www.inclusivechildcare.org || Concordia University, College of Education
Cindy Croft, Director || croft@csp.edu || 651.603.6265
Newsletter main page
CICC E-News, Issue #14. January February 2010
Printing newsletter pages from Firefox, Safari, and Netscape will display link addresses in print.
Announcing Four New Podcasts
The CICC has four new podcasts. To find our podcasts, go to www.inclusivechildcare.org and click on the podcast tab at the top of the page. The recent podcasts discuss play issues, physical and emotional environments, and consultation with these topics:
- Play Issues
Inclusion specialist Priscilla Weigel describes the importance of play skills in young children and offers strategies to listeners on encouraging children who need to learn how to play. Children may sometimes use challenging behaviors because they haven’t developed the social competencies needed to navigate a complex social world. - The Emotional Environment
Inclusion specialist Priscilla Weigel speaks with Cindy Croft about the impact of the ‘emotional’ environment on children’s behavior. Setting up the environment for children’s success is a key piece for all early childhood or school-age practitioners to consider! - The Physical Environment
Inclusion specialist Priscilla Weigel shares stories and examples with CICC Director Cindy Croft on how the physical environment of a child care setting, including schedules and routines, can have a dramatic affect on the behaviors of young children. - The Fundamentals of Consultation
Podcast on "The Fundamentals of Consultation”: What is inclusion consultation and how does it benefit children with special needs in early childhood programming? In this first of a series of podcasts on the topic of inclusion consultation, Priscilla Weigel describes the role of the consultant in helping children and staff feel successful!
How Does Your Child Hear and Talk?
The development of speech and language play an important role in a child's cognitive, social, and emotional development and functioning. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association has developed guidelines that may be helpful to parents and professionals who work with young children. The guidelines provide information on expected developmental skills for children from birth through five years in the domains of receptive language (hearing and understanding) and expressive language (talking). The guidelines can be found at http://asha.org/public/speech/development/chart.htm
Invitation to Comment on Preliminary Draft Revisions to the DSM-5
The American Psychiatric Association has released preliminary draft revisions to its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and is inviting comments from both professionals and the general public until April 20, 2010. The proposed revisions include using the term Intellectual Disability in place of Mental Retardation, as well as including Asperger's syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder under the broader diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders. To view all proposed revisions and to submit comments, go to http://www.dsm5.org/Pages/Default.aspx
Save the Date: 6th Annual Inclusion Institute at Concordia University, June 19, 2010
On Saturday, June 19, 2010, the Center for Inclusive Child Care (CICC) is holding the sixth annual Inclusion Institute: Together We Can! on the campus of Concordia University. The Inclusion Institute is designed for professionals working in inclusive settings such as child care, early childhood special education, Head Start, as well as for parents of young children with special needs. This year, we will have a track for Hmong parents and providers. We are excited to have Dan Gartrell as both a keynote speaker and workshop instructor this year.
Two New Self-Study Courses on the CICC Website
Two new self-study courses have been added to the CICC website. Self-study courses offer an in-depth approach on many topics. They include visual click through units and an MP3 audio version for download or online listening, plus supplemental handouts. Register online and take all courses for free. Pass the optional exam and you can receive a certificate good for one CEU (there is a $25 per CEU processing fee). Expect up to 10 hours for course completion.- Helping the Child Who is Anxious
Sometimes children experience times of stress and upheaval that leaves them feeling anxious and unsure. Because of this, children need a sense of safety and security from their primary caregivers. Some children will experience anxiousness more than others and for different reasons. All children need consistency and nurturance by people close to them to feel secure in an often insecure world. - BEAM (Bridging Education And Mental Health)
BEAM is an intervention model and conceptual framework developed for use by teachers/caregivers with the assistance of a BEAM coach. It uses strategies from the educational (positive behavioral support) and mental health (therapeutic) perspective to address social/emotional development on four different levels. College credit is now available through Concordia University. As of May 1, these trainings will be available for credit through Concordia University St. Paul’s School of Continuing Studies. An extra fee for credit enrollment is required. Continuing Studies direct phone: 651-603-6268.
New Resources on the CICC Website
The following resources along with thousands of others are available here at inclusivechildcare.org.
The Extension Center for Youth Development
The Extension Center for Youth Development is a catalyst, resource and advocate to ensure high quality community opportunities for all young people to learn, lead, and contribute. The backbone of positive youth development programs is research. The Extension Center for Youth Development conducts and shares out-of-school time research and evaluation with policy makers, stakeholders, program leaders, decision makers and researchers to address important issues related to the field of youth development. The Extension Center for Youth Development website can be found on the CICC website resources by using the keywords, ‘youth development’ or by the direct link below: http://www1.extension.umn.edu/youth/
Early Learning Services Program Directory Map
The Early Learning Services Division at MDE has a variety of helpful programs for parents and their children that support children's learning and development for future success in school. Finding early childhood programs by county is easier with a new statewide interactive map. Users can search for early childhood programs by county by selecting the county on the map, and then the early childhood program in a drop down window. Results are displayed below the map. Search the Early Learning Services map. Find local program information about Early Childhood Screening, Head Start, Even Start, Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE), and School Readiness programs. Individuals may search by county, school district or city to find early childhood programs. The Directory Map can be found on the CICC website by using the keyword ‘map’ or by the direct link below: http://education.state.mn.us/WebsiteContent/ELSProgramContactsMap.jsp