Fall 2016 In this issue: • Phoebe Rinkel Chosen to Spearhead the Use of

Recommended Practices for Young Children with Disabilities

• Just for Families

• 8 Things to Remember about Child Development

• KITS Collaborative Training Calendar

• Happy Birthday PL 99-457

• Resource Spotlight

• New to the ECRC

• Part C Coordinator’s Corner

KITS Newsletter is published quarterly and supported through a grant from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment – Infant Toddler Services. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of that agency or the University of Kansas, and no official endorsement should be inferred. Previous issues of the Newsletter can be downloaded from: http://kskits.org/publications/newsletter.shtml

Newsletter Editor: Kim Page, M.S. Project Director:

David P. Lindeman, Ph.D.

Kansas Inservice Training System

Training for Early Childhood Professionals and Families

620-421-6550 ext. 1618 Toll free in Kansas at

800-362-0390 ext. 1618 Email: kskits@ku.edu

Website: http://www.kskits.org

PhoebeRinkelChosentoSpearheadtheUseofRecommendedPracticesforYoungChildren

withDisabilities In October, it was announced that Phoebe Rinkel would serve as the Kansas “ambassador” to spearhead use of new Recommended Practices for the care and education of young children with disabilities. Rinkel, currently an early childhood instructional specialist for the Shawnee Mission School District, joins a select group of 16 experts chosen by the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA) at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute. “We hand-picked the ambassadors for their broad expertise and skills,” said Joan Danaher, associate director of the ECTA. “They form a national cohort with knowledge of evidence-based practices, professional development and training, and their state’s early childhood services and practitioner networks.” Danaher explained that ambassadors will serve as an extension of the ECTA Center, disseminating information and providing training within their states. Not only will ambassadors collaborate with one another to develop and share strategies and resources, but each will develop and implement goals aligned with a state improvement effort. “As part of this inaugural group of ambassadors, Phoebe will also participate in designing, documenting, and making recommendations for subsequent groups as we continue to disseminate materials nationally,” said Danaher. The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children developed the Recommended Practices to provide guidance to practitioners and families about the most effective ways to improve learning outcomes and promote the development of young children, birth to age 5, who have or are at-risk for developmental delays or disabilities. Danaher said that through a cooperative agreement with the Office of Special Education Programs at the U.S. Department of Education, the ECTA Center has developed a suite of products for practitioners and families to learn how to apply the Recommended Practices to developmental interventions in everyday routines and settings involving children and families. All of

Volume 25 Issue 4 Fall 2016

™

the products and resources are free, including popular videos starring “aRPy,” an animated spokesperson created by the ECTA Center. Rinkel and her fellow “aRPy Ambassadors” are based in state and local agencies and universities. They will receive support for their roles from state programs for children with disabilities birth through age 5 under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. “I look forward to actively promoting use of the Recommended Practices through the practical tools that have been created and helping to develop new tools for the field,” Rinkel said. “I know that our Kansas Infant Toddler Services is already integrating the new DEC Recommended Practices in their State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) work. In my new position as early childhood instructional specialist in one of the state’s largest school districts, I’ll be able to see what works and what’s needed to promote and evaluate implementation of the Recommended Practices in everyday learning settings for preschoolers.” Phoebe has been working with infants and preschoolers with special needs, their families, and the adults who support them for more than 30 years, with nearly 10 years as technical assistance coordinator for KITS. Phoebe is also a frequent presenter at national and state conferences for professionals and families. She will be presenting a session on the new products and tools supporting the DEC Recommended Practices at the 2017 KDEC Conference and will be participating in KDEC conference calls on hot topics. The ECTA has developed a PowerPoint presentation on the new RP products and tools that can be shared with agencies and organizations. Phoebe will be working with the ECTA and fellow ambassadors to develop and disseminate information about upcoming online training modules about implementing the DEC RPs. The aRPy Ambassadors made their debut at the DEC International Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, on October 18. Meet the aRPy Ambassadors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1iGimyfVro Learn about aRPy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz6u6fcvGeQ Learn more about the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute: http://ectacenter.org/default.asp Contact Phoebe at phoeberinkel@smsd.org Or follow her on twitter: @phoebe rinkel #aRPyAmbassadors FPG grants permission to use and/or disseminate this story in whole or in part.

8 Things to Remember about Child

Development • Even infants and young children are affected

adversely when significant stresses threaten their family and caregiving environments.

• Development is a highly interactive process, and life outcomes are not determined solely by genes.

• While attachments to their parents are primary, young children can also benefit significantly from relationships with other responsive caregivers both within and outside the family.

• A great deal of brain architecture is shaped during the first three years after birth, but the window of opportunity for its development does not close on a child’s third birthday.

• Severe neglect appears to be at least as great a threat to health and development as physical abuse—possibly even greater.

• Young children who have been exposed to adversity or violence do not invariably develop stress-related disorders or grow up to be violent adults.

• Simply removing a child from a dangerous environment will not automatically reverse the negative impacts of that experience.

• Resilience requires relationships, not rugged individualism.

Just For Families

0 Whether it is a family camping trip, or a visit to a foreign country, vacations involve travel in some form or another. Many families with children with autism do not travel because they are concerned with the changes and disruptions in routines that traveling requires. Vacations with a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder can be chaotic, nerve rattling and stressful! So stressful that many families do not take the vacation that they want to take - well, no more. Preparation for the family has a different meaning. Yes, you should read everything and anything on your destination but you also need to prepare your children, neurotypical and autistic, for the trip. Preparation for a child with autism has a completely different meaning than for his/her siblings. Preparing a child for vacation should begin with an understanding of their challenging areas. If sensory issues are a problem, then those need to addressed. For example, an amusement park visit may require headphones/earplugs for a child with audio difficulties. What about preparing your child in other ways? To read more, got to: https://www.autismspeaks.org/sites/default/files/documents/family-services/schlosser.pdf Submitted by Kim Page, 620-421-6550, ext. 1638, kpage@ku.edu

Page 2 Fall 2016

Collaborative Calendar of Events Check the KITS Collaborative Training Calendar for information

on a variety of training events for Kansas early childhood professionals!

EVENT / LOCATION SPONSOR / CONTACT / REGISTRATION

01-13-2017

KansasInfant-ToddlerServices/tiny-kCoordinatorMeetingviaWebinar Webinar

01-23-2017

NewCoordinatorTraining Salina

02-27-2017

NewCoordinatorTraining Salina

03-01-2017

KDECPreandPost-ConferenceWorkshops

Wichita

03-02-2017

2017KDECConference Wichita

03-30-2017

KansasInfant-ToddlerServices/tiny-kCoordinators/FamilyServiceCoordinators/DataManagers/FinancialStaffMeeting

Netwon

SubscriberstotheKITSInfant-ToddlerorPreschoolProgramlistservsreceiveinformationalemailsaboutprofessionaldevelopmentopportunities,jobopenings,andotherresources.

Findoutmoreorsubscribetodayathttp://kskits.org/listserv/

Happy Birthday PL 99-457 Kansas Infant/Toddler tiny-k Coordinators celebrated PL 99-457’s 30th birthday in Topeka on November 4th with cake (see image). Congress enacted and President Reagan signed into law on October 8, 1986, PL 99-457, the Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments. These amendments reauthorized the Education of the Handicapped Act (EHA) and included a rigorous national agenda pertaining to more and better services to young children with special needs and their families. This agenda was fueled by the recognition of the needs and competence of infants, the importance of early life experiences and by the documentation of the benefits of early intervention and preschool services. PL 99-457 recognized the unique role of families in the development of children with disabilities. The most sweeping changes to EHA since PL.94-142, these amendments expanded the provisions of PL 94-142 to include infants and preschool children with disabilities.

Page 3 Fall 2016

™

Spotlight on the The Creative Curriculum for Family Child Care The KITS Early Childhood Resource Centers has recently acquired The Creative Curriculum for Family Child Care.

This is a research-based, comprehensive curriculum that addresses the unique strengths and challenges of family child care. The Creative Curriculum for Family Child Care helps family child care providers design high-quality home-based programs that are responsive to the needs of children from birth to age 12. It also helps family child care educators to integrate learning into every moment of the day. The Creative Curriculum for Family Child Care helps educators:

• Set up the learning environment • Plan developmentally appropriate routines and

activities for every day of the week • Promote children’s learning and development in

all the core areas • Build partnerships with families that are based on

trust and mutual respect

The Creative Curriculum® for Family Child Care includes: Volume 1: The Foundation Volume 2: Routines & Experiences

A DVD that accompanies these materials, Caring and Learning is also available and may be borrowed from the KITS Early Childhood Resource Center. Contact Kim Page at resourcecenter@ku.edu or (620) 421-6550, ext. 1638.

Contact the KITS

Early Childhood Resource Center (620) 421-6550 ext. 1651

Toll free in Kansas: (800) 362-0390 ext. 1651 Email: resourcecenter@ku.edu.

Our entire catalog is searchable online at KITS ECRC or http://kskits.org/ecrc/

New to the ECRC Soucacou, E. (2016). The Inclusive Classroom Profile

(ICP). Baltimore, MD Brookes Publishing. American Academy of Pediatrics. (2011). Caring for

Young Children. Elk Grove Village, IL. American Academy of Pediatrics.

Washington, V. ( 2015). Essentials for Working with Young Children. Washington, DC. Council for Professional Recognition.

Washington, V. ( 2015). Essentials for Working with Young Children Handbook. Washington, DC. Council for Professional Recognition.

Council for Professional Recognition. (2106). Child Development Associate Infant-Toddler CDA Competency Standards. Washington, DC. Council for Professional Recognition.

Council for Professional Recognition. (2106). Child Development Associate Preschool CDA Competency Standards. Washington, DC. Council for Professional Recognition.

Council for Professional Recognition. (2106). Child Development Associate Family Child Care CDA Competency Standards. Washington, DC. Council for Professional Recognition.

Trister Dodge, D. (2009). The Creative Curriculum for Family Child Care, Vol. 1 & 2. Washington, DC. Teaching Strategies.

Page 4 Fall 2016

Coordinator’s Corner

We are pleased to announce that the Kansas Infant Toddler Services Program obtained “Meets Requirements” status from the Office of Special Education Programs. Kansas continues to be national leader in early intervention. A big thank you to local program staff, service providers,

program coordinators, KITS staff and KDHE staff that work diligently to ensure that the families and children we serve are receiving the best experience and support that Part C can offer. Kansas Infant Toddler Services has been very busy over the last few months. Here are a few highlights:

• In August Heather Staab attended New Coordinator Orientation which was sponsored by the IDEA Infant and Toddler Coordinators Association. This was a fantastic opportunity for Kansas to network with other state coordinators and to learn about the scope of our work on the federal and national level.

• Also in August, the KDHE staff and a KITS team member attended “Improving Data, Improving Outcomes” sponsored by the Center for IDEA Early Childhood Data Systems (DaSy), the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA), the IDEA Data Center (IDC), and the National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI). Information was shared about improving data quality and measuring child and family outcomes to make data informed decisions. The conference was also a great opportunity to hear from federal leaders from the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services about current early childhood policies and initiatives within their agencies. This conference was followed by an IFSP Cohort Meeting that allowed the team spend time discussing and planning continued progress.

• In October, Heather Staab, along with others from Kansas, attended the 32nd Annual International Conference on Young Children with Special Needs and Their Families which was sponsored by the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). Many powerful sessions were presented that support the amazing work happening across the state.

• In November, the National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI) held a Social Emotional Cross State Learning Collaborative meeting to provide Part C programs an opportunity to focus on their State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP). A portion of the Kansas SSIP State Leadership Team was in attendance and additional team

members were able to join a portion of the time through web conference.

• Also in November, Heather Staab, along with Barbara Dayal and two fantastic Kansas parents of children who have received services through Part C/Part B, attended the DaSy Family Data Institute. This was a great opportunity to hear from families about their early intervention experiences and what information might be helpful for other families. Many productive discussions were had about making data more available and presenting it in a meaningful way.

• The Zero to Three Conference, “Building Powerful Connections”, was held in December. Sessions on reflective supervision and trauma informed practices were of special interest and will support our work with families and children.

• A big thank you to all involved with the Kansas IFSP Cohort. In December, Kansas ITS was asked to present the work that the cohort accomplished through its work with the DaSy State Data Systems Cohort. The presentation was seamless and showcased the integration of the IFSP, Early Childhood Outcomes and transfer portal into the ITS database.

• KDHE will be hiring a data manager and fiscal analyst in the New Year. 2016 brought a few changes to the Infant Toddler Services staffing configuration and we look forward to utilizing the new format to provide additional support and outreach to local programs across the state.

It has been a wonderful 5 months since I started at KDHE and I continue to be impressed with the dedication, passion and knowledge that the local programs, KSITS staff and KDHE staff bring to Part C in Kansas. I look forward to working alongside you all in 2017! Heather Staab Director, Infant Toddler/Part C Services Kansas Department of Health and Environment

Promoting Preschool Readiness

When children step foot into the classroom, they are learning more than just facts and concepts. They are adjusting to working in a community and learning to follow those rules. Children are adapting to taking directions from a different adult, and they are also trying to figure out what their role is in their preschool class among their peers. Find out more: http://www.preschoolinspirations.com/2014/07/02/preschool-readiness/ Submitted by Kim Page, 620-421-6550, ext. 1638, kpage@ku.edu

Page 5 Fall 2016