Winter 2001 Volume 7, Issue 4
Official Newsletter of the Illinois Subdivision of the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children.
Table of contents
DEC launches new products at annual conference in Albuquerque
At the 2000 Conference held in New Mexico last month, DEC launched several new publications that are valuable resources for teachers, related service providers, administrators, faculty, and families.
IDEA Requirement for Preschoolers with Disabilities. This IDEA policy and practice guide provides information on IDEA requirements for preschoolers with disabilities and their families (Part B). The guide also includes helpful suggestions to assist in the successful implementation of the regulations. The guide is presented in a user-friendly Q and A format and offers effective practice and resource recommendations . An excerpt of the policy and practice guide focusing on Challenging Behaviors is also available. These guides may be downloaded from the Internet at http://www.ideapractices.org/ or call CEC at 888-232-7733 to purchase copies.
DEC Recommended Practices in Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education. This book provides effective practices for working with young children with disabilities based on a review and synthesis of the research literature and the practices identified as critical by various stakeholders in early intervention and early childhood special education. The book contains recommended practices in the areas of Assessment, Child-Focused Intervention, Family-Based Practices, Interdisciplinary Models, Technology Applications, Policies, Procedures, and Systems Change, and Personnel Preparation. This resource explains the connection between early learning experiences and later school and work performance. The text also illustrates how to bring recommended practices together to help educators, other practitioners, families, and administrators give children with disabilities quality learning experiences.
YEC Monograph: Natural Environments and Inclusion. This is the second in a series of monographs published by DEC. The articles focus on ways to help young children with disabilities and their families successfully participate in natural settings. You'll find strategies to help you effectively implement an itinerant teaching model for preschool children, and answers to questions service providers and families ask regarding changes in early intervention. You'll learn why planning is so important and ways to support preschoolers in inclusive classrooms. The first monograph on Challenging Behaviors continues to be a top-seller with over 8,000 copies sold.
The DEC Recommended Practices book and YEC monographs may be ordered from Sopris West at 1-800-547-6747 or from their Website at http://www.sopriswest.com Editor's note: This url has changed:http://www.voyagersopris.com
Return to topPresident's Message
by Lynette Chandler
Happy winter everyone. I hope that you are adjusting to the cold weather and the start of the snow and ice season. There are a few thing of interest that I would like to share with you in this newsletter. These include: information about early childhood special education certification in Illinois, updates on IDEA in Washington, updates on the Sharing a Vision Conference Presenter Plans, and information about Web sites that may be of interest to IDEC members.
Early Childhood Special Education Certification
As many of you know, Illinois has been developing a new certification structure and content area standards for special education. Information from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Website indicates that a Special Certificate (Type 10) in Special Education for ages 3-21 will be available for the following designations: Blind or Visually Impaired, Deaf or Hard of Hearing, Speech-Language Pathology, and Learning Behavior Specialist (LBS) I. In addition, a credential as Learning Behavior Specialist II will be available as an advanced concentration (i.e., at the Master's level). The standards for each of these are available on the ISBE Website at www.isbe.net.
In addition to the LBS I certification and LBS II credential, there will be an Early Childhood Special Education designation on the Early Childhood Certificate (Type 04). This new designation will provide more in depth training and practicum experience in early childhood special education. Students who receive this designation will complete both common core and content area standards. The common core standards will apply to all students who receive the Type 04 Certificate. Content area standards will relate specifically to early childhood special education. Standards for this designation are available on the ISBE website.
Updates on IDEA in Washington
DEC will be submitting comments on the proposed regulations for the IDEA Part C program in December. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (proposed changed to Part C regulations) may be viewed at the US Department of Education Website at:
Updates on the Sharing A Vision Conference Presenter Plans
We are busy planning for the Sharing A Vision (SAV) Conference on October 10-12, 2001 in Springfield. We are excited that Ray Golarz, who was unable to provide the keynote talk for the 1999 SAV due to illness, has agreed to provide the keynote at the 2001 conference. We have also contacted Denis Berkson and several other highly recommended individuals about presenting at the conference. We are brainstorming to identify evening entertainment options (remember, we had karaoke singing and swing dancing in previous years). If you have any great ideas, please e-mail me.
Information about Web Sites that may be of interest to IDEC members
One of the things that I have learned since becoming President of Illinois DEC is that you get a lot of e-mail. So I decided to pass on some of the information that I have received. Here are some potentially helpful Websites: www.ideapractices.org This site provides information on IDEA practices, news briefs, and conferences and teleconferences. One section of this Website might be of particular interest to members of IDEC:
http://www.ideapractices.org/ideadepot/PreschoolersPolicy&PracticesGuide.htmEditor's Note: this url is no longer active.
http:://www.ideapractices.org/ideadepot/PreschoolersChallengingBehavior.htmEditor's Note: this url is no longer active.
These websites provide information about IDEA regulations related to young children with disabilities who exhibit challenging behavior and other issues related to early childhood special education such as team approaches and educational services in inclusive settings.
Several members of IDEC attended the International Division for Early Childhood Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, December 7-10. Tweety Yates, Amy Santos, and myself presented a poster on behalf of Illinois DEC.
Finally, I want to pass on a "good job" and "pat on the back" to the Knights of Columbus for adopting person first language. When I donated $1.00 for a tootsie roll last month, I was delighted to see that the tootsie roll now says, "helping people with mental retardation". The next time you see members of the Knights of Columbus, tell them you appreciate their use of person first language.
Hope you had a pleasant and relaxing holiday season and don't get too cold.
Lynette may be reached at the Department of Teacher Education, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb 60115
Email: lchandler@niu.edu
Return to topCAN Update: Children's Action Network
by Debbie Bruns
This Fall has been a busy one in Washington, DC. A number of actions are underway affecting early intervention and early childhood special education on a national, state, and local scale.
- On October 30th, President Clinton signed the "Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000" into law.
- Congress adjourned on December 15, 2000 and passed all of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2001 spending bills. There was an overall increase of $6.5 billion for education. This includes a substantial increase (32%) in funding for special education programs. This increase represents an important step toward achieving full funding for IDEA. While the details of the bills are unavailable at the present time, Illinois was slated to receive an additional $70 million over FY 2000 levels. More detailed information will be forthcoming after Congress reconvenes in January 2001.
- The DEC Leadership Committee asked for input into the proposed changes to Part C regulations. Contact Sharon Walsh for more information at: walshtaylo@aol.com
Debbie is the CAN Coordinator for IDEC and she may be reached by email: EDcetera@Bruns.com
Thinking about advanced study in Early Childhood Special Education?
Check out the new Masters Degree Program in Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) at Elmhurst College. The Masters of ECSE is an innovative, interdiscisciplinary, collaborative program designed to prepare professionals to meet the increasing needs in the rapidly emerging field of early childhood special education.
Graduates of the program will gain an understanding of the developmental process, the relationship and impact of disability upon development, and practices which create effective supportive living and learning environments for young children with special needs. At the heart of this program model is the philosophy of family-centered care. This graduate program has unique features that embrace our commitment to young children and their families. These include providing opportunities for students to learn directly from families by participating in a "Family Mentor" program. A second feature is a Family Support Specialist, a faculty member who is also a parent of a child with disabilities. This Family Support Specialist co-teaches courses, collaborates with field site placements and supervises students and families in the program. The Masters Program requires 37 semester hours and adheres to the cohort model to fulfill course requirements and strengthen cohesion and student-centered practices.
For further information contact:
Dr. Therese Wehman
Program Coordinator
(630)-617-3231
e-mail: theresew@elmhurst.edu
OR
Elizabeth Kuebler
Director of Graduate Admissions,
(630)-617-3069
e-mail: betsyk@elmhurst.edu
Elmhurst College
190 Prospect Ave. Elmhurst, IL 60126-3296
What's New *** Upcoming Events *** Opportunities
CEC Annual Convention and Expo
7th Sharing A Vision Conference
17th Annual DEC Conference
18th Annual DEC Conference
CEC Annual Convention and Expo
April 18-21, 2001, Kansas City, MO
For more information, contact:
The Council for Exceptional Children
at 888-CEC-SPED
7th Sharing A Vision Conference
"Expanding the Possibilities"
October 10-12, 2001 , Crowne Plaza Springfield, IL
For more information, please contact:
Susan Ferry at 217-824-4776
Email: sharingavision@aol.com
http://idec.crc.uiuc.edu/conference.html
December 1-5, 2001
Boston Marriott Copley Place
Boston, MA
For more information, please contact:
DEC Conference and Logistics
703 Giddings Avenue, Suite U-3
Annapolis, MD 21401
410/269-6801
The 18th Annual DEC Conference ... will be held on December 5-8, 2002 at
the Sheraton San Diego Hotel Marina
in San Diego, CA.
