www.inclusivechildcare.org || Concordia University, College of Education
Cindy Croft, Director || croft@csp.edu || 651.603.6265
Newsletter main page
CICC E-News, Issue #4. March-April 2008
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Announcing the Center for Inclusive Child Care’s 4th Annual Inclusion Institute:
Together We Can! "Learning to Play"
When: Saturday, June 28, 2008
Time: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Where: Concordia University, St. Paul, MN
Keynote: Sue Baldwin
Sessions include many disability and inclusion topics for child care, educators, parents, and anyone working with young children. There are a limited number of scholarships for parents of children with special needs on a first-come, first-served basis. There will also be a Somali-language track. Please call (612) 767-5159 for more information.
Registration form and information .
The Center for Inclusive Child Care’s Training of Trainer Courses
The Center for Inclusive Child Care (CICC) is pleased to announce the Summer/Fall schedule for Training of Trainer Courses offered online at www.inclusivechildcare.org.
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Cindy Croft, Director || croft@csp.edu || 651.603.6265
Five different courses are being offered and taught by CICC field faculty in core disability topic areas. These courses will give participants the skills and curriculum needed to train these materials in face-to-face workshops, conferences or as online courses. Participants are certified upon course completion by the Center for Inclusive Child Care and listed on the CICC online Training Registry.
Course descriptions and application form. (PDF format) You can also contact Cindy Croft at croft@csp.edu for more information.
Somali DVD on Inclusion and Early Intervention - available now
The Center for Inclusive Child Care at Concordia University is pleased to announce the release of HIIL NAAFO, A Call to Inclusion. This 2-hour DVD, produced by and for the Somali community, addresses developmental milestones for children and red flags for developmental delays as well as covers the topics of early identification and early intervention. This DVD also contains interviews with Somali parents of children who have special needs, child care providers, and an interview with a Somali physician. It is spoken entirely in Somali. It is a useful tool for training, information, and outreach in the Somali community. A resource CD is also included in the package that contains an English script of the DVD, a handout on tips for using the DVD, and other important resources. Sample clips and purchase information.
Newly Designated Autism Awareness Month (April) Demands Year Round Attention
In order to highlight the growing need for awareness about autism, April has been designated as National Autism Awareness Month.
continued on next pagewww.inclusivechildcare.org || Concordia University, College of Education
Cindy Croft, Director || croft@csp.edu || 651.603.6265
Fraser© has partnered with Governor Tim Pawlenty to proclaim April as Autism Awareness Month in the State of Minnesota. The state proclamation coincides with the national effort to gain visibility for our country’s fastest growing developmental disability. Autism spectrum disorders now affect 1 in 150 children. Autism is more common than juvenile diabetes, childhood cancer, and AIDS combined. Every 20 minutes another child is diagnosed with autism.
Fraser Supports Autism Awareness is an informational handout that explains Autism month and serves as a good "one sheet" resource.
Changing the Look of Autism: A Fraser Conference on Autism
When: Thursday, June 26, 2008
Time: 8:00 a.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Location: Holiday Inn Select, Bloomington MN
- Play to Talk: Strategies for Social Communication
- TEACCH: The Structured Teaching Approach to Working with Children with Autism
- Promoting Positive Behaviors: Inclusive Strategies for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Recreation Activities - Tips for Trips and Summer Fun: Planning Recreational Activities for Kids on the Autism Spectrum
- Apraxia: A Piece of the Communication Puzzle and much more.
Visit www.fraser.org/seminars for registration details.
The Center for Inclusive Child Care (CICC) Resources for Autism
- In the CICC Learning Center
- Info Modules:
- The First Signs: Red Flags and Referral
- What is Autism?
- Asperger’s Syndrome: Diagnosis and Strategies
- Nonverbal Learning Disorder
- Self-Study Courses:
- Asperger’s Syndrome: Characteristics and Supporting Success
- Autism: Including Children with Social, Communication, and Behavioral Needs
- Sensory Processing Disorder
- In the Resources section of the CICC website
- View by Category: Autism Spectrum Disorder
- In the CICC Market Place
- Children and Challenging Behavior: Making Inclusion Work, Volumes 1 and 2
- Infant/Toddler, Preschool, and School Age Kids Sensory Bags
- Sensory Booklet
- Supplemental: Sensory Processing Disorder – narrative
- Supplemental: Sensory Processing Disorder Workshop (Training Activities)
- Developmental Brochure
continued on next page
www.inclusivechildcare.org || Concordia University, College of Education
Cindy Croft, Director || croft@csp.edu || 651.603.6265
And more…
Xog ku saabsan Owtisam (Autism)
Autism; a short article for the Somali parents and providers: an overview of the autism disorder, symptoms, role of the parent, role of early intervention and further references and resources.
Sannad walba waxa Bisha Abril loo qoondeeyay in wacyi galin cudurka Owtisamka la sameeyo Waxaan halkan kaga faa’iideysanaynaa bishan si aynu uga jahli baxno cudurkan sare ku xusan, una barano. Read the full article. (akhri qoraalka oo dhan)
Vaccine-Autism Question Divides Parents, Scientists
from CNN.com/health accessed on April 4, 2008, written by By David S. Martin.
Dr. Paul Offit, chief of infectious diseases at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, says the connection between vaccines and autism is nothing more than a sad coincidence.
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Cindy Croft, Director || croft@csp.edu || 651.603.6265
"About 20 percent of children with autism will regress between their first and second birthday," says Offit. "So statistically, it will have to happen where some children will get a vaccine. They will have been fine. They will get the vaccine, and they will not be fine anymore. And I think parents can reasonably ask the question, 'Is it the vaccine that did this?'"
The answer is no, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and the Institute of Medicine. In reaching its conclusion, the Institute of Medicine pointed to five large studies finding no link between autism and the preservative thimerosal, which contains mercury, and 14 large studies finding no link between the MMR vaccine and autism. Childhood vaccines no longer contain thimerosal, though it remains in some flu shots.
The studies compared autism rates among populations of children who did and did not receive the MMR vaccines, and among those who did and did not receive vaccines containing thimerosal.
"It's been asked and answered: Vaccines don't cause autism," Offit says. Read the full article.
Girls and Autism
Have you ever wondered why when we talk about autism we most often think of boys?
The answer is simple and yet complex. The simple answer is that most research into autism has involved boys because there appear to be more boys with autism. The more complex answer is that many experts believe that girls with autism have been underdiagnosed and this has made it difficult to gather a sample of girls with autism large enough to conduct studies from which researchers can draw valid conclusions. Read the full article.
A Parent’s Journey in Seeking Help for her Child
Read the story of how a parent’s motivation to find success, for her child who has autism, has inspired her to become an advocate and mentor. This parent has discovered how to build on successes instead of the negatives. See how she continues on this journey and learn what she wants all educators to share with parents each day.
www.inclusivechildcare.org || Concordia University, College of Education
Cindy Croft, Director || croft@csp.edu || 651.603.6265
Three New Preschool Resources
Implementing Policies to Reduce the Likelihood of Preschool Expulsion
A new policy brief, Implementing Policies to Reduce the Likelihood of Preschool Expulsion by Walter S. Gilliam, examines factors associated with expulsion from prekindergarten. The author specifically addresses those factors that may inform changes in policy that can be both implemented and regulated. It is available online at: http://www.fcd-us.org/resources/resources_show.htm?doc_id=636702. This policy brief is a follow-up to the 2005 study Prekindergartners Left Behind: Expulsion Rates in State Prekindergarten Programs, which looked at expulsion rates by program setting, gender, race/ethnicity, and state.
Challenging Behaviors and the Role of Preschool Education
Is there a rise in challenging behaviors among young children in early care and education? Is preschool a contributing factor or can it provide positive experiences that can reduce the rates of challenging behaviors? What about quality? In this NIEER policy brief, authors Lisa A. McCabe and Ellen C. Frede review the research in order to answer these questions and make recommendations that can lead to better behavioral outcomes. The policy brief is available at: http://nieer.org/resources/policybriefs/16.pdf.
Preschoolers Benefit from Mental Health Screening
A new study from the FPG Child Development Institute demonstrates that preschoolers can benefit by a simple and inexpensive mental health screening process designed to flag potential signs of more serious problems. A summary of the findings are available at: http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap50.pdf