Early Childhood Special Education and Assistive Technology Blog

By:  Pam Miller Sallet , MSEd, EEIN Mentorship Program Coordinator Mentorship is a type of professional development used in many fields to enhance a new or less experienced student or employee’s (mentee’s) skill and knowledge through “coaching” from a more experienced person (mentor) in the field.   The power of the mentorship experience is the relationship that is created through spending time talking and learning about topics of interest over time.   It is the individualized and flexible nature of mentorship that allows the mentee to take charge of their learning and make meaningful growth.   Self-directed learning is powerful in its impact on an individual’s career. I have been coordinating an early childhood mentorship program for many years, and a consistent message from mentors is that the learning has been a “2-way street”, with both parties helping the other to grow in their awareness and understanding.   A surprising outcome after the formal mentorship has ended is th

Building the Legacy for Our Youngest Children with Disabilities Follow the link above to NICHCY's new home page the Center for Parent Information and Resources . The Office of Special Education Programs has asked them to create training modules for IDEA 2004 Part C.

Follow this link to the Center for Disease Control (CDC)'s Watch Me! 4-Module series. This is an excellent resource for childcare providers. Share with others. The Modules take a little over an hour to complete, and you can receive a certificate of completion at the end if you take the final evaluation after Module 4. Watch Me! Celebrating Milestones and Sharing Concerns | Watch Me! | Learn the Signs. Act Early. | NCBDDD | CDC

Have you read the newest version of the Division of Early Childhood (DEC)'s recommended practices? Take a look. Here is a YouTube video DEC has on their  website .

By: Angela Dalessio,  EC-SEAT Scholar and Graduate Student in Early Childhood Special Education Currently I am in a preschool classroom, and a situation has arisen that has caused the team to take a deeper look into what items can be seen as a choking hazard in our room.   We have a student who has multiple special needs, and has started to mouth different objects.  Some examples are play dough, and more recently a unifix cube.  The student managed to lodge the unifix cube at the back of his throat, which led to the Para professional to perform the Heimlich maneuver on him.  Due to this incident, our classroom has had to purchase a, "no choke tube," in order to measure different objects in our environment for safety precautions.  The tube is 2.25 inches long by 1.25 inches wide, which is approximately the size of a fully expanded throat of a child under three years old.  Many tips and facts can be found online about preventing choking.  Some ideas for prevention are

Have you every heard of World Usability Day?  See the posting from the New England Event site: New England is cool, crisp and colorful in the Fall and Keene, New Hampshire, in the heart of New England, is the location for the 2014 World Usability Day New England event. Usabilit y, accessibility and assistive technology allow persons of all abilities to engage in learning, employment and enjoying life to the fullest. The #WUDNE2014 event aims to bring together some of the brightest minds in these three fields, for a day of learning, experiencing and networking. From accessible website design and compliance, to the latest assistive technology for education and employment, as well as accessible design in the home and community, the best of the best will be sharing their expertise! The  event will be held on  Thursday November 13, 2014  from 9AM to 3:30PM on the campus of Keene State College. We are in the process of finalizing this event, so check this site often for further det

Results Matter Videos Check out the recent videos the Colorado Department of Education posted to their  Results Matter Video Library .  The videos provide opportunities for early childhood providers  to practice their assessment and documentation skills. You can view the clips online or download for free. Look in the video library section  Clips for Practicing Observation, Documentation and Assessment Skills .     Cameron and Alexis Playing with Blocks  (Runtime:  4:25 ) Children demonstrate multiple skills while playing in the block area.  The Puppet Stage  (Runtime:  3:20 ) Three children demonstrate a variety of skills while playing with puppets. Jadyn Writing and Drawing  (Runtime:  3:13 ) A child demonstrates skills while writing her name with a pencil and drawing a picture with crayons. Preschool Home Visits - Making the Time to Build Relationships  (Runtime: 5:12 ) - This video discusses the importance of home visiting in preschool.  Results Matter Video Libra