SUPPORTING EARLY CHILDHOOD INCLUSION THROUGH PROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION: TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE!

Laurie A. Dinnebeil & William F. McInerney

Authors of “A Guide to Itinerant Early Childhood Special Education Services”

A Guide to Itinerant Early Childhood Special Education Services

A much-needed book that provides the knowledge and guidance itinerant teachers need to integrate learning opportunities into daily routines and activities in order to support children's inclusion in community-based programs.

https://bpub.fyi/Guide-SPED-Serv

Our Goals for Today!

• Understand the steps in the consultative or coaching process and how they can be used to support early childhood educators
• Learn about tools and resources that consultants or coaches can use to support implementation of evidence-based strategies between their visits
• Discover tools and resources that can help evaluate the effectiveness of coaching or consultative partnerships
• Review common administrative and logistical issues that can affect the success of coaching or consultation in general early childhood settings

The Early Childhood Community Values Inclusion

• Early childhood inclusion embodies the values, policies, and practices that support the right of every infant and young child and his or her family, regardless of ability, to participate in a broad range of activities and contexts as full members of families, communities, and society.

The Importance of Supports to Children and Adults

• The defining features of inclusion that can be used to identify high-quality early childhood programs and services are access, participation, and supports.

Supporting Inclusion by Providing Access

• Young children with disabilities need and deserve access to the same high-quality learning opportunities that we afford to their typically-developing peers. But access alone isn’t enough.

What’s the Best Way for Early Childhood Professionals to Support Inclusion?

Supporting Inclusion through Collaboration

• The best way to support meaningful inclusion is to find effective ways for the adults in children’s lives to work together.
• Itinerant ECSE service delivery models CAN be effective ways to support inclusion.

Two Models of Itinerant Service Delivery

➢ Consultative

• Assist educators and primary caregivers to provide specialized instruction and plan ways to address IEP goals within the course of the child’s typical day and routine activities.

➢ Direct

• “Work with” the child focused on IEP goals within the context of ongoing activities or outside of the child’s typical day. IEP-based instruction is limited to the Itinerant ECSE professional’s visit.

Consultation & TRIADIC Intervention

Consultation is defined as an INDIRECT intervention model in which the itinerant teacher and the ECE teacher work together to address an area of concern or common goal for change.

The triadic service delivery model is an INDIRECT intervention model in which IECSE teachers and therapists support children’s development by working primarily with another teacher (or parent) rather than directly with the child.

Why use the triadic approach?

• Other adults spend more time with children than the IECSE teacher does. Practice is consistent with the benefits of Distributed Instruction.
• Through a triadic approach, the IECSE teacher can help the early childhood teacher do what she does best—better help the child learn and reach his or her IEP goals.

The 9 Steps in the Consultation Process

1. Determine functional IEP Objective
   • Evaluate “goodness of fit” between child and learning strategy and modify the environment if needed.
2. Monitor use of teaching strategies in child's daily routines
   • Agree on mode and intensity of instruction for each IEP objective.
3. Identify strategy to transfer learning in daily routine.
4. Evaluate and modify the environment if needed.

Step 1: Determine SMART IEP Objectives (Jung, 2007)

The IEP team should ensure that all IEP objectives are:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Routines-based
• Tied to a functional priority (and linked to district or state curriculum guidelines, where appropriate or required)

Step 2: Evaluate “Goodness of Fit"

• Conduct an analysis of child’s learning environment using a standardized tool like the ECERS-R, the ICP, or the T-POT.

Step 3: Agree on Mode and Intensity of Instruction for IEP Objectives

• Identify the spectrum of support for development and prioritize instruction.

Step 4: Identify Learning Opportunities in Daily Routines

• Analyze the child’s daily routines and activities using the Curriculum Planning Matrix.
• Identify specific routines and activities in which teachers can embed IEP-focused intervention.

Step 5: Identify Appropriate Teaching Strategy

• Identify ways of “setting up” learning opportunities within daily routines.
• Identify specific evidence-based teaching strategies to address IEP objectives.

Step 6: Identify Progress Monitoring Strategy (ies)

• Identify a data collection strategy related to expected behavior/skill.
• Ensure data collection methods are realistic for the PreK teacher in a classroom setting.

Step 7: Engage in Ongoing Coaching

• Design an Implementation Checklist that guides PreK teacher in using the intervention strategy.

Step 8: Monitor Use of Teaching Strategies in Classroom Routines

• Document the teacher’s use of the strategy.

Step 9: Evaluate Success of Teaching Strategy

• Conduct ongoing monitoring of child’s progress in attaining IEP objectives.

Tools of the Trade: Analyzing the Goodness of Fit

Tools of the Trade: MEPI

• Identify Priority IEP Objectives and determine Mode and Intensity of Instruction/Intervention.

Tools of the Trade: Implementation Checklists

• Provide steps or procedural components of a specific child-focused intervention strategy.

Tools of the Trade: Evaluating Fidelity of Implementation

• Identify ways to document the teacher’s use of the strategy effectively.

Addressing Logistical Issues

• Develop a schedule for conferences between ECSE Consulting Teacher and Preschool Teacher Partner Teacher.

Providing Administrative Support for Itinerant Consultation

• Formal Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) or Agreement (MOA) that articulate the ground rules for consultation.

Providing Effective Support to Others

• Don’t let the quest for perfection impede progress!

Questions? Certificates

Certificates of attendance are available for download from the “Handouts” section of the webinar panel.

Thank You!