Kansas Inservice Training System
KITS eUpdate
The KITS eUpdate contains a list of abstracts and corresponding website links on various projects of interest to early intervention and early childhood special education program staff. Listed here are links to the most recently featured projects in the KITS eUpdate. Note: External Links will open in a new window. To return to this page, close the new page.
The eUpdate is provided to subscribers of the KITS Infant Toddler Network and Preschool Program List Services. If you would like to subscribe, simply join either the Infant Toddler Network List Serv or the Preschool Program List Serv. Note: External Links will open in a new window. To return to this page, close the new page.
New "CELLpops" from the Center for Early Literacy Learning
(5/12) The Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL) has released two new CELLpops for practitioners and parents to use with preschoolers. The CELLpops are interactive web versions of CELL mini-posters that include ideas that can be used to promote young children's early literacy learning. The two new Outdoor Fun CELLpops include different kinds of activities that can be used by practitioners and parents for promoting the early literacy learning of preschool-aged children during outdoor activities.
CELL is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, Research to Practice Division and is a major initiative of the Center for Evidence-Based Practices at the Orelena Hawks Puckett Institute.
Source: NECTC-enotes - April 18, 2012
Expanding on the Science: Foundations of Early Childhood Development
On April 13, 2012, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) hosted a webinar entitled Expanding on the Science: Foundations of Early Childhood Development (90 minutes). The presenters, Jack Shonkoff with the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University and Ron Haskins with the Center on Children and Families at The Brookings Institution, discussed the science related to how early experiences influence brain development, policy implications, and where early childhood policies are going. It is now archived and can be viewed online.
Source: NECTC-enotes - April 20, 2012
Comprehensive Obesity Prevention in Early Childhood: Promising Federal and State Initiatives
(5/12) Approximately one of every four children ages 2 to 5 years in the U.S. has a high (>85th percentile) body mass index and about one in 10 is obese (>95th percentile). While much attention has been focused on obesity prevention with school-age children, new policy initiatives are targeting early childhood programs in an effort to prevent obesity early. A recent report from National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP), entitled Comprehensive Obesity Prevention in Early Childhood: Promising Federal and State Initiatives (March 2012) by Patti Banghart, highlights a range of early childhood obesity prevention initiatives to inform states of ways they can build strong cross-system efforts to reduce childhood obesity rates.
Source: NECTC-enotes - Retrieved April 20, 2012
Easter Seals Make the First Five Count
(5/12) Easter Seals' national Make the First five Count campaign is designed to spread the word among parents about the critical importance of early screening and services for young children. With the goal of helping as many children as possible get on track developmentally and start school ready to learn, Easter Seals is providing parents free online access to ASQ-3.
Source: Brookes Publishing - April 25, 2012
AT Solutions Fact Sheet
(5/12) The Family Center on Technology and Disability has produced a fact sheet that provides illustrated examples of a range of AT products to help parents who are beginning their search for assistive technology. The fact sheet includes basic questions to be considered when trying to identify assistive technology devices that will best suit your child. Each AT example has an icon indicating whether it is high-tech, mid-tech or low-tech. The fact sheet can be found online.
Source: AUCD - May 2, 2012
2012 Version of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) eBook Now Available Online
(4/3/12) The National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM) has published the 2012 Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) eBook (2012), which represents the collective wisdom of many of the experts most actively involved in EHDI. It is meant to be a comprehensive and up-to-date reference and resource guide on EHDI. New Resources from the Center for Early Literacy Learning.
Source: NECTCc-enotes - March 2, 2012
The Center for Early Literacy Learning has released several new resources.
(4/3/12) Three new CELLcasts have been created. CELLcasts are audio/video versions of CELL practice guides which are available to view online or download. "Give Me, Give Me" includes ideas for encouraging infants to use gestures and movements to ask for what they want or need. "Sound Play" provides parents with ways to help toddlers develop language skills. "Wired To Read" teaches parents how to use computer technology to provide young children with early literacy learning opportunities. The CELLcasts are available on their website.
New video: "Getting Kids Involved: Creating Opportunities for Learning" The video introduces and illustrates many ways in which adaptations within the home or classroom can promote the active involvement of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with disabilities in everyday literacy activities.
Source: Natural Resources - March 14, 2012
Updates from the Tots 'n Tech Research Institute
(4/3/12) The Tots 'n Tech Research Institute (TnT) has published its March 2012 Newsletter, which provides information on integrating iPad use into everyday activities and routines to promote the participation of all young children.
The Institute has also been updating its new Tots 'n Tech Helpdesk, which provides a wealth of current information about adaptations and assistive technology (AT) for infants and toddlers. It is designed to make it easy to find adaptations or AT solutions for everyday situations. Tots 'n Tech can be found online.
Source: NECTAC-enotes - March 16, 2012
New "CELLpops" from the Center for Early Literacy Learning
(4/3/12) The Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL) has released two new CELLpops for practitioners and parents. The CELLpops are interactive web versions of CELL mini-posters that include ideas that can be used to promote young children's early literacy learning. The two Meals & Snacks CELLpops include different activities that can be used in the classroom or at home with toddlers and preschoolers to encourage early literacy learning opportunities during meal times.
CELL is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs Research to Practice Division and is a major initiative of the Center for Evidence-Based Practices at the Orelena Hawks Puckett Institute. CELLpops can be found online.
Source: NAEYC-enotes - March 16, 2012
Tools for Improving Teaching in Early Care and Education
(4/3/12) After recent research findings on early education and dropout rates in later years of education, many national early childhood initiatives have focused on improving the quality of teaching in the early childhood field. Early Education Initiative of the New America Foundation and ECE PolicyWorks have brought awareness to the potential of engaging caretakers and educators working with young children in observations and feedback that push towards effective teaching. The New America Foundation recently released a publication entitled, Watching Teachers Work: Using Observation Tools to Promote Effective Teaching in the Early Years and Early Grades, which highlights observation tools in early education, professional development strategies, and formal evaluation strategies.
Source: KECCS Update - March 30, 2012
Resource for Promoting Family Engagement
(3/15/12) The Head Start Parent, Family, and Community Engagement Framework: Promoting Family Engagement and School Readiness from Prenatal to Age 8 has been developed by the Office of Head Start with assistance from the National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement. Harvard Family Research Project is one of the partnering organizations of this center.
The framework is a tool for early childhood education and care providers seeking to build effective engagement strategies. It highlights a set of desired outcomes and examples of strategies to achieve them. These outcomes include family well-being, positive parent-child relationships, families as lifelong educators, families as learners, family engagement in transitions (e.g., to kindergarten and elementary school), family connections to peers and the community, and families as advocates and leaders. The framework also provides concrete examples of family progress for each outcome area. While the framework was developed for Head Start and Early Head Start programs, its lessons are flexible, adaptable, useful and applicable to a much broader audience of early childhood programs. Access the framework online.
Source: Natural Resources, Februrary, 15, 2012
New Video - Getting Kids Involved: Creating Opportunities for Learning
(3/15/12) The Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL) has released a new video, Getting Kids Involved: Creating Opportunities for Learning (2012). The video introduces and illustrates many ways in which adaptations within the home or classroom can promote the active involvement of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with disabilities in everyday literacy activities.
CELL is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs Research to Practice Division, and is a major initiative of the Center for Evidence-Based Practices at the Orelena Hawks Puckett Institute.
Source: NECTAC-eNotes, February 17, 2012
Infant Toddler Temperament Tool Available in Booklet Form and in Spanish
From: Center for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation
(3/15/12) The Infant Toddler Temperament Tool (IT3), developed for the Center for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation, is now available in the form of downloadable booklets and can also now be accessed in Spanish - Instrumento sobre el temperamento del bebé y del niño pequeño.
IT3 includes a short online survey that allows parents and caregivers of infants and toddlers to better understand their own temperament, the temperament of the children they care for, and how adult/child similarities or differences in temperament may affect "goodness of fit." The IT3 also provides tips to help adults foster the unique temperament of each child within their care.
Source: NECTAC-eNotes, February 17, 2012
Updated National Health and Safety Guidelines for Early Care and Education Programs
(3/15/12) The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Public Health Association, and the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education (NRC) recently released the 3rd edition of Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards; Guidelines for Early Care and Education Programs (updated as of January 2012). These national standards provide the most current information on quality health and safety practices and policies that should be followed in early care and education settings. Chapter 8 is dedicated to children with special health care needs and disabilities. An HTML version of the Standards is also available on this link.
Source: NECTAC-eNotes, February 23, 2012
Child abuse and neglect most common in infants
(3/15/12) The journal Pediatrics released a new study examining the occurrences of hospital visits as a result of child abuse and neglect. As the first study of its kind to examine hospital records, the findings are striking. For every 100,000 infants who visit the hospital, 58 will be treated for abuse. This means that the rate of infants impacted by child abuse is even greater than the rate of infants impacted by sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). In addition, children who are on Medicaid are more likely to visit the hospital as a result of abuse. This finding has strong implications for our work and outreach efforts to high risk families. The study can be accessed online in this link.
Source: Kansas Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Plan - February 29, 2012
New Treatment Section Added to Autism Video Glossary (free video clips)
(3/15/12) Autism Speaks, in collaboration with First Signs and Florida State University's Autism Institute, recently added a new treatment section to its online Autism Video Glossary. The glossary is a free web-based tool that contains over 100 video clips illustrating the subtle differences in behaviors that are typical in contrast with those that are red flags for ASD. The new treatment section includes five categories: behavioral interventions, developmental interventions, structured teaching and supports, clinical therapies, and toddler treatment models.
Source: Natural Resources - February 29, 2012
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