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April 28, 2010 - Preconference
April 29 & 30, 2010 - Conference and Exhibits
Greater Tacoma Convention Center, Tacoma, WA |
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Program at a Glance
Wednesday Preconferences
Thursday Conferences
Friday Conferences
Travel Information
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Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Choose One Session
Preconference Session - 9:30 am - 5:00 pm
Pre01 Early Intervention for Children Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired
Pre02 The Etiology of Early Feeding Issues
Pre03 Calming Ourselves in Stressful Times
Pre04 Implementing the Child Outcome Summary Process (COSF)
Pre05 Babies, Brains and Relationships
Pre06 Promoting Positive Behavior in Young Children
Pre07 The Motor Continuum
Pre08 Observation, Individualization, and Socialization for Early Head Start Staff
Pre09 CLASS Training for Head Start Staff
Pre10 Effective Services for Young Children with ASD
Pre11 Love the Beat
Pre01 From A to O & M: Early Intervention for Young Children Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired, presented by Mary Ellen
Pesavento, M.A., and Diane McCutchen, M.Ed., Consultants, Washington State Sensory Disabilities Services
What the heck is that seventeenth item on the Part C list called “vision services”? Who needs them? Who provides them? Why are they
important? This preconference session is designed for both teachers of the blind/visually impaired who want to know more about serving
birth-to-three year olds and families, and early intervention service providers who want to know more about meeting the needs of this
population. Using scenarios with video footage of real children and families, we will discuss the critical components of successful early
intervention services for infants and toddlers with differing needs for “vision services.” Topics to be addressed include: frequently asked
questions from parents and service providers; assessment considerations; pre-literacy and establishing the foundations for reading; the
impact of vision loss on development; as well as orientation and mobility and how these services differ from other educational services.
Finally, we will present ideas (and brainstorm new ones) for how these services might be provided in the current landscape of early
intervention—complete with its scarcity of qualified personnel and resources.
About the Presenters: Mary Ellen Pesavento is a teacher of the blind/visually impaired who is also certified in orientation and mobility;
she works for three school districts. Diane McCutchen is a teacher of the visually impaired who works for Arlington School District.
Mary Ellen and Diane both are consultants with Washington Sensory Disabilities Services and have extensive experience working with
families of very young children who are blind/visually impaired.
Sponsor: Washington State Sensory Disabilities Services
Click here for Session Handouts
Pre02 The Etiology of Early Feeding Issues, Evaluation and
Program Ideas for Children with Motor and/or Sensory Issues
That Impact Oral Feeding Skills, presented by Gay Lloyd
Pinder, Private Consultant, Children’s Therapy Center of
Kent
For all of us, eating is necessary. For most of us eating is a pleasure
and we look forward to mealtimes and snacks. In cultures around
the world, social interaction is often centered around food. In fact
every culture has special foods that are used in celebrations of
every sort and kind. Food is fun and food is important! We take
this pleasure for granted.
Yet there are children for whom eating is neither easy or fun. When
a child has problems eating or when a child doesn’t want to eat,
their daily life is disrupted on a variety of levels and that disruption
extends to their entire family and beyond. This workshop explores
the etiology of feeding problems, both motor-based and also
sensory- based and then explores practical ideas and strategies that
might be used to build skills needed for eating and also to make the
entire experience more positive for the child and family. We will
discuss aspects of the evaluation of feeding skills, including gross
and fine motor skills; oral motor skills, including the evaluation
of swallowing; sensory issues present and past; GI history and the
potential impact on later feeding; and communication skills in the
context of feeding. We will explore a variety of practical ideas to
consider in a feeding program including positioning, nutritional
needs, food textures and tastes, repetition and familiarity, power
and communication, and routine.
During this workshop we will also discuss those children who
have gastrostomy tubes to supplement their feeding to meet their
nutritional needs and how they can be and need to be included in a
meal or snack time. Depending on audience interest and need, we
can discuss when and how children can be assisted to wean from
their gastrostomy tube feedings.
Throughout the workshop, family dynamics and participation are
an ongoing cornerstone in discussion and focus. The family not
only shares the impact of a child’s feeding issues, but also plays a
key role in the process towards the solution. This workshop is a
good precursor for the Feeding Group presentation scheduled for
Thursday morning.
There is a $5.00 materials fee.
About the Presenter: Gay Lloyd Pinder, Ph.D., is a Speech
Language Pathologist who has specialized for the past 30 years
in working with infants and young children with neuromuscular
disorders and the feeding and communication problems associated
with those disorders. She is a co-founder and staff member at
Children’s Therapy Center in Kent, a neuromuscular center serving
children of all ages and their families. Dr. Pinder is a certified
instructor in the Neurodevelopmental Treatment Association
(NDTA) and has taught workshops and courses nationally and
internationally. Her therapy is child-centered and family-focused
and is based on a holistic perspective of development.
Sponsor: SPIO, Inc.
Pre03 Calming Ourselves in Stressful Times, presented by Joy
Knight, Private Consultant
Stress is a natural part of life, acting as both a motivator and an
inhibitor. Using curriculum from Comprehensive Health Education
Foundation (CHEF), we will explore how stress affects the lives
of young children, their ability to learn, and the effects on their
social/emotional and brain development. In this session you will
make at least six hands-on projects to take with you. Activities
developed to help calm ourselves during stressful times include
“shaking like a puppy,” “melting like a snowman,” “floating like
a feather,” and “playing barefoot in the sand.” Participants will
receive an extended resource list including books, music, websites
and materials for developing a “calming area” in their home or
school settings.
There is a $10.00 materials fee.
About the Presenter: Joy Knight is a seasoned local, regional,
and national presenter. Joy has been presenting in her unique and
entertaining style at the IECC for the last six years. Her sessions
are always highly engaging and very popular with participants. Joy
has been working in the field for more than 30 years.
Pre04 Implementing the Child Outcomes Summary Form
(COSF) Process: How Are We Doing? Presented by Christina
Kasprzak and Robin Rooney.
After two years of implementing the COSF process, this workshop
provides an opportunity for participants to reflect on the status of
child outcomes measurement in Washington and across the country,
and learn strategies for improving the quality of the COSF data.
The presenters will facilitate a discussion of barriers and strategies
for using the COSF and will share what other states are doing to
improve child outcomes data collection, including integrating the
COSF into ongoing IFSP and IEP practices, improving functional
assessment practices, and facilitating team relationships. The
session will update participants on the use of child outcomes data
for federal reporting and program improvement purposes, and
implications for ensuring the accuracy of COSF ratings. Using
written child examples, participants will practice strategies for
improving documentation of the COSF rating, checking completed
COSFs for quality, and evaluating team discussions. Presenters
will share state and national child outcomes data for participants’
review and reflection.
Participants will learn to check outcomes data for ‘red flags,’ that
may indicate data or program quality issues, and discuss implications
for data collection and program improvement.
About the Presenter: Christina Kasprzak is the Associate Director
for Evaluation of the National Early Childhood Technical Assistance
Center (NECTAC) and TA Specialist for the Early Childhood
Outcome (ECO) Center. Both projects are housed at the Frank Porter
Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North
Carolina, one of the nation’s oldest multidisciplinary institutes for
the study of young children and their families. Ms. Kasprzak has
more than 12 years experience providing technical assistance in the
area of evaluation and accountability to state and local programs for
young children with disabilities and their families.
About the Presenter: Robin Rooney is a Technical Assistance
Specialist with the National Early Childhood Technical Assistance
Center (NECTAC) and the Early Childhood Outcome (ECO) Center.
Dr. Rooney has 20 years of experience working with state and local
programs for young children with disabilities and their families.
Prior to her work with state and local systems, she provided speech
and language services for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with
disabilities.
This session is appropriate for Part C early intervention and Part B
early childhood special education providers
Sponsor: Infant Toddler Early Intervention Program
Click here for Session Handout
Pre05 Babies, Brains and Relationships: Addressing the Social-
Emotional and Mental Health Needs of Infants and Toddlers in
your Daily Work, presented by Sheri L. Hill, Ph.D.
The goal of this multi-media session is to provide participants
with an introduction to the basics of infant mental health and how
you can begin to meet the social-emotional needs of infants and
toddlers. The session will begin with a review of the latest research
on early relationships, their impact on brain development and what
babies remember. Very early childhood is a period of both great
opportunity and great risk. Together we will explore the impact of
early childhood stress and trauma on the developing young child’s
body, brain and social-emotional well-being, both in the short and
long term.
Fortunately, we now know there is much we can do to support
positive social-emotional development and mental health and
wellbeing in very young children. Techniques and approaches for
addressing these needs in a variety of settings will be reviewed. This
portion of the workshop will be highly interdisciplinary in nature and
provide suggestions for all individuals working with young children
whether they are parents, early intervention providers, mental health
providers, home visitors, child care providers, medical providers,
program administrators or child welfare personnel.
Finally, participants will be provided with an extensive set of
resources to help them in their daily work.
About the Presenter: Sheri L. Hill, Ph.D., is an Early Childhood
Policy Specialist consulting on a variety of issues from an infant
mental health perspective. She is a ZERO TO THREE Leader for
the 21st Century Graduate Fellow and a highly respected trainer
locally, nationally, and internationally. Dr. Hill was formerly Faculty
Lead on Policy for the University of Washington’s Center on Infant
Mental Health and Development in the School of Nursing; and
Assistant Director of Washington Kids Count in the Evans School
of Public Affairs. Prior to moving into policy and system change,
she worked for over a decade as a Speech-Language Pathologist
and still maintains her Certificate of Clinical Competence with the
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Dr. Hill holds a Ph.D. from the University of Washington in
Developmental Psychology, and a Graduate Certificate in Infant
Mental Health from the University of Washington, School of
Nursing.
Sponsor: Infant Toddler Early Intervention Program
(ITEIP)
Click here for Session Handout
Pre06 Promoting Positive Behavior in Young Children,
presented by Carol A. Davis, Ed. D., University of Washington
with Jeremy Erickson, M.Ed., and Annie McLaughlin, Ph.C.
Many young children with and without disabilities demonstrate
behaviors that interventionists, teachers, family members, and
other service providers find challenging; and often times result in
frustration, stress, and isolation for the child, caregiver, and family.
To effectively address such problem behaviors, it is crucial that
families and interventionists work together as a team to find solutions
that really work for all members of the team. In this workshop,
interventionists and families will learn a team process using the
principles of positive behavior support to address commonly
reported challenging behaviors that arise in all settings.
Participants will learn why it is important to identify the function
of a challenging behavior before implementing an intervention
plan.
Participants will also learn about child centered assessment
procedures that will assist in identifying the function of a challenging
behavior. Participants will learn about a variety of proactive,
educative, and reinforcement-based teaching strategies that are
proven to promote positive behaviors in young children.
About the Presenters: Carol Ann Davis Ed.D., is an Associate
Professor in Special Education at the University of Washington. Her
research and professional development activities focus on children
with low-incidence disabilities and those with seriously challenging
behaviors. Jeremy Erickson M.Ed., and Annie McLaughlin Ph.C.,
are doctoral students at the University of Washington.
Sponsor: Haring Center for Applied Research & Training in
Education
Pre07 The Motor Continuum. Brain Development and
Cognitive Processing from Infant Reflexes to Walking
Presented by Christine Roberts, BFA, CEO and Founder,
Nurturing Pathways
Spend the day delving into the motor continuum that starts with
reflexes in utero and progresses to walking. Learn how each
developmental milestone plays a role in brain growth. Physical
development can impact attention, sensory processing, learning,
social interactions, fine motor control, and behavior. Reflexes
intended to initiate motor skills should be inhibited as children
mature. For some children these reflexes continue to persist into
early childhood and beyond and hinder their attention, posture,
and fine motor skills. Learn how each pattern plays a role in brain
maturation and activities you can do to inhibit reflexes and complete
the basic motor patterns. Maturing reflexes and completing basic
neurological patterns can be accomplished with fun movement
and dance activities that use nursery rhymes, chants, obstacle
courses, a variety of sensory props, as well as engaging music. The
developmental benefits are significant and can impact a variety of
issues such as ADHD, sensory processing disorders, behavioral
challenges, fine motor difficulties, and motor planning problems.
Participants will understand the motor progression from reflexes
to walking and how each motor milestone plays a role in cognitive
development; learn movement activities that are fun and engaging
for young children, that mature reflexes and stimulate the basic
neurological patterns; and learn movement and dance activities for
the whole family. Participants should wear comfortable clothing
and come prepared to move.
About the Presenter: Christine Roberts is the Founder of Nurturing
Pathways®, Inc; an early childhood creative dance program that uses
dance to develop the whole child. She presents nationally and locally
for a variety of audiences and shares from her 25 years of experience
teaching dance on the benefits of movement for the developing
mind. Christine licenses instructors in Nurturing Pathways® Program
nationally and internationally, annually in Seattle, WA.
Pre08 Observation, Individualization, and Socialization for Early Head
Start, presented by Meagan Anderson-Pira, Head Start T/TA Office of
Washington
This session is designed specifically for Early Head Start staff and will be a
hands-on, fun training with lots of activities to support learning and interaction.
You will learn and use several observation techniques. Participants will
practice observing infants and toddlers on video tape. We will explore how
to make and use observations in classroom and home visits. Participants
will then explore data needed to individualize for children, incorporate data
and observation to write plans for both infants/ toddlers for home visits,
classrooms, and socializations. The Head Start Performance Standards
regarding socializations will be shared. We will discuss common challenges
and solutions as well as use the observation data, the individualized plans to
plan socializations.
About the Presenter: Meagan Anderson-Pira has spent the last ten years
working in and with Head Start and Early Head Start Programs. She served
as the Program Manager for an EHS program in Washington before joining
the Region X Training and Technical Assistance team as a generalist five
years ago. She is currently the Infant/Toddler Specialist for the Washington
State-based TA Office. She holds a Master’s Degree in Psychology from
Western Washington University as well as a BA in Psychology with an
Emphasis on Women and Children from Fairhaven College. She enjoys
cooking, traveling and being a parent to 18 month old Myles.
Sponsor: Head Start T/TA Office of Washington
Pre09 CLASS Observation Training, presented by Annette
Dieker, Head Start T/TA Office of Washington
This two-day training session is designed specifically for Head Start
staff and will build an in-depth understanding of the Classroom
Assessment Scoring System (CLASS). Participants will learn to
accurately observe and code teacher child interactions utilizing
the CLASS tool. Explicit instructions and guided practice using
authentic classroom videos helps those attending prepare to take
and pass the CLASS reliability test following this event. Those who
do so are certified to use the CLASS for one year. This training is
directed at those who supervise, mentor, and train teachers in Head
Start classrooms. Note: this session is limited to the first 20 Head
Start staff who register. You will be contacted by the presenter
and sent materials prior to the training in order to complete pre-
training assignments.
About the Presenter: Annette Dieker currently works as a Head
Start Specialist for the Head Start T/TA Office of Washington.
Prior to joining the T/TA office, Annette worked for the Washington
State Department of Early Learning as an ECEAP Program
Specialist. She has held several positions over the last 16 years in
Head Start/Early Head Start programs including Teacher, Education
Supervisor, ECEAP Coordinator, and Child Development Services
Manager.
Sponsor: Head Start T/TA Office of Washington
Click here for Session Handouts
Pre10 Issues and Trends/Instructional Strategies in Early
Childhood Special Education: Effective Services for
Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Blending
Approaches to Meet Individual Needs, presented by Ilene
Schwartz, Katie Swanburg and Shane Herriott
The purpose of this class is to provide participants with an overview
of autism and pervasive developmental delay, and strategies
that are effective with young children with these diagnoses. An
emphasis of this class will be to blend the strengths of different
evidence-based approaches to create programs that are effective
and appropriate for young children. Issues that will be addressed in
this class include: functional assessment and evaluation strategies;
curricular issues; instructional strategies; the role of typical peers
in programs for children with autism; and strategies to program for
the generalization of behavior change.
About the Presenter: Ilene S. Schwartz, Ph.D., is a professor at
the University of Washington in the area of special education. Dr.
Schwartz has an extensive background working with young children
with special needs, especially with young children with autism and
other disabilities. She is the Chair of Special Education and the
Director of the Haring Center where she maintains an active line
of research and personnel preparation activities.
About the Presenter: Katie Swanburg, M.Ed., teacher in the Lake
Washington School District, and Shane Herriott, M.Ed., doctoral
student at the University of Washington.
Sponsor: Haring Center for Applied Research & Training in
Education
Pre11 Love the Beat, presented by Tessa Grigg and Brian
Ringrose, Early Childhood Educators, Christchurch, New
Zealand
This internationally acclaimed team will offer an interactive
workshop packed full of ideas and concepts relating to the use of
music and movement as a tool to encourage physical, language and
cognitive skills with children 18 months to 5 years.
Research shows that children who move effectively find it easier to
master other skills and the early years are the best time to develop
physical skills. Music is an excellent medium, because fun and
enjoyment make the learning even easier. A variety of dances, action
songs, rhythm games and the theory behind the development of
these activities will be presented. It is then easy to look at what is
already being used in the Early Childhood setting and introduce new
material, adjust existing material to give an extended experience or
continue to use the existing material with a greater understanding
of the skills that are being established through the mastery of the
song or activity.
About the Presenter: Tessa Grigg has wide ranging experience
within the Early Childhood Education sector. She has taught at
primary school level; supervised a pre-school with specialist work
in the sensory motor area; worked as a Child and Family Therapist;
taught Nanny students and owned and operated a GymbaROO
centre for 9 years. She uses Brain Gym in a variety of settings and
practices Touch For Health with children and adults. Tessa’s 20 plus
years experience in teaching pre-school children is strengthened
by the diversity of settings she has worked in. Each setting has
provided a wealth of hands-on information about what works with
children that has been crucial in developing material for Tessarose
Productions.
GymbaROO is a movement and music based program originating
in, and franchised from Australia. Through her experience with
GymbaROO Tessa has been able to test drive much of the material
recorded by Tessarose while being continually reminded that pre-
school children need access to high quality music experiences.
It became apparent to her that much of the commercial music
available was at much too fast a pace for young children to join in
with, reinforcing the need to produce suitable music for children
in group settings.
About the Presenter: Brian Ringrose has had over thirty years
experience in the music business, both in the recording industry
and as a performing artist. He has performed both nationally and
internationally and was part of the original Invaders Band that
played with Ray Columbus. Brian has worked for television (a
fifteen year involvement) and continues to play to live audiences on
a regular basis while working in his recording studio by day. Music
produced by Brian has been sold internationally with feedback that
recognizes his versatility and creative abilities. His expertise and
abilities in musical arrangements that capture the mood and paint
audio pictures are features of the CDs that Tessarose Productions
produces. The arrangements are varied and interesting to children
while being pleasing for adults to listen to. This has been an
important objective in the production of the Tessarose music -
happy children and happy adults. Brian also creatively employs
appropriate sound effects to enhance the music.
Click here for Session Handouts
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