Professional Development for Practitioners in Early Childhood Settings

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Professional Development for Practitioners in
Early Childhood Settings

• What Works
• (and What Doesnt)

If you had been invited to present on this
topic, what one thing have you learned that works?
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• Child Care plus
• The Center on Inclusion in Early Childhood
• The University of Montana Rural Institute on
  Disabilities
• Sandra Morris
• Susan Harper-Whalen

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• Introductions
• The Journey
• 1988 to 2005
• A Menu of Options

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CC Progressive Model of Support
 

• Specialized Support
• Core Practices and Policies
• Developmentally Appropriate Practice

 

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Developmentally Appropriate Practice

• Practice based on
• Child growth development knowledge and
  principles
• Individualizing
• The context of the family and community
  culture
• Professional
  guidelines
• State
  regulations

•  

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Core Practices and Policies

• Family centered
• Individualizing
• Strengths-based
• Collaboration
• Focused observation
• Foundational knowledge of inclusion

•  

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SpecializedSupport

•  

• Making referrals
• Finding resources and accepting support
• Provider role on the team
• Working with
  specialists
• Implementing IEP/IFSP goals

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CC Guiding PrinciplesLessons Learned

• Family-centered practices.
• Child care professionals need strategies to see
  and use families as a resource.

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2. Inclusion Is a Natural Component
of High Quality, Developmentally
Appropriate Programs

• -Whats in it for me?
• -Limited connection between behavior and the
  environment or teacher behaviors
• -Universal precautions, observation, and
  maintaining developmental information perceived
  as difficult
• -BASICS must be established first

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3. Individualizing to Meet the Strengths,
Interests, and Needs of Each Child

• Link inclusion supports with practices already
  used in the program
• Now I understand inclusion is for everyone.

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4. Inclusion Supports and Services Are Naturally
Blended in Day-to-day Early Childhood Routines
and Activities

• Providers need help to see their role in
  assisting with the development of the IEP/IFSP

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5. Professional Development to Support Inclusion
Must Be Designed to Promote Self- Efficacy

• Providers enjoy reviewing data (engagement,
  frequency counts)
• Self-assessment promotes buy-in and supports
  change
• Trainers have a tendency to see lack of change as
  lack of provider interest and/or ability
• It is difficult to ask for help

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Reaching Your Goals
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• The first conquest of Everest was not
  accomplished alone. Since 1953, over 1300
  climbers have reached the top.

• Their accomplishments were possible
• only because they had help.

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• Sherpa guides, tenacious mountain people of
  Nepal, serve as guides and porters for climbing
  expeditions in the Himalayas.

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• The climbers seek the summit with the
  assistance of the Sherpa Guides. They form an
  interdependent connection.

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• The Guides provide
• information
• expertise
• guidance
• cautions
• interpretations
• support
• encouragement

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• The Sherpa do not climb the mountain unless the
  climbers ask for assistance
• They are not trying to set records or make
  history

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• The climbers know what they want to accomplish
  the Sherpa simply provide the support and
  guidance to reach the goal.

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• The climbers may modify their goals, as the
  conditions change, as their resources fluctuate
  and as they better understand the nature of the
  mountain.

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• Guides help climbers face hardships and cope
  with set backs. They facilitate progress and
  build motivation by helping the climbers notice
  and document progress.

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• When the expedition is successful, the climber
  will say, I climbed that mountain.

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• Trainers, mentors, and specialists are like
  Sherpa Guides for early care and education
  professionals. You call on them when you have a
  goal to reach.

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Ask for help

• Reach the Summit

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6. A Collaborative, Problem- Solving Approach Is
Essential

• Collaboration requires teaching skills and
  providing repeated practice

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7. Address One Child at a Time and Respond to
the Context of the Early Childhood Setting

• Frame inclusion as one child at a time and
  within context of a progressive model to make
  inclusion feel more doable
• Know how to identify each childs strengths,
  interests, and needs and to modify experiences
  accordingly to build practical competence

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8. Professional Development Models Are Most
Cogent When They Can Be Shaped to Meet Unique
Community Needs and State Training Systems

• Offer everything for credit
• Ready training materials are valued/customizing
  is a 2nd step
• Promote the embedding of inclusion principles,
  knowledge, and practices

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9. Assess Learning Needs, Use Effective Adult
Learning Practices, Promote Lifelong Learning,
and Provide Follow-up Assistance

• ADA and person first language training is still
  needed
• USE training feedback to enhance training
  practice
• Providers know about many community resources
  but feel these resources are not easy to access

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• Inclusion brings up many emotional responses for
  providers multiple and private opportunities to
  reflect may enhance attitude shifts
• Family stories are powerful in promoting positive
  attitudes
• Quotes and ongoing reflection also support
  attitude change

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10. Model Processes, Strategies, and Techniques
That Students/participants Are Expected to Use
in Their Practice.

• Relationship is everything
• Mistakes are part of the learning process
• Value each participant as being somewhere on the
  inclusion continuum

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• Thank you
• For our
• Lessons learned

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• If every family
• had a child with disabilities,
• there would be
• no controversy
• surrounding inclusion.

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• An accommodation
• may not be considered major,
• but it may
• make a major difference.

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• To know my own fears
• in regards to
• accepting a child with a disability
• cannot begin to measure up
• to the fear a parent has
• wondering
• whether their child will be accepted
• or not.

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• Sandra Morris
• sandra.morris_at_ruralinstitute.umt.edu
• Susan Harper-Whalen
• susan.harper-whalen_at_ruralinstitute.umt.edu
• 634 Eddy Avenue
• The University of Montana, Child Care plus
• Missoula, MT 59812-6696
• 1-800-235-4122 www.ccplus.org