Instructional Resources

This edition of DEC's Resources within Reason offers a compilation of resources for families, educators, and administrators who support children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). From strategies for handling a new diagnosis to teaching strategies for managing an inclusive classroom, these resources offer current information and guidance for best evidence-based practices.

The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has identified (AFIRM) online modules and resources for each of the 27 evidence-based practices.  AFIRM Modules are designed to help you learn the step-by-step process of planning for, using, and monitoring an EBP with learners with ASD from birth to 22 years of age. Supplemental materials and handouts are available for download.

The IRIS Center online module provides information on the early signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as an overview of the difference between a medical diagnosis and an educational determination of ASD. Each module includes case examples that demonstrate the practice in use, a multimedia presentation of content with audio and video clips, and interactive assessments.

This online module of the ASD toddler initiative is a project of Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  This module includes a pre and post assessment quiz, case study, characteristics of ASD in young children, observation, screen, and diagnosis for early identification of ASD, and additional resources on early identification.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) established the Michigan Autism Program in 2013 as part of the Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Administration.   This website provides free resources and training information for parents and providers, including a provider guide for referral of young children.

The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University features an online training module which provides a basic overview of how early child and brain development happens, how it can be derailed and supported, and what effects early development can have on lifetime health and learning.  

A growing body of research from a variety of disciplines indicates that the widespread use of digital technology - including computers, the internet, video games and smartphones - has measurable, negative impact on the human brain especially for children under the age of 8.  This webinar, hosted by EOT&TA, highlights much of this research and the effects of technology on infants and toddlers as well as the effects of distracted parents due to technology on infants and toddlers.  Click on the folder This is Your Brain Online: The Impact of Digital Technology to view both webinars.

Executive function and self-regulation skills are like an air traffic control system in the brain—they help us manage information, make decisions, and plan ahead. We need these skills at every stage of life, and while no one is born with them, we are all born with the potential to develop them. But, how do we do that? The Center on the Developing Child created this Guide to Executive Function to walk you through everything you need to know about these skills and how to develop and practice them throughout life.  

The Alberta Family Wellness Initiative created a video that focuses on the core story of brain development.  Positive experiences children have help shape the structure of the developing brain.  These positive experiences are tied to good mental function and better overall health.

ZERO TO THREE features useful tips and tools on brain development such as common questions about brain development in the early years, and much more.  

Learn about the science of early brain development, explore creative tools and materials that inspire families to turn everyday moments into brain building moments through videos and Vroom's everyday app.

ZERO TO THREE focuses on research-based guidelines for screen use for children under 3 years old.  This document reviews what is known about the effect of screen media on young children's learning and development.  Additional handouts also include summary of key findings, tips for how to use screen media with children under 3, and an infographic about 5 common misconceptions related to children and screen media.  

The Center on the Developing Child published a brief discussing 8 Things to Remember about Child Development, taken from the report, From Best Practices to Breakthrough Impacts.  The "8 Things" are featured on their own infographic as well as a PDF handout to be used within your work.

The Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center created a list of resources providing different kinds of information about age-expected skills and behaviors observed in children from birth to five years.  

Learn important tips on how to build meaningful relationships, ways to highlight child's strengths and how to respond to parent's feelings.  

This module, adapted from the "Secrets of Baby Behavior" module developed by the USDA Special Project Grant for WIC, gives family support professionals in-depth information about infant behavior to share with new and expecting parents.

CDC Watch Me! Celebrating Milestones and Sharing Concerns module provides tools and best practices for monitoring the development of children and how to talk with parents about their child's development.  

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a new free app for tracking child development.  This app offers illustrated milestone checklists for 2 months through 5 years, a child milestone summary, activities to foster child development, tips on when to act early if there is a concern, and reminders for appointments and developmental screening.

Take a look at all that's available online The Raising Children website. Devoted to providing evidence-based information about how children grow physically and emotionally and learn to communicate, think, and socialize, this site is also easy to navigate. The orange banner at the top offers nine chronological categories into which resources are sorted, from pregnancy and newborns to teens and grown-ups. Two additional categories offer resources specifically about children with autism spectrum disorder and children with disabilities.

The Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC) includes many helpful tools for working with young children.  Interactive Early Learning Standards – What Young Children Should Know and Be Able To Do is an interactive tool that you can use.  Go to the tool, and click on a box at the intersection of a domain and an age (e.g., cognition + preschool). Once there, click on any of the boxes for details, then scroll down to see the array of free resources, ranging from articles to archived webinars. Not just for Head Start, this is a great resource for professionals and families.

Check out Virginia Early Intervention Professional Development Center's newest Resource Pop-Up. This archived webinar will show how you can use 6 new resources to build the capacity of service coordinators in your program to use coaching with families.

Texas Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) created a training module designed to support service providers in delivering evidence-based practices. This two-hour module revisits key information fundamental to the coaching approach for service delivery, providing you with the opportunity to observe each component through video demonstrations. You will be able to utilize a coaching fidelity checklist in realistic scenarios through guided practice activities.  

Sponsored by Brookes Publishing, this webinar provided the background and rationale for using a coaching interaction style in early childhood programs to build the capacity of parents, teachers, and other care providers to promote child learning within the context of everyday routines and activities. In this powerful webinar, the presenters, Dathan Rush and M’Lisa Shelden, shared the evidence-based characteristics of coaching practices and discuss strategies that can be used by all early childhood educators from a variety of backgrounds.  

In this video, a FIT early intervention home visitor describes her work with Hailey and her parents who are both military personnel. She describes how she has made the transition to using a coaching approach and the benefits of coaching and Family Guided Routines Based Intervention.  This 11 minute video is created by New Mexico's FIT FOCUS Video Library.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association features Dathan Rush, EdD, CCC-SLP, Associate Director of Family, Infant, & Preschool Programs of Morganton, North Carolina discussed Using Coaching Strategies to Engage with Families in an Early Intervention Context.  Dathan discussed strategies of how to implement characteristics of the coaching interaction style with parents of children receiving early intervention services.  PPT and additional handouts that include: At-A-Glance Coaching; Roadmap for Reflection; At-A-Glance Natural Learning Environment Practices; and At-A-Glance Reflective Coaching Questions and Tips for Reflective Coaching Questions are provided in this training.  The run time for this video is 33:01.

The National Research Center on Hispanic Children and Families created a resource guide to help community-based service programs to locate and access available resources on cultural competency in order to better serve their targeted populations.  Topics include defining and understanding cultural competency, choosing interventions for diverse populations, conducting needs assessment, selecting appropriate measures, collaborating with other organizations, workforce diversity, and budgeting for culturally competent programs.

This blog post and 8-minute podcast from Pennsylvania Early Intervention highlight how culture can be a very persuasive and potent factor in the ways of our individual thoughts and beliefs; along with what culture has to do with our work with children, family and colleagues.

2017 Early Developments, publication from Frank Porter Graham, features research, resources and news about children of All Background and Abilities.  The article on page 20, Rural Families Provide Researchers with Key Insights on Children, discuss how learning from research conducted in rural communities help researchers to learn more about how poverty brings challenges that affect parenting and academic performance.

This free ZERO TO THREE resource uses research studies to enhance understanding of the following topics: Individualistic vs. Interdependent Cultures, Influence of Culture on Language Development, Language Development in Bilingual Children, Influence of Ethnicity and Class on Cognitive Development, Resources for Increasing Cultural Sensitivity, Matrix Studies of Cognitive Development., Language, and Social Emotional Health.

Pennsylvania's Early Intervention blog article discusses the awareness of families whose beliefs or values may different then your own.  This article uses a dilemma, acknowledge, ask, and adapt style approach to learning how to use empathy and respect to facilitate understanding and awareness of our own belief systems and the belief system of the families we serve.

Brookes Publishing has a free cultural diversity toolkit with resources, checklists, and videos to support culturally and linguistically diverse children.

This 45-minute online training from Early Impact Virginia describes the concept of cultural humility, a lifelong process of self-reflection and learning from every person, family and situation you encounter, as an alternative to trying to become “culturally competent.” The culturally humble approach is then applied to home visitor scope of practice supporting immigrant families in acculturating to the United States and in preserving and maintaining their home culture. The training includes information about the impact of immigration laws on undocumented immigrants and their families.

IRIS Center - Learning Module Cultural and Linguistic Differences: What teachers should know uses the IRIS STAR Legacy approach where a challenge is presented, initial thoughts are formulated, perspectives and resources presented, then followed by a wrap up and assessment. This module emphasizes the ways in which culture influences the classroom environment and communication within that environment.  Strategies for enhancing culturally responsive teaching are also discussed.

This 45-minute online training from Early Impact Virginia applies the concept of cultural humility, a lifelong process of self-reflection and learning, to home visiting work with linguistically diverse families. Participants will learn strategies for helping linguistically diverse families overcome language barriers and receive linguistically and culturally appropriate communications, materials, and access to resources. The training describes key practices for supporting children who are learning two languages and ways to support the preservation of home languages and dialects of children and families.

These tools and resources guide practitioners and families in supporting young children who have, or are at-risk for, developmental delays or disabilities across a variety of early childhood settings. They include performance checklists, practice guides, illustrations of the practices, and guidance materials.

Camille Catlett, Scientist at the University of North Carolina's FPG Child Development Institute presents resources on a topic of interest to individuals who support young children and their families, with emphasis on children with or at risk for disabilities through a bi-monthly, one-way listserv.  The listserv is supported by DEC. All or part of Resources within Reason may be freely shared or copied.

Check out DEC's latest ways to access free evidence-based practices and resources to support daily interactions with young children and families.  

Resources include Resources within Reason, From Article to Action, and DEC Recommended Practices Monograph Resources - all made available for faculty, an early childhood special educator, a program administrator, a practice-based coach, or a family member.

These resources for higher education (IHE) faculty and professional development (PD) providers are designed to facilitate the integration of the Initial Practice-Based Professional Preparation Standards for Early Interventionists/Early Childhood Special Educators (EI/ECSE). The series includes a module for each of the seven EI/ECSE Standards. Each module reflects the practices from the ECPC Adult Learning Planning Tool with Examples.

The DEC Recommended Practices (2014) is comprised of 66 practices organized in eight topic areas.  They were developed to provide guidance to practitioners and families about the most effective ways to improve the learning outcomes and promote the development of young children, birth - five years of age, who have or are at risk for developmental delays or disabilities.

Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center (ECLKC) has a collection on new resources that provide information about evidence-based practices that support  individualization and associated resources.  The resources are organized around the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) Recommended Practices (Assessment, Environment, Family, Interaction, Instruction, Teaming and Collaboration).  Resources for each topic are organized based on their level of impact for learning which include:

• knowledge awareness level (archived webinar recording and checklists)
• knowledge acquisition level (information and activities for learning and reflection)
• knowledge application level 
• mastery level (resources for faculty, coaches, PD providers to teach and support learning).

This course provides a series of five learning modules to increase knowledge, skills, and beliefs of leadership roles for IDEA Part C services in Michigan. Developed for early intervention leadership personnel preparation programs and for early intervention administrators of Early On Michigan programs and services.

As noted in the personnel standards, online training modules, called the Essentials of Early On, have been developed to support personnel working with infants and toddlers with disabilities. The Essentials of Early On consists of five online training modules and five corresponding competency quizzes.   The 5 modules include:

Early On 101

IFSP Process

Procedural Safeguards

Facilitating Smooth and Effective Transitions

Foundations for Early Intervention

This course provides participants with an overview of supporting family-centered practice in training speech-language pathologists who are interested in working in Early Intervention. The course was developed both for graduate students in speech-language pathology programs interested in learning more about working with Early Intervention Populations and speech-language pathologists who are working with Early Intervention Populations and are interested in providing internship experiences for graduate students.

The Knowledge, Dispositions, and Skills for Working with Infants and Toddlers with Special needs (KiDS-WITS) includes a competencies framework and an assessment tool to measure a set of priority competencies in pre-service students who are preparing to work with infants and toddlers with special needs. These tools are designed for instructors and trainers teaching the pre-service infant/toddler workforce and could be used for practitioners to engage in self-reflection. For more information on the full research report, please email holmberg_k@ccresa.org

ECTA Center provides checklist and practices guides for both practitioners and families related to the implementation of the DEC Recommended Practices.

This Universal Online Part C EI Curriculum Module provides an overview of authentic assessment in early intervention including what it is and why it is important.  Individuals who complete this module will have an understanding who participates in authentic assessment, where it may happen, when it can be done, and within what early intervention processes it can occur.  The module includes numerous opportunities for reflection as well as tools to support both the online learner and the administrators/supervisors who support and prepare early intervention practitioners/service coordinators.  

Here are FREE videos produced by Colorado's Part C birth to three system to help early intervention birth to three providers better understand ways to use observation, documentation and assessment to inform practice.  You can watch the clips online or download QuickTime version of the videos for free use in educational and professional development activities.  

This 32-minute video from Virginia's Early Intervention Professional Development Center features an assessment and IFSP team conducting a real-world assessment and initial IFSP development meeting with Lily and her grandmother.   A video reflection guide which include summaries of the video sections and reflection questions for discussion is also available for faculty, trainers, and supervisors for use in professional development.  

The ECTA Center created products to enhance the recognition and performance of the DEC Recommended Practices for practitioners and families.  The DEC Recommended Practices on Family refer to ongoing activities that:

1. promote the active participation of families in decision-making related to their child (e.g., assessment, planning, intervention);
2. lead to the development of a service plan (e.g., a set of goals for the family and child and the services and supports to achieve those goals); or
3. support families in achieving the goals they hold for their child and the other family members.

Resources include family checklists, family practice guide for practitioners, and family practice guides for families.

Family Matters is an outreach effort from the Michigan Department of Education, Office of Special Education (MDE OSE). Family Matters provides parents with information about special education and other resources.

Waisman Center, University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, University of Wisconsin-Madison developed materials to support conversations between parents and providers who are involved with programs and services that support young children and their families.  This guide will be most useful to providers who want to support young children and their families by helping them to identify their desired outcomes and the most natural ways of achieving them.  These materials are also intended for parents who want to support themselves and other parents in exploring what is important to their families. 

In this DEC RP Module: Family you will learn effective family-professional partnership practices and why strong and trusting family-professional partnerships are crucial for children with disabilities. 

Learning Objectives using the Plan, Do, Study, Act Learning Framework: 

• Explain what are family-centered practices, describe how to build the capacity of families, and build trusting partnerships with families.
• Use strategies that build relationships with families and include opportunities to build the capacity of families.

This module provided by the Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center (ECLKC) offers a 30 minute learning simulation that highlights six relationship-based practices to build upon during the ongoing process of relationship-building with families which include: describing observations of the child's behavior, focusing on the family-child relationship, valuing a family's passion, supporting parental competence, actively reflecting on the family's perspective, and reflecting on your own perspective.  

Learning lesson 4 of Virtual Lab School Module, Family Engagement will highlight the ways in which you can play a significant role in supporting families of children with special needs in your family child care home. It will provide recommendations for effective collaboration with these families.

Objectives: 

This 8 minute video features Brandon's mother as she shares her story about the importance and impact of early intervention on her son's life and on her family.  Hear from Brandon himself, who shares insights about people with disabilities and his love of playing music.  The video was produced by the Integrated Training Collaborative - project of the Partnership for People with Disabilities at VCU.

The Early On Michigan Foundation has partnered with the Early Childhood Investment Corporation and Michigan’s Children to share the stories of three families that have used the services provided by Early On. 

The Desired Results access Project created an important video for families who are, or will be, receiving early intervention services as well as for current and future early intervention practitioners. In Part 1, Karis and Mike share intimate reflections about their daughter’s birth and early months in the NICU; in Part 2, Karis articulately describes and illustrates the role of early intervention in their lives.  This video is posted on the General Interest section of the library with a runtime of (15:03).

In this video, the Warren family shares their early intervention story, highlighting how early intervention helped their family advocate for their daughter and ultimately supported them in helping their daughter overcome challenges and reach her potential. This video was made possible by the  Illinois Early Intervention Training Program.

These videos from, The Illinois Early Learning Project, show a variety family activities that help infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children learn about the world. For each video some background information, a transcript, and a list of resources about the topic are provided. These videos can help to illustrate topics in child development to be used coursework or professional development.

This video provided by Head Start ECLKC, provides an overview of what a family may experience when they learn that their child has a special need. It explains how staff can support, empower, and partner with families through this experience. 

This resource provided by The Office of Head Start's National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement explores the role that positive goal-oriented relationships play in effective parent, family, and community engagement.  This guide offers definitions, tools, and guides for reflective practice and supervision.

This list of resources for parents and early intervention providers compiled by CIPR offers information and strategies for supporting parent participation in developmental screening, identifying appropriate services to best meet the child's needs, and staying informed about your (parents') rights.  

This project was made possible by Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute.  It highlights research findings on 10 Ways to Promote the Language and Communication Skills of Infants and Toddlers.

Published by the Juniper Gardens Children's Project, this guide provides routine-based strategies on how to promote communication and language skills in infants and toddlers with and without disabilities.

Archived webinar from VA’s Integrated Training Collaborative, Partnership for People with Disabilities Talk on Tuesday Webinar presented by Corey H. Cassidy.  This webinar will review typical development of speech sounds and phonological patterns in infants and toddlers. The differences between articulation and phonological delays/disorders, apraxia of speech, and organic speech disorders, as well as what to expect in regard to differential diagnosis of these disorders with children under the age of three years will be presented. Strategies to facilitate natural speech sound development within everyday activities and routines will be discussed. Visit the 2015 Talks on Tuesdays Archive and scroll down until you find the webinar.

The Pathways Awareness Foundation features a video that offers practical advice for students and family members on how to help their baby reach important speech and language milestones during the first year. Also included is a companion handout with additional information.

In this 5 minute video, The Hanen Centre’s Executive Director, Elaine Weitzman, talks about what the most recent research says about the power of high-quality interactions, and describes the critical ingredients that make these interactions possible.

ZERO TO THREE features a multimedia resource page specializing in language and learning development in the context of early relationships.  These resources are designed for parents, professionals, and policymakers that focus on closing the word gap while supporting early language and literacy.

The digital toolkit, Communicating With Baby: Tips and Milestones From Birth to Age 5, is available for use by ASHA members and the public. The toolkit consists of a series of seven handouts that detail communication skills that parents should expect to see in their child, by age, and tips for how to support children's development.

Zero to Three offers a range of resources on promoting early literacy and language skills in very young children such as:

• Supporting Your Child's Communication Skills
• Tips on Learning to Talk
• What We Know About Early Literacy and Language Development
• Tips for Choosing Books for Babies and Toddlers
  

University of Michigan Health System - This site includes information about milestones, disorders, causes, late bloomers, stuttering, and parenting tips for language development.

Learn about early childhood professionals' experience bringing mindfulness to work with this Zero To Three infographic.

This article by Zero To Three discusses tips on how to use mindfulness to manage the day-to-fay stress that's part of early childhood work. Learn about the STOP mindfulness strategy to help reduce emotional or physical distress.

Check out this Zero To Three archived virtual event and learn how mindfulness supports healthy adult-child relationships and what research has taught us about mindful parenting and teaching. The presenters share results of recent focus groups and a ZERO TO THREE member survey about ways mindfulness-based approaches are being used across early childhood disciplines. 

Check out the Early On Center for Higher Education archived webinar with presenter, Kalli Decker, Ph.D.,  Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education & Child Services, Montana State University.  Many of the preservice students in our courses will go on to do amazing work with children and families. But at the same time, they will be at risk for experiencing high levels of stress which can (and too often does) lead to burnout. This session focused on one way to support preservice students’ mental health and deepen their ability to practice reflection – through the use of mindfulness. In this interactive session Kalli discussed how mindfulness can be embedded into higher education early childhood courses or individual class sessions, especially those focused on social-emotional development. Resources and ideas were shared for in-class activities and brief assignments so that participants can identify aspects of mindfulness they want to try out with their students or incorporate into their coursework. For handouts, please email holmberg_k@ccresa.org.

This article, by EI Strategies for Success Blog, highlights strategies for stretching an infant with torticollis and how to incorporate strategies for stretching into the family's daily routines.  Video examples are also available in this article.  

The Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center and The Center for IDEA Early Childhood Data Systems (DaSy) developed an online learning module that provides key information about the Child Outcomes Summary (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 video Supporting Children By Improving Family Outcomes made available by the Center for IDEA Early Childhood Data System and ECTA Center highlights how three families with children receiving early intervention have benefited from support to the family.  This video describes the importance of supporting families, collecting data on family outcomes and using the data to improve the program.

Resources to support positive child outcomes can be found in this section from the Early On Training & Technical Assistance website.

The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University has released three principles, grounded in science, to guide practitioners use for optimizing outcomes for children and their families, and identifying obstacles that prevent these from being addressed.

Find free high quality resources to enhance coursework and practica. These resources are focused on the inclusion of young children with disabilities and who are culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse.

This webinar handout highlights great ideas for content resources, options for ways to use technology (e.g., to hold large and small group discussions), and possibilities for alternatives to assignments (e.g., observation using videos instead of classrooms). 

The Blueprint, created by Camille Catlett and colleagues, features a sequence of activities and supports for building an emphasis on cultural, linguistic, and ability diversity into a preservice program, along with a consistent emphasis on evidence-based practices.  It was designed to be implemented by a college or university that is interested in identifying opportunities for enhancement in coursework, field experiences and program practices.  Parts of the process can also be used by individual instructors to examine syllabi and identify opportunities for enhancement.

SCRIPT-NC is funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at the U.S. Department of Education to work with community college early childhood programs in North Carolina to assess, enhance, and redesign courses to better prepare pre-service early childhood practitioners to meet the needs of children in their communities. The focus is on incorporating evidence-based practices, the specific educational programs and intervention strategies that have been validated through research, into the courses and syllabi. 

The Michigan Department of Education developed the Early Childhood to Grade 12 Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Competencies to encourage educators and caregivers to approach teaching and learning with a holistic lens. The SEL Competencies provide a framework to help adults understand learners’ developmental progression of social and emotional skills - birth through Grade 12, as well as skill-building learning strategies to support successful mastery of college and career readiness standards.

This handout, created by Leah Davidson, Infant & Toddler Connection of Arlington and Lisa Terry, Partnership for People with Disabilities at VCU, provides 11 strategies EI providers can use with families to support healthy social and emotional development. Examples of how to implement each strategy and an explanation of why each strategy is important are included.

The Center for Parent Information & Resources have created a landing page of resources on trauma that includes: information about trauma in children, what trauma-informed care is, trauma and specific populations, responding to disasters, and ways you can use the resource collection.  A collection of websites, fact sheets, videos and webinars are available to learn more about trauma and children.

Looking for more information on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES)? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website has information about the original CDC-Kaiser Ace Study as well as resources that include; case studies, journal articles, fact sheets, infographics, etc.

Harvard University's, The Center on the Developing Child, compiled child maltreatment and neglect resources that include; Quick Facts About Neglect; The Science of Neglect - Video; InBrief Article, "The Science of Neglect" and the Report "The Science of Neglect: The Persistent Absence of Responsive Care Disrupts the Developing Brain".  

The Michigan Great Start Trauma Informed System website is designed to provide information about the effect of trauma and toxic stress on young children and ways to lessen negative outcomes. Two types of learning formats are available – Online self-learning units and a power point presentation for use with groups. The learning formats are designed with several groups in mind, including:

• Child care providers
• Early childhood educators
• Home visitors
  
• Parents and caregivers
• Doctors

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Sciences Administration (SAMHSA) has created a searchable landing page for parents and professional to learn about the impact of trauma on children and adults, how it can affect children's learning and development, and what evidence-based approaches exist for providing trauma-informed care.

This 2015 research-to-practice brief summarizes the potential impact of trauma on infants and toddlers and evidence-based intervention strategies to help protect and support these children.

This article, posted in the February 2016 MI-AIMH's The Infant Crier, featured Erika Bockneck, Ph.D., LMFT, Wayne State University and Holly Brophy-Herb, Ph.D., Michigan State University.  Learn about the study of their research question: What factors in parental reports of their own mental health, as well as in their perceptions of their children and families’, predict their capacity to engage with their young children following a stressor?  Overview of the study method, results, conclusions, and key implications for practice are included.

The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) is focused on promoting the social emotional development and school readiness of young children birth to age 5.  The four Infant-Toddler Training Modules include; understanding social-emotional development, understanding behavior, building and sustaining relationships, and supporting infant and toddler social-emotional development.  Materials include PowerPoints, handouts, video clips, and a trainer's guide.

Explore a curated list of blogs, articles, and videos for parents about fostering skills like kindness, empathy, gratitude, resilience, perseverance, and focus in children.

The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) is focused on promoting the social emotional development and school readiness of young children birth to age 5. CSEFEL is a national resource center funded by the Office of Head Start and Child Care Bureau for disseminating research and evidence-based practices to early childhood programs across the country.

The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University discusses an overview of Supportive Relationships and Active Skill-Building Strengthen the Foundations of Resilience a new 2-page working paper.  InBrief Video Series on Resilience also provides an overview on What is Resilience, The Science of Resilience, and How is Resilience Built.

The Michigan 0-8 Social and Emotional Toolkit provides materials for communities throughout the state to use in promoting the positive social and emotional health of all their children.  This toolkit includes:

• Social and Emotional Health: a Guide for Families with Children Birth-8 Years
• Social and Emotional Fact Sheet
• Social and Emotional Scripted PowerPoint

The National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations (NCPMI) is funded by the Office of Special Education Programs to improve and support the capacity of state systems and local programs to implement an early childhood multi-tiered system of support to improve the social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes of young children with, and at risk for, developmental disabilities or delays. The goals of the Center are to assist states and programs in their implementation of sustainable systems for the implementation of the Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children (Pyramid Model) within early intervention and early education programs with a focus on promoting the social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes of young children birth to five, reducing the use of inappropriate discipline practices, promoting family engagement, using data for decision-making, integrating early childhood and infant mental health consultation and fostering inclusion.  

Zero to Three highlight the most popular resources on promoting social emotional development.  This online resource offers useful tips and tools on topics such as "nurturing your child's curiosity" to "helping your child develop empathy".

This link includes  nine infographics about how to get started with tele-intervention, quick tips, tele-coaching, and how to use natural learning environment practices via tele-intervention. 

Provider shortages impact the quantity and quality of services available for children with disabilities and developmental delay, particularly in rural areas. While many states are incorporating telehealth within their Early Intervention (IDEA Part C) services in order to improve access and overcome personnel shortages, barriers persist. Policy development, education of stakeholders, research, utilization of secure and private delivery platforms, and advocacy may facilitate more widespread adoption of telehealth within IDEA Part C programs across the country.

DEC's Resources within Reason - Using Telepractice to Support Children and Families. These resources may be useful to those making the transition to technology as a medium to support children and families. 

The National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM) has available on their website the Tele-Intervention Resource Guide.  This guide highlights recommended practices for conducting TI sessions and includes information about technology considerations, licensure and reimbursement, and how to ensure privacy and security. Tele-Intervention 101 e-Learning Courses for families, providers, and administrators are also available.

The Ohio Association of County Boards of DD, a grantee of the Ohio DD Council, has produced in partnership with families and practitioners in Ohio, a video series about the use of technology with evidence based early intervention. These eight videos illustrate how video, video conferencing, and related technologies can improve access to, and the quality of, supports for families as well as better enable teams to practice evidence-based early intervention services.

These resources illustrate how technology can be used in service provision and ways to address some of the challenges practitioners face when using this methodology. Also included are guidelines and tips for implementing effective remote service delivery practices and preparing families for using technology to help them help their children.

A number of states are providing distance learning to young children with disabilities and their families. ECTA Center has compiled information on tele-intervention and distance learning, including funding, state guidance, technology and privacy, service delivery, activities for families at home, and research on effectiveness.

Link to additional telehealth resources.

Learning bytes are brief learning activities that supervisors, faculty, or other leaders can use to facilitate professional development with staff or students. These activities are designed to be of short duration and explore topics of importance to EI practitioners. Each learning byte includes instructions and any handouts, links, worksheets, and answer keys needed to facilitate the activity with small or large groups

Learning Paths are small collections of curated activities that focus on an early intervention topic. To learn about the topic, you will complete each activity on the path. Activities might include reading an article, taking an online module, watching a video, etc. Once you complete the learning path, you will take a final quiz to earn a certificate documenting the professional development hours earned.

Talks on Tuesdays are free, live webinars held from noon to 1 pm EST on the first Tuesday of each month.These webinars focus on important topics that are relevant for EI practitioners and are chosen based on feedback from practitioners about what they need to know more about.

Links to articles/handouts, videos, and online modules on a variety of topics are provided in these sections of the website.  Sample topics include: a) disabilities (e.g., autism spectrum disorders, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders), b) the early intervention process (e.g., service coordination, screening and assessment, IFSP development, coaching, transition) and c) early intervention research. Faculty and students will find this section useful for locating information that is evidence-based and specific to infants and toddlers.