Early Childhood Special Education and Assistive Technology Blog

Integrating technology into children’s lives during the early years is a controversial topic. In many cases children are experiencing an overabundance of screen time through  media and television , and in many cases children are not. The Huffington Post wrote 10 Reasons Why Handheld Devices Should be Banned for Children Under the Age of 12 . Zone’in out of Canada suggests children should not use handheld devices until the age of 13 years. The Academy of Pediatrics also has recommendations. Technology is in the lives of children and adults. The U.S. Department of Education looks toward the early learning community to develop best practices with technology: “That’s why America’s early learning community – and anyone who wants to help build a brighter future for the next generation – must make smarter use of these cutting-edge resources, provide better support for the teachers who use them, and help ensure that all our children have equitable access to the right technology. ‘...

By: Carrie Portrie , EC-SEAT Project Coordinator Recently, I have come across many free videos, modules, and webinars focused on early childhood special education and early intervention. Sue Goode from the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center provides eNotes  via email or the ECTA website  with relevant updates on early childhood education. This week I found two of her links quite interesting and thought I would pass them along. First the American Academy of Pediatrics has posted 5  training and education modules focused on early brain and child development. Each module has easily downloadable PowerPoints and PDFs. The topics include: "Building better brains," "Toxic Stress," "Adverse Childhood Experiences," "Supporting Parents and Cultivating Community Relationships," and "Early Brain and Child Development Advocacy." Additionally, the Colorado Department of Education has provided access to an online video library call...