In this issue:

• Supporting Inclusive EC Language & Literacy

• Family Service Coordination

• Part C Infant/Toddler Corner

• Part B 619 Corner: LRE

• ASQ Training

• New Transition Materials

• Free Part C Webinar Series

• KITS Summer Institute

• K-ICC Seeks Nominations

• Application of Best Practice in Early Childhood Awards

• Harvey County Infant Transition Team

• Culturally & Linguistically Appropriate Services

Supporting Inclusive Early Childhood Language & Literacy: El Grupo de FamiliasBy 2010 KITS Summer Institute PresentersSusan M. Moore and Clara Pérez-Méndez with Introduction by Misty D. Goosen

Volume 19, Issue 2 Spring 2010

Introduction What does it take to pro-vide appropriate services to young English language learners, especially those who may have a developmental de-lay or disability? The answer to this and other related ques-tions is the focus of the Sum-mer Institute this year. Na-tionally recognized speakers will come to Lawrence June 8 through 11 to share important information with participants so that they may gain new skills allowing them to better serve this population. This article provides a taste of the information that will be presented at the four-day seminar. Susan M. Moore, Ph.D., and Clara Pérez-Méndez are returning to the Sum-mer Institute by popular demand and have submitted this article. Susan is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sci-ence at the University of Colorado in Boulder (susan.moore@colorado.edu), and Clara is the founder and President of Puentes Culturales, (http://www.pu-entesculturales.com/Bienvenidos.html) the organization that directs “El Grupo de Familias”, the subject of this article. “El Grupo de Familias” is a program that supports families that speak Spanish, providing information and services that strengthen interactions and help engage parents, promoting positive work-ing relationships with early childhood programs and other systems. Much of the information provided to parents in El Grupo reflects the same types of ques-tions the KITS project hears from early childhood professionals and is therefore included and expanded upon for professional use in Day One and Day Two of the Summer Institute.

Supporting Inclusive Early Childhood Language & Literacy continues on page 2

KITS Newsletter is published quarterly and supported through Part B, IDEA Funds from the Kansas State Department of Education (Grant # 26004). The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the State Department of Education, or the University of Kansas, and no official endorsement should be inferred. Issues of the Newsletter can be downloaded fromhttp://kskits.org/publications/newsletter.shtml

Newsletter Editor:Robin Bayless, M.A.

Project Director:David P. Lindeman, Ph.D.

SusanMooreandClaraPérez-Méndezatthe2009KITSSummerInstitute

Supporting Inclusive EC Language & Literacy concludes

Page 2 of 13 Spring 2010 KITS Newsletter

El Grupo de Familia

El Grupo de Familias, an in-clusive parent education and sup-portprogramforfamiliesthatspeakSpanish,beganin1995becauseofapaucityofservicesandinformationfor bilingual or Spanish-speakingfamilies with young children withand without identified challenges. Families were struggling with de-cisions regarding what languagestheir children “should” learn, es-pecially if they had been identi-fied with a disability. Many had recently arrived from Mexico andwere monolingual Spanish-speak-ing,withgreatvariationinparentallevelofeducationandliteracyskillin their native language. El Grupo deFamiliaswasdevelopedbasedonresearchabouthowchildrenacquirelanguage(s) and can become com-petentcommunicatorsinmorethanone language regardless of identi-fied disability. El Grupo has proven tobeavaluedcommunityresource,providing families with informa-tion about how children developoral language(s),pre-literacyskills,and ways in which they benefit from parentalandprovideruseofcultur-ally-relevant interactive strategiesduringdailyroutinesandactivities,storytelling, and shared storybookreading in both languages. TheprogramisdirectedbyPu-entesCulturalesandishousedattheUniversity of Colorado, Boulder,in the Department of Speech, Lan-guage, and Hearing Science. This program has become sustainablethrough collaboration with Inter-cambiodeComunidades,anonprof-itagencythatprovidesinterculturalexchangeandopportunitiesforindi-

vidualslearningmorethanonelan-guage. With funding from the City ofBoulderHumanResourcesFund,itbringstogetherfamiliesinfacili-tatedgroupsthatassistparticipantsto:• Accessanddiscussresearch-

basedinformationaboutben-efits and strategies to sustain home language and culture.

• Havefunwiththeirchildrenastheyincreaseearlyliteracyintheirnativeandsecondlan-guage.

• Learnhowtonavigatetheeducationalsystemandaccesscommunity supports.

• Gain confidence and comfort tointeractwithprofessionalsandeducatorsandlearnhowtoadvocateasthe“voice”fortheirchildrenwithandwithoutdisabilities.

• Buildparent-to-parentrelation-ships of cultural support.

ElGrupooperatesontheprem-ise that to be accepted by diversefamilies, intervention practicesmustbebaseduponculturalunder-standingandbeimplemented,whenpossible, in thepreferred languageof the family. Communicating in a preferred language establishes acomfortlevelforsharingstoriesandconcerns,providesamodelthatlan-guagesarevalued,andencouragesinterventionthroughculturallyrele-vantactivitiesthatcelebratetheval-ues and beliefs of family members. Stereotypingormakingassumptionsthatdenyfamilies’abilitytochangeor acculturate are avoided. The pro-grammakesuseofaculturalmedia-tortoenhancerelationshipbuildingand communication with families

from linguistically and culturallydiverse backgrounds. The cultural mediatorisbilingual-biculturalandhe/she understands the life ways,beliefs,andculturalbackgroundofparticipating families. “Knowing” the cultural mediator creates feel-ingsofsafety,trust,andmutualun-derstanding,andtransfersthistrusttoothermembersoftheteam,whoalso are bilingual. This leads to in-dividual consideration of familymembers,movingbeyondassump-tionsbaseduponculturalgroupingor identified disability. While El Grupo de Familias was originallydesignedtofocusonfam-ilies who speak Spanish, the basicprecepts of prevention and educa-tioncanbeusedwithanyculturallyor linguistically diverse families ifimplemented in consideration ofcultural context. Its activities and approacharebeingsharedwithoth-ers around the country through aDVD,A StoryAbout El Grupo deFamilias,whichcontainsaseriesofshort modules that focus on specific stepsintheprocessofbuildingtrust,teachingearlylanguageandliteracyskills, and empowering parents tosupport their children’s learning(see www.landlockedfilms.com). NOTE: See related article onpage 9.

Adapted from Moore, S. M., & Pérez-Méndez, C. (2009, Summer/Fall). Supporting inclusive early child-hood literacy in Colorado: ElGrupo de Familias. Impact, 22(1). Institute on Community Integra-tion, University of Minnesota. Retrieved April 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.ici.umn.edu/products/impact/221/22.html

The Collaborative Calendar of Events

Links to Other Training CalendarsFamily Service Coordination

(FSC) TrainingJune 4, 2010, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Wichita

Register by May 28 at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/

GXKNK6L

Minimum of 1 person per network, FSC trainers, FSC providers (anyone on the

team providing FSC).

Contact: Peggy, pmiksch@ku.edu or Robin, rbayless@ku.edu.

Page 3 of 13 Spring 2010 KITS Newsletter

DATE EVENT CONTACT5/24/10 Understanding and Applying Behavioral Principles in Early

Intervention, WebinarSarah Hoffmeier, shoffmeier@kumc.edu, 913-588-5981

6/4/10 Family Service Coordination Training, Wichita,RegisterbyMay28athttps://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GXKNK6L

Peggy Miksch, pmiksch@ku.edu or Robin Bayless, rbayless@ku.edu

6/8-11/10 KITS Summer Institute: Providing Appropriate Services to Infants/Toddlers and Young English Language Learners, Lawrence,www.kskits.org/training/SI2010.shtml

Misty Goosen, mistyg@ku.edu or Robin Bayless, rbayless@ku.edu

6/21-23/10 27th Annual Midwest Educational Leadership Conference, Colorado SteveMilliken,402-390-2110,http://www.esu6.org

7/2,8/11,8/18/10

Part C Infant Toddler Hearing Screening Certification Training, 7/2Hays, 8/11 Topeka, 8/18 Wichita

Sabra Shirrell, sshirrell@kdheks.gov, 785-296-8625

7/26-30/10 Routines-Based Interview Certification Institute, Chattanooga,TN www.siskin.org/rbi

7/29-30/10 Leadership Conference for Special Education Administrators, Wichita ksde.org

8/23,24,25/10

Part C Regional Meetings, 8/23GardenCity,8/24Newton,8/25Topekahttps://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5KLX97S

Peggy Miksch, pmiksch@ku.edu or Robin Bayless, rbayless@ku.edu

9/13-14/10 Evidence Based Practice Institute and Advanced Practice Institute, Salina

Ellen Pope, , epope@kumc.edu, 913-588-7195

10/14-17/10 DEC 2010: The 26th Annual International Conference on Young Children with Special Needs & Their Families, KCMissouri

www.dec-sped.org

11/3-5/10 Governor’s Conference for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, Topeka

https://www.kcsl.org/training_conference.aspx

11/4/10 The Tri-State Special Education Law Conference, Omaha,Nebraska www.ksde.org

11/8/10 Part C Coordinator Meeting, tba Peggy Miksch, pmiksch@ku.edu or Robin Bayless, rbayless@ku.edu

2/24/11 KDEC 2011: It’s All About Relationships, Wichita www.kdec.org

• KCCTOchildcareorCDAadvisortrainings:www.kccto.org• FamiliesTogether:www.familiestogetherinc.org• Children’sAllianceTrainingTeam: www.childally.org/training/training.html• KACCRRA:www.kaccrra.org• CapperFoundation:capper.easterseals.com• CouncilforExceptionalChildren:www.cec.sped.org/pd• KSDE:conferences.ksde.org/• KansasChildren’sServiceLeague:www.elearningkcsl.org• KansasHeadStartAssociation:www.ksheadstart.org/event

View at kskits.org/training

Part C Infant Toddler Coordinator’s Corner Fortunately, and largely be-cause of American Recovery andReinvestment Act (ARRA) funds,KDHEhasbeenabletooffertrain-ingtothelocalnetworksonavari-ety of topics this year. Some of the topicsinclude:

Sound Start A group of professionals andparents organized Sound Start in2004toaddressstatewideprovisionofInfant/ToddlerServicestofami-lieswhohaveinfants/toddlerswithhearing loss. This committee devel-opedastrategicplantoensurethatfamilies receive comprehensive,unbiased information and supportthroughregionalconsultationwith-in the local tiny-k networks. ARRA fundshaveallowedthisgrouptoof-fer a sixdayTrain-the-Trainerop-portunity held February 11th and12th, April 1st and 2nd and June3rd and 4th for fifteen experienced early childhood special education,deafeducation,andspeechpathol-ogy professionals. Thisseriesoftrainingprovidesan opportunity for participants togainknowledgeanddevelopskillsrelated to working with familieswhohaveaninfantortoddlerwhoisdeaf or hard-of-hearing. At the end ofthetraining,participantswillbeavailableas“regionalexperts”andhaveinformation,curriculums,par-ent resources andchildren’sbooksto share with families and profes-sionals.

Sound Beginnings The goal of the Kansas new-born hearing screening program isto identify congenital hearing lossin children before three months

of age with appropriate interven-tion no later than six months ofage. Nationally, the state hearing screeningagenciesarecalledEarlyHearingDetectionandIntervention(EHDI) programs. Sound Begin-ningsisresponsiblefordevelopingrules, regulations, and guidelinesfor reporting, tracking and assur-ingappropriatereferral for follow-up services, training and education. Recently, a new resource in draftform, Kansas Part C Infant/Tod-dler tiny k Hearing Screening and Resource Manual,hasbeendistrib-uted to the Infant-Toddler Coordi-nators for comment. It is importanttoidentifyhear-inglossearlyandprovidetimelyin-tervention for veryyoung childrenand their families. Early identifica-tionpreventsdelaysforallhearingloss, mild to profound. Research shows if a child receives identifica-tionbeforethreemonthsandinter-vention before six months of age,childrenwilldeveloplanguagethatis comparable to their hearing peers. EachyearinKansas,2to3babiesper1000birthsarediagnosedwithsome degree of hearing loss. Effective July 1, 1999, Kan-sas enacted legislation to providescreening for the early detectionof hearing loss in all babies bornin Kansas birthing hospitals. The procedures in the new manual areto be used as a training manualandresourceforPartCInfant/Tod-dler tiny-k Networks that screenhearing in children. After train-ing is completed, hearing screen-ing technicians will then be ableto conduct hearing screening andidentify children who need furthertesting. Hearing screening techni-

ciansshouldadherecloselytotheseproceduresandmakeappropriatere-ferralstoaudiologistsorphysicianswhenchildrenmeetreferralcriteriatoprovidethebestpossibleservicesto their targeted population. Audiologist and Sound Begin-nings Coordinator, Liz Abbey, at-tendedtheApril15thCoordinator’smeetinginSalina,andtookinputandquestions from the Coordinator’sabout the Manual. A one day train-ingwillbeheldinTopeka,HaysandWichita this summer, in order that atleastonepersonfromeverylocalNetworkwillbetrainedasahearingscreeningtechnicianandmakesurechildrenbirthtothreeareuniversallyscreenedandreferredforservices,ifidentified with concerns. All person-nelwhoperformhearingscreensus-ingtheOtoacousticEmission(OAE)screeningequipmentwillneedtobecertified thru KDHE. Dates are July 2atSternumMuseumofHistoryinHays,August11(theAugust12dateis full) at Shawnee CountyTopekaPublic Library in Topeka, andAu-gust 18 at Heartspring ConferenceCenter in Wichita (see Calendar on page 3 for more information). The SoundBeginningsprogramhaslim-ited funding for networks that donot currently have OAE screeningequipment;thenetworkmusthaveatrainedhearing/screeningtechnicianin order to use this equipment.

Responsive Teacher Training with Gerald Mahoney This training was held in Sa-linaat theRamada InnConferenceCenter on May 4, 5 and 6th. It was a comprehensive parent-mediated in-

Page 4 of 13 Spring 2010 KITS Newsletter

Part C Corner concludes on page 6

Part B 619 Coordinator’s Corner

Early Childhood and Least Restrictive Environment

The Individuals with Disabili-tiesEducationAct(IDEA)requiresstates toprovideearlyinterventionand a free and appropriate publiceducation (FAPE) to eligible chil-dren with disabilities. There are three major provisions within thelawthatapplytoearlychildhood:1. Part C provides all states with

grants for early interventionservicesforchildrenfrombirthtoagethree(andtheirfamilies)who are developmentally de-layed,oratasubstantialriskofdelay,due todiagnosedfactorsand conditions. Each family and child identified receives services under a written IndividualizedFamily Service Plan (IFSP).

2. Part B requires that a free ap-propriate public education beavailable forchildrenwithdis-abilities ages 3–21 years. Each eligible child receives servicesunder a written IndividualizedEducation Program (IEP).

3. Section 619 of Part B authorizes grants to all states for servicesfor children with disabilitiesages three-five and for continu-ityofspecialeducationservicesfor all children moving out ofPart C.

All three of these provisionsencouragetheinclusionofchildrenwith disabilities in all early child-hoodsettingsinwhichtypicallyde-veloping children are found. These provisions can be used by profes-sionalsintheircontinuingeffortstomeet the individual needs of eachchild and family.

From IDEA we know that achildistobeeducatedinhisorherleast restrictive environment (LRE). Thelawgoesfurthertosaythatthismeans“thattothemaximumextentappropriate, studentswithdisabili-ties,includingstudentsinpublicorprivateinstitutionsorothercarefa-cilities, are educatedwith studentswho are not disabled.” Mostschooldistrictsdonotop-erate general education preschoolprograms for childrenwithoutdis-abilities. For districts that operate a four-year-old at-risk program orother preschool program, childrenwith disabilities could be includedin these programs. However, not all districts have this option. There-fore,thelawallowsschoolstouseavarietyofoptionstomeettheLRErequirements for preschool agechildren. To increase these options, schools should work with theircommunity programs, agencies,andproviderstomeettheneedsofpreschool children in their district. In doing so, schools will be readytoworkwithdifferentprogramstoservethechildintheplacethatbestmeets the child’s needs. A placement decisionisbasedonthechild’sin-dividualneedsasdeterminedbytheIEPteamwhichincludesthechild’sfamily. InApril2009, theDivision forEarly Childhood (DEC) and theNationalAssociationfortheEduca-tion of Young Children (NAEYC)releaseda jointPositionStatementwhich includes a shared nationaldefinition of inclusion for young childrenwhichstates:“Earlychild-

hoodinclusionembodiesthevalues,policies, and practices that supporttherightofeveryinfantandyoungchildandhisorherfamily,regardlessof ability, to participate in a broadrange of activities and contexts asfullmembersoffamilies,communi-ties and society. The desired results ofinclusiveexperiencesforchildrenwith and without disabilities andtheirfamiliesincludeasenseofbe-longing and membership, positivesocialrelationshipsandfriendships,and development and learning toreach their full potential. The defin-ingfeaturesofinclusionthatcanbeused to identify high quality earlychildhoodprogramsandservicesareaccess, participation and supports.” So, what is meant by “access,participation,andsupports”?• Access–providingawiderangeofactivitiesandenvironmentsforev-erychildbyremovingphysicalbar-riers and offering multiple ways topromote learning and development. In many cases, simple modifications can facilitate access for individualchildren. Recognizing that there are multiple andvaried formats for in-structionandlearning,removingthephysical and structural barriers incertainenvironmentsandprovidingtechnology to enable children witharangeoffunctionalabilitiesareallexamples of access. • Participation–usingarangeofinstructionalapproachestopromoteengagementinplayandlearningac-tivities,andasenseofbelongingforevery child. Even with the modifica-tionsdescribedinprovidingaccess,some children will need additional

Page 5 of 13 Spring 2010 KITS Newsletter

Part B 619 Coordinator’s Corner concludes on page 7

Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) Training

terventioncurriculumforchildrenfrombirthtosixwhohave,orareatriskfor,childdevelopmentandsocialemotionalproblems. It is research-based and field tested,andhasbeenusedsuccessfullywithchildrenwithawiderangeofde-velopmentalconcernsincludingautismspectrum disorders, Down syndrome,Williams syndrome, cerebral palsy, de-velopmentaldelaysofunknownetiolo-gies,behaviordisorders,infantmentalhealthdisorders, speechand languagedelays, children who are adopted andchildren from multi-risk families.

Mediation Training MarvinStottlemire,atrainedMedi-ator,trainedsixnewMediatorsfromallaround the state for three days in March. ThesesixnewMediatorsagreedtodoMediation for Part C, should a com-plaintrisetothelevelneedingaformalmediation process. If local networks have a need or would like to knowmore,pleasecontactSabraShirrell,atKDHE, 785-296-8625, sshirrell@kd-heks.gov

KAIMH Conference/Infant Mental Health The Spring KAIMH Conferenceis May 19th in Salina. The topic is The Power of Language Culture Re-lationships. The Kansas Association for Infant & Early Childhood Mental Healthisanassociationofprofession-alsinKansaswhoareconcernedwiththe emotional development of infants. KAIMHhasthreemaingoals:

1. To encourage the realization that infancy is a critical period in thepsychosocial/emotional develop-ment of individuals.

2. To disseminate knowledge to its membersaswellas tocombat thesense of isolation of those disci-plines working in the infancy field.

3. To provide information to the gen-eral public, which will enhanceawareness and bring to public at-tentionthepsychosocial/emotionalneeds of children in the first years of life.

Coaching in Early Childhood, an Evidence-Based Practice Dathan Rush and M’Lisa SheldonwillreturntoKansasfortwofulldayson September 13-14 in Salina. This will be the last opportunity for localprogramstoattendatNOcostutilizingARRA funds. This is KDHE’s support toNetworkstoprovideinformationonevidence based practice. Networks will bemonitoredtoassurethattheirprac-tices reflect the evidence/science as re-quired by IDEA Part C of the law.

—submitted by Tiffany Smith, Part C Coordinator, KDHE

Page 6 of 13 Spring 2010 KITS Newsletter

Part C Coordinator’s Corner concludes

The National Center for Parents as Teachers is excited to offer ASQ–3—ASQ:SE Developmental Screening self-study/webinar. This online training is an inde-pendent, self-study module that requires pre-training reading assignments, DVD viewing and an online assessment.

All participants must have the following prior to taking part in this training:

• ASQ–3 Starter Kit ®• ASQ:SE Starter Kit® • ASQ:SE in Practice® DVD •

ASQ–3 Scoring and Refer-ral® DVD

• Ages & Stages Question-naires on a Home Visit® DVD

These materials can be pur-chased at www.brookespublish-ing.com. One copy is available to borrow from the KITS Early Childhood Resource Center at kskits.org/ecrc

Participants register at parentsasteachers.webex.com (under the Upcoming tab). Here you will see upcoming webinar dates and receive the reading assignments. Cost is $125 and participants will receive 5 hours of professional development credit when all requirements have been met. This training is also open to non-PAT programs.

For additional information, con-tact the Professional Develop-ment Manager at 866-728-4968 ext. 213.

individualized accommodations andsupports to participate fully in playandlearningactivitieswithpeersandadults. Adults promote belonging, par-ticipationandengagementofchildrenin a variety of intentional ways. Tiered models may help adults organize as-sessments and interventions by levelof intensity. Participation in programs may be achieved by embedded, rou-tines-based teaching toexplicit inter-ventionsandshouldscaffoldlearningand participation for all children. • Supports–thebroaderaspectsofthe system such as professional de-velopment, incentives for inclusionand opportunities for communicationandcollaborationamongfamiliesandprofessionalstoassurehighqualityin-clusion. Because collaboration among key stakeholders is a cornerstone forimplementinghighqualityearlychild-hoodinclusion,resourcesandprogrampolicies are needed to promote mul-tipleopportunitiesforcommunicationand collaboration among these groups. Specialized services and therapiesmustbeimplementedinacoordinatedwayandintegratedwithgeneralearlycare and education services. Theorganizationsgoontofurtherdescribe recommendations for usingthe Position Statement to improveearlychildhoodserviceswhichcanbeveryuseful to teachersandproviderswho work with young children. Find the complete document andsummarybygoingtotheDivisionforEarly Childhood website at: http://www.dec-sped.org/About_DEC/Posi-tionConcept_Papers/Inclusion Another resource may be of in-terest as well. Impact, a journalpub-lishedbytheInstituteonCommunityIntegrationandResearchandTraining

CenteronCommunityLivingpublishedafeatureissueonEarly Childhood Edu-cation and Children with Disabilitiesintheir Summer/Fall 2009 edition. It can befoundinitsentiretyat:http://ici.umn.edu/products/impact/221/default.html. There is a great deal of information found within the publica-tionthatsupportsmultipleperspectivesorgroupsofpeoplewhomaytouchthelives of children or families. One of the piecesis“QualityInclusiveEarlyChild-hoodPrograms:10ThingstoLookFor”provides a checklist that parents lookforastheyseekqualityinclusiveearlychildhoodprogramsfor theirchildandwhateducatorsaimforinshapingqual-ity inclusive programs. IDEA is clear about what LRE re-quires:Childrenwithdisabilitiesaretobeeducatedwithchildrenwhoarenotdisabledtothemaximumextentappro-priate. The benefits are well documented andinclude:• Naturalfriendshipsdeveloped

within the child’s home community.• Childrenwithdisabilitieslearn

academicandsocialskillswithinnaturalenvironments,facilitatinggeneralization of skills.

• All students learn to value diversity.• Teachingmethods,techniquesand

strategies are enhanced.• Expectationsarehigherforchildren

withdisabilities–andsoistheirachievement.

AswecontinuetoworktogetherinKansastoprovidequalityearlylearn-ingexperiencesforyoungchildrenandtheirfamiliesitmaybeusefultoreview these recent resources.

—submitted by Carol Ayres, 619 Coordinator, KSDE

New Transition Materials Available

Part B Coordinator’s Corner concludes

Page 7 of 13 Spring 2010 KITS Newsletter

KITS has revised the Transition from Part C to Part B packet which is available to download at http://kskits.org/ta/Packets/TransitionPartCtoPartB.shtml

Sections include:A Smooth and Effective Transition to Preschool Services for Children and Their Families

Overview

Formalized Structure for Developing, Implement-ing and Evaluating the Transition Process

Identification of Evidence Based Practices to Sup-port Continuous Im-provement of the Transi-tion Process

Application of Evidence Based Practices to Sup-port Continuous Im-provement of the Transi-tion Process: Transition Toolbox

* Sample Transition Brochure

* Sample Exit Survey

Additional Resources

Also available at the web-site:

Indicator 12 Early Tran-sition OSEP Frequently Asked Questions

Kansas Frequently Asked Questions

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Free Part C Webinar Series

Page 8 of 13 Spring 2010 KITS Newsletter

In summer 2009, the KansasDepartmentofHealthandEnviron-ment (KDHE) Infant Toddler Ser-vices received ARRA (AmericanRecovery and Reinvestment Act)funding for professional develop-ment trainings for tiny-kprovidersthroughout the state of Kansas. One groupthatreceivedaportionofthefunding was Kansas InstructionalSupport Network (KISN), a Tech-nical Assistance System Networkgrant-fundedprojectwiththeKan-sas State Department of Education. KISNprovidestechnicalassistancetochildrenages0-21ontheautismspectrum, professionals, and par-ents. After much discussion, KISN staff, along with the expertise ofPeggy Miksch with Kansas Inser-viceTraining System (KITS) andTiffanySmithwithKDHEdecidedtoprovidea freewebinarseriesoffour trainings for tiny-k providersand early childhood educators onautism spectrum disorders (ASDs)emphasizing the main characteris-tics and strategies. Lee Stickle, Di-rector of KISN, approached NAT-TAP (Network ofAutismTrainingand TechnicalAssistance Projects)to assist with the project. NATTAP partner OCALI (Ohio Center forAutismandLowIncidence)gener-ouslyagreedtoprovidethetechnol-ogy and webinar platform, whileNATTAP members volunteeredtheir expertise and knowledge tospeakon the topicsofcomprehen-siveplanningtools,communication,behavior, and social interaction. The first webinar topic was Comprehensive Planning Toolspresented in December 2009 byBrenda Smith-Myles, Shawn Hen-

ry, and Peggy Miksch. Brenda is Vice-President of Operations withtheAutismSocietyandhasworkedin the field of autism for many years as a professor, author, and consul-tant. Shawn is currently the direc-tor at OCALI and creator of theComprehensive Autism PlanningSystem (CAPS). Peggy has worked in the field of early intervention for manyyearsandiscurrentlytheIn-fant-Toddler Technical AssistanceSpecialist for KITS. In this webinar Brenda andShawnpresentedonCAPSandhowtousethetoolwithchildrenontheautism spectrum. CAPS is a univer-sal planning tool that can be usednotonlywithchildrenonthespec-trum,butwithanychildtoillustrateprogram planning. Peggy conclud-ed the webinar by demonstratingtheuseofCAPSinthehomewithachildandtheirfamily,alongwithproviding additional examples ofplanning tools that can be used inthe home. The second webinar topic wasCommunicationpresentedinMarch2010 by Teresa Cardon, a speechlanguage pathologist at Washington University. Teresa has worked with individualsontheautismspectrumforover17yearsinavarietyofset-tings with a current focus in earlychildhood. Teresa presented on a variety of communication systemsand evidence-based interventions,including Pivotal Response Train-ing(PRT),PictureExchangeCom-munication System (PECS), Inci-dentalteaching,andAppliedVerbalBehavior (AVB). She also shared beneficial information on how to includeparentsduringintervention

sessions and how to move awayfromtraditional“parentasobserver”therapy sessions. Participants also learned how to support expressiveandreceptivecommunicationgoalsfor young children with autism. The third webinar topic is Be-havior, which will be presentedMay 24th by Dr. Jim Ball, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who has been working in the private sectorfield of autism for over 20 years. He hasworked inavarietyofsettingsprovidingeducational,employment,and residential services tochildrenand adults affected with autism. Cur-rently, Dr. Ball is a member of the AutismSocietyBoardofDirectorsand is the First Vice-Chair. He will bepresentingontheunderstandingandapplicationofbehavioralprin-ciples in early intervention. Par-ticipants will be introduced to theconceptsoftheconsequenceofbe-havior,databaseddecisionmaking,reinforcement, structure, interven-tion selection, and Dr. Jim’s Seven Effective Strategies for the Perfect Early Intervention Program. The fourth and final webinar topic is Social Interaction, whichwill be presented in June 2010 byDr. Jennifer Stella Durocher who is theAssistantDirectoratUniver-sity of Miami/Nova SoutheasternUniversity’sCenterforAutismandRelated Disabilities. Dr. Stella Du-rocherhaspresentedandpublishednationallyandinternationallyontheassessment, diagnosis, and treat-ment of ASDs. Dr. Stella Durocher willbepresentingonheractivere-

Free Part C Webinar Series concludes on page 9

KITS Summer Institute concludes on page 13

Page 9 of 13 Spring 2010 KITS Newsletter

searchoninterventionsforimprovingjointattentionskillsinyoungchildrenwith ASD. She will provide strategies andevidence-basedresearchonsocialinteractionstrategiestobeusedinthehome and in school. With much support from national organizations and speakers, KISNand KDHE/Part C have been able toprovide training on functional strate-giesforprovidersandearlychildhoodeducators to use with all children inthe home, classroom, and community. Byusingthewebinartechnology,par-ticipantsareabletousetheirworkorpersonal computers to participate inhighqualitytrainingandsavethetimeand costs of traveling to a training site. With the goal of providing accessible trainingsonevidence-basedstrategies,KISN, KDHE and KITS have beenabletoeducateprofessionalsthrough-outKansason themostcurrentprac-tices for young children with autismspectrum disorders and related dis-abilities. We are excited to report that we have had 120 participants over thecourse of the first two webinars. We hope to involve many more in thisopportunity. The webinars will be ar-chivedandavailableintheKITSandKISN (www.ksndsp.org) libraries. Each Part C/tiny-k Network will re-ceive a copy of the webinars. We hope toreachtiny-kprovidersandtheirearlyintervention/early childhood partners. If youhavequestions, please contactSarah Hoffmeier with KISN at 913-588-5981 or shoffmeier@kumc.edu

—submitted by Sarah Hoffmeier

Giventhewiderangeofabilityandskills that are inherent in typicallyde-velopingyoungchildren,andevenmoresoforyoungchildrenwithdisabilities,professionals serving this populationare familiar with adapting or modify-ingthegeneralcurriculumtomeetindi-vidual needs. However, these same pro-fessionalsmayfeellesscompetentwiththeadditionofyoungEnglishlanguagelearners in the already diverse mix. The enrollment of young children whosehomelanguageisotherthanEnglishhasbeen steadily increasing over the lastfew years. While this is nothing new in someareas,thiscircumstanceisquicklybecoming common in all areas of ourState. Young English language learnersface many challenges when attendingearly childhood programs. Like all oth-er young children, young English lan-guagelearnershaveyettomastertheirown native language. These children do not yet have a strong foundation fromwhich to learn an additional language,and are simultaneously developingskillsintheirnativelanguagewhile,forthe first time, being exposed to English. While this task may seem daunting, re-searchsupportsthefactthatchildrenarenotonlycapableoflearningmorethanone languageata time, itmayalsobevery beneficial to their overall cognitive development. However, negative out-comesmayresultwhenthetransitiontoEnglishismadebeforechildrenarewellgroundedintheirhomelanguage(Espi-nosa, 2008). This year, the KITS Summer In-stitute will focus on information and

methods useful for planningand implementing evidencebased practices that supportthedevelopmentoflanguageand literacy in English lan-guagelearnerswithandwith-out disabilities. Participants will be lead by nationallyrecognized speakers, usingthemostcurrentresearchandevidencebase,helpingtodis-pelmythsandprovide foun-dationalknowledgeaboutthecharacteristicsofthispopula-tion. In addition, participants will understand and developtheskillsnecessarytoprovidedevelopmentallyandlinguis-tically appropriate practices,withaspecialfocusonthosebuilt from and created withtheknowledgeandsupportoffamilies. All of this informa-tionwillbesharedwithinthecontext of developmentallyappropriateservicesprovidedinnaturalandleastrestrictiveenvironments.

Day 1, Tuesday, June 8Susan Moore, Ph. D., Uni-versity of Colorado &ClaraPérez-Méndez,Puen-tesCulturalesWhat We Know and Can Do to Support Young English Language Learners

Providing Appropriate Services to Infants/Toddlers and Young English Language LearnersKITS Summer Institute, June 8-11 in Lawrence

Free Part C Webinar Series concludes

Page 10 of 13 Spring 2010 KITS Newsletter

Application of Best Practice in Early Childhood Services 2009-2010SEK Interlocal #637 – Pittsburg, Kansas Awarded for School/Community Collaboration

The Kansas ICC would like to invite nominations of those persons interested in being appointed by the Gov-ernor to serve a four-year term. We are looking for members in all three catego-ries: parents of a child with a disability, general public, and providers of services to young children.

To express your interest, you may contact our staff at dbowman@kdheks.govAn application will be need to be filled out and sent to the Governor’s office. The Governor will make the ap-pointments this summer.

For more information, we encourage you to investigate our web site: kansasicc.org

The mission of the Kansas Coordinating Council on Early Childhood Develop-mental Services is to en-sure that a comprehensive service delivery system of integrated services is available in Kansas to all children with or at risk for developmental delays from birth through age five and their families.

Kansas ICC Seeks Nominations InFebruary2010theKansasState

Department of Education identified one preschoolprogramfortheireducation-alservicesfromapplicationsacrossthestate. These applications were to reflect interventions or services that are con-ducted in a manner that is considered“best practice” in the field of early child-hood special education. The announce-mentwasmadeat theannualmeetingoftheKansasDivisionforEarlyChild-hood,astatechapteroftheDivisionforEarlyChildhoodoftheNationalCoun-cil for Exceptional Children. AllearlychildhoodprogramsintheState of Kansas serving children withdisabilities were asked to submit anapplicationtotheStateDepartmentofEducation and identify abest practicethat they demonstrate in their serviceprogram. Each application submitted wasreviewedbyapanelofprofession-als from across the State. All applica-tions were scored according to specific criteriaandthenrecommendationsweremade as to the recipients of the award. Programs recognized receive a certifi-cateofrecognitionand$1,000touseasan added resource for their services.

The community based preschoolprogram in Arma, Kansas, a multi-agency collaborative program of SEKInterlocal#637,ArmaSchoolDistrict,SEK-CAPHeadStart,SoutheastKan-sas Education Service Center, FamilyResource Center, Community MentalHealthCenterofCrawfordCounty,andExpandedFoodsandNutritionExten-sionProgramisrecognizedintheareaof School/Community Collaboration. Over the past few years this programhas undertaken and accomplished achange in the planning and deliveryof preschool services. The program is based on a seamless service modeland continuity of educational servicesfor all preschool children in the com-munity. The program was built on the uniquestrengthsofeachpartner,whichestablishedthisuniqueprogramthatin-terfacesstaffallocations,materials,andresourceswhileservingchildren inanindividually and developmentally ap-propriate preschool environment. ThecontactpersonatSEKInterlo-cal is Debbie Potter, 1600 N Walnut, Pittsburg,KS66762,620-235-3152. —submitted by Dave Lindeman

Harvey County Infant Transition TeamEditor’s note: The Harvey County Infant Transition Team is one of two preschool and three infant-toddler programs to receive the 2008-09 Best Practice Award (see kskits.org/resources/2008_2009winners.shtml)

In December 2001, NewtonMedicalCenter’s(NMC)Maternal-ChildUnitandtheHarveyCountyInfant Toddler Program (tiny-k)identified a need and developed an Infant Transition Team. The purpose of this partnership was to connectchildren with appropriate commu-nity services and provide a seam-less transition from the hospital tohomeforfamilieswhohadchildrenneeding follow-up support for de-velopmental issues. Through this combinedeffort,wehavebeenableto improve the process of child find referrals and families have experi-enced a smoother transition fromthe hospital to their home. Since the fallof2008, the InfantTransi-tionTeamhasexpandedtoincludethe Healthy Start Home Visitorsfrom the Harvey County HealthDepartmentandtheMarionCountyInfant Toddler Part C Coordinator. This expansion helped us improvereferrals to surrounding countyagencies, facilitated the transitionprocessacrosscounties,andhelpeddecreasetheduplicationofservicesbetween counties and agencies. Through this unique collab-orativework,TheInfantTransitionTeam has developed an Infant AtRisk/Discharge Criteria Checklistand a procedural flow chart that guidehospitalstaffinmakingfam-ilyreferralstothemostappropriatecommunity agency. When a baby isborn,thenursesatNMCconsultthiscriteriachecklistandassignthebabytothedischargeorreferralcat-egory. Based upon this assignment, thenursecontactseither the tiny-kprogram (referral) or the Healthy

Page 11 of 13 Spring 2010 KITS Newsletter

Start home visitors (discharge). In theeventofadischarge,theHealthyStartHomeVisitorspursuecontactswith the family. These home visitors consultwiththeNMCfeedingspe-cialistsandcontactthetiny-kteamif there are immediate needs. When these children reach three monthsofage,theinfanttoddlerteamcon-tactsthefamilytoseeifthechild’sdevelopmenthascontinuedtoprog-ressata typicalrateandtoofferadevelopmental check if the familyis interested. When the child falls into the referral category, the tiny-k team takes the leadandcontactsthefamilytohelpthemunderstandInfantToddlerservicesandtopur-suePartCservices,ifthefamilysodesires. TheKITS“BestPracticeAward”has allowed the Infant TransitionTeamtoexpandtheirservicesandtobetteraddresstheneedsoffamiliesas they leave the hospital and en-ter into Part C services. The award money has allowed us to contractwithhospital staff tohaveaNMCstaff member follow the familiesfromtheirdismissalfromNMCinto

theirhomeduringcontractedbreaks(i.e. Christmas break, Spring Break, personal vacations) when a familyservicecoordinatorfromtheInfantToddlerProgrammaynotbeavail-able. A family’s discharge has been smoother and more comfortablewhenapersontheyhavemetinthehospitalisalsotheircontactassoonas they are home. It has also assured thatweareabletorespondtofamilyneeds year round. Our goal would betomovetowardsprovidingjointvisitswithtiny-kandhospitalstaffduringalltransitionsfromNMCtoour tiny-k program. Providing this service to all families would en-sureweareable to link themwithappropriate resourcesandnotonlyprovide families the services theyneed,but furtheravoidduplicationof services (i.e. home visits from both Healthy Start as well as thetiny-k). Buildingrapportandtrusthelpsestablish the basis for working re-lationships. We believe trust is strengthened by having the nursesat NMC, the tiny-k providers, andtheHealthyStartHomeVisitorsin-teractwiththefamilyinthehospitalbefore they return home. The tran-sition seems tobe easier for fami-lieswhenthecontactismadeearlyandthencontinuesoncetheyreturnhome. It has been our experience that families are more likely to bereceptive to home-based serviceswhentheyhavemetthehomevisi-tor before they leave the hospital. —submitted by Marcia Friesen

Jonni Brown and Marcia Friesen accepting award at 2009 KDEC

Conference

Spotlight on Culturally & Linguistically Appropriate Services

New Items at the Early Childhood Resource Center

Contact ECRC:phone:

620-421-6550 ext. 1651800-362-0390 ext. 1651

email:resourcecenter@ku.edu

web: kskits.org/ecrc

fax: 620-421-6550 ext. 1791

mailing address:2601 Gabriel

Parsons, KS 67357

Page 12 of 13 Spring 2010 KITS Newsletter

The purpose of these papers is toexaminetheextenttowhichtheeffec-tive practices, identified by the Divi-sion for Early Childhood and the Na-tionalAssociationfortheEducationofYoungChildren,arerepresentedinthedelivery of early intervention servicesto families and young children (frombirth to age five) who come from di-verse cultural and linguistic groups. Eachtechnicalreportincludesare-viewoftheliterature,annotatedbibliog-raphies,andalistofavailableresourcesfrom the (Culturally & Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) websiteathttp://clas.uiuc.edu/techreports.html Thesereportsareidealforinserviceandpreserviceearlychildhoodperson-nel. They are useful in college class-roomcurricula,workshopsorongoingresearch in the field. Below is a list of the Reports.

Culturally & linguistically sensi-tivepractices in motor skills in-terventions for young childrenbyYashBhagwanji,RosaMilagrosSantos, and Susan A. FowlerConducting child assessmentsbyMaryMcLeanMoving towards cross-cultural competence in lifelong person-nel development: A review of the literaturebyAnnHains,EleanorLynch and Pam WintonTransition is more than a change

1.

2.

3.

4.

in services: The need for a multi-cultural perspective by Deborah A. Bruns and Susan A. FowlerSecond language acquisition in the preschool years: What we know and how we can effectively communicate with young second language learnersbyJanetQuiño-nes-EatmanA Guide for professionals serving hearing children with deaf parentsby Jenny L. Singleton and Mat-thew D. TittleVisual impairment in young chil-dren: A review of the literature with implications for working with families of diverse cultural and linguistic backgroundsbyDeborahChenFinding children and families in need of services: Increasing public awareness and accessbyShireenPavri and Susan A. FowlerSensitivity to cultural and linguis-tic diversity in early intervention family information gatheringbyRonald A. BanksAn individualized perspective of family support servicesbyRosaMilagrosSantosandChunZhangWorking together in EI: Cultural considerations in helping relation-ships and service utilizationbyDeborahChen,MaryMcLean,RobertCorsoandDeborahBruns

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

MacDonald, J. (2002). Communicate with your childRambach, R. (2009). Model me faces and emotions, model me kidsSmith, D., & Goldhaber, J. (2004). Poking, pinching & pretendingJones, S., Burns, D., & Pirri C. (2010). Leading literacy change: Strategies and tools for administrators, teachers and coaches SpecialQuest Birth-Five. (2009). Multimedia training library: Preschoolinclusion series. Head Start/Hilton Foundation Training Program

••••

•

Working with interpreters to plan early childhood services with bilingual and multilingual fami-lies by Yoshi Ohtake, Susan A. FowlerandRosaMilagrosSantosCross-cultural perspectives on approaches to parent-infant in-teraction interventionbyJeanetteMcCollumandTweetyYatesCross-cultural considerations in early childhood special educationbyTessBennett,JanetEatman,GeorgiaEarnestGarcia,JamesHalle,JeanetteMcCollum,MickiOstrosky,LauraHojnarTarnow,Ruth Watkins, Tweety Yates, and ChunZhang

—submitted by Kim Page, ECRC Coordinator

12.

13.

14.

Contact KITS by…

…Phone:620-421-6550 ext. 1618800-362-0390 ext. 1618

…Fax:620-421-0671

…E-Mail:kskits@ku.edu

Training for Early Childhood Professionals

and Families

We’re on the Web!See us at:kskits.org

The University of Kansas is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate in its programs and activities. Federal and state legislation prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, disability, and veteran status. In addition, University policies prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, marital status, and parental status.

Page 13 of 13 Spring 2010 KITS Newsletter

2010 KITS Summer InstituteProviding Appropriate Services to Infants/Toddlers

and Young English Language LearnersJune 8-11, 2010

Adams Alumni Center, University of Kansas-LawrenceRegistration is now open at

http://kskits.org/training/SI2010.shtml

Spend four days with other early childhood professionals and learn about linguistic development, special considerations in assessment, instructional interventions and other evidence based practices that help support this population of children. In addition, you will earn two hours college credit from one of our six collaborating universities (the cost of tuition and enrollment fees varies by university and are the responsibility of the participant). KITS provides lodging (in a residence hall or up to $150 will be reimbursed for hotel), meals and materials and a flat subsidy of $50 to cover travel. Those who choose the hotel option are not eligible for the $50 in travel as travel is allotted within the $150.

Day 2, Wednesday, June 9Susan Moore & Clara Pérez-MéndezCulturally, Developmentally, and Linguistically Appropriate Assessment & the Use of Cultural Mediators, Interpreters and Translators

Day 3, Thursday, June 10Sylvia Sanchez, Ed.D., Georgetown UniversityPromoting Culturally Responsive Language and Literacy Experiences to Sup-port First and Second Language Development

Day 4, Friday, June 11Dina C. Castro, Ph.D. University of North Carolina- Chapel HillSupporting Language and Literacy Development for Young English Language Learners through Evidence Based Instructional Practices

NOTE: See related article on page 1.

ReferenceEspinosa, L. M. (2008, January). Challenging common myths about young Eng-

lish language learners. Foundations for Child Development Policy Brief. Advancing PK-3. Retrieved May 12, 2010, from

http://www.fcd-us.org/resources/resources_show.htm?doc_id=669789

—submitted by Misty Goosen, KITS Coordinator

KITS Summer Institute concludes