and
collaboration among
families and professionals
to assure high quality
inclusion.
Supports
Engage Families
Help Their Children
to Succeed
• Higher preschool
performance and
promotion to next grade
• More positive
engagement with peers,
adults, and learning
• Buffers negative impact
of poverty on academic
and behavioral outcomes
Families can
become lifelong
partners or
lifelong
bystanders based
on how you
engage them in
the process of
supporting their
child.