
At IEL, we have updated our language to reflect our continued understanding of disability. This uses the term “special needs,” but the content remains relevant.
This resource list contains links to information about early childhood special education and inclusive childcare for children ages 3-5 years old.
IEL Resources
- Tip Sheets:
- Let’s Talk About … Young Children with Disabilities and Their Families
- Project Approach: Including Every Child
- Special Education Assessment for Preschool-Aged Children: Participating in the Assessment
- Special Education Assessment for Preschool-Aged Children: Referral and Getting Started
- Special Education Assessment for Preschool-Aged Children: Reviewing Results and Next Steps
- Resource List: Supporting Children with Autism in Child Care and at Home
- Q&A: Finding Help for Young Children with Special Needs
- Blogs:
- Podcasts:
Web Resources
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About Specific Disabilities
(also in Spanish)Source: Center for Parent Information and Resources
This provides links to brief, but detailed fact sheets on specific disabilities. Each fact sheet defines the disability, describes its characteristics, offers tips for parents and teachers, and connects readers with related information and organizations with special expertise in that disability.
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Disability Guides
Source: Head Start Center for Inclusion
These guides provide an overview of specific developmental disabilities, along with tips for early childhood educators as they set out to support children with disabilities.
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Early Childhood Inclusion Position Paper
Source: Division for Early Childhood (DEC)
This position statement defines inclusion for young children, delves into the three defining features of inclusion: access, participation, and supports; and gives recommendations for using this statement to improve early childhood services.
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Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE)
Source: Illinois State Board of Education
Early childhood special education services for children, three through five years of age and their families in Illinois, are provided through local school districts and special education cooperatives. This website provides general special education resources, child find resources, and family resources.
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Every Child Belongs: Welcoming a Child with a Disability
Source: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
This article offers concrete suggestions and ways of thinking about children with disabilities in early childhood classrooms.
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Foundations of Inclusion
Source: Connect Modules & Division for Early Childhood
This free online course introduces the basics of inclusion and the rights and supports for children and teachers in early childhood education by defining inclusion and describing recent research findings related to inclusion, understanding the legislation related to inclusion, and identifying three actions teachers can take.
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Getting Kids Involved: Creating Opportunities for Learning
Source: Puckett Institute
This 12-minute video introduces and illustrates many ways that adaptations can be used to promote the active participation of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers in everyday literacy activities. Examples of adaptations in home and classroom environments, activities, materials, and/or instructions are provided.
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High-Quality Preschool Inclusion: A Few Basics to Help Get You Started
Source: Brookes Publishing
This article, geared towards early childhood program leaders, answers 13 frequently asked questions about preschool inclusion from the benefits of inclusion to the potential roadblocks a program may encounter.
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How to Talk With Parents about their Child’s Development: Watch Me! Celebrating Milestones and Sharing Concerns
(also in Spanish)Source: Centers on Disease Control (CDC)
Early care and education providers play a critical role in the health and wellbeing of children and are well positioned to help identify children who might need extra help in their development. This free online training course provides tools and best practices for monitoring the development of children in their care and talking about it with their parents.
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Indicators of High-Quality Inclusion
Source: ECTA Center
These four sets of indicators were designed by a group of national partners to support state leaders, local administrators, and front-line personnel in the early care and education system providing programs and services to children ages birth through five and their families.
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Individuality and Inclusion: DAP Podcast Series
Source: StarNet
Listen to this episode to hear from Talin Tokat, Inclusion Specialist with Early CHOICES, about how the DAP core consideration of individuality supports her work on inclusion in Illinois.
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Parent Information Videos/Training
Source: PACER Center
This provides resources and videos for parents regarding talking with school staff, information regarding special education (multi-lingual), attending an IEP meeting, preparing for evaluation and receiving results, organizing records and assistive technology.
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Peer Support for Children with Special Needs
Source: Extension Alliance for Better Child Care
This short article includes concrete suggestions for fostering positive relationships between children with disabilities and their typically-developing peers.
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The Power of Inclusion: What to Expect When your Preschooler Attends an Inclusive Preschool Program
Source: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
This article explains to families what inclusive preschool programs look like for young children with and without disabilities. The article lists several benefits of inclusion and children’s rights to education.
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The Pyramid Model for Promoting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children
Source: National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations (NCPMI)
The Pyramid Model is a conceptual framework of evidence-based practices for promoting young children’s healthy social and emotional development. The Pyramid Model provides guidance for early childhood special education personnel, early intervention personnel, and early educators.
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Special Quest Preschool Inclusion Series
Source: Head Start ECLKC
The Preschool Inclusion Series of the SpecialQuest Multimedia Training Library focuses on several aspects of including preschool-age children who have disabilities in programs and settings with their typically developing peers. This series contains four videos. The first provides an overview of the benefits and rationale for inclusion, as well as what makes inclusion work. Two additional videos each feature a story about the successful inclusion of a child. The fourth video provides practical and concrete strategies for making the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process collaborative and focused on inclusion.
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STAR NET
Illinois STAR NET provides a variety of opportunities for personal and professional growth for those who touch the lives of young children, ages birth through eight, with an emphasis on children with special needs. STAR NET supports family-centered, researched and effective practices in early childhood education and care.
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Supporting Children Who Do Not Qualify for the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA)
Source: Head Start ECLKC
This webinar, developed for Head Start, includes suggestions early childhood professionals in other settings can adapt to their work with children who may have disabilities but are not eligible for IDEA-related services.
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Understanding Inclusion
(also in Spanish)Source: Early Choices
The Understanding Inclusion series contains six online modules that explore key ideas about inclusion in early childhood. The series covers a range of topics including defining inclusion, to understanding the benefits of inclusion, and advocating for inclusion. Developed for families with family input, it is also meaningful and useful for practitioners working with families who have children from birth to 5.
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What is Inclusive Child Care?
Source: Extension Alliance for Better Child Care
This article explains how child care can be an ideal setting for children with and without disabilities and delays. The article focuses on the benefits of inclusive child care, the role of the teacher, and strategies for planning for successful inclusion. It also provides links to additional resources.