Today’s Presenters

1. Today’s Presenters Therese Wehman PhD.Linda Dauksas Ed.D. Joan Debelak MSW!

2. Into the Fabric of Early Childhood Special Education Personnel Preparation

3. Graduate and Undergraduate Programs in ECSE • The programs are centered around four core principles: • Quality learning occurs best within the context of caring relationships. • Self-reflection and self-knowledge are important professional competencies for those working with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with special needs. • Forming collaborative partnerships with families is central to working with young children with special needs. • Family-centered care is the philosophy that our programs embrace.

4. At the heart of the program is family-centered care. Because young children with special needs (like all children) develop within families, understanding and supporting their families is as important as understanding and supporting the children themselves.

5. Our Focus for Today • Program Structures • Program Course Assignments • Program Field Experiences in Practice in Schools

6. Please fill out the first part of our handout

7. Key program features/structures • Family Involvement Specialist Faculty Position • Family Mentor Program • Family voice in all course curriculum development activities • Co-teach course with family members/professionals.

8. ECSE Theoretical Base for Working with Families • Transactional Model of Development (Samaroff and Chandler) • Ecological Systems Theory (Bronfenbrenner) • Family Systems Theory (McGoldrick, Turnbull) • Family Empowerment (Dunst, Trivette & Deal, Epstein) • Stress, Coping and Adaptation (Hill, McCubbin) • Stages of Grief (Moses, Ross)

9. “Parents are more capable of providing for the physical and psychological needs of a child when they have a third party who admires and loves them for their caregiving..:” U.B

10. Course Assignments Involving Families • Building a Family Philosophy • Getting to Know Families • Understanding Development • Assessment of Infants, Toddlers and Preschoolers • Planning Interventions for Children and Families • Planning Transitions with Families

11. Building a Family Philosophy • Assignment 1: Developing a Philosophy for Working with Families - First Draft • Self reflection • Personal experiences • Research literature and readings • Class discussions Assignment # 2: Second Draft of Family Philosophy • Application of new learning from family mentor work and understanding of theory.

12. Getting to Know Families • Assignment # 1: Conducting an Infant/Toddler Family Mentor Interview • Use of Initial family Interview protocol • Routines Based Interview Protocol • Self-reflections on the interview process itself Assignment # 2: Conducting a Preschool Family Mentor Interview

13. Understanding Child Development • Assignment # 1: Infant-Toddler Developmental Observation Paper • Describe development across domains • Interpret behaviors according to chronological age • Interpret behaviors according to typical and atypical patterns of development • Link theories discussed to your child’s development Assignment # 2: Preschool Developmental Observation Paper

14. Planning and Implementing Assessment of Infants, Toddlers and Preschoolers • Assignment # 1: Conducting Infant Assessment with Family Mentor Child • Assignment # 2: Child Study Preschool Assessment with Family Mentor Child • Assignment # 3: Parent-Teacher Comparison Paper (Conducted in students’ Field Experience classrooms)

15. Planning and Implementing Interventions for Children and Families • Assignment # 1: Developing a Family Routine Outcome Matrix with B-2 Family Mentor • Assignment # 2: Videotaping Infant/Toddler B-2 Family Mentor Play Intervention Sessions • Assignment # 3: Family Support Involvement Project • Assignment # 4: Developing Individual /Small Group Lesson Plans with Preschool Family Mentor Child • Assignment # 5: Supporting Student/Family Learning-Social Story

16. Planning Transitions with Families • Assignment # 1: Developing an Initial Family Transition Plan and Reflection Activity. • Done with B-2 Family Mentor Assignment # 2: Developing a Second Family Transition Plan Done with Preschool Family Mentor

17. When you enroll in a program like EI no one explains to you just how much your whole life will be turned upside down. You feel like people will be judging how you keep your house or how you dressed when they come into the home. Mary never made me feel like I had to be worried about those things when she came over. We all felt at ease… Mary helped my husband and myself get a better perspective on what the future might look like, that life could be OK. I think my student learned more about children with medical issues and developed an appreciation for all the things was able to overcome in spite of her medical issues I felt our student wanted to hear our stories and honored us as Jimmy’s parents. It is so important for professionals to be able to talk with parents, not to them, but with them. The Families Stories We all looked forward to Lindsay’s visits. I liked to think we helped a student learn just how important the whole family is when your child needs support……..

18. What Students Say I had no idea to what extent a child with special needs changed every aspect of a family’s life. I was a bit nervous about going into the home for the first time because it was a brand new experience I was unsure of what to expect I learned people do the best they can when they have a child with special need. I learned to assume nothing and just listen I found a common interest with each parent, other than their child. This provided a positive relationship with the parents as a person, just a parent of a child with special needs.

19. School-Based Practices Involving Families

20. School-Based Practices Involving Families (3-5 prekindergarten) • Neighboring Public School – State Funded Prekindergarten Blended with Children with Special Needs • Family Time Opportunities • Course assignments built into daily family involvement mandated by the program/district • Pre-service students attended weekly in order to build relationships with families

21. Transformative learning • From At-risk families to families of promise • Measuring perceptions and changes • Preparing Pre-service Students to Work with Children and Families of Promise – Mary Jane Blasi

22. Formal assignments • Assignment 1 - Plan and teach two lessons to families and students within Family Time • Assignment 2 - Design intervention materials for one family/child to be used at home. Teach the family to use materials and revisit use and implementation with family. • Assignment 3 - Planned and facilitated Family Nights (Comparing and contrasting daily and evening events with ECE and EED students) • Assignment 4 – Weekly journal entries

23. Informal learning • Engaging families in learning • Collaborating with teachers and assistants

24. Families’ learning • “I learned how to understand and share a book with my child. . .It helped me and my daughter want to spend more time together outside of school because now I knew what questions to ask her while she was reading. Plus it helped us have more interest in books and literature”. • “I have learned to have more patience. I did not have the capacity to be patient. And, I feel that you have showed me that. Especially at home, because every time we get home we read and I try to show them what I learned from the program”.

25. Evidence of student learning • “My expectations of working with high-needs or ELL families before this experience were pretty shaky. I was nervous to work with a group of people that I did not have very much in common with and who I would not be able to communicate with. I knew there was a lot that could be learned from the experience, but I was still nervous. • The families were not at all what I expected. They were very willing to communicate in any way that they could. They were very happy to be working along side their young children. I really learned the importance of non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication really helps get the basic messages across. As long as both parties are willing to communicate, you can always find a way. The parents were very willing to communicate with me and it was a great experience. It even made me consider taking a basic Spanish course, because chances are I would benefit greatly from the experience.”

26. Transforming students and families • “I learned that just in a number of weeks we helped influence the lives of families because not only did we reinforce how to share a book with their child but also, we gave them an opportunity to spend time with their child for 15 minutes of their day. In other words… what can I do in a lifetime of teaching high-need students? • I have always wanted to be part of a community that helps those in need and this experience has helped me get closer to my goal”.

27. Revisit the handout Thank you