Ecological Inventories and Collaborative Planning for Young Children with Disabilities

1. ECSE 602Instructional Programming for Infants and Young Children with Disabilities This session will cover: Ecological inventories Collaborative planning Early Childhood Curriculum Models ECSE 602 Dr. Xu

2. Ecological Inventories • The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) Recommended Practices encouraged that early intervention activities • 1) be implemented in naturalistic or authentic contexts; • 2) involve families, and • 3) address cultural diversity ECSE 602 Dr. Y. Xu

3. Ecological Inventories • Ecological approach (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) • A model of human behavior that views the development of the child within the broader family and societal context. It stresses the interconnections among the diverse environments (e.g., home, school, community) in which a child participates. ECSE 602 Dr. Y. Xu

4. Ecological Inventories • Ecological Inventory is defined as • the assessment procedures that are implemented in naturalistic contexts and involve individuals who have the greatest opportunity to interact with the child on a regular basis (e.g., caregivers, teachers). ECSE 602 Dr. Y. Xu

5. Ecological Inventories • Steps in developing the ecological inventory • 1. List the environmental domains • Home • School (Day care) • Community ECSE 602 Dr. Y. Xu

6. Ecological Inventories • 2. Identify the sub-environments of each environmental domain where one finds typically developing children of the same age spending significant amount of time. • 3. Identify the activities that typically developing children engage in while in each sub-environment. • 4. Identify skills needed to engage in each CA appropriate activity ECSE 602 Dr. Y. Xu

7. Ecological Inventories • 5. Assess to determine the discrepancy between skills exhibited by the target child and those skills needed to engage in each CA appropriate activity • 6. Task analyze skills further if necessary • 7. Identify adaptations • 8. Develop goals and objectives • 9. Prioritize goals and objectives ECSE 602 Dr. Y. Xu

8. Thinking/Discussion Question (in class) • What knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions are needed in order to conduct meaningful ecological inventories? ECSE 602 Dr. Y. Xu

9. Collaborative Planning • Collaborative teamwork defined • Collaborative teamwork is the work accomplished jointly by a group of people in a spirit of willingness and mutual reward (Rainforth, York, & MacDonald, 1992). ECSE 602 Dr. Y. Xu

10. Collaborative Planning • Key concepts of collaborative teaming • View the student as a whole person, in the context of the natural environment • Collaborative consultation based on shared goals • Role release: systematic transfer and sharing of information among team members • Family members are full supporting members of the team • Providing support within functional age-appropriate activities across a wide variety of meaningful environments ECSE 602 Dr. Y. Xu

11. Collaborative Planning • Key concepts of collaborative teaming • Consensus • Consensus does not mean… • An unanimous vote. • The result is everyone’s first choice. • Everyone agrees (there may be only enough support for the decision to be carried out). • Conflict or resistance will be overcome immediately. ECSE 602 Dr. Y. Xu

12. Collaborative Planning • Consensus does mean ... • All group members contribute. • Everyone’s opinions are heard and encouraged. • Differences are viewed as helpful. • Everyone can paraphrase the issue. • Everyone has a chance to express feelings about the issue. • Those who disagree indicate a willingness to experiment for a certain period of time. • All members share the final decision. • All members agree to take responsibility for carrying out the final decision. ECSE 602 Dr. Y. Xu

13. Collaborative Planning • McGill Action Planning System (MAPS) • A strategy originally developed by Marsha Forest, Jack Pearpoint, Judith Snow, Evelyn Lusthaus and the staff at the Center for Integrated Education in Canada • Different from some other planning tools: participants focus on what the student can do, instead of his/her weakness • Originally designed to help bring students with disabilities into general schools and classrooms; it has now expanded to people of all ages. ECSE 602 Dr. Y. Xu

14. Collaborative Planning • Assumptions of the MAPS Process • Integration • Individualization • Teamwork and collaboration • Flexibility ECSE 602 Dr. Y. Xu

15. Collaborative Planning • The MAPS process • Key people in the student’s life gather and talk in one, two or three sessions. • The planning team includes the individual student, family members, the student’s friends, both regular and special educational personnel, or other school professionals • An essential and unique feature of MAPS is to include typical peers in the planning process • The facilitator keeps the group on task ECSE 602 Dr. Y. Xu

16. Collaborative Planning • The seven key questions in the MAPS process • What is the individual’s history? • What is your dream for the individual? What is your nightmare? • Who is the individual? • What are the individual’s strengths, gifts, and abilities? • What are the individual’s needs? • What would the individual’s ideal day at school look like and • What must be done to make it happen? ECSE 602 Dr. Y. Xu

17. Collaborative Planning • MAPS and IEPs • The MAPS process complements IEP development in at least two ways: • Engaging in the process results in a clearer sense of mission and a greater sense of teamwork • Assisting teams to identify priority environments and activities and to identify student needs that can be addressed in those settings ECSE 602 Dr. Y. Xu

18. Examples of Early Childhood Programs • Montessori Education • Work experiences rather than play • Special materials for specific learning tasks • Careful prepared classroom environment ECSE 602 Dr. Y. Xu

19. Examples of Early Childhood programs (Continued) • High/Scope Program • Based on Jean Piaget’s theory • Use of a plan-do-review sequence • Classrooms organized into centers • Emphasis on cognitive development ECSE 602 Dr. Y. Xu

20. Examples of Early Childhood programs (Continued) • Bank Street Model • All aspects of child development are addressed in the curriculum • Freud, Erikson, Piaget, and Dewey all influence the model • Commercial equipment supplemented with teacher-made and child-made materials • Emphasis is on an integrated curriculum ECSE 602 Dr. Y. Xu

21. Examples of Early Childhood programs (Continued) • Reggio Emilia Approach • Emphasis on in-depth projects to facilitate learning • A workshop area is used to record in visual form what is learned • Families are expected to share responsibilities in educating children • Strong collaboration exists among staff members ECSE 602 Dr. Y. Xu