Vermont Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education Masters Program

2013

This project will enhance an existing program at the University of Vermont leading to a Masters in Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education and a State of Vermont certification. The project will support a total of 30-40 trainees over a 4-year period. The project will reflect a research to practice model of teaching and learning and will address the unique features of birth to five development, family determined intervention, and cultural diversity/refugee services. Implementation of this model will include an ?authentic community based learning? partnership with early childhood, early intervention and early childhood special education programs that are representative of immigrant and refugee communities in which young children who experience disabilities reside. The project is expected to: (a) increase the number of early interventionists and early childhood special educators who are competent to assume roles in providing special education services to young children who have disabilities who are refugees/immigrants; (b) support the needs of families from diverse backgrounds who have young children with disabilities; (c) recruit and retain trainees who represent a range of cultural, linguistic, and ability backgrounds; and (d) develop an innovative distance delivered program that will meet the needs of both in place professionals across the New England and other areas of the United States as well as rural Vermont practitioners. These graduates will have obtained the necessary skills and knowledge to provide leadership in shaping policy and programming decisions in the early intervention/early childhood special education programs in Vermont and beyond.

Training Trainees, Developing & Disseminating Information

Education & Early Intervention, Child Care-Related Activities

Students/Trainees (long or intermediate trainees)

Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Geographic Areas, Rural/Remote

State

Federal

N/A