Podcasts about early childhood special education

The SPEDTalk team goes to Wichita Falls and visits the Region 9 Education Service Center. Myra who has a background in Early Childhood Special Education connects with ESC 9 consultant Christi Kelton to discuss all thing Early Childhood Education.

Today, Emily Kircher-Morris and Meredith Polsky look into the complexities of selective mutism, exploring its definitions, the importance of language in understanding it, and the personal experiences that led Meredith to specialize in this area. They discuss the myths surrounding selective mutism, and its manifestation as an anxiety disorder rather than a choice or a form of shyness. Meredith shares her journey as a parent of children with selective mutism and the challenges she faced in finding appropriate treatment, ultimately leading her to become a clinician herself. They explore the challenges of diagnosis, and provide effective therapeutic techniques. This is a must-listen for adults supporting children with selective mutism. TAKEAWAYS Selective mutism is often misunderstood as a choice. Language matters in discussing selective mutism. The term 'situational mutism' is gaining popularity. Parents play a crucial role in treatment. Selective mutism is an anxiety disorder, not shyness. Pushing children to speak can increase anxiety. There is a lack of awareness among clinicians about selective mutism. Selective mutism can complicate the diagnosis of autism. Children with selective mutism may not exhibit typical anxiety responses. Effective communication strategies are crucial for children with selective mutism. Register here for a free one-hour continuing education webinar entitled The Cost of Camouflage: Exploring Masking and Burnout in Neurodivergent Clients. It's a free service of the Neurodiversity University! Meredith Polsky, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker specializing in Selective Mutism through her private practice, Counseling Out Loud. With a career dedicated to supporting children with diverse needs, she also serves as the Senior Director of Programs and Partnerships at Matan, Inc., an organization she co-founded in 2000 to promote inclusion in education. Meredith is the co-author of the award-winning I Have a Question children's book series (Jessica Kingsley Publishers), which helps children—both with and without disabilities—navigate complex topics. She holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Michigan, an MA in Early Childhood Special Education from Bank Street College, an MA in Clinical Social Work from Columbia University, and a graduate certificate in Early Intervention from Georgetown University. BACKGROUND READING Counseling Out Loud, Matan, I Have a Question, LinkedIn, Selective Mutism Association

In today's episode, I chat with Ashley Lutz. who shares strategies and advice for school counselors on working with special education students and collaborating with special education teachers.  Ashley has been working in Special Education for 12 years. She was a middle school self-contained teacher for 7 years working with students with intellectual disabilities and did 4 years as a special education inclusion teacher in an elementary setting. In 2022, she switched roles to be an Early Childhood Special Education teacher (ECSE). Outside of the classroom, Ashley is married with 3 kids; an 8 year old and 6 year old twins. When she is not running after her littles, she enjoys workouts, putting her toes in the sand, reading, and drinking lots of coffee! Some Highlights include:  Strategies for counselors to support special education students, such as building rapport with families, providing sensory input, and using fidget toys or puzzles to help students open up. Co-teaching models for counselors to work with special education teachers, including team teaching and station rotations. The importance of validating emotions and supporting teachers' mental health, with suggestions for counselors to offer a safe space for teachers to vent and regulate their emotions. The value of early intervention and open communication between educators and parents to address mental health concerns in students.   Resources mentioned: Join my school counselor membership IMPACT here! If you are enjoying School Counseling Simplified please follow and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Connect with Rachel: TpT Store Blog Instagram Facebook Page Facebook Group Pinterest  Youtube More About School Counseling Simplified: School Counseling Simplified is a podcast offering easy to implement strategies for busy school counselors. The host, Rachel Davis from Bright Futures Counseling, shares tips and tricks she has learned from her years of experience as a school counselor both in the US and at an international school in Costa Rica. You can listen to School Counseling Simplified on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more!  

Section 619 of IDEA's Part B focuses on the important element of early childhood special education services and supports. However, the various nature of preschool programs can make collecting high-quality data a challenge even for those with an iron—or should we say steel—will. In Mississippi, the quest to collect high-quality preschool data means working alongside the state's LEAs to overcome these shared challenges and to develop a sustainable culture of high-quality data, for example through an updated child outcome summary process designed to capture a fuller, more accurate picture of child progress. In this episode of A Date with Data, host Amy Bitterman heads South for a friendly sit-down with two of Mississippi's steel magnolias of preschool special education, Early Childhood Special Education 619 Supervisor Candice Taylor and 619 Coordinator Rebecca Palculict, to learn more. We're talking about new ideas in the Old South, and you're invited to come along.

About the Guest(s): Meredith Villines has 20+ years of working in early care and education and is currently at the Oregon Department of Education in the Office of Enhancing Student Opportunities. Meredith's primary roles have been a classroom teacher in inclusive childcare and preschools, lead teacher in an Early Childhood Special Education classroom, Itinerant Special Early Childhood Education Teacher and Home Visitor, behavior specialist, trainer, and part-time faculty at Portland Community College.For the past 16 years, Autumn Belloni has focused intensively on working with children from birth to age five and their families and collaborating with staff and community providers who serve this population. Autumn serves as the Director of the Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education Program for the Linn, Benton, Lincoln Education Service District. In this role, she oversees and guides various aspects of special education and inclusive practices, leveraging her background as a speech/language pathologist and lead teacher in Early Childhood Special Education settings.Episode Summary: Meredith Villines and Autumn Belloni uncover the strides Oregon has taken toward setting a standard for inclusivity in early education, highlighting the shared belief in the importance of inclusive education right from the onset of a child's educational journey. Autumn and Meredith delve into Oregon's program structure, explaining how nine regions collaborate to provide seamless services for children birth through five and the supportive role of the Oregon Department of Education in fostering these initiatives. They also share valuable revelations on the impact of inclusive settings on children's learning and development, emphasizing the resultant gain in language skills, peer relationships, and teacher growth when children with disabilities are included in general education classrooms.Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/quZESXyivM-ZWkldeBuUiOaGNw4Key Takeaways:Early childhood inclusion in Oregon is experiencing a dynamic shift, pushing the boundaries of traditional special education practices to foster a more inclusive environment for all young learners.Both speakers stress that inclusive education benefits not just the children experiencing disabilities, but also their typically developing peers, families, and the broader community.The Oregon Department of Education has been pivotal in providing direction and support for inclusion initiatives, further enhancing the efficacy of programs at the community level.The partnership between Oregon and the Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center to implement inclusive practices is a notable example of how collaborative efforts can result in significant progress.Personal stories and experiences shared by the guests underscore the real-life impact of inclusion policies on children and their families, cementing the argument for inclusive education.Resources:Oregon Early Childhood Inclusion: https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/specialeducation/earlyintervention/pages/oeci.aspxPolicy Statement on Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs: https://sites.ed.gov/idea/files/policy-statement-on-inclusion-11-28-2023.pdfMCIE: https://mcie.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us as we hear from our CICC Intern, Loretta Campbell, Early Childhood Special Educator (ECSE) and Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Master's student.  We discuss the role of the ECSE teacher and the relationship between special education and child care, highlighting key relationship-building and support for the family which benefits the child and all who care for them. 

In this episode of The Early Link Podcast, host Rafael Otto sits down with Liane Chappell, at the Hillsboro Early Childhood Center in Hillsboro, Oregon, to talk about Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education. Chappell is the principal at the Early Childhood Center, located at the Northwest Regional Education Service District (NWRESD). The goal of the Early Childhood Center is to serve kids who have delays and disabilities, and to help them make progress in the areas where they need support. Notably, their aim is to serve every child in an inclusive, natural environment – whether that's at home, in the classroom, or running errands with their family. “I've always had a passion for inclusion and for wanting to see kids with disabilities be a part of their community like every other kid,” said Chappell. “That's what has driven me throughout my time at NWRESD and even prior to that in early childhood. I'm working to see every kid be included and get the opportunities that they deserve.” We think you'll want to hear the rest of Liane's story. Listen now!

In this episode Elizabeth Montero-Cefalo, former special education teacher and Conscious Discipline Master Instructor, discusses the positive impact of using Conscious Discipline at home and in her classroom. Elizabeth highlights the changes she implemented in her classroom and home that had the greatest impact as well as which elements of conscious discipline she started with and why. She also gives advice on what she recommends parents begin with at home. Throughout the episode, Elizabeth comes back to the core themes of seeing behaviors as communication, the importance of adults regulating themselves first, and the importances of structure and routine. Elizabeth Montero-Cefalo, MEd, graduated from the University of Miami with a Masters in Early Childhood Special Education. She worked in public schools as a special education teacher before becoming a Conscious Discipline Master Instructor. Elizabeth's special education classroom was recognized as a Conscious Discipline model classroom by Dr. Becky Bailey and the Miami-Dade County Public School District. As a trainer, Elizabeth assists teachers and administrators in deepening their understanding of Conscious Discipline and adapting it to working with the special needs population and infant/ toddler population. As a coach, she guides teachers through a manageable, step-by-step process of internalizing the skills and powers of Conscious Discipline. Links: Conscious Discipline The Parish SchoolSponsors:Bay Area Arts ConservatoryKids 360 Pediatric DentistrySupport the show

Join Katie as she has an inspiring conversation this week with her former client and Children's Book Author Jessica Marie who had a dream and made it her reality over this past year with the release of her first Children's Book The Mess Monster.  Jessica Marie, a first-time children's book author, but longtime maker of messes.  She graduated from the University of Kansas with her master's degree in Early Childhood Special Education and taught Kindergarten for several years in Texas. She has 2 dogs, and loves to do yoga and spend time outdoors. She lives in Kansas City, Kansas.  Her favorite color is pink and her favorite food is candy.Get your copy of The Mess Monster HERE and Connect with Jessica:https://www.jessicamarieauthor.com/IG:  https://www.instagram.com/jessicamarieauthor/FacebookSupport the showWelcome beautiful soul! I am so glad you are here.Connection and community are my jam, so if you would love to connect more deeply, check out my offerings to help you weave the sacred back into every day life. I offer coaching, courses, and an amazing collaborative membership community, The Sacred Year Project where we learn how to come back to the sacredness of life through cyclical and seasonal living.Let's stay in touch! Follow me on IG @embraceyourselfwhole or join us over @lovewildcollectiveLet's have a badass conversation!Schedule an Individual Interview HEREBlessings,Katie

We love to talk about school as a new school year rolls around, and we look at sending our kids off to school for another year. We thought we would start with preschool and chat with Kaite, who has spent her time as a classroom special education teacher, coach, and on the child find team. We discuss early education and the importance of early education. Katie discusses how preschool can teach really how it is to be at school, a stepping stone for the rest of the school experience. We talk about inclusion, teaching kids early about differences, and how starting that early can make such a big difference. Katie made a huge impact for Jaime and Jesse, we love her perspective on working with parents. Katie Wyderko is a wife of a firefighter and mom to a 5-year-old girl. Early Childhood Special Education teacher for ten years and worked in preschool for 12 years. In her spare time, she likes to crochet and watch reality tv. Check out her Instagram for my crocheting _crochetbyk_ If you like our podcast, please share, rate, and review it! You can find us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Table for Five, No Reservations | Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Table for Five Podcast (@tableforfivenoreservations) • Instagram photos and videos⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can also find us on our personal pages, where we write about our parenting at: Jenn Dunn at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Keeping up with Kya | Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jenn (@keepingupwith_kya) • Instagram photos and videos⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Rachel Flanagan at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FlanaVille |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rachel Flanagan (@flanagoods) • Instagram photos and videos⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jaime Ramos at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jaime Ramos Writes | Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(@jaimeramoswrites) • Instagram photos and videos⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Kim McIsaac at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Autism adventures with Alyssa | Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kim (@autismadventureswithalyssa) • Instagram photos and videos⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Tabitha Cabrera at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Peaceofautism - Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tabitha (@peaceofautism) • Instagram photos and videos⁠⁠⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tableforfive/support

Think about the tremendous growth and learning that happens during the first five years of a child's life. These years are a foundation for future success, yet there's often a gap in resources and support.   Thankfully, in a world where government funding for early childhood education often falls short, there are still many out there advocating for comprehensive educational support.    This week on the podcast, I'm talking with Danielle Jordan, a 20-year educational leader who supports youth in the Chicago area. We discuss the challenge of expanding universal pre-K programs to include essential services for children aged zero to three years old and why early childhood education goes beyond mere babysitting, playing a pivotal role in developmental learning.   Everyone should be proactive advocates for increased funding and equitable access to quality education and Danielle shares how to empower parents through engagement and committees and highlights parents' role in supporting their child's educational journey.    About Danielle D. Jordan: Danielle D. Jordan, M.S., M.A. Ed., Director, oversees the implementation of our early childhood program at the Start Early's Educare Chicago school in the Grand Boulevard community. With more than 20 years of experience, Danielle supported early childhood teachers and support staff with planning, coordinating, and implementing education programs. Ms. Jordan holds several credentials, certifications and licensures in the field of Early Childhood Education along with a master's degree in Child and Family studies from Northern Illinois University and a master's degree in Early Childhood Education with an endorsement in Early Childhood Special Education from University of Illinois at Chicago. Danielle has held various positions within the early childhood development field. She continues to be an advocate for quality early childhood education.   Jump in the Conversation:   [1:17] - Where Danielle's journey began [3:59] - How Danielle's personal experience ignited her passion for early childhood development [5:45] - Understanding the importance of Head Start and its impact on families in need of assistance and support [10:06] - Wraparound services offered by Headstart  [16:13] - “Grow your own" approach [20:51] - Maintaining eligibility criteria and supporting families as they transition in and out of the program [23:46] - Challenges of finding affordable quality child care  [26:15] - The role of universities in training future educators and advocates for early childhood education [30:58] - Advocating for early childhood education [34:12] - Turbo Time [36:48] - A powerful message about understanding and respecting the rapid development of children aged zero to five [43:41] - Danielle's Magic Wand [45:21] - Maureen's Takeaways   Links & Resources   Email Maureen Maureen's TEDx: Changing My Mind to Change Our Schools The Education Evolution Facebook: Follow Education Evolution Twitter: Follow Education Evolution LinkedIn: Follow Education Evolution EdActive Collective Maureen's book: Creating Micro-Schools for Colorful Mismatched Kids Micro-school feature on Good Morning America The Micro-School Coalition Facebook: The Micro-School Coalition LEADPrep

We all know that getting divorced and beginning a co-parenting journey is difficult, but what happens when you are getting divorced as a military family? This week Alissa McCormick "Heartminded Mama" joins Michelle Dempsey-Multack to share her personal experience with divorce as a military wife and mom. Alissa and Michelle take a deep dive into: Keeping the children at the center of decision making Making sure the other parent is involved with long-distance co-parenting Finding ways to engage your children with the other parent virtually when they are away Having an open dialogue with your children AND MUCH MORE! Alissa McCormick or "Heartminded Mama" is a 34-year-old divorced mother to two young boys from the Chicago suburbs. She has a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education with an Early Childhood Special Education endorsement. She also has her Master's Degree in Reading, certified K-12. She has taught preschool and second grade for five years. While she was a stay-at-home-mom, she began posting about her parenting style on TikTok and went viral. She created a following and now shares about her "Heartminded" parenting style, co-parenting, maternal mental health, teacher-mom educational tips, and more on her TikTok and Instagram @heartmindedmama or you can visit her website: www.heartmindedmama.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Research shows that providing a high-quality education for children before they turn five years old yields great medium- and long-term benefits for students.In Clear Creek ISD early childhood education develops a lifelong love of learning and sets the foundation for the necessary cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development essential for future success. CCISD provides early learning opportunities for children who are four years old and as early as three years old for children with special needs through the Early Childhood Special Education Program.These opportunities include:FREE PRE-KINDERGARTEN (PRE-K) PROGRAM: The Free Pre-K Program is an early learning program to prepare children for kindergarten who are identified as at risk. Pre-kindergarten provides learning to children who are four years old on or before September 1st. See below to find out how to qualify for the Free Pre-K Program.TUITION-BASED PRE-K: Tuition-based pre-kindergarten is an optional program for children whose parents want them to attend pre-kindergarten in Clear Creek ISD to prepare them for kindergarten. This program is offered based on space availability. Click here for the tuition-based pre-k interest form.EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION: The Early Childhood Special Education program meets the needs of students who are identified as needing special education services. The ECSE provides services to children beginning on their third birthday.Not all elementary campuses offer a Pre-K program. Where your child attends Pre-K is based on your zoned elementary campus. Click here to find your neighborhood elementary school. You must live within the district boundaries to attend CCISD schools or qualify under a residency affidavit or the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2001.  Once you find your zoned elementary campus, you can find the location of your zoned pre-k program.Click here to learn moreClick here to enrollFollow us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterFollow us on Instagram

Michelle Graham, M.S., CED, LSLS. AVED is the Executive Director of iHear and St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf - St. Louis and an experienced Listening and Spoken Language Specialist in the field of Deaf Education. She earned a BS in Communication Disorders and an MS in Speech/Hearing from Washington University. Michelle maintains certifications in Deaf/Hearing Impaired in several states and Missouri certification in Early Childhood Special Education and Cross Categorical Disabilities: Mild/Moderate. Michelle's expertise encompasses teaching in reading resource and classroom settings, provision of speech and language services to children with cross categorical diagnoses, early intervention family-centered sessions, and internet therapy sessions with families and school districts. Lindy Powell is the Executive Director at St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf – Indiana. She previously served as the Director of Education at the Texas Hearing Institute (formerly The Center for Hearing and Speech) in Houston, TX and as adjunct faculty for the Deaf Education and Hearing Sciences (DEHS) program at UT Health San Antonio. She has a bachelor's degree in Deaf Education and Special Education from Ball State University and a master's degree in Reading Development from University of St. Thomas Houston. Lindy holds teaching certifications in Deaf Education and English as a Second Language and has presented nationally on the topics of early intervention and preschool inclusion.   You can listen to this episode wherever you stream podcasts and at www.3cdigitalmedianetwork.com/telepractice-today-podcast  

As #transdayofvisibility approaches, we are honored to share our conversation with @comebacktocare founder Nat Vikitsreth, a dot connector, norm agitator, and lover of liberation who supports social justice curious parents to practice social justice in their parenting while re-parenting their inner child. Listen in as Nat talks about what it was like attending an all boys' #catholicschool as a Catholic-Buddhist trans kid growing up in Thailand. Highlights include altar boy Spice Girl fashion shows and secret highschool romances.

Ashley came on the podcast back in August. She has 10+ years of experience as a middle school self-contained teacher and elementary cross-cat teacher. She started a new position as an Early Childhood Special Education teacher at her same school and we talked about the challenges she was facing. This is a check-in, halfway through the school year! Hear the first episode here-https://anchor.fm/dashboard/episode/e1me3jk Ashley's Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/spedtaculardays/ Ashley's TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@spedtaculardays?lang=en Ashley's Website- https://spedtaculardays.com/

In this episode, our guest Danielle Hayden, Supervisor of Early Childhood Special Education at the Minnesota Department of Education joins us to provide an overview of the state of the state as it relates to early intervention across Minnesota in post-Covid realities.

Dr. Wegner is the Neurodivergent author of the Brody The Lion Children's Book Series. She holds a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Special Education, a PhD in Clinical Psychology and has worked with special needs kids for over 30 years. Join us as we discuss autism red flags, beating the waitlist, autism acceptance, the pros and cons of ABA and much more! Listeners can also take advantage of the special discount code BRODYSBUDDIES to get 10% off at www.brodythelion.com

Happy New Year! Joining us for the first episode of 2023 is Betsy Humphreys, Karen Volle and Karina Mancini, who will share their experience with the New Hampshire-Maine Leadership Education Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) and the New England Regional Genetics Network programs, and how they relate to genetics advocacy. Elizabeth Humphreys is the Director of the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) Program at the University of New Hampshire, a graduate leadership training and workforce development program aimed at improving systems of care for children with special health care needs. Since 2010 she has secured nearly 11 million dollars to implement the program in collaboration with the University of Maine UCEDD and Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. She is a Research Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Special Education in the UNH Department of Education. Dr. Humphreys has worked extensively throughout early intervention settings since 1985 in collaboration with public education, Head Start, state partners and childcare programs with a focus on developmental monitoring and screening in infants and toddlers. Dr. Humphreys research integrates two research to practice areas: 1) evaluating the effectiveness and accessibility of evidence-based interventions and services for young children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families, and 2) examining leadership frameworks that establish and support cross-systems collaborations for health and early education professionals. She has also co-authored book chapters, as well as numerous peer-reviewed manuscripts and presentations.Karen Volle has been a Project Director with the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire since February 2008 . Directly before this position Karen worked as a research assistant with the Crimes Against Children Center at UNH. Karen has a strong background in human services, having directed a Juvenile Intake program for eighteen years prior to working at UNH. This experience spanned child welfare, the juvenile court system and social services, and helped Karen learn to look across systems as well as to manage day to day activities. She now uses those skills at the IOD. She received her BA in psychology from Coe CollegeKarina is a LEND trainee, student, genetics professional, and prospective genetic counseling student based in New Hampshire. She completed her undergraduate degree in Diagnostic Genetic Sciences with a concentration in Cytogenetics at UConn. After graduation, she worked for two years as a cytogenetic technologist for a diagnostic hospital lab. Karina has a passion for genetics education and advocacy. Currently, she is a student in the NH-ME LEND program working on furthering her experience with the disability community, and hopes to attend a Master's in Genetic Counseling program in the near future.In this episode we discuss:The mission of the LEND ProgramHow LEND helps people and families affected by neurodevelopmental disabilities Concepts and skills taught in LENDWho is eligible to participate in LENDThe LEND student experienceHow LEND prepares students for careers in genetic counselingUniversities that offer LEND and how students can get involvedTo learn more about LEND and how to get involved, check out their website. Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today on January 13th, 2023! New episodes are released every Fridays. In the meantime, you can binge over 215 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”. Episodes since 2021 are also recorded with video which you can watch on our YouTube channel. DNA Today is hosted and produced by Kira Dineen. Our social media lead is Corinne Merlino. Our video lead is Amanda Andreoli. Our outreach Intern is Sanya Tinaikar. Our Social Media Intern is Kajal Patel. And our Graphic Designer Ashlyn Enokian.See what else we are up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and our website, DNAToday.com. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNAtoday.com. As a listener of DNA Today, you probably heard me talk about NIPT, non-invasive prenatal screening, that looks for extra or missing chromosome conditions during pregnancy. But did you know there is one that can also screen for recessive disorders (like cystic fibrosis) and fetal antigens? BillionToOne offers UNITY Screen, which does all this from one blood draw from a pregnant person. Visit unityscreen.com for more info. And stay tuned for our upcoming episodes with BillionToOne exploring non-invasive prenatal screening for recessive conditions and red blood cell fetal antigens! (Sponsored) I don't know about you, but I am always looking for the next podcast to add to my queue. When I subscribe to a new one, I like letting you know. If you are thinking about going to grad school or are currently in grad school I recommend checking out my friend David's podcast, Papa PhD. I am a little biased, he had me as a guest back in May. The episode is titled, “Applying to Grad School in 2022 with Kira Dineen”. If you also speak French, he also does some episodes in French! I've enjoyed episodes about science communication, leadership, networking, science policy, public speaking skills, mentorship and more. Search “Papa PhD” in your podcast app to stream!

In this episode, we chat with Dr. Katie Wolfe, Ph.D., an assistant professor of Early Childhood Special Education in the Department of Educational Studies at the University of South Carolina about data-based decision making.

Ashley has 10+ years of experience as a middle school self-contained teacher and elementary cross-cat teacher. She is starting a new position as an Early Childhood Special Education teacher at her same school. We chat about the complexity of being with a staff you already know but in a job that is very different than what you are used to. Ashley will be sharing a lot on her Instagram as well. You can follow her at https://www.instagram.com/spedtaculardays/

 Diane Eland and Sally Grizzard joined the show to discuss Community Bible Study, it's nearly 650  classes in the US and how the ministry has expanded across the globe.Diane Eland currently serves as Associate North American Director for Community Bible Study, shepherding classes in the northeast subregion of the United States. She has served in leadership within Community Bible Study for the past 19 years. She obtained a Mechanical Engineering Degree from University of Delaware and worked in the corporate world for The Boeing Company and DuPont before becoming a full-time domestic engineer.Diane and her husband Ken live in Chadds Ford, PA and also enjoy time in Ocean City, NJ. They have three adult children and two Pomskies. Diane's life verse is  Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God.”Sally Grizzard currently serves as the Zone Director of the Baltimore/DC Metro Zone, shepherding Area Directors as they shepherd the classes in Northern VA, MD and the DC Metro Area. She has been a part of Community Bible Study for the past 14 years and has spent the past 11 years in different areas of leadership. She has a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Special Education from George Mason University.  She worked as a speech therapist and early childhood special education classroom teacher in the public school system for 10 years before having children and making the decision to stay home with her boys. Sally and her husband John live in Chantilly, VA and also enjoy time in Canaan Valley, WV skiing and hiking.  They have three adult children and two Labrador Retriever puppies.

Shawn & Brian are visited by Faith Golden, a special education teacher, childhood development professional, & Grandmother to a child with a rare condition, Tuberous sclerosis. Join in as she shares her journey, challenges, & lessons. Faith's career with children goes back to age 8 when she began as a mother's helper in her neighborhood. The parents really appreciated having an extra pair of hands, especially the family with four children, two of them twins. Her major in college was a natural one, Home Economics with an emphasis on Child Development. The child development classes included developmental milestones, child psychology, family systems and a lot of observation and practice in the campus preschool. Faith graduated with her degree and teaching credential in Home Economics. She continued her course work with epidemiology and health science classes and a course to become a Lamaze teacher, which she taught for 13 years while she raised her son and daughter. When a fellow Lamaze teacher asked her, she took a job working with pregnant and parenting mentally disabled adults and found the work so fascinating that she went back to school to get a master's degree and credential to teach Early Childhood Special Education. After teaching special education adults and children for close to 20 years and working with over 2400 families. Faith left to open It's Aparent, Parenting and Behavior Specialists so she could work with individual families, with both “typical” and special needs children, to empower them to be the parents to their children that they always wanted to be. Faith also wanted to help all families whose children had special needs to navigate the special education system. Today, Faith is the Nana to 7 wonderful grandkids ranging in age from 11 to 26 months. She volunteers at (Child Development Institute) CDI helping with Child Development Screenings and other areas of need.

Early Childhood Special Education with Meredith by Braelan

Born in Delhi and raised in central Pennsylvania, Annika Sharma followed her Penn State-loving heart to college in Happy Valley. There, she graduated with two Bachelor's degrees in Biobehavioral Health and Neuro-Psychology. She also holds two Master's degrees from Penn State and George Washington University, respectively, in Early Childhood Special Education and Public Health. She is a co-founder and co-host of The Woke Desi podcast, one of the largest independently run South Asian podcasts in the world. She currently lives in New York City and works as a health communications manager by day, while juggling her writing and podcasting careers by night. She is a lover of endless conversations, college football, social justice, traveling, books, all things related to England, dancing, superhero movies, and coffee. Get to know her with #11Questions!⠀

Katrina Seamons' goal with Deliberate Family: Empowering parents to make Christ the focus of their familyHere is a bit about Katrina:Katrina Seamons is the founder of Deliberate Family. She helps families thrive by inspiring them to live their story. She's an expert in goal setting and behavior change.Katrina finds joy in anchoring herself and her family to the Lord. She finds purpose in everything from starting her own business to homeschooling full-time, traveling worldwide with her family to speaking and writing, learning the ukulele to being an informal Disney park travel agent.She married her high school sweetheart and they currently live in Cincinnati, Ohio with their 5 kids. Katrina has a degree from Utah State University in Early Childhood Special Education. She believes that families thrive as they work together to find purpose and build lasting habits.From the podcast:What does it mean to be a family of light?By focusing on light, we can dispel the darkness. Our children need to know where light can come from. They need to be able to think for themselves and experience and be in a culture of light at home so they can be resilient to dark and heavy things when they go out into the world.What are some ways we can bring light to our families?Listen to uplifting music. Music is powerful!Scripture Study - block out the time to have discussionMake a plan to take time to be still and align yourself with GodHave councils with your familyWhere to find more Katrina and other links we talked about:*Website: thedeliberatefamily.com*Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deliberatefamily/*Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deliberatefamily/Our other episode with Katrina:Be Married on Purpose Challenge (Episode #138)Spoonful Of SpiritSEGMENT WITH LINDY SHOCKChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints WebsiteWHERE YOU CAN FIND LINDY SHOCK:Website: enochstudies.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/enochstudies/Coupon Code For 30% At Enoch Studies Digital Subscription: HAPPY30! Coupon code for 25% off physical (printed pages) subscription:BETA25OFF

Join us as we host Kiley Hendrick, ECSE Teacher, St. Paul Public Schools, and Jackie Johnson, CICC Coach in a discussion of an overview of early childhood special education, the system, and the process of evaluation.

On this episode of the Behind Diagnoses: Patients, a Peer Med Podcast special series we welcome Angela Deeds. She was diagnosed with gastroparesis and has been living with a chronic illness for almost twenty years, both as a minor and now as an adult, learning how to navigate in a world & health care system that often create barriers to adequate care and quality of life. She is from Virginia and has a bachelor's degree in Political Science & a master's degree in Early Childhood Special Education. She has worked as an early childhood assistant, early childhood special education teacher, caregiver, and a myriad of other jobs along the way. Since the onset of her gastroparesis about three years ago, she spends her time reading, walking, painting, crafting, and Hallmark movies. She is learning how to adapt to this new way of life that gastroparesis has given her and searching for the moments of hope still in everyday life.  Be sure to subscribe to the Peer Med Podcast on Apply Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or wherever you get your podcasts! Follow the Peer Med Podcast on Instagram: @peermedpodcast for more patient stories, diseases, and eye-opening content. Follow Angela Deeds on Instagram: @hopes.still.here

In this episode we are chat with Caley Kukla, who has a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Special Education and has worked with children and families across varying settings for over a decade. She now uses this experience to coach parents to better understand their children's behavior while giving them practical strategies to respond to some of parenthood's most challenging moments. We chat all about setting loving limits with our children, discussing what boundaries are and why they are an important part of gentle parenting. Caley gives some great practical examples of how we can set these loving limits. Here is the link to Caley's website https://www.caleykukla.com

Terry Hayes – Paralympian – Fencing – Terry was born in Freemont, Nebraska, and grew up in Tidewater, Virginia. She has a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Atlantic Christian College and a Master's degree in Early Childhood Special Education from Old Dominion University. Hayes served in the Army as an early childhood special education teacher. Hayes wanted to remain involved in sports after being diagnosed with Primary Cerebellar Degeneration, a progressive brain disease, and becoming a full-time wheelchair user. Doing a Google search for wheelchair sports, Hayes discovered parafencing with a video of Lauryn DeLuca fencing at the 2016 Paralympic Games. She's been fencing ever since and will be the oldest Category B fencer at the Tokyo Games.You can follow Terry's journey on the following social media: Facebook – Terry HayesTwitter - @2flgalsInstagram – parafencing.usa.terryGoFundMe - Terry HayesSports Saved My LIfe is produced by Angel City Sports Clayton Frech is the Executive Producer Dave Pantano is the Producer and Editor Mackenzie Soldan is in charge of Marketing Tony Memmel wrote and performed the theme song  About Angel City SportsAngel City Sports provides free, year-round adaptive sport clinics, equipment, and competitive opportunities for kids, adults, and veterans with physical disabilities or visual impairments. Angel City Sports' flagship event, the annual Angel City Games presented by The Hartford, debuted in 2015 and is now the largest multi-sport Paralympic competition in the U.S. for kids, adults, and veterans. Participants include, but are not limited to, individuals with limb differences and amputation, spinal cord injury, quadriplegia, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, blindness or visual impairment, traumatic brain injury, stroke, muscular dystrophy, and dwarfism or short stature. Ultimately, Angel City Sports is working to create a community and sense of belonging for people with physical disabilities, supporting them to reach their full potential and unlock their dreams through its programming in sport, the arts, health and wellness, higher education, career opportunities, and personal development. To learn more, please visit http://www.angelcitysports.org and follow @angelcitysports on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linked-in, and YouTube. 

On episode 30 of All Ears at Child’s Voice: A Hearing Loss Podcast, Haley and Wendy are joined by Dr. Maribeth Lartz. Dr Lartz is a Professor Emerita, Illinois State University Deaf/Hard of Hearing Program. She has a B.S. & M.A. in Deaf Education from The University of Texas at Austin and Ph.D. in Early Childhood Special Education, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is also the Principal Investigator/Director of multiple U.S. Department of Education personal training grants. Dr. Lartz has trained hundreds of Teacher’s of the Deaf at Illinois State University. Dr. Lartz shares her experiences, growing up in a family with hearing loss and sign language. She talks about the journey and transformation in Deaf Education from the 80’s until now. Dr. Lartz gives insight on what has changed for children with hearing loss and what she hopes for the future of Deaf Education.

On this episode, I address a couple of listener questions on working with clients in-home on your own, and feeding strategies / ideas with kids in pre-K or ECSE (pre-school, or Early Childhood Special Education). Amazon Affiliate Link Pinterest LinkEmail: … Continue reading → The post Listener Q&A – Episode 99 appeared first on Midwest Therapy Associates.

We Discuss0:33 Introduction to Emily and her career background 1:47 Emily’s experience conducting speech therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic4:09 Transitioning from in-person to hybrid learning 9:06 Adapting treatment to engage early intervention patients 13:09 The biggest challenges for hybrid speech therapy 16:0717:31 Building virtual skills for hybrid learning 21:41 Speech therapy with families from different cultural backgrounds 23:39-25:4426:03 Success stories from working in a hybrid learning environment 28:25 Self-care during stressful times 31:2231:54 Advice for therapists transitioning to a hybrid learning environment35:20 Forecasting the learning environment for next year 36:43About Emily Marshall MS, CCC-SLPEmily graduated from the College of St. Rose in Albany, NY in 2018 and immediately moved to Oregon for her clinical fellowship. After completing her CF, she took time off to travel around the west coast before completing a school-age assignment in Washington State. Emily then took more time off to travel abroad, before returning back to Oregon last March, where she has been ever since, working in Early Childhood Special Education doing virtual (and now hybrid) services.About the ShowProducer – Jonathan Cary
Assistant Producer – Katie Schrauben Show Notes – Sam MacKay Music & Editing – Aidan Dykes
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Jennifer Ledford, PhD, BCBA-D, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Special Education in the Early Childhood Special Education and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) programs. Dr. Ledford has expertise in single case research design, response prompting procedures, and classroom-based peer-mediated instruction. Her current research relates to improving use and synthesis of research in special education, treating food selectivity and increasing imitation for children with autism, and improving the use of evidence-informed practices by practitioners. She was recently awarded the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children’s Award for Mentoring. Dr. Ledford is the author of more than 50 peer-reviewed articles and two textbooks related to single case design and instruction for young children.

Chanee is a certified Rapid Transformation Hypnotherapist and Strategic Intervention Coach living in NYC. She who grew up actively exploring music and the arts, having studied Fine Arts at Fiorello H. LaGuardia followed by her pursuit inPhotography at Parsons the New School of Design.She made a major shift towards education to work alongside children and families, with herMaster’s being in Early Childhood/ Special Education.She built ten years of progressive work experience as an educator, followed by her shift towards management/leadership positions within school settings. Throughout those years, her side gigs included roles such as being a Graphic Designer, Sales/Marketing Consultant, and Celebrity Events Photographer.With her steadfast commitment for continuous, personal growth and helping people, she is now using her collective interests, skill sets and experience to coach driven individuals who want to set themselves up for success and fulfillment. She specializes in helping people rewire their subconscious beliefs and behaviors, and her mission is to guide people towards radical self-love as they learn to unleash their creative energy in life and business. She continues to share her inner creativity with her growing community on Instagram. She draws memes & illustrations, produces music, and posts inspirational ideas—all as a form of self-expression and connection.

NIDCAP is short for the Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program. In each episode, we bring to you Healthcare Professionals, Parents, and others to discuss best practices to support the health and development of infants and their families, and those who care for them, in intensive care hospital settings and beyond. In today's episode, I am pleased to welcome Jim Helm, PhD in Early Childhood Special Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has been working in the NICU at WakeMed Health and Hospitals' Raleigh campus for 35 years. He has been a NIDCAP Trainer for over 30 years. If you have any questions about today's program or would like to learn more, please visit our website https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://nidcap.org/__;!!NZvER7FxgEiBAiR_!6-wqlge90_T8YAzQh-yNiWpcT8ug_AQ9wRgUIJRZklUggnXh9Dus-Yciy0qmUk9Q47byFUfIXBVm$ (NIDCAP.org). Please click the subscribe button and share this podcast with your friends and family members.

Hosts: Harrison Brewer and Jenna Groeber Guest: Dr. Yusuf Akamoglu. Dr. Akamoglu is an assistant professor in Early Childhood Special Education here at the University of Alabama. The research Dr. Akamoglu focuses on involves parent-implemented language and communication interventions for children with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and other serious learning disabilities that result in delayed language development. https://yakamoglu.people.ua.edu/

Carly and Cassie discuss one of the best kept secrets in Fargo - the Early Childhood Special Education Program within the Fargo Public Schools. Donna Johnson Program Administrator and James Bergman (SLP) share about the importance of screening and intervention for kids 3-5 years old. For more information check out https://www.fargo.k12.nd.us/ecse Check out a video version of this podcast on our YouTube Channel

Offsetting Schools' Paper Usage, One Tree At a TimeGuests: Lizzy Elsner and Sethu Odayappan, Co-founders, Tree-PlenishTree planting is a natural solution to mitigating climate change. Cities, constructed vast areas of hard impermeable surfaces, have given rise to the urban heat island effect, creating significantly warmer temperatures than in surrounding suburban, rural and forested areas. Impoverished urban areas are the most severely affected by the urban heat island effect. This episode begins with a walk through a city school neighborhood, observing the beginnings of urban revitalization and exploring the many benefits derived from the planting of trees.Then our guests, Lizzy Elsner and Sethu Odayappan, Co-founders of Tree-Plenish, will talk about their environmental organization. Tree-Plenish works with schools to offset paper usage by planting trees their communities. Schools consume a lot of paper. Student leaders determine how much paper their school uses on an annual basis, and they calculate the number of trees required to produce that much paper. Then students plan an event, with the goal of planting a target number trees to replenish the amount of paper used.Elsner and Odayappan will share the story about how they started Tree-Plenish as high school seniors in their home town of Mansfield, MA, how they expanded their team and how they are now leveraging the power and passion of students across the country to create far-reaching and meaningful environmental change. Elsner is a sophomore at the University of Vermont, studying Early Childhood Special Education with a Speech Therapy Certificate. Odayappan is a sophomore at Harvard College, studying Economics and Statistics. The Tree-Plenish story is a wonderful example of students balancing their academic studies with groundbreaking environmental activism and social change-making.INFORMATION RESOURCESTree-Plenish website - https://www.tree-plenish.org/ Story Walking Photoblog: EcoDetectives on the Urban Trail - https://netwalkri.com/blog/f/ecodetectives-on-the-urban-trailMonthly Release – December https://mailchi.mp/71cbf55acf53/greening-the-planet-with-more-treesLearn more at www.storywalking.com ,  https://netwalkri.com email wendy@netwalkri.com or call 401 529-6830. Connect with Wendy to order copies of Fiddlesticks, The Angel Heart or Storywalker Wild Plant Magic Cards.Subscribe to Wendy’s blog Writing with Wendy at www.wendyfachon.blog.Join Wendy on facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/StoryWalkingRadio

The 1st installment of Interviews with Working Moms discussing remote learning, Working mom tips and of course Mom meltdowns. Todays guest is my best friend growing up and fellow working mom, Joanna. Joanna is a teacher for over 20 years in the Chicago suburbs and has her masters in Early Childhood Special Education. She is a wife to a Chicago Paramedic and a mom of 3 and an overall inspiration. Grab a a glass of wine or a cup of tea and join us as we discuss remote learning and other Working mom topics. Support the show (http://paypal.me/torificlife)

Katie Devereaux is an early childhood special education consultant in the Cedar Valley. We had a great conversation about early access and early childhood special education and the importance of a family-centered IEP team and IEP meetings. Katemdevereaux@gmail.com Instagram - @katemdevereaux --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/e3collective/support

In this episode, Jess sits down with her Melissa Guevara, a good friend and Executive Director of the nonprofit organization, BIRTHFIT for Everyone. Melissa not only has a master's degrees in Early Childhood Special Education and Administrative Services, but also works as a Special Education Administrator all while raising her incredible three-year old autistic son. In this episode we get to talk about: How her journey thus far as a parent with an autistic son has changed her perspective on parenting and teaching Why Equal access and normalizing “different” is so deeply important and how the greatest challenge of the disabled community is society itself Her work in the birth world and the intersectionality of her advocacy for disability and maternal rights and so so much more! Follow along on Instagram at @melissa.a.guevara and @birthfitforeveryone_nonprofit Check out the website: Nonprofit.birthfit.com Thank you to our Sponsors! Shop 15% off Four Sigmatic products with code: modernmamas Connect with us on Instagram at @modernmamaspodcast --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-modern-mamas-podcast/support

Jenna Voss, PhD, CED, LSLS Cert AVEd, is an Associate Dean & Assistant Professor at Fontbonne University. She received her undergraduate degree in Deaf Education, and her master's degree in Early Intervention in Deaf Education from Fontbonne University. As a National Leadership Consortium in Sensory Disabilities (NLCSD) fellow, she completed her PhD in Speech and Hearing Sciences in the Program in Audiology and Communication Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. She holds teaching certification in the state of Missouri in the areas of Deaf Education and Early Childhood Special Education.

Kali’s been painting for nearly a decade now, and for many of those years she did it without missing a single day! #artistgoals Am I right?!? Her bright, colorful, playful style was what I was drawn to at first, but it was her writing that pulled me in completely. At the time she was the only other artist I could find that maintained a blog that complimented her work. The words she shared let me into her world, let me get to know her in a way that…     [If your podcast app isn’t showing the featured art for this episode above visit https://rebekahnemethy.com/artink18 to check it out.   Castbox and Podcast Addict are both apps I recommend that do show episode specific art.]     Links from the Show at a Glance:   Artist: Kali Parsons Title of Art: Hold Me & Play With Me Artist’s Website: kaliparsons.com Instagram: @kaliparsonsart Take a look at all of Kali’s available originals   If the originals have already sold before you can get to them, she’d be happy to sell you a print by request, just shoot her a message!   Artists Helping Artists – the podcast for artists that led me to Kali! (It’s on a break right now, but there are 8 years of archived episodes you can still dig into!)   Art Ink Submission Guidelines: rebekahnemethy.com/artinksubs     Art Ink Podcast Transcript:   [Intro:]   Welcome back to another episode of Art Ink! I’m so thrilled you’re joining us today.   If you listened to the last show, The Synchronicity of Hope, you may already be familiar with Kali Parsons’ work, but the truth is there’s a lot about Kali that I neglected to tell you. I guess that’s what happens when you’re too close to something or someone, because although I’ve never met Kali in person, and until last week I didn’t even know how to properly pronounce her name, I do consider Kali to be a dear friend.   I met her on Twitter several years ago and we quickly became retweeting buddies, always sharing each other’s work in our streams. And though we became friends on social media, it was because of a podcast called Artists Helping Artists that led me to Kali’s work in the first place. One of the hosts described this fascinating site called Daily Paintworks, where artists are encouraged to complete small paintings every day. Kali’s been painting for nearly a decade now, and for many of those years she did it without missing a single day! #artistgoals Am I right?!?   Her bright, colorful, playful style was what I was drawn to at first, but it was her writing that pulled me in completely. At the time she was the only other artist I could find that maintained a blog that complimented her work. The words she shared let me into her world, let me get to know her in a way that her paintings alone couldn’t do. Don’t get me wrong, her work is stunning, and I have one of her whimsical originals in my bedroom to prove it. But what I’m trying to hint at here is the fact that you could be the most talented artist in the world, but in my humble opinion, you have to share more than that to make a real connection with people. And there’s no better way to do that than by sharing a bit of your story.   Kali is authentic and raw in her writing, so I’m beyond grateful that she’s allowing me to share some of it with you today.   In addition to being a prolific artist, Kali is also a special education teacher. Through everything she shares about teaching, creating with, and connecting to these kids, it’s obvious that Kali loves what she does very much.   For those of you unable to look at the cover art, we’re featuring two of Kali’s paintings today, let me attempt to paint these pictures with words until you have a chance to check them out for yourself:   [Art Description:]   Both paintings are a whimsical combination of shapes, colors, and paint splatters. They both have a blend of orange and green background colors splashed with a bit of black and white, and they both feature abstractly shaped main subjects that remind me of toys and stuffed animals.   In the one titled Play With Me, I see the love child of E.T. and a frog, and maybe that robot from Short Circuit? Ya know, “number 5 is alive.” It resembles a toy, a thick-bodied chunky toy that tapers up towards a triangular head. Its body is white, with yellow and blue circles floating amongst thick rectangular brush strokes. Red squares of paint fill the big round frog-like eyes. On either side of its body, the froggy has big circles that seem to show motion, as if it is, in fact, a robot spinning its arms too fast to see.   The other painting, Hold Me, looks like a stuffed bear. Maybe a panda bear? Like our froggy friend, our panda bear friend also has a white base, with pink, black and white circles inside of circles for eyes. These pink bullseye-looking shapes appear on the bear’s paws and legs too, with some red and yellow ones thrown in for good measure. Yellow, blue and red squares sparsely decorate the bear’s body too.   In pure Kali style, the area surrounding both toys is filled with shapes and splatters that just scream fun!   In my eyes, this is a perfect example of how Kali uses her paintings to shine light into the world, despite the heaviness of what we’ve all been feeling lately.   Before we dig into Kali’s prose, I want to give you some context in case you’re listening from the future, we’re coming to you from the summer of 2020 amidst much chaos and uncertainty in a rapidly changing world.   Each of the following stories first appeared on Kali’s blog alongside her beautiful art.     [Story:]   July 9th - Play With Me   As an Early Childhood Special Education teacher, teaching children social skills, how to work, solve problems, and play together are among my primary and favorite objectives. We teach, and children learn, through play. This coming school year instead of teaching my three, four, and five year old students with disabilities how to play and socialize together I will be put in the position of teaching them how to stay apart...distanced. How harmful will it be to the children in our society to be taught to suffocate that internal urge to be with, beside, and among their peers? How harmful will it be to be taught that when they want to empathize with a friend who is sad or hurt that they must stay away? How harmful will it be to be taught that when they want to play that they must sit away from friends and only play with their own set of toys? In person teaching before we can safely be in close proximity has dangers far beyond contracting the virus.   July 13th - Hold Me   In my sixteen years of teaching I have never had a first day of school (or any day, really) when every student just walked right in, happy to say "good bye" to their parents, and smoothly joined their peers in learning and play. Very few of my students do this. Many of my students need (and deserve) to be hugged and held through this transition that is such a leap into the great unknown for them. I've hugged and held students at drop off for days, weeks, and sometimes months until they adjusted, hugging and holding three, four, and five year old children who do not fully comprehend this transition or just simply want their mom and dad. And while hugging one child others invariably come over to join the hug. I've had parents have to enter my classroom while still holding their children and in a tangle of arms, mine, the parent's, and the child's, I take over the comforting of these children as their parents make an exit and I give them a friendly look over their child's shoulder or wave, reassuring them that their child will be OK. This is something I've embraced as part of my job. This school year my students will be being dropped off with a shielded and masked teacher that they may or may not recognize (even though I will be doing a Zoom meetings with them before school starts showing myself putting all of my PPE on). They will have just been through whatever screening protocols the district decides upon and gone through some process of getting to my room. Being upset by this transition is to be expected and understandable. In the current crisis requiring distance, how can I comfort my students and keep them and myself safe. How can I lean in and be part of a tangle of arms? How can I reassure parents that it's going to be OK?  It's possible that some of my students may be able to wear a mask, but it will likely be beyond many of their comprehension, tolerance, and ability to do so for an entire school day. So much to think about and this is just the first five or so minutes of each school day.     [Conclusion:]   I’m sure school is already back in session for many of you. Where I am in NY there are still a couple of weeks left before kids go back to school, and as someone who is only a parent to furry and feathered kids, I haven’t been informed on what new policies will be implemented this year in my area.   But I think that Kali brings up some valid concerns. Forced separation could be dangerous path to go down, especially for young children… and I hope every day that it’s only temporary.   Big virtual hugs to Kali for sharing her work with us today. You can discover more of Kali’s whimsical art at kaliparsons.com and please do go follow her on Instagram @kaliparsonsart.   Both paintings that are featured in the cover art of this episode are still for sale at the time of this recording. They’re 12x16 mixed media paintings on watercolor paper and you can bet your booty there will be a link in the show notes to where you can purchase those as well as all the other linkable things that were mentioned today.   And that’s a wrap, my friends, thank you all so much for listening. If you enjoyed this show be sure to subscribe so that you can hear me later. Buh bye now, buh bye!

Today, Liz has the pleasure of interviewing Melissa Guevara, director of the non-profit BIRTHFIT for Everyone. In this episode, we dive into Melissa's experience parenting her child with autism, the story behind her non-profit, maternal disparities in the birth world, and how she lives out her core values of inclusion, advocacy and connection. About Melissa Guevara (she/her) Melissa has master's degrees in Early Childhood Special Education and Administrative Services. She works as a Special Education Administrator and is the Executive Director of the nonprofit organization, BIRTHFIT for Everyone. Melissa resides in Fairfield, CA with her partner and three-year old son. Melissa's core values are inclusion, advocacy, and connection. Connect with Melissa BIRTHFIT for Everyone BIRTHFIT Non-profit Instagram @melissa.a.guevara In this Episode: Sourdough Sisterhood and food as tool for connection Experience navigating diagnoses and parenting of a child with autism. Access for neuro-diverse kids through the pandemic Reframing and normalizing diversity Language as a barrier BIRTHFIT For Everyone What can we do to improve maternal mortality rates? How do we support diversity and birthing people? The need for more BIPOC birth-workers Postpartum Doula Scholarship, sponsored by BIRTHFIT and Joy & Claire. Sponsored by Milksta Brew. Take 10% off your purchase of any lactation drinks with code: LIZWINTERS --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/beyondbirth/message

Dr. Bridget A. Taylor is co-founder and CEO of Alpine Learning Group and is Senior Clinical Advisor for Rethink. She holds a Doctorate of Psychology from Rutgers University, and received her Master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education from Columbia University. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and a Licensed Psychologist. Dr. Taylor is President of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board and serves on the Autism Advisory Group for the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies. She is past Associate Editor for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. She also serves on the editorial board of Behavioral Interventions. Active in the autism research community, Dr. Taylor has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on effective interventions for autism. She is a national and international presenter and serves in an advisory capacity for autism education and treatment programs both locally and abroad. Dr. Taylor was recently recognized by the Association for Applied Behavior Analysis International for her outstanding contributions to behavior analysis and was given ABAI’s Fellow designation. Dr. Taylor is considered a leading authority on effective, and innovative interventions for autism.  For More Information: https://www.alpinelearninggroup.org/ https://www.facebook.com/AlpineLearning/ All Autism Talk (allautismtalk.com) is sponsored by LEARN Behavioral (learnbehavioral.com).

How have the communication skills made an impact with youth? Why is it important to listen with empathy, especially to our children? Join Adam J. Salgat and Sarah Weisbarth as they talk with two life long educators, Teresa Vineyard of St. Louis, Missouri, and Julie Zumach of Port Washington, Wisconsin about how these skills have made an impact in their careers and personal lives. Their stories and statistics reiterate the importance of listening and trying to understand the behavior of our kids. To read a little more about both of our guests, check out their bios below - Teresa Vineyard is a veteran public school educator. She worked within a large school district outside of St. Louis for 31 years. Teresa served many different roles during those 31 years. She was a 4th grade teacher, a middle school counselor, District Coordinator for Early Childhood Special Education, District Coordinator for Career and Technical Education, and a school psychologist. Following her retirement, she joined the team at the state level and worked for the Missouri Department of Education, specifically in the College and Career Readiness Department. Finally, she worked with teacher candidates at Lindenwood University and taught Educational Psychology, Psychology of the Exceptional Child, and Introduction to Teacher Education. Teresa took the three-day Communication Skills Training in 2016 and quickly realized how meaningful the concepts were to both education and at home. She most enjoys practicing empathy, reflective listening, and crafting effective confrontative messages. Julie Zumach is a teacher, facilitator, mentor, and leader. The majority of her career in education was spent teaching 5th graders in northern Wisconsin for 33 years. During this time, she earned her Master’s degree in education and national board certification, mentored aspiring National Board candidates, created staff development learning opportunities, participated in history consortiums, and was a leader in her small-town church. For the past three years, she has been the Chapter Leader of Our Community Listens - Wisconsin. Julie now enjoys the privilege of working with adults by facilitating communication skills training and inspiring them to become more reflective listeners. A life-long learner, Julie brings her passion for knowledge, as well as her love of working with people, to inspire growth and change to improve the fabric of society through better communication skills. Julie married her high school sweetheart, Todd, and they have been happily married 37 years. Together they raised two beautiful daughters who gave them wonderful sons-in-law. The newest addition to the family is the first grandchild, Anderson Jack, who just turned six-months-old. He is an absolute joy and the light of the family’s life! https://www.ourcommunitylistens.org/

In this week's episode, host Rafael Otto talks with local education policy experts about the implementation of the Student Success Act. Guests Scott Nine is the Assistant Superintendent at Oregon Department of Education. He has spent almost two decades organizing, writing, speaking, and learning about what it takes to foster equity for students and remodel public education systems. Parasa Chanramy is the Policy and Implementation Director at Stand for Children. Parasa started her career as a kindergarten teacher at a K-8 charter school in North Minneapolis. After teaching, she went on to work as a Policy and Advocacy fellow at Charter School Partners where she developed a nonprofit business plan to pilot a new parent advocacy organization called EMPOWER: Education Matters—Parents Organizing and Working for Education Reform. Dana Hepper is the Director of Policy and Advocacy at Children's Institute, she oversees the organization's legislative advocacy and community engagement work. Dana started her career as an elementary school and preschool teacher, then she worked at Stand for Children for nine years doing community organizing, policy, and advocacy before joining Children's Institute. Background The Student Success Act (SSA) was passed during the 2019 Legislative Session. It mandates that Oregon will allocate $1 billion in new education investments each year, beginning in the 2020–2021 school year. The SSA investments are allocated into three separate accounts: The Student Investment Account ($500 million) will be used used to meet students' mental and behavioral health needs, and to increase academic achievement and reduce disparities for students of color; students with disabilities; emerging bilingual students; students navigating poverty, homelessness, and foster care; and other students that have historically experienced disparities in our schools. Statewide Investments ($300 million) include High School Success (M98); expansion of nutrition programs; school safety; African American/Black Student Success Statewide Plan; American Indian/Alaska Native Student Success Plan; Latinx Student Success Statewide Plan; ESD support for school districts; summer programming; and the High Cost Disability Fund. The Early Learning Account ($200 million) funds will go toward early learning opportunities for kids under 5. Examples include: Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education; Early Head Start; Healthy Families Oregon; Early Childhood Equity Fund; and professional development for early childhood educators.

On this podcast, we are joined by Dr. Christine Spence. Dr. Spence is an Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Special Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her research focuses on high-quality supports for families and providers participating in early intervention and early childhood special education systems. She joins us to talk about listening to family's voices in early childhood programs.

We continued our focus on children's focused services and business in August by interviewing the incredible Dr. Deborah Tillman. Dr. Deborah is a familiar face to so many as she has appeared on Lifetime TV's Supernanny series. She is a force of nature and shares her riveting personal story of how she started her child care services and how they have expanded and now have an impact around the world. You really do NOT want to miss this episode. Deborah L. Tillman is a Consultant, Speaker, Author, Founder of Happy Home Christian Leadership Academy for Early Learners and “America’s Supernanny” on Lifetime Television. Labeled “A Force for Good” by The Washington Post, Tillman has a deep passion for children. She began her career over twenty-five years ago when she became frustrated with the lack of quality childcare her son was receiving and as a result, quit her lucrative accounting job and started her own successful childcare center in 1994. Dr. Deborah holds a Masters’ Degree in Early Childhood Special Education from George Washington University and a Doctorate in Education from the Richmond Virginia Seminary. She has also studied at Oxford University, Magdalen College in England. Among her many accomplishments, Deborah has been a recurring parenting expert on the HARRY and Steve Harvey Daytime Talk Shows. She has also been seen on The View, Today Show, Katie Show, Wendy Williams, Great Day Washington, and CNN to name a few. In 2018, Deborah was asked to join the faculty of the #1 Leadership Expert, John Maxwell Team to create parenting and family content all over the world. She is the author of Stepping out On Faith - How to Open a Quality Childcare Center and Parenting on Purpose: A Menu for Raising Children in Today’s Society. In 2017, Deborah designed an online Greater Parenting System (GPS) that supports parents as they become the best version of themselves so that their children have every opportunity to reach their fullest potential and Divine Destiny. She also created her own childcare curriculum called “The Guiding Light:” from infants through five-year-olds. Lifetime Television Executives have called her “a miracle worker” but Deborah is “a proud mom” and humble servant doing the work of the Lord with a LIGHT shining bright for children and families everywhere. Dr. Deborah currently resides in Northern Virginia with her son Zeplyn who graduated from Georgetown University. For more information about Dr. Deborah and her work visit the site: www.deborahtillman.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/businessscaleinsights/support

Dawn Ellis of Cultivating Exceptional Minds has developed a school garden that is inclusive of all types of disabilities. Hear about many ways the garden is used to provide real-life learning activities for the whole school, in all subject areas. Moreover, students are more engaged during lessons in the garden... which results in less behavior problem! They help plant, weed, water, harvest, cook and even eat what is grown. Dawn gives great advice on how to you can start your own garden. She also gives advice on how to get donations to keep it going, as well as lots of curriculum ideas to provide real-life practice.Get all the show notes with links and a handout you can take notes on at https://lisagoodell.com/4. I am also working on getting transcripts of all episodes, so those will be on the show notes pages as well.About My Guest:Dawn Ellis has been a special education teacher for 10 years. She has taught preschool through fifth grade in various settings such as inclusion, resource, homebound and self-contained. Dawn has an Ed Specialist degree in Early Childhood Special Education but is also certified in general education too. She was the District V Teacher of the Year in 2017 for Alabama. She has presented at district and state-wide conferences about her garden and other special education topics. On the weekends in the spring, she is a volunteer coach for the Miracle League baseball program in her town. She is married and has one son (age 2). When not teaching, Dawn enjoys being at the beach, reading and working on her teacher created materials/blog. Podcast Host: Lisa Goodell, M. A., is the host of the Help for Special Educators Podcast. She has been teaching for over 23 years, including general ed third grade, and special ed K-12 including resource/inclusion (RSP), and mild/moderate self-contained (SDC). Currently, she is an itinerant orthopedic impairment (OI) specialist/teacher for students birth to 21 years old in all general ed and special ed settings. She has been honored as “Teacher of the Year” at both the elementary and secondary level. She lives in rural Central California with her family and a bunch of cats. Connect with Lisa here.

Dr. Jeanine Cook-Garard from the Nursing Department talks with Mandy H. Breslow, President and Founder of Indie Living Inc., who creates comfortable, affordable "smart" apartments and provide on-site opportunities for socialization, education and recreation for individuals with Autism and related disabilities. Mandy received her Master’s degree in Social Work from Adelphi University and a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education from Touro College.

Dr. Jeanine Cook-Garard from the Nursing Department talks with Mandy H. Breslow, President and Founder of Indie Living Inc., who creates comfortable, affordable "smart" apartments and provide on-site opportunities for socialization, education and recreation for individuals with Autism and related disabilities. Mandy received her Master’s degree in Social Work from Adelphi University and a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education from Touro College.

Welcome to the pretend play podcast. A podcast focusing on the research and application of pretend play and language skills. Today we take on the topic: Pretend Play and Language Assessment   First we discuss the research on pretend play and how we developed the Pretend Play and Language Assessment and Curriculum (PPLAC). We go on to cover the purpose, layout, and scoring of the PPLAC full and brief assessments.  Thank you for listening! Please visit our website for more information, to earn CEUs for listening to this podcast, to purchase the Pretend Play and Language Assessment and Curriculum, or to sign up for one of our training webinars for the PPLAC. We encourage everyone to reach out to us if you have any questions about the show or suggestions on topics you would like to hear more about.  You can reach out through Facebook or e-mail Melissa at Melissa.Schissler@concepts.com References:  Barton, E. E. & Wolery, M. (2008). Teaching pretend play to children with disabilities: A review of the literature. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 28(2), 109-125.  Belsky, J., & Most, R. K. (1981). From exploration to play: A cross-sectional study of infant free play behavior. Developmental Psychology, 17(5), 630-639. Casby, M. W. (2003). Developmental assessment of play: A model for early intervention. Communication Disorders Quarterly 24(4), 175-183. Fenson, L., & Ramsay, D. (1980). Decentration and Integration of the Child's Play in the Second Year. Child Development, 51(1), 171-178. doi:10.2307/1129604  Lewis, V. Boucher, J., Lupton, L., & Watson, S. (2009). Relationships between symbolic play, functional play, verbal and non-verbal ability in young children. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 35(1), 117-127.  Lifter, K., Foster-Sandra, S., Arzamarski, C., Briesch, J., & McClure, E. (2011). Overview of play: Its uses and importance in early intervention/early childhood special education. Infants & Young Children, 24(3), 225-245.  Saracho, O. N. (1999) A factor analysis of preschool children's play strategies and cognitive style. Educational Psychology 19(2),165-180. 

Schools are exempting students with disabilities from participating in safety instruction and safety drills. These misplaced pardons are enabled via an incorrect application of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP)  process or a district-generated parent “opt-out” form. First, let's be clear that it is illegal to exempt students from mandated fire drills. However, the practice is sprawling, unchecked and not enforced. Dr. Perrodin predicts deadly consequences from “protecting” children with special needs from receiving proper safety instruction. ANECDOTES. David kickstarts this episode by noting he is donning a beanie and insulated jacket as the basement of his North Star Studio was barely pushing the thermometer to 54 degrees Fahrenheit. Worse yet, the evening temperature would dip to minus ten degrees - a bit brisk for March. He shuffles through a few thoughts on his mind including: Why aren't windshield's more durable; How his home town issued a rare decree liberating residents from shoveling their sidewalks for the rest of winter; Why is it that people forget the blatant racism of Dr. Seuss' cartoons during World War II; and looking ahead to the August 10th release of his book School of Errors - Rethinking School Safety in America. THE PROBLEM WITH EXEMPTING STUDENTS FROM SAFETY DRILLS: There are at least 10 million school-age children with disabilities in America and they aren't receiving the same quality of safety instruction as their non-disabled peers. Per disability rights attorney James Sibley, “It is amazing how schools think that "sparing" special ed students from participation in fire drills active shooter drills and the like is showing them some sort of kindness. Many disabled students present special challenges during emergency situations and they shouldn't just be included in regular safety planning, there should be specialized safety plans in place for them. And, for those plans to be successful there needs to be preparation and practice.” Students must be provided skills that will generalize to home, stores or trips.  And, these skills must be resilient and reliable as the student exits school and enters the post-secondary setting. WHAT THE RESEARCH TELLS US ABOUT STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND SCHOOL SAFETY. Davis, Alicia & Gast, David. (1998). Social safety for young children: A review of the literature on safety skills instruction. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education. 18. 222-234. “Young children in today's society may find themselves in situations that require appropriate action in order to avoid dire consequences, such as injury of death. These situations may be the result of contact with objects in the physical environment action in order to avoid dire consequences, such as injury or death. such as guns, knives, or toxins. In other cases, children may be faced with confronting dangers in the social environment, such as avoiding the lures of strangers or responding to the abuse or neglect of a caregiver. Although safety education programs are implemented frequently in school settings, few research studies have systematically evaluated the methodology for teaching safety skills to young children.” Dr. Perrodin praised this study and also noted it was perhaps the best available on school safety instruction although it was done more than 2 decades ago. He pointed out that the study urged future research not be conducted in a group style, but individualized, and that it was critical to conduct “in vivo” data gathering - or to observe the child in various natural settings including school. FOLLOW DR. PERRODIN: Twitter @SafetyPhD and subscribe to The Safety Doc YouTube channel & Apple Podcasts. SAFETY DOC WEBSITE & BLOG: www.safetyphd.com The Safety Doc Podcast is hosted & produced by David Perrodin, PhD. ENDORSEMENTS. Opinions are those of the host & guests and do not reflect positions of The 405 Media or supporters of “The Safety Doc Podcast”. The show adheres to nondiscrimination principles while seeking to bring forward  productive discourse & debate on topics relevant to personal or institutional safety. Email David: thesafetydoc@gmail.com LOOKING FOR DR. TIMOTHY LUDWIG, PHD? Dr. Perrodin's “Safety Doc Podcast” negotiates school and community safety. To be informed about industrial safety, please contact Appalachian State University Professor Dr. Timothy Ludwig, PhD, at www.safety-doc.com

Welcome to the pretend play podcast. A podcast focusing on the research and application of pretend play and language skills. Today we take on the topic: What is Pretend Play. We begin by discussing definitions of play and the variance of terminology in the literature and different types of play.  We go on to discuss the developmental stages of play, including the history of play taxonomies and ACI Learning Centers Developmental Sequence.  Looking at the correlation between play and language we discuss the developmental sequence of language and the pre-requisites to language including, joint attention, gestures and babbling. We wrap it up by identifying the various types of language in play.  Thank you for listening! Please visit our website for more information, to earn CEUs, or to purchase the Pretend Play and Language Assessment and Curriculum. We encourage everyone to reach out to us if you have any questions about the show or suggestions on topics you would like to hear more about.  You can reach out through Facebook or e-mail Melissa at Melissa.Schissler@concepts.com References: Barton, E. E., & Wolery, M. (2008). Teaching pretend play to children with disabilities: A review of the literature. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 28(2), 109-125. Barton, E. E., & Wolery, M. (2010). Training teachers to promote pretend play in young children with disabilities. Exceptional Children, 77(1), 85-106. Beaulieu, L., & Povinelli, J. L. (2018). Improving solitary play with a typically developing preschooler. Behavioral Interventions, 33(2), 212-218. Charlop-Christy, M. H., Le, L., & Freeman, K. A. (2000). A comparison of video modeling with in vivo modeling for teaching children with autism. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 30(6), 537-552. Dupere, S., MacDonald, R. P., & Ahearn, W. H. (2013). Using video modeling with substitutable loops to teach varied play to children with autism. Journal of applied behavior analysis, 46(3), 662-668. Hall, S., Rumney, L., Holler, J., & Kidd, E. (2013). Associations among play, gesture and early spoken language acquisition. First Language, 33(3), 294-312. Kasari, C., Freeman, S., & Paparella, T. (2006). Joint attention and symbolic play in young children with autism: A randomized controlled intervention study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47(6), 611-620. Lifter, K., & Bloom, L. (1989). Object knowledge and the emergence of language. Infant Behavior and Development, 12(4), 395-423. Lifter, K., & Bloom, L. (1998). Intentionality and the role of play in the transition to language. Transitions in prelinguistic communication, 7, 161-196. MacDonald, R., Sacramone, S., Mansfield, R., Wiltz, K., & Ahearn, W. H. (2009). Using video modeling to teach reciprocal pretend play to children with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 42(1), 43-55. MacDonald, R., Clark, M., Garrigan, E., & Vangala, M. (2005). Using video modeling to teach pretend play to children with autism. Behavioral Interventions: Theory & Practice in Residential & Community‐Based Clinical Programs, 20(4), 225-238. McCune-Nicolich, L., & Carroll, S. (1981). Development of symbolic play: implications for the language specialist. Topics in Language Disorders. McCune, L. (1995). A normative study of representational play in the transition to language. Developmental psychology, 31(2), 198. Mills, P. E., Beecher, C. C., Dale, P. S., Cole, K. N., & Jenkins, J. R. (2014). Language of children with disabilities to peers at play: Impact of ecology. Journal of Early Intervention, 36(2), 111-130. Orr, E., & Geva, R. (2015). Symbolic play and language development. Infant Behavior and Development, 38, 147-161. Palechka, G., & MacDonald, R. (2010). A comparison of the acquisition of play skills using instructor-created video models and commercially available videos. Education and Treatment of Children, 33(3), 457-474. Reagon, K. A., Higbee, T. S., & Endicott, K. (2006). Teaching pretend play skills to a student with autism using video modeling with a sibling as model and play partner. Education and Treatment of Children, 517-528. Sani-Bozkurt, S., & Ozen, A. (2015). Effectiveness and efficiency of peer and adult models used in video modeling in teaching pretend play skills to children with autism spectrum disorder. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 71-83. Ulke-Kurkcuoglu, B., Bozkurt, F., & Cuhadar, S. (2015). Effectiveness of Instruction Performed through Computer-Assisted Activity Schedules on On-Schedule and Role-Play Skills of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, 15(3), 671-689.

Download Welcome to the pretend play podcast. A podcast focusing on the research and application of pretend play and language skills. We begin by discussing deficits in play identified in children diagnosed with autism, language delays, or other developmental delays. We talk about functional play, the absence of elaborated play acts, and the use of gestures and vocalizations in play. We go on to discuss the correlations between play and language and the importance of targeting them simultaneously. In addition to language, play effects other developmental domains including cognition, social, self-regulation, school readiness, and more. Looking more toward applications we address some common barriers we have encountered to teaching children appropriate play skills. As well as the necessary components that need to be in place when programming for pretend play.  These components include looking at the developmental sequence and the importance of a systematic approach. To close things out we look at the importance of identifying play as a separate domain and the knowledge you can acquire by observing, assessing, and teaching pretend play. Thank you for listening! Please visit our website for more information or to purchase the Pretend Play and Language Assessment and Curriculum. We encourage everyone to reach out to us if you have any questions about the show or suggestions on topics you would like to hear more about.  You can reach out through Facebook or e-mail Melissa at Melissa.Schissler@concepts.com References: Baron-Cohen, S. (1987). Autism and symbolic play. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 5(2), 139-148. Barton, E. E., & Wolery, M. (2008). Teaching pretend play to children with disabilities: A review of the literature. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 28(2), 109-125. Casby, M. W. (2003). Developmental assessment of play: A model for early intervention. Communication Disorders Quarterly, 24(4), 175-183. Charman, T., & Baron-Cohen, S. (1997). Brief report: Prompted pretend play in autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 27(3), 325-332. Ingersoll, B., & Schreibman, L. (2006). Teaching reciprocal imitation skills to young children with autism using a naturalistic behaivioral approach: Effects on language, pretend play, and joint attention. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36(4), 487-505. Jahr, E. &. (2007). Changes in solitary play following acquistion of cooperative play by children with autism. Journal of Speech-Language Pathology and Applied Behavior Analysis(2.2), 182-188. Lifter, K., Ellis, J., Cannon, B., & Anderson, S. R. (2005). Developmental specificity in targeting and teaching play activities to children with pervasive developmental disorders. Journal of Early Intervention, 27(4), 247-267. McConnell, S. (2002). Interventions to facilitate social interaction for young children with autism: review of available research and recommendations for educational intervention and future research. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 32(5), 351-372. McCune, L. (1995). A normative study of representational play at the transition to language. Developmental Psychology, 31(2), 198-206. Mills, P. E., Beecher, C. C., Dale, P. S., Cole, K. N., & Jenkins, J. R. (2014). Language of children with disabilities to peers at play impact of ecology. Journal of Early Intervention, 36(2), 111-130. Pierce-Jordan, S., & Lifter, K. (2005). Interaction of social and play behaviors in preschoolers with and without pervasive developmental disorder. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 25(1), 34-47. Rowe, M. (2010). Shaving cream and cowboys: A descriptive study of play differences between typically developing and developmentally delayed preschoolers. Education Research and Perspectives, 37(2), 64-78. Thiemann-Bourque, K. S., Brady, N. C., & Fleming, K. K. (2012). Symbolic play of preschoolers with severe communication impairments with autism and other developmental delays: More similarities than differences. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42(5), 863-873. Thorp, D. M., Stahmer, A. C., & Schreibman, L. (1995). Effects of sociodramatic play training on children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 25(3), 265-282. Williams, E., Costall, A., & Reddy, V. (1999). Children with autism experience problems with both objects and people. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 29(5), 367-378. Yoder, P. J. (2006). Predicting lexical density growth rate in young children with autism spectrum disorders. American Journal of Speech-Language Psychology, 15(4), 378-388.

As the Director of Equity and Student Support Services for Chesterfield County Public Schools, Tameshia Grimes supervises CCPS leaders in the areas of school counseling, school psychology, school social work, student health, Title III, Early Childhood Special Education, Head Start, Virginia Preschool Initiative and the Virginia Preschool Initiative Expansion, and alternative education. We talked with her about “building strong children,” and what it takes to promote equity in a large school division.

Author Jennifer Ledford discusses her research, co-authored by Erin E. Barton, Jessica K. Hardy, Katie Elam, Jordan Seabolt, Meredith Shanks, M. L. Hemmeter, and Ann Kaiser. Ledford discusses their methodology applied, their findings, and future steps in the field. This article can be found in the June 2016 issue of the Journal of Early Intervention. 

In this episode we talk about new tools for tracking student progress and measuring the impact of interventions. Follow: @possbeth @attipscast, iplante @LeapIntoLD @bamradionetwork #edtechchat #edchat #spedchat #specialed #UDL Chris Bugaj is an assistive tech- nology trainer for Loudoun County in Virginia and coauthor of The Practical (& Fun) Guide to Assistive Technology in Public Schools. Beth Poss serves as the administrator for an Early Childhood Special Education program in Montgomery County, Maryland. She was part of the writing team that developed a Universal Designed for Learning curriculum aligned with the Common Core State Standards for Montgomery County Public Schools.