Special Educator Resources for Early Childhood Special Education
The new standards define what EI/ECSE candidates need to know and be able to do at the completion of their initial educator preparation programs.
Activities to Demonstrate the Standards
Arizona Department of Education Early Childhood Special Education Certification
Evidence Based Practices: Where to Find Them
Early Childhood Behavior Management: Developing and Teaching Rules
Fostering Social Emotional Skills in Early Childhood
Promoting Social Emotional Competence Training Modules
Peer Mediated Instruction and Intervention Module
Webinar: Promoting Language via Oral Storytelling
National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations
Checklists of Practice Improvement Tools
Early childhood is a time for learning, exploration, and play. When children have the opportunity to engage with typically developing peers their learning is greatly enhanced. In fact "high quality inclusive settings are the only environments wth data consistently supporting children's superior learning AND non-inclusive environments have been shown to negatively impact children's learning." -Phil Strain, Director of the Pele Center (2016)
Continuum of Alternative Placements: IDEA Regulation
Least Restrictive Environment Categories
A Guide for Making Program Services and LRE Decisions for IEP Teams
Naturalistic Approaches and Embedded Instruction
Indicators and Elements of High Quality Inclusion
Local District Preschool Inclusion Self-Assessment
Check out the Events Page for Early Childhood Special Education
Webinars: Screening with ASQ
IRIS Center Modules of Professional Development
Itinerant Model of Early Childhood Special Education
Exceptional Student Services Training Module on SDI
IDEA Regulations on Specially Designed Instruction
Arizona Early Childhood Special Education Disability: Eligibility Criteria
Disability Specific Information
Early Hearing Detection Intervention (EHDI)
Team Based Early Intervention System: Supporting Families
Video: Early Intervention Overview
Definition of Related Services: IDEA
Examples of Related Services
Examples of AT in Early Childhood
Ensuring all children have meaningful opportunities to learn is key to achieving positive child outcomes. The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework can help teachers, parents and related service providers develop lessons with meaningful, accessible, and challenging learning opportunities.
CAST: UDL Guidelines
Article: Integrating Principles of Universal Design Into the Early Childhood Curriculum by Laurie A. Dinnebeil, Mary Boat, Youlmi Bae (2013).
UDL Lesson Plan template: Step-by-Step Planner
States are required to report on three child outcomes for preschool to the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and as a result, schools are required to report child outcomes data on every child identified as having a disability that has an IEP. Arizona currently uses Teaching Strategies Gold to measure the performance of preschool children with disabilities and report child outcomes. Beginning July 1, 2023, the ADE will no longer require PEAs to use a single tool to report child outcomes. Schools may conduct the Child Outcomes Summary (COS) Process using district-selected methods and tools or continue to use Teaching Strategies Gold. If a PEA decides to adopt a different methodology, training for staff on the new procedures is available through the Arizona Professional Learning and Development(APLD) platform. An overview of the COS process was presented at the Special Education Professionals Check in on March 16, 2023. The process used must result in reliable and timely data submissions. The Child Outcomes Scores must reflect the IEP team's view of the child's performance upon entry to the program and at their exit. The following resources explain the process and the professional development activities to prepare school teams to conduct Child Outcomes Summary ratings.
The Child Outcomes Summary Process Overview
Professional Development for the Child Outcomes Summary Process
Page revised 06/25/2024
