PLN 8A Early Childhood: Administrators and Lead Teachers: Understanding and Implementing Inclusion in Early Childcare Settings

Participants gain information on the most recent mandated inclusion policy as well as expert guidance to develop a system for special education in their early childhood centers. Course outcomes include: developing and tracking procedures that support their inclusion policy, communicating with families regarding inclusion and the intake process, identifying resources that support program policies, understanding special education law (IDEA), identifying categories covered by special education law, coordinating and receiving therapist services, understanding the legal documents involved in special education (IEP and IFSP’s) with a focus on professionalism and accountability to stakeholders.

At the end of this course, participants develop their program’s inclusion policy, an early intervention process chart, forms and checklists to support the center’s plan and compile resources and a mini-directory for their entire special education process. Participants need to purchase the following books before class #1:“Managing Challenging Children” by Gerard Gordon, RIC Publications, www.ricgroup.com.au or you can find it on Amazon and “Don’t Get so Upset: A Guide for Caregivers” by Tamar Jacobson, PhD, Redleaf Press or you can find it on Amazon.

Coursework includes on the job learning competencies focused on the implementation of active learning for young children. The PLN frameworks, The Five Early Reading, Writing and Talking Processes and The Four Lenses of Learning, are integrated into these learning experiences. Participants also gather evidence-based artifacts of student learning that are generated from lesson try-outs based on course content. Online Schoology class sessions are part of the required coursework in addition to face-to-face sessions.