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Infant & Toddler
Connection of Virginia
October 2024
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Test your Knowledge with our New Poll Feature
Pick your answer and scroll below to find the correct answer and explanation!
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| What is the difference between the transition planning mtg & the transition planning conference | | | |
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Stacie Jackson – Early Intervention Career Path
I was recently asked about my professional path to Early Intervention and beyond. I started teaching in 1991 in Va Beach City Schools in a Title I Kindergarten classroom. This was back when Kindergarten classes were half-day, before inclusion, and class sizes were big! I was fresh out of college and kept saying to Ruby, my saintly assistant, “don’t worry, I got this!” Day 1 arrived, and the children just kept coming…64 in all! 31 in the morning, then a 45-minute break for lunch and planning, before the afternoon 33 kiddos arrived. This was also before the birthday cut-off changed to Sept. 30, leaving us with children ranging in age, and need, from 4 yrs. 8 months – 6 yrs. Needless to say, without Ruby, I definitely “did not have this!”
Read Stacie's story
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The Work and Heart of Early Interventionists, Stories from the Field
There are so many beautiful people who make up Virginia's early intervention work-force whose stories we'd like to share with you. This "mini-series" has been created to tell the stories we think will be encouraging to current and future early interventionists.
Thank you for the good work you do on a daily basis on your teams, the local and state workgroups you participate in, and most importantly, with the babies, toddlers and families you serve. Your work is important and the ripple effects of your time, expertise and heart change lives. You may not ever hear how the supports and services you provide helped a family long term, since toddlers transition out of early intervention at such a young age. Then it happens, out of the blue, a former child or family member gives you a call, sends you a card, or catches you in the aisle of the grocery store to tell you how you helped their child and family learn and grow. It's beautiful. Relish those moments. Share those stories. Breathe it in. Own it.
Please reach out to Terri.Nelligan@dbhds.virginia.gov to share your story. We'd love to hear from you.
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Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the US
Maternity care deserts are counties where there’s no access to birthing hospitals, birth centers offering obstetric care, or obstetric providers. Our 2024 Maternity Care Desert Report examines the state of maternity care access in our nation.
The report shows where you live impacts your ability to have a healthy pregnancy and birth. At March of Dimes, we’re pushing for solutions like equitable Medicaid reimbursement, increased support for midwifery, mobile health units, and expanded telehealth services to help bridge the gap in care. We can improve outcomes for all moms and babies—starting now.
Here's an early look at report findings nationally:
- Over 35% of counties are considered maternity care deserts—in 1,104 US counties, there is not a single birthing facility or obstetric clinician.
- In 2022, areas with no access to maternity care effected over 2.3 million women of reproductive age and 150,000 births.
- Our data confirms that women living in maternity care deserts and counties with low access to care have poorer health before pregnancy, receive less prenatal care, and experience higher rates of preterm birth.
Locally, in our communities here are a few key findings In Virginia:
- 63.2% of counties do not have an obstetric hospital or birth center.
- These counties are home to 325,000 women and 18,000 babies.
- More than 8,200 babies were born to birthing parents living in maternity care deserts.
You can view the report now to learn more about the maternity care access crisis and how you can help drive solutions through education, advocacy, donation, and partnership.
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Understanding your Child’s Behavior: Reading your Child’s Cues from 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. This resource 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.
https://www.pyramidmodel.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/reading_cues.pdf
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Buzzwords Explained: Dyadic Care
When babies enter this world, they are wired
for connection.
Traditional treatment models for infants and toddlers and their parents often look at children from a single perspective, but dyadic care looks at each baby as part of a larger family system — and works to give everyone in that system the skills for success. At the most basic level, dyadic care means caring for both babies and their caregivers as a whole.
Dyadic care is reflexive and responsive to a family’s unique needs, with respect to their cultural preferences, family structure, and resources. In some families and multigenerational households, that may mean several caregivers are in relationships with the child.
Learn More: https://www.zerotothree.org/resource/buzzwords-explained-dyadic-care/
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Supporting the Whole Family
As Early Interventionists, it is best practice to focus on the whole family as we serve the children’s growth and development; and, as we look at the needs of the family, we can see an uptick in families being stretched as the fall begins. September (well perhaps August) brings the start of the official school year, meeting scheduling demands for childcare, aftercare, sports, extracurricular activity and more. This can get stressful for families with multiple children with very different needs in the mix. Early intervention is an added Universe for families that has many moving parts in addition to their other activities, and we realize that once October greets us the months will travel so quickly that all our families will awaken to a new year. These months are stressful for parents, how can we broaden our lens to ensure that we are assessing the families’ stress levels when we are working with the child? This is an important part of our work; stabilized families allow healthy attachment with the child which directly impacts the child’s trajectory for positive outcomes.
So, what can we do as Early Intervention practitioners:
1. As you work with the child be mindful of the adults as well. Do they seem distracted, tired, anxious, despondent?
2. Are you able to engage them in the activity with their child, or in dialogue about their child?
3. Are the parents/caregivers presenting differently (either physically or emotionally) than they normally do when you visit?
The following is a list of typical signs of parental/caregiver stress to look for: Signs of a stressed parent include:
· Less warmth and responsiveness
· Lower levels of affection
· Use of harsh or uninvolved discipline
· Overprotectiveness and excessive worry about the child
· High expectations
· Communication issues
· Financial pressure
· Anxiety due to family dynamics
Please keep in mind that one of the best ways we can support our children is to support the family caring for them. The Surgeon General developed a Science to Practice document in 2021that highlights important information for us to consider for optimal Family/Child outcomes Parents Under Pressure (hhs.gov)
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A GEM YOU MIGHT HAVE FORGOTTEN? | |
WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED? | |
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POLL ANSWER AND EXPLANATION | |
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Correct Answer: c
The meeting to develop the transition plan is a time for families to consider their options for transition and plan ahead for notification and referrals or other steps necessary to ensure services are in place for a smooth transition at age 2 or age 3. This meeting is required for ALL children.
The transition planning conference is only required for children potentially transitioning to Part B early childhood special education. A transition planning conference should also be offered to families transitioning to other programs. This conference provides the family with the opportunity to discuss any services the child may receive under Part B or other community programs.
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Act Early ECHO (Extension of Community Health Outcomes) Series – FREE!
Deana Buck, Virginia’s Act Early Ambassador, is collaborating with Ambassadors in Ohio and Wyoming to offer an Act Early ECHO series this fall. They will focus on using the CDC’s “Learn the Signs. Act Early” materials and education around health disparities, social emotional development, resources, autism spectrum disorder, and more. This series provides information and resources about current and emerging knowledge and evidence based promising practices about early identification.
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To register, visit https://www.cincychildrensecho.com/programs/act-early
Dates:
Mondays 3:30 PM – 5:00PM | September 16th – November 11th (*no session Oct 14)
8-week course. All sessions are recorded and can be accessed on the iECHO website.
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Great New Resource!
Here’s a new video for families of young children from CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen about the CDC’s Milestone Tracker app! Please share this on your websites and social media platforms.
If you have any questions about the CDC’s “Learn the Signs. Act Early” resources,
please contact Deana Buck, Virginia’s Act Early Ambassador deanabuck@gmail.com
(804) 405-9064.
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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
The Employment Opportunities page on the ITCVA website receives nearly 5,000 visits each year!
Practitioners: Early intervention needs you! Influence the future of infants and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities and their families by putting your skills and expertise to work today! Please visit the Employment Opportunities page on the ITCVA website for links to current job openings.
LSMs and local contracted agencies: Let us help connect you to qualified applicants! Are you a Local System Manager (LSM) or the director of an agency that contracts with one or more local early intervention systems in Virginia? Are you looking to find qualified applicants to fill vacant positions? Please visit our Employment Opportunities page for instructions on how to submit a job posting.
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INFANT & TODDLER CONNECTION OF VIRGINIA | Looking for the most up-to-date version of the Part C Practice Manual...upcoming meeting dates...or even a new career opportunity? You'll find plenty of helpful information on the Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia's early intervention website! Be sure to visit and bookmark itcva.online. | | |
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EARLY INTERVENTION CERTIFICATION
For questions about intial certification of practitioners, contact Anne Brager- 804-664-2462.
For questions about re-certification of practitioners, contact David Mills • 804-317-7776
For questions related to completing the online application, contact VATRACITsupport@ssg-llc.com or from 8AM-5PM ET by calling 804-508-7229.
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Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia is part of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services
https://www.itcva.online/itcva-staff-1
1220 Bank Street, 9th Floor, P.O. Box 1797, Richmond, Virginia 23219-1797
Main Office: (804) 786-3710 • Main Fax: (804) 371-7959
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Do you have colleagues who aren’t getting the Monthly Part C Update? Ask them to check their spam folder. If they're still not receiving it, have them email anne.brager@dbhds.virginia.gov. | | |
1220 Bank Street
Richmond, VA 23219
(804) 664-2462
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