Early Childhood Special Education and Assistive Technology Blog

Guest Post by: Kelsey S. Hall, SLP and Teacher of the Deaf Do you use a computer or tablet device?   Have you ever listened to an audiobook while taking a long drive in your car?   What about enlarging the print on your computer to make it easier to read?   How about your smart phone - have you ever used the voice-to-text option to help you make a list or remember a specific errand?   In our day-to-day lives, each of us rely on assistive technology (AT) to effectively and efficiently navigate the complexities of our world.   In my writing this blog post on a tablet device, and your reading it on a similar device, we are both making use of AT.   The purpose of AT is to support individuals of all abilities in being independent and productive across various aspects of life. This includes, but is not limited to, education, employment, and tasks of daily living. Unfortunately, many individuals I speak with assume AT is specifically used for individ...

The ECTA Center has a few upcoming free webinars highly relevant to early childhood special education. These webinars are not only available live, but they are also available in the ECTA center's webinar archive . First on the list is the Part C finance  2014 series. It contains four parts for early interventionalists. It is encouraged by the ECTA Center and its collaborators the ITCA Fiscal Initiative and the Regional Resource Center Program (RRCP)  for Part C coordinators attending the webinars to listern with a team in order to build "fiscal knowledge and capacity within their state." Understanding Part C financing within states is an important part of leadership and advocacy in early intervention and early childhood. Follow this link to access this four part series promoting technical assistance: http://ectacenter.org/~calls/2014/financepartc/financepartc.asp Additionally, The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) released their current recommended practices . On ...

We have recently developed four tip sheets for professionals and families working with young children experiencing disability and their peers in early childhood and early intervention. Follow the links below for a PDF version. Assistive Technology Assistive Technology & Young Children Embedded Instruction Universal Design for Learning

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...

By: Carrie Portrie , M.Ed, EC-SEAT Project Coordinator Our world is filled with screens, colors, lights, sounds, and textures. Children are being asked to do more, perform in certain ways and sit in classrooms where often they must sit still while dealing with an overload of sensory input from the environment. What can we do as educators to create more universally designed and inclusive spaces for young children with sensory sensitivities? Recently, I can across a website called A Sensory Life . The website is created by Angie Voss, OTR. I was drawn towards the site because I enjoy providing sensory activities for young children in the classroom. One particular part of her site I enjoyed was the SquishBox . Do you remember as a child climbing into cabinets, trying to fit into hampers, making forts or trying to fit in other cozy spaces? Well, the squish box is like that. You can make them with everyday items or inexpensive, easily found materials for children in your classroom or at ...