Project Exceptional MN
from the Center for Inclusive Child Care
What is the Center
for Inclusive Child Care?
The Center for Inclusive Child
Care is a comprehensive resource network for promoting and supporting inclusive
early childhood and school-age programs and providers. This network provides
leadership, administrative support, training, and consultation to early care and
education providers, school-age care providers, parents, and the professionals
who support providers and parents of children with special needs.
What is Project
EXCEPTIONAL MN?
Project EXCEPTIONAL MN is the training and consultation branch of the Center for
Inclusive Child Care.
What does Project
EXCEPTIONAL training provide?
Project EXCEPTIONAL training provides activities and materials in workshops that
are designed for individuals who are interested in expanding their knowledge
about inclusion in early childhood and school-age settings. The training is
based on a set of core belief statements with a primary philosophy that all
children have a right to grow up, play, and live in their own communities.
Workshops are designed with activities to be experiential and strength-based.
For more information about
Project EXCEPTIONAL training (acrobat PDF). Children
and Challenging Behavior: Making Inclusion Work. Volumes 1 and 2 are now
available for sale through
Amazon.com.
Project EXCEPTIONAL Training is also provided in Spanish, Hmong, and Somali
languages.
Who is the training
for?
The training is for early childhood and school-age care professionals interested
in increasing their knowledge and awareness about the special needs of children
and how to include all children in their settings. The training is available
statewide in all regions of Minnesota for early childhood and school age
programs including, but not limited to, family childcare, childcare centers,
preschools, school districts, foster care providers, families, Head Start
programs, Early Childhood Special Education, and Early Childhood Family
Education. Training is offered for credit as well as inservice hours. Training
can be customized to fit a group's needs.
Study Results for Project
EXCEPTIONAL Training
Click here to view the Survey of
Participant Attitudes and Perceptions Pre- and Post-Training Class
Baseline for 5-Year Longitudinal Study
What does Project EXCEPTIONAL MN consultation provide?
Project EXCEPTIONAL MN’s Inclusion Consultation and Support Services provide
support to child care and school age card providers, enabling them to
successfully include and retain children with special needs and those with
challenging behaviors into their community child care programs. Services include
consultation, resources, research and referral support, observation, and staff
development.
What are the upcoming
projects?
- The Center for Inclusive Child Care is
developing a learning center with web friendly tutorials and self study
courses on many disability and inclusion topics. As that work develops, links
will be added to this site for easy access to on-line training opportunities.
- A partnership with Healthy Child Care
Minnesota enables the CICC to help providers address health related issues in
inclusion.
- The CICC offers an Inclusion Consultation
program. Inclusion Consultation as a support to childcare providers has been
developed and consultants have been trained across the state. This support, in
addition to training, is a successful model for support to inclusive child
care. The CICC is continuing to develop this model and design systems that
will offer financial support.
Project Exceptional Training Components
that are Available:
I: A Philosophical Framework for Inclusion
Who Will Care for Our Children?
A historical perspective of services for young children
with special needs.
Training activities include:
- A Look at the Facts
- Coming Together
- Just a Kid Like Me
More Alike than Different
Ability awareness and respect for diversity.
Training activities include:
- Getting to Know You
- Invisible Barriers
- Disability Perceptions
- Playing Along
- Selecting Children’s Books
Living with a Disability: The Family Perspective
Unique issues that families of children with
disabilities face when looking for care and
education options.
Training activities include:
- Do You See What I See?
- Changing Families
- Families More Alike
- Response to Loss: The Personal Perspective
- Family Tasks
Inclusion: Developmentally Appropriate Care for All Young
Children
Key concepts of integrated care – The role of the
caregiver in creating an environment
to enhance the optimal development of all children.
Training activities include:
- All Children: Making it Work
- Focus on the Children
- In the Middle
- Let’s Play
II: Building Skills & Understanding
Family Caregiver Partnerships
Important components of a successful parent-provider
relationship.
Training activities include:
- Building Blocks of Successful Relationships
- We Care
- Joining Forces
- Ensuring Confidentiality
- I Hear You. I See What You Mean.
- Family Concerns/ Family Focus
- Follow the Leader
When Concerns Arise: Identifying & Referring Children with
Exceptional Needs
How to identify a child with developmental concerns –
and assist parents in seeking
help when their child may need specialized services.
Training activities include:
- Accessing Assessment Services
- Assessment What’s, Why’s and How’s
- Sharpening Our Observation Skills
- Sharing Concerns with Families
- Working Together: Parents and Providers
Caregiving Strategies: Building Resilience in Children at Risk
Practical suggestions for providing positive and
nurturing care to children who may be at
risk.
Training activities include:
- Look and See
- Children at Risk
- Caregiving Strategies
- Positive Caregiving
III: Administrative & Specific Caregiving Considerations
Caring for Young Children with Physical Disabilities
Information to help providers better understand
children with physical disabilities and
tips for helping children participate in play and socialization activities.
Training activities include:
- Get it Square: Feeling Good about Asking for Help
- Learning about Motor Development
- Positioned for Play
- A Different Point of View
- Mealtime Magic
- Safe Lifting Techniques
Health and Safety Considerations: Caring for Young Children
with Exceptional Health
Care Needs
General health & safety and specialized health care
issues, including legal issues and
liability information.
Training activities include:
- Hand to Hand
- Infection Control in Childcare
- Hazards and Haphazards: Environmental Safety
Nuts and Bolts: Administrative Issues in Serving Children with Exceptional
Needs and
their Families
Administrative issues in serving children with
exceptional needs and their families.
Training activities include:
- That’s a Fact
- Children and the Law
- Who’s in the Know?
IV: Behavior Component
- Children’s Behavior: Where Do I Fit In?
Whether you’ve been in child care for one week or for
10 years, at some point you’ve had to deal with a behavior that disrupts your
daily routine. Join us for an interactive look at challenging behaviors, what
affects behavior and your role in working through behavior that disrupts your
day.
- It’s All About Environment
What does your environment say to children? Join us as
we look at how the physical and social environment affects children’s
behavior. Learn how to prevent and guide children’s behavior through hands on
activities.
V: A Look Inside: Physical, Social, and Emotional Development
- Observation is the Key to the Door:
Ever wonder why children do what they do? This
interactive training will give you a
chance to look at a child’s behavior from the “inside-out”. We will examine
temperament and development in relation to children’s behavior.
- Understanding the Function of Behavior
Have you ever thought: “They’re doing it on purpose”?
Join us to discover how through observation, we can see the clues children
give us to the purpose behind their behavior. Once we understand the purpose,
we can more effectively respond to children’s needs.
VI: Tools for Your Toolbox: Intervention Strategies for Children
with Challenging Behavior (Part I, II, III)
- Part I: Breaking the Code: Measuring Skills for Success
“If all you have is a hammer, then everything looks like a nail”. Bring your
mental
toolbox and fill it up with additional tools to work with children with
challenging
behaviors. We will be examining the skills children need for developing
problem solving
and conflict resolution.
- Part II: Sawing Through Your Day: The Magic of
Transitions
Have you ever noticed that the children with the most challenging behaviors
just seem
to fall apart during transitions? Join us as we examine the critical role that
transitions
play in your day. We will be building your transition skills through this
interactive,
hands-on workshop!
- Part III: Building a Plan that Works: A Blueprint
This class will help you put it all together and build the behavior blueprint
for success!
We will assist you in developing strategies for children that you spend time
with! You will leave with your own new set of tools.
VII: Navigating the Landscape of AD/HD: Understanding the Disability
and Effective Interventions
Have you ever wished you had a “map” to use when caring
for a child with Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD)? Join us in this interactive training as
we travel
in discovery of the myths and facts of AD/HD and successful strategies for
inclusion of
children with AD/HD.
E-mail me
if you would like more information about Project Exceptional, would
like to set up trainings, or for help in finding
educational opportunities in your area.
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