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EI Training Newsletter
Spring 2013
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Greetings!
Welcome to the EI Training Program's Constant Contact newsletter! As a member of this mailing list, you will receive this newsletter periodically throughout the year. Through this newsletter we plan to share system updates, training opportunities, and other special announcements. If you have received this newsletter, you are already on the list. If you do not wish to receive this newsletter in the future, please scroll to the bottom of this email and click on the link to unsubscribe. |
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 | | We Want To Hear From You!!! |
Annual EI Training Program Needs Assessment
The Early Intervention Training Program is conducting a needs assessment which will guide the types of professional development trainings and events which will be offered in the coming year 2013-2014. Last year over 1600 stakeholders responded and helped shape the professional development opportunities that were offered. Your response this year would be greatly appreciated. Please respond by May 20, 2013. Thank you in advance for your participation! Here is a link to the survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FY14NeedsAssess
Please feel free to share this link with other EI providers and families. The more input we receive, the better we will be able to serve you in the upcoming year.
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Family Outcomes Survey Update...It's not too late to send them in!
Over 19,000 families in Early Intervention recently received the Illinois Family Outcomes Survey in the mail in recent weeks. So far we've received more than 3,000 surveys back ...but we want to hear from more families. Please remind the families you work with to take a few minutes to complete the survey online or return the survey today. Let them know how important their feedback is and that it will help improve Early Intervention services for our children and families. If you speak with families that need assistance completing the survey or would like another copy, please direct them to call the Early Intervention
Training Program at 866.509.3867, ext. 266.
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Spotlight on Upcoming National Conferences
As we continue to collaborate with our partners that represent the professionals who support families in the early intervention journey, we want to take the opportunity to share with you some upcoming national events to enhance your profession. This months spotlight is the Division for Early Childhood's (DEC) Annual Conference. This year's theme is Bridging Research, Policy and Practice...Every Day, Every Chance, Every Child. You will be inspired by top researchers, leading policymakers, practitioners and families as they share evidence-based innovative approaches that demonstrate meaningful, effective and sustainable collaborations across research, policy and practice. Hundreds of educational sessions and a variety of networking opportunities will be offered throughout the conference. Engaging pre-conference and conference sessions, an inspiring opening session, dynamic IGNITE sessions, meetings with DEC's special interest groups and engaging poster sessions will offer strategies to increase learning opportunities for every child, family and community throughout everyday routines and interactions. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about new and pending legislation impacting early childhood, engage in a community of learning throughout the conference by connecting with each other through technology, and explore cutting-edge products and services in the exhibit hall. There will also be opportunities to virtually extend the conference once you're home. You can receive an early bird rate if you register before May 31st.
Some great opportunities that will be highlighted in future articles include:
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Informed Clinical Opinion 
In my twenty years working in early intervention one of the most asked questions I've heard is "What is informed clinical opinion?". Many newsletter articles have been written about it, and I thought it was time again to add one more. Our friends at the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center have put together a great document on the topic. The term "informed clinical opinion" appears in the regulatory requirements for the implementation of Part C of the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as an integral part of an eligibility determination. It must be included in evaluation and assessment procedures, since it is a necessary safeguard against eligibility determination based upon isolated information or test scores alone. Since the term carries different meanings for individuals and agencies, it is important to clarify the meaning and use of "informed clinical opinion" in the context of Part C. This document uses a question-and-answer format to address three key issues:
* What does informed clinical opinion mean in the context of Part C?
* How does informed clinical opinion affect the determination of eligibility?
* Why is it necessary to document informed clinical opinion?
Access the full document at: http://ectacenter.org/~pdfs/pubs/nnotes28.pdf
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Sincerely,
Ted Burke
Illinois Early Intervention Training Program |
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Autism Resource Guide | |
The IDEA Partnership is a community of 50+ national organizations that work together on the issues they share. The Partnership is funded by OSEP and sponsored by The National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE).
The IDEA Partnership recently released an Autism Resource Guide. This Resource Guide contains information that has been found to be helpful to individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), their families and those who support them. It contains only websites that can be accessed at no cost. | |
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Videos from the Center on the Developing Child Available in Spanish and Portuguese
A number of videos from the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University are now available in Spanish and Portuguese. Three videos from the Center's InBrief series, including The Science of Early Childhood Development, The Impact of Adversity on Children's Development, and The Foundations of Lifelong Health are available in Spanish. The three-part video series, Three Core Concepts in Early Development, as well as Brain Hero, a three-minute video depicting how actions by a range of people in the family and community can affect a child's development, are available in Portuguese. View all of the Center's Non-English Videos here.
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| Family Assessment in the Early Intervention System | |
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The EI Training Program recently rolled out a new online module: Family Assessment in the Early Intervention System. This module provides an overview to family assessment processes in Illinois' Early Intervention system. The basics of family assessment as a means for gathering information will be reviewed. Participants will understand the roles of providers, service coordinators and families within the process, will explore the impact that family assessment has on early intervention practice, and finally, will review considerations for day to day practice with children and families. Strategies for making the family assessment process a useful and engaging time with families are highlighted. Sign up today! |
| Understanding Child Behavior: Birth to Age 2 |  |
Children's behavior has meaning- it's just that adults don't always understand what the meaning is. In the early years, before children have strong language skills, it can be especially hard to understand what a baby or toddler is trying to communicate. The following resource from the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) is a great guide for both providers and families alike. The resource guide Reading Your Child's Cues from Birth to Age 2 will help you better understand your child's behavior cues and help you respond in ways that support his or her healthy social and communication development. |
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