Tag Archives: Disabilities

Policy and Advocacy Team: Call for Team Leader

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One of the most powerful tools DEC has is the ability to use our collective voice to advocate for young children with disabilities and their families. To that end, the DEC Policy and Advocacy Team helps to develop DEC’s policy recommendations to ensure that proposed legislation, regulations, and documents from the US Departments of Education and Human Services increase opportunities for all young children including children with disabilities and their families.
The Policy and Advocacy Team functions as a necessary and significant arm of the DEC Executive Office, focusing DEC’s policy and advocacy efforts by working collaboratively with the DEC Executive Office Leadership, the DEC Governmental Relations Consultant, and the Children’s Action Network (CAN) Coordinator. Division for Early Childhoods Teams are officially recognized bodies of DEC members who are supported by the DEC Executive Office. Teams reflect the formal positions of the Division for Early Childhood and participate in developing, maintaining, and evolving strategies and initiatives that are critical and center to supporting DEC’s mission and beliefs.
CAN supports DEC’s mission by encouraging members to take action on legislation and issues that already have been endorsed by DEC/CEC or issues that DEC/CEC have already provided recommendations about. The Governmental Relations Consultant and the Executive Director develop and sustain relationships with national organizations, agencies, and governmental entities.
The Policy and Advocacy Team ensures DEC has a seat at the table with important stakeholders and will provide CAN with the tools needed to engage in effective advocacy. The Team also ensures a proactive stance in the drafting of policy and legislative recommendations and issue briefs; suggests updates to the DEC policy webpages as appropriate; supports the dissemination of policy and advocacy specific information; and assists in planning DEC policy and advocacy events and resources (including policy/advocacy specific actions at the annual national conference).
                                                                                          
At this time, DEC is seeking a new Policy and Advocacy Team Leader to continue the important work of planning and supporting DEC policy and advocacy activities.
Source: Division of Early Childhood, Council for Exceptional Children

FACT SHEET: Equity in IDEA | U.S. Department of Education

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12/12/16

The U.S. Department of Education today made available to the public final regulations under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), aimed at promoting equity by targeting widespread disparities in the treatment of students of color with disabilities. The regulations will address a number of issues related to significant disproportionality in the identification, placement, and discipline of students with disabilities based on race or ethnicity. The Department is also releasing a new Dear Colleague Letter addressing racial discrimination.

“Children with disabilities are often disproportionately and unfairly suspended and expelled from school and educated in classrooms separate from their peers,” said U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. “Children of color with disabilities are overrepresented within the special education population, and the contrast in how frequently they are disciplined is even starker.”

King added, “Today’s new regulations and supporting documents provide the necessary guidance and support to school districts and build upon the work from public education advocates and local leaders who believe, like we do, that we need to address racial and ethnic disparities in special education. This important step forward is about ensuring the right services get to the right students in the right way.”

In order to address those inequities, IDEA requires states to identify districts with “significant disproportionality” in special education—that is, when districts identify, place in more restrictive settings, or discipline children from any racial or ethnic group at markedly higher rates than their peers.

Children of color—particularly African-American and American Indian youth—are identified as students with disabilities at substantially higher rates than their peers. It is critical to ensure that overrepresentation is not the result of misidentification, including both over- and under-identification, which can interfere with a school’s ability to provide children with the appropriate educational services required by law. It is equally important to ensure that all children who are suspected of having a disability are evaluated and, as appropriate, receive needed special education and related services in the most appropriate setting and with the most appropriate discipline strategies employed.

Source: U.S. Department of Education

Available at: https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/fact-sheet-equity-idea?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=

Assistance to States for the Education of Children With Disabilities; Preschool Grants for Children With Disabilities

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12/19/2016

The Secretary amends the regulations under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) governing the Assistance to States for the Education of Children with Disabilities program and the Preschool Grants for Children with Disabilities program. With the goal of promoting equity under IDEA, the regulations will establish a standard methodology States must use to determine whether significant disproportionality based on race and ethnicity is occurring in the State and in its local educational agencies (LEAs); clarify that States must address significant disproportionality in the incidence, duration, and type of disciplinary actions, including suspensions and expulsions, using the same statutory remedies required to address significant disproportionality in the identification and placement of children with disabilities; clarify requirements for the review and revision of policies, practices, and procedures when significant disproportionality is found; and require that LEAs identify and address the factors contributing to significant disproportionality as part of comprehensive coordinated early intervening services (comprehensive CEIS) and allow these services for children from age 3 through grade 12, with and without disabilities.

Source: Federal Register

Available at: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/12/19/2016-30190/assistance-to-states-for-the-education-of-children-with-disabilities-preschool-grants-for-children

Assistance to States for the Education of Children With Disabilities; Preschool Grants for Children With Disabilities; Final Rule

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12/19/16

The Secretary amends the regulations under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) governing the Assistance to States for the Education of Children with Disabilities program and the Preschool Grants for Children with Disabilities program. With the goal of promoting equity under IDEA, the regulations will establish a standard methodology States must use to determine whether significant disproportionality based on race and ethnicity is occurring in the State and in its local educational agencies (LEAs); clarify that States must address significant disproportionality in the incidence, duration, and type of disciplinary actions, including suspensions and expulsions, using the same statutory remedies required to address significant disproportionality in the identification and placement of children with disabilities; clarify requirements for the review and revision of policies, practices, and procedures when significant disproportionality is found; and require that LEAs identify and address the factors contributing to significant disproportionality as part of comprehensive coordinated early intervening services (comprehensive CEIS) and allow these services for children from age 3 through grade 12, with and without disabilities.

Source: Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 243

Available at: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2016-12-19/html/2016-30190.htm

What We’ve Learned About Kids And Sleep In 2015

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9/9/2015

Kids’ sleep is truly precious. For parents, hardly anything beats the sight of their little one wrapped in a blanket, curls strewn over the pillow, breathing softly and looking happy and serene. But what if your child is tossing and turning, snoring or moaning in her sleep? How will the quality of her nighttime rest affect how she fares socially, emotionally and academically?

These were some of the questions that leading medical professionals discussed at SLEEP 2015, which took place in Seattle in June. Underscoring the importance of children’s sleep, the conference added to a wave of newly released research that suggests answers to many of the questions weighing on parents at bedtime.

Source: Huffington Post

Available at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/09/08/sleep-kids-tips_n_7485616.html

Child Outcomes Summary (COS) Process Module: Collecting & Using Data to Improve Programs

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8/2015

This online learning module provides key information about the COS process, and the practices that contribute to consistent and meaningful COS decision-making. Over the course of multiple sessions, participants will learn about:

  • why child outcomes data are collected;
  • the key features of the COS process;
  • the essential knowledge needed to complete the COS process;
  • how the three child outcomes are measured through the process;
  • how to identify accurate COS ratings using a team-based process;
  • the importance of comparing children’s current functional performance to age-expected functioning;
  • when and how to measure progress in the three child outcome areas; and
  • how to document ratings and evidence to support those ratings in COS documentation.

Please use the link below to register for the module. You will be automatically redirected to the module after registering. The module is self-paced, so you may access it as often as desired.

Source: ECTA Center and DaSy Center

Available at: http://dasycenter.org/child-outcomes-summary-cos-process-module-collecting-using-data-to-improve-programs/

About Autism in Toddlers

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6/2015

About Autism in Toddlers is a tool for families, professionals, or anyone interested in learning about autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It is available free of charge. Just register and sign in. You will learn about:

  • the core diagnostic features of autism,
  • the critical importance of early detection and early intervention, and
  • current information on prevalence and causes of autism.

You will have the chance to access some of the innovative features of Autism Navigator. The slide index, located on the bottom right tool bar, can be used to easily navigate to specific slides. You will spend up to two hours to go through all of the slides and videos but you can spend a few minutes and visit again later.

Source: Autism Navigator

Available at: http://autismnavigator.com/resources-and-tools/

Child Outcomes Summary (COS) Process Module: Collecting & Using Data to Improve Programs

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5/2015

This online learning module from ECTA Center and DaSy provides key information about the COS process, and the practices that contribute to consistent and meaningful COS decision-making. Over the course of multiple sessions, participants will learn about:

  • why child outcomes data are collected;
  • the key features of the COS process;
  • the essential knowledge needed to complete the COS process;
  • how the three child outcomes are measured through the process;
  • how to identify accurate COS ratings using a team-based process;
  • the importance of comparing children’s current functional performance to age-expected functioning;
  • when and how to measure progress in the three child outcome areas; and
  • how to document ratings and evidence to support those ratings in COS documentation.

The following sessions are currently available:Session 1: So What’s This All About?

  • Session 2: Overview of the Child Outcomes Summary (COS) Process
  • Session 3: Essential Knowledge for Completing the Child Outcomes Summary (COS) Process
  • Session 4: The 7-Point Scale

Please use the link below to register for the module. You will be automatically redirected to the module after registering. The module is self-paced, so you may access it as often as desired.

Source: ECTACenter.org : The Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center

Available at: http://ectacenter.org/eco/pages/outcomes.asp#COSProcessModule

Federal Officials Debut Draft Policy Statement at FPG’s Inclusion Institute 

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5/18/2015

On May 12th at a special plenary federal panel (right) at the 2015 Inclusion Institute, the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services debuted a draft policy statement with recommendations to states, local educational agencies, schools, and public and private early childhood programs for increasing the inclusion of infants, toddlers, and preschool children with disabilities in high-quality early childhood programs. Both departments invited public comment about the statement through May 22 at http://www.ed.gov/edblogs/osers/.

“The federal interagency policy statement on inclusion is a significant milestone for all of us in the field of early development and education,” said FPG senior scientist Pamela J. Winton. “By building upon the 2009 position statement on inclusion developed by the two early childhood professional organizations, the Division for Early Childhood and the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the recommendations in the new policy statement solidify the federal commitment to moving the implementation of  inclusion beyond the current status quo.”

The new draft policy statement defines inclusion as the practice of including children with disabilities (regardless of the level of disability) in early childhood programs with their peers without disabilities. The statement recaps research in support of inclusion’s benefits to children with and without disabilities, outlines the legal foundation for inclusion, points out specific challenges to inclusion, and makes several state and system recommendations.“

What we know from implementation science suggests much work needs to be done to ensure the statement is more than just another piece of paper,” said Winton, who chairs the Inclusion Institute. “‘Who is in charge of next steps?’ and ‘How do we mobilize the passion and energy of individuals and groups on this topic?’ is an interesting set of questions that I hope can be addressed by leaders in the field.”

Source: FPG Child Development Institute

Available at: http://fpg.unc.edu/node/7744

Accessible Television In The Classroom

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3/2015

The potential of television as an educational tool has been widely recognized in terms of early childhood education, since the launch of Sesame Street more than 40 years ago. Television offers the same potential in primary and secondary education. Teachers and families have reported using educational TV to satisfy a variety of objectives:

  • To introduce, reinforce, and expand on content being taught.
  • To respond to a variety of learning styles.
  • To increase student motivation to learn.
  • To stimulate other learning activities.

The addition of accessibility features, such as captioning and description, increases the educational value and provides equal access. All of the programs below were made accessible through grants by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services/Office of Special Education Services. Some were part of the DCMP grant, while others were a part of five Television Access grants, awarded to Bridge Multimedia, CaptionMax, Dicapta, Narrative Television Network, and National Captioning Institute. Through a special pilot project, the Television Access grantees received approval from content partners to allow for the distribution of content to DCMP members.

Source: Described and Captioned Media Program

Available at: https://dcmp.org/accessible-television