On the website for the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators, they have dedicated a page to related organizations. I have found this to be helpful when researching several topics. This week, since we have been studying equity in early childhood, I felt called to explore the website for The Division for Early Childhood. Their tag line states, "Promoting Policies. Advancing Practices.". Their homepages states:
The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) is an international membership organization for those who work with or on behalf of young children with disabilities and other special needs.
Our mission is to promote policies and advance evidence-based practices to support the optimal development of young children with special needs.
In studying equity and inequity in early childhood education, this week's focus has been on awareness, accessibility, and responsiveness. It can be confusing enough for families to remain informed on services available to their children. Families with children who have special needs are even more vulnerable and it is extremely important they receive the information and resources available to provide them with as much support as possible.
The Division for Early Childhood has their website broken up into five different sections. You can search under families, policymakers, professionals, students or just browsing. Using these search engines makes it quick and easy to access the information pertaining to a variety of interested people. The following links are available for families:
Families
- The Division for Early Childhood
- Membership
- Position Statements and Concept Papers
- Conference Stipends
- Recommended Practices
- Journals
- Collaboration
- Resources for Families
And for professionals:
Professionals
- The Division for Early Childhood
- Awards
- Membership
- DEC Career Center
- Position Statements and Concept Papers
- Recommended Practices
- Journals
- Collaboration
- Professional Opportunities
As a professional, I plan to research the resources on this website and point families I serve here to access information. It is my responsibility to point them in the right direction to access all available resources to give their children the best education possible. I am thankful to have websites such as these to help keep me informed.
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI agree, it is very important that children with special needs find high-quality childcare for their children. This site has a lot of good information for families. Thanks for sharing!
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the issue of access to information is crucial for the successful development of children. I know as a parent to a child with special needs, the beginning stages can be terrifying, especially because it is all new. I remember right after he was three and diagnosed with autism, one of the teachers asked, so "So what about his IEP, is he getting, ABA, OT, PT?" I was like, "What?" I didn't know IEP stands for Individualized Educational Plan, and ABA, applied behavior and occupational therapy. It's like learning a whole new language, and you need teachers who will break it down and explain and most all, be supportive. Thanks for pointing out that special needs families need a little extra TLC!
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteAs you mentioned the importance of making resources available for families of children with special needs I think an easy accessible website for student’s educators and family members makes a difference. I know if I was a new parent of a child with special needs I would feel lost if I were to just enter “children with special needs” in the search engine. I think knowing where to find credible resources and good source of advice helps. Thanks for sharing!
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteAs someone who has worked with children who have various classification of disabilities,I have often had to refer parents to various resources that are available to them and their child. They are always so grateful, because some of them are not even aware of what is available. Thanks for shedding yet another light on a resource to help parents who have a special needs child.