Teaming for Early Childhood Inclusion
Project Description:
This project is funded by the Arkansas Deaprtment of Education, Office of Early Childhood, to facilitate quality inclusion for children with developmental disabilities in the early care and education system.
The overall goal of the Teaming for Early Childhood Inclusion (TECI) contract is to provide early childhood professionals with quality training, coaching, and resources to enable successful inclusion of children with disabilities. This goal is accomplished through a series of objectives focusing on increasing the knowledge and capacity of early childhood professionals to successfully include children with disabilities; providing information on the benefits of inclusion to key stakeholders, including parents; and developing a network of "disability specialists" within the childcare aware network to expand the provision of training and technical assistance in this space.
HIstorically in Arkansas many children with disabilities have been served in segregated, Medicaid-funded clinics called Early Intervention Day Treatment sites (EIDTs). This model utilizes a medical model of providing physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, and applied behavior analysis treatment. This service includes no-cost child-care for families which creates a financial incentive for these "specialized services". This system has existed for many decades and many parents and referring physicians who are unfamiliar with the research on inclusion continue to choose this option.
The TECI project was developed to offer information on the research supporting inclusion, the position statement issued by the federal department of education and health and human services that sets forth thier expectation of inclusion for ALL young children. TECI staff provide technical assistance and training for parents, medical professionals and early care and education sites to support them to include children with diabilities alongside thier peers.
Keyword(s):
Mental/Behavioral Health – Autism, Developmental Disabilities, Early Childhood – General, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Preventive Services
Core Function(s):
Developing & Disseminating Information
Area of Emphasis
Education & Early Intervention
Target Audience:
Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, Children/Adolescents with Disabilities/SHCN, Legislators/Policy Makers
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Limited English, Geographic Areas, Rural/Remote
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
State
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
