eNotes
May 1, 2020Updates from the ECTA Center
U.S. Department of Education Points to ECTA Center as Hub for Best Practices for Young Children with Disabilities During COVID-19
The ECTA Center was asked by OSEP in late March to serve as the 'hub' for resources to support IDEA early intervention and early childhood special education (0-5) service delivery during the COVID-19 crisis. We have created two new webpages, Remote Service Delivery and Distance Learning and Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). The pages contain resources to support state and local programs, practitioners and families, provide continuity of learning for young children with disabilities, and their families. Updates are made daily. The pages have been recently re-organized, and in some cases renamed, to facilitate clearer navigation by users. Below is the overall structure of the two pages and relevant highlights for each.
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding the Delivery of IDEA Early Childhood Services During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic
What strategies are states using to hold transition planning conferences remotely? How can teams complete the COS child outcomes rating process when they can't meet in person?
These and many other practice questions from Part C and Part B Section 619 Coordinators are answered. Questions are categorized in six topic areas: consent, assessment, remote service delivery and distance learning, child and family outcomes, and fiscal. Answers will be updated as new information becomes available.
Provider and Educator Use of Technology
This page offers a variety of resources for Part C and Part B 619 practitioners. A collection of videos highlights actual home visits, interviews with parents and providers, and a discussion on using the SS-OO-PP-RR from Family Guided Routines Based Intervention (FGRBI) to guide home visiting.
- A Home Visit with Sam's Family
- A Home Visit with Zander's Family
- Supporting Families During the Pandemic: Four Therapists Share Their Wisdom
- Using the SS-OO-PP-RR: Guiding Home Visiting during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Also featured are webinars, online modules, tip sheets, and infographics.
Conducting Evaluation and Assessment During the Pandemic
These webinars, presented separately to Part C and Part B 619 Coordinators, addresses evaluation and assessment for eligibility during the COVID-19 pandemic. Presenters share best practices in assessment and examine options for conducting assessments when in-person assessments are not feasible.
- Applying Assessment Principles to Evaluation for Eligibility Remotely (Part C)
- Applying Assessment Principles to Evaluation for Eligibility Remotely (Section 619)
COS Completion When Teams Can't Meet In Person
This document guides practitioners through the steps of how to conduct successful Child Outcomes Summary (COS) rating determination meetings when using teleconferencing. Divided into seven broad actions such as determining feasibility, connecting with families to prepare for COS and discussing the child's functioning, this resource provides items for administrators and practitioners to consider at each action step in order to make decisions.
State Guidance and Resources on Remote Service Delivery and Distance Learning
This webpage acts as an information repository for state guidance and resources developed specific to COVID-19 and remote service delivery and distance learning from early intervention and early childhood special education programs across the country. Some of the topics covered by state resources include equity, family engagement, and fiscal guidance.
COVID-19 Resources for Families
ECTA has two web pages specific to resources for families.
- Family Resources on Remote Service Delivery and Distance Learning provides resources to help families engage and learn new strategies to help their children learn and develop at home. Materials are categorized under two headings: learning activities and social emotional development.
- Supporting Children and Families during the COVID-19 Pandemic includes resources to help families navigate the uncertainly of the times during the COVID-19 crisis, help children cope with the changes resulting from COVID-19, families can have a conversation about what is happening, and teach children how to handle the situation using resources such as social stories.
The Early Childhood TA Response during the COVID-19 Crisis
The COVID-19 pandemic has given us all the opportunity to step back and assess how we'll move forward in our work and our personal lives. Read the principles outlined by staff from ECTA and DaSy centers and how those principles will inform the assistance they provide to state IDEA early childhood programs.
News from the Field
Evidence-Based and Promising Practices to Support Continuity of Learning for Students with Disabilities: Practices and Resources to Support Teachers
This topical brief from IDEAs that Work for teachers (K-12) and early childhood practitioners (serving children ages 2-5) provides an overview on accessibility and instruction modalities, evidence-based practices, examples and resources. The practice content is presented in two sections; the first for teachers of school-aged children, and the second for early childhood practitioners, which begins on page 12.
NCPMI Resources for Child Social Emotional Development and Parent Well-Being
These resources from the National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations (NCPMI) support families in helping their young children cope with the challenges that might occur during stressful emergency or disaster situations. Included are scripted stories, tip sheets, and infographics on strategies to present and respond to child stress and challenging behavior, as well as strategies to support adult stress-management and self-care. Materials are available in Spanish and English.
This Providing Distance Family Support: What Do I Say? How Can I Help? A Conversation with NCPMI Faculty webinar addresses challenges associated with helping families by using distance technology. While addressing primary challenges that providers see in families such as coping with behavioral difficulties of their children and disruption in routines, the webinar also answers questions from providers such as how can I help without adding stress and how can I guide families who don't have access to technology?
Supporting Individuals with Autism through Uncertain Times
This toolkit developed by Autism Focused Intervention Resources and Modules (AFIRM), offers seven strategies to support children with autism in processing the news and adapt to the many changes as a result of the pandemic. The strategies are: 1) Support understanding, 2) Offer opportunities for expression, 3) Prioritize coping and calming skills, 4) Maintain routines, 5) Build new routines, 6) Foster connections (from a distance), and 7) Be aware of changing behaviors.
Parents: Supporting Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Prioritize your needs. Start slow and relax your expectations.
These are just a few of the tips offered in this online module developed by the IRIS Center. It includes practical tools and easy-to-implement tips to help children learn at home during the school shutdowns caused by COVID-19. Created specifically with parents in mind, this module covers strategies to help parents get children ready to learn, support reading and mathematics instruction, promote children's social and emotional well-being, and help struggling learners and students with disabilities.