Speech-Language Pathologists’ Importance in Early Childhood Special

Education: Creating Supportive Learning Environments for Young Children with

Disabilities – Part 1

Jane Minnema, Ph.D., SLP-CCCSt Cloud State University

jeminnema@stcloudstate.edu320-308-3969

Preface to Part 1

Who I am … and where I’ve been

Who you are … and where you’ve been

What we “know” from daily professional experiences … to a much deeper understanding of the field of ECSE

Jane’s approach to adult learning

Session Outcomes – Part 2 What I hope for:

I. Understanding EBP per ASHA and DEC

II. Pondering current research findings for dual or multiple language learners What I wish I knew when teaching!

III. The importance of SLPs for setting the ECSE learning environments!

Session Outcomes What I hope for:

Realizing our different ways of thinking about children and families

Re-thinking service delivery within ECSE learning environments

A deeper understanding of ECSE practices, settings, and the importance of the SLP

Why is this important to me? Many, many years invested in our field!

Always hoped to make a difference …

But now … a Grammy!

Ethan Isaiah, 7 moAt 18 mo – Delayed language skills

Young Children Attend Variety of Learning Environments

Various settings in which young children w/ disabilities receive services: Early Intervention – Birth to 3 years

Family Home Visiting Programs Child Care Programs*

Early Childhood Special Education – 3 to 7 years Secluded multi-categorical ECSE preschool* Inclusive preschool programs* Head Start* Child Care Programs** Our focus today

Starting with Definitions Supportive learning environments – those

“natural” instructional delivery settings in which young children progress toward age appropriate developmental outcomes Natural – young children with disabilities attend

EC programs with same aged peers Instructional delivery – service provision per

IFSPs or IEPs Developmental outcomes – acknowledges

uniqueness of sequence, rate, and proficiency

I am most privileged to observe …

Many wonderful program models that deliver high-quality services

Highly proficient ECSE service providers, SLPs, and other IFSP/IEP team members

For that, I am grateful!

On the surface … IFSP and IEP education teams are providing

effective, high-quality services Many models across MN in which SLPs

provide services Seems simple … without much for us to

learn?! But, let’s look more closely at various issues(Information that I wish I knew when I was teaching!)

How did Ethan develop?

Ethan, 12 mo Delayed language comprehension Delayed babbling w/ no jargoning Walking – quickly!

Ethan, 3 yr, 11 mo Delayed language development Phonological delay Riding bicycle – no training wheels!!!

Why would my son deny services?

Ethan, age 4 yr Expressive language delay Phonological delay Cluttering (??) Attending Montesorri Preschool(Beginning Kg curriculum)

Because ….

Older brother, Sean, born at 35 weeks Abbot Northwestern NICU, Level 2 Two weeksAttended Montesorri Preschool

Family looking for …

Natural milieu language stimulation Normal language peer modeling But, were offered –

Individualized therapy Table top activities w/ SLP in isolation Family involvement discouraged

Professional “Ways of Thinking”

ECSE/EC Pedagogy Applied CD

Professional ethics and standards + competencies + principles

Educational practices or Clinical practices

Theoretical underpinnings that guide decision-making about children and families

Approaches to intervention or teaching

Crossing Speech/Language Services, ECSE, and EC

ASHA: Knowledge & Skills per Topic

DEC: Recommended Practices

NAEYC: Developmentally

Appropriate Practices

Child

FamilyIntervention

Approaches to Service Delivery

Speech/Language: Clinical Service Delivery

to Remediate

ECSE: Educational Service Delivery to

Remediate

EC: Educational Programming to

Support Development

Child

FamilyIntervention

So … View of Children

Speech/Language: One Child

Communication

ECSE: Child w/in Family

5 Learning Domains

EC: Groups of ChildrenCurricular Content

Child

FamilyIntervention

Speech Language Service DeliveryMy “old” SLP Training

Assessment of child in isolation for diagnosis

Focused on communication only

Behavioral approach to speech/language remediation through IEP-based intervention

Pull out intervention in “broom closet”

Observed Today in ECSE Integrated SLP “therapy” Leading group activities

(e.g., Circle Time) Leading small group

activity (e.g., Center Time) Supporting child through

activity (e.g., augmentative communication device)

OR … my “old” SLP training???

ECSE Service DeliveryMy “old” ECSE Training

Assessment of child in isolation for diagnosis

Isolated learning domain focus Behavioral approach to

learning + free play Remediation through IEP-

based intervention Parent training Supported pull out intervention

in “broom closet”

Observed Today in ECSE Evaluation for eligibility Embedded learning

opportunities Family systems approach Adapted learning through IEP-

based intervention Parent partnerships Inclusive practice across all

domains of learning Or … “old” ECSE training???

EC ProgrammingMy “old” EC Observations

Some children attend (missing ELLs, children living in poverty except Head Start, children w/ disabilities)

Considered all learning domains

Understood play’s importance Assessment not present Parent training – if considered Supported pull out intervention

in “broom closet”

EC Pre-Service Training ‘11 More children included! Holistic view of children

(integrated learning domains) Advocate for social-emotional

importance w/ play-based learning

Assessment measures learning Parent collaborations Or … “old” EC format???

What can we say about these differences?

Cross-disciplinary practice impeded – communication, overlap or gaps in services, inefficient service delivery

Present different child assessment, functional, or developmental information to families

Can de-emphasizes the importance of play and social/emotional development of young children with and without disabilities

Other suggestions?

Audience Perceptions?!! In Pair Share:

What is new information?

Where do you agree?

Where do you disagree?

Where do you fall between the “old” and the “current?”

What can we take forward?

The BEST from each field:

SLP: Systematic, technical, supported skill development in specialized area

ECSE: Embedded learning practices EC: Holistic view of child with integration of

all learning domains

Where does this take us?

Blended PracticesBrown-Grisham, J., Hemmeter, M., & Pretti-Frontczak, K. (2005)

One current recommended approach for c reating authentic learning environments

Blend of ECSE + EC instructional practices Can we add SLP service delivery?

What are Blended Practices? ECSE primarily influenced by special

education – individualized approach to meet the unique needs of one child at a time

With the advent of inclusive practice … a movement toward blending EC & ECSE teaching and licensure pre-service training programs

How to blend SLP service delivery?

Think intentionally about authentic learning environment by analyzing the important critical elements

Determine communicative critical skill(s) from speech/language instructional objectives

Embed these critical skills into the daily preschool routine

In other words, let’s take a step forward from integrated speech/language service delivery!

Integrated Therapy “Integrated therapy is the coordination of therapies

or consultative special education within the ongoing routines of the classroom.  While the therapists are working with the child and classroom teachers in the classroom, those teachers have the opportunity to see what the therapist does with the child and implement those same strategies into the rest of the week when the therapist is not present.  When therapists and teachers work together to provide services and education to a child, the child benefits by receiving well-coordinated intervention.”

McWilliams, R. (1993)

Legal Aspects of Integrated Therapy EI/ECSE programs are required by law to offer a range of services. No

one approach to service delivery is appropriate for every child. · As used in this part, the term special education means specially designed

instruction, at no cost to the parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability, including (i) Instruction conducted in the classroom, in the home, in hospitals and institutions, and in other settings. (IDEA, Sec. 300.26)

· To the maximum extent appropriate to the needs of the child, early intervention services must be provided in natural environments, including the home and community settings in which children without disabilities participate. (IDEA, Sec. 303.12 (b)

Integrated Therapy … Meets continuum of educational needs

Isolating portion of classroom may be necessary (e.g., alternative feeding, articulation therapy)

Provides opportunities for consultative services “in real time”

Maximizes classroom routine-based learning (e.g., snack time, circle time, table top activity)

May be isolating for child – even within classroom activity

A deeper level of PracticeActivity-based Intervention

Activity-based intervention is defined as a "child-directed, transactional approach that embeds intervention on children's individual goals and objectives in routine, planned, or child-initiated activities, and uses logically occurring antecedents and consequences to develop functional and generative skills" (Bricker & Cripe, 1992).

Activity-based InterventionTerms Defined

The first key element of activity-based intervention (ABI) is based on the premise that activities and actions initiated by children are more likely to attract and hold a child's attention and as a result maintain their involvement. The term transactional refers to the child acting upon his or her environment and the social and physical environment responding in a reciprocal manner (Bricker & Carlson, 1980; Sameroff & Chandler, 1975). When an child reaches out to his parent and the parent responds by

smiling back and giving him a ball, the interaction is considered to be transactional. The child initiated the interaction and, because the adult responded in a positive manner the child will be more likely to make future social gestures.

Activity-based InterventionMore Terms Defined

The second element of ABI involves the embedding of training and intervention (addressing IFSP/IEP goals and objectives) within routine, planned, or child-initiated activities. Routine refers to those events that occur on a predictable or regular

basis. Planned activities are those which the adults in the environment

organize and prepare for the children's participation. Child-initiated activities are simply activities which the children

initiate on their own.

Important to Remember … The focus of ABI is not on the activity itself,

but rather on the opportunity for the child to practice target skills during ongoing activities throughout the classroom day.

Speech/language an EC/ECSE learning domain – element of developmental practice

Communicative target behaviors can be embedded in daily preschool instructional delivery to be meaningfully learning experiences for children

Blending Speech/Language Services w/ ABI

Advantages … Leave skills with teaching team Generative skills without targeted programming Service delivery in natural learning environment

Challenges … Time New practices – change! Others’ misperceptions

How to embed S/L targets into classroom learning environment Understand what the routine, planned, or

child-directed activitiesOR …

Think carefully about instructional and directional language used in the classroom

Meaningfully embed instructional objectives! By consulting, modeling, direct intervention

For example … Imitating a simple sentence, embed as:

At leave taking – T: “I wanna go home.” During Circle Time – T: “I’m gunna sing.” At Play Time – T: “I wanna play with Sophie.”

Completing a classification activity: During Art Time – T: “Can you find everything we use

for art?” Articulating /s/:

During Circle Time – Surprise Box of all “S” items

How would you apply ABI to your SLP practice?

Pair-Share or Multiple Share for application activity by: Think of a speech or language instructional

objective. Select – a) routine preschool activity, b) planned

preschool activity, or c) child-directed activity. How would you embed the instructional objective

(communicative target) into the preschool activity?

EBP – Where to Begin??! From a research perspective:

Sam Odom, Indiana University

“Teachers begin using a strategy exactly as it is proposed. As the teacher gains experience and collects information about the students’ performance, he or she may make modifications where needed.”

Remaining Questions …

Just like kittens … SLPs can accomplish anything NEW!

Where are the boys now?!