Issue XLI—June 2002

EVENTS IS A PUBLICATION OF THE WISCONSIN BIRTH TO 3 PERSONNEL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT WITH FUNDING FROM THE WISCONSIN BIRTH TO 3 PROGRAM, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY SERVICES, AND THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

In this issue:
Finding Our Way Welcome to New RESource Staff
WPDP: Using Technology and
Creating Partnership		 Head Start Embarks on Early Literacy Initiative
A New Angle on Child Find Identifying Depression in Children
Making Parent Connections Wisconsin Events Calendar (April-June)
Help and Opportunities for Parents National Trainings
What Are We Learning about the Birth to 3 Workforce?


An inclusive playgroup is a great way to help all kids expand their play and social skills. This preschool offers a "Dewdrops" group for children ages three and under two mornings a week. 

 Finding Our Way

Are all families with eligible children finding their way to the programs that can help them? In an ideal world, yes. But the reality is, we never know when we’re doing enough. Child find and screening is an ongoing process in Birth to 3 and early childhood programs.

This issue of Birth to 6 EVENTS showcases many of the original approaches and collaborative child find efforts Birth to 3 and early childhood programs are engaging in to make sure children and families find their way to services.
In coming issues, we will highlight programs which represent best practices in a variety of ways. This edition takes a peak at pictures of an inclusive playgroup which is helping to facilitate parent connections as well as meet the social goals for children as stated in the IFSP.

As always, EVENTS features current training events and new resources to help you in your daily work. We hope you find what you need!

 WPDP: Using Technology and Creating Partnership

Teleconferencing, the Internet and e-mail are expanding the Wisconsin Personnel Development Project and RESource’s ability to offer training and assistance to a broad audience. Whether you live in Hayward or Milwaukee, WPDP workshops will soon be more accessible to you.

In the next year, we will be developing web-based learning modules with links to related materials, as well as new approaches to using video conferencing and regional statewide trainings. Despite upcoming changes, you can still take advantage of a statewide Orientation to Best Practices and Service Coordination workshop this fall.

At a recent orientation workshop in Eau Claire, a veteran physical therapist said, “I learned so much, I wish I would’ve come to this a long time ago.” Trainings focused on orientation, IFSPs, service coordination or assessment strategies will remain the cornerstone of our offerings for both new and veteran providers.

In addition, WPDP is embarking on a new partnership with the Wisconsin Family Assistance Center for Education, Training and Support, Inc. (WI FACETS) which offers specialized training to parents. (See article below.) Look for news this fall on trainings and technical assistance available in your region.

Kids with typical development play alongside Birth to 3 participants while experienced educators and parents help facilitate the playgroup. The playgroup helps Birth to 3 children meet goals from their IFSP-including assisting parents in making those valuable connections. Highlights of the morning include the sensory table, story time, crafts.


 A New Angle on Child Find

By Lisa Pugh
Identifying, locating and evaluating all children with disabilities in the community can be a difficult task, especially with limited resources. However, for both state education agencies and Birth to 3 programs, it is the law.

In an effort to meet this challenge, some Wisconsin agencies are tapping into their creativity and collaborating with others to achieve astounding results. For Jackson County’s Birth to 3 program, there have been many revelations along the way.

“Before the task force, I would get 20 kids a year,” says Anita Leis, Jackson County’s Birth to 3 coordinator. “Now I’m up to 50 at any point and this year I expect 75 kids total. It’s wonderful.”
The task force Leis praises is a collaborative effort between her program, local school districts, the public health department, local doctors, nurses, hospital staff and Head Start programs – just to name a few. The task force has been meeting once every few months for about two years. Leis says she saw an impact on her program immediately.

“We share information and learn about each other’s programs and resources,” says Leis. “My referrals more than doubled from doctors.” Leis says her program also conducts health fairs and other more traditional child find activities, but this effort has been by far her greatest source of referrals. “We are now getting appropriate referrals.”
Wisconsin Birth to 3 Child Count

Wisconsin’s Birth to 3 programs are projected to serve approximately 2.5% of the zero to three population. In 2001, counties ranged from 0.8% to 6.3% with most programs falling somewhere in the middle.  

CHILDREN ENROLLED IN BIRTH TO 3 SERVICES
Children enrolled on12/01/01  Children enrolled on 12/01/00  Change  Expected at 2.5% % Of Birth to 3
population served 0n 12/01/01 
5,212  5,157  +55  5,086  2.56% 
 
Early Childhood Special Education Child Count
Early childhood programs do not adhere to a specific target percentage of children served,
however, they strive to meet the needs of the community. In 2001, the total number of children, ages 3-21, receiving special education services increased 1.35% over the previous year.
 CHILDREN AGES 3-5 ENROLLED IN SPECIAL EDUCATION
  Children enrolled on 12/01/01  Children enrolled on 12/01/00   Change    
14,574  14,383  +191 

An unintended result of this project has been the vast amount of information Leis and her colleagues receive about other community resources. “We learned about a toll-free number parents can call to find child care. We’ve also been able to bring diverse populations to the table.”

In Western Wisconsin, CESA 4 recently launched quite a different approach. By collaborating with school districts in the La Crosse area, the group took out a comprehensive, quarter-page ad in the La Crosse Tribune early this year.

“Our intent now is to update this ad annually and get it out before all child development days next year,” says Gaye Tylka, early education director for CESA 4.

The ad details information about child development and gives the names of contacts and other resource agencies. It also states the law regarding child find efforts and notes upcoming child development days events.
“Child find requires different approaches and this is one approach. You need a variety,” says Tylka. “It increases the chances you’ve identified all kids who may be in need of specialized services.”

The Western Wisconsin Child Development Days events themselves are a strong collaborative effort between schools and Birth to 3. All known parents of young children in the area are sent a letter – signed by both area agencies – stating that the programs are offering a “new, free service” and asking families to complete a
60-question screening survey.

Once parents send the survey back, depending on results, they are either told their child is “doing fine” or they’re invited for further screening at the event.

True to the original vision for Community Development Days – designed in CESA 10 a decade
ago – Western Wisconsin events showcase resources from the community – including WIC, Head Start, the public library and other health-related agencies.

“Parents can visit all community resources. There are areas where kids can play while a screener observes,” says Tylka. “If it’s determined there is a need, then Birth to 3 further screens the child and talks with the parent.”
In Dane County, the Connections Birth to 3 program also collaborates with area school districts on a regular basis. “We like to work together with the schools to support the idea that education starts at birth,” says
Deb Thies, program director for Connections.

Thies says her program has worked on child find efforts with 19 different districts within the county and currently supports screening events in five districts annually.

While the number of Birth to 3 referrals which are a direct result of these screening events is rather small – less than 10 percent – Thies still believes they are extremely valuable partnerships.

“While I believe it is a child find activity, we’re not doing it in order to get referrals, but rather to work collaboratively with the school and give parents information about their children,“says Thies. “Referrals are a byproduct of the event.”


Thoughts about Child Find… 
  • The purpose of child find is to help families find services and resources when they need them, and to ensure that programs find the children eligible for their services and resources.
  • Child Find is an ongoing process for which multiple programs in a community have responsibility.
  • Anyone can make a referral to Birth to 3, Early Childhood Special Education or Head Start.
  • Many families find their way to special programs by word of mouth.
  • Creative community awareness and media campaigns help families and other community members find their way to programs.
  • Programs that collaboratively plan and coordinate child find activities demonstrate to families how community partners work together.
  • Child Find activities are effective and convenient for families when they are held at locations where families of young children naturally gather (e.g. Family Resource Center, public library, public school).
  • Community outreach and child find activities can include a range of activities (e.g., meetings with families, observations of children’s play, parent education and informational materials, and formal screening.)

Child Find Resources
Think Big. Start Small. Together Children Grow
Order this colorful, informative child find brochure or a set of posters and growth charts. Contact the local school district special education director or the local CESA office.
Informed Referral Network in Wisconsin Communities
A guide including information on public awareness and an inventory of child find and screening resources. Contact Barbara Behlen, CESA 6, P.O. Box 2568, Oshkosh, WI 54903.
http://www.cesa6.k12.wi.us/rsn/childfind

Child Development Days Model - Video
This video shows segments of the “Child Development Days Model” developed by CESA #10. Borrow from the WPDP video lending library: Call 608.265.2544 or visit
http://www.waisman.wisc.edu/earlyint/library/vidnew.html

Department of Public Instruction Early Childhood Home Page
http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/dpi/dlcl/bbfcsp/echildhm

National Early Childhood Technical Assistance System
http://www.nectas.unc.edu/Diversity/diversityid.asp
This web site highlights strategies for identifying children with disabilities from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

The Early Childhood Research Institute on Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services
http://clas.uiuc.edu/special/childfind/
This web site provides a listing of Child Find brochures, handbooks, and materials for distribution to families.

Making Parent Connections

By Lisa Pugh
When, for whatever reason, a parent is given a child with special needs, that parent often needs to know he or she is not alone. There is some comfort in hearing that someone has been there before and survived.

I have known parents who have immediately, upon diagnosis of their child, gone out to meet adults with disabilities, connected with other parents, or have immersed themselves in books from the library. In my case, I lurked on an e-mail listserv for parents whose children had a syndrome similar to my daughter’s.

At times, that information was overwhelming. I couldn’t imagine my tiny two-week old infant using a communication device, g-tube or a wheelchair. But the subtle message I was receiving was that whatever happened, it would all be o.k.

There are nine elements of Family-Centered Care to guide our work with families. Encouraging family-to-family support and networking is one of them.

Research shows and parents can attest to the fact that connecting with another parent is a truly empowering experience. Parents do not merely sympathize – they can empathize. And talk about sharing “on-the-job training!”

Once I was brave enough to move from my “lurking” to actively participating in the e-mail listserv, I was pleasantly surprised by the support I felt from parents I had never met – many of whom lived halfway across the world.

This is what worked for me. I caution providers to respect that every family’s ability and need to connect is different. Some may not be ready for a face-to-face meeting with another parent or child for quite some time. Just knowing the phone number of another parent to call may be the first step.

That initial face-to-face meeting with another family can be quite emotional. Seeing older children who have a similar diagnosis is difficult since parents may interpret it as a blueprint for their future. However, the wealth of parent information for me has been infinite. I have learned about everything from communication devices, navigating medical assistance, respite care, feeding tube apparatus and other community programs – all from other parents.

I get my “parent fix” these days by attending my daughter’s inclusive playgroup and keeping in contact with parents I have met through the Parents As Leaders training program. For me, conversations with other parents can be a little like a trip to the spa – a huge sense of relief and an opportunity to simply be myself.

To this day, that e-mail listserv remains a safe way for me to ask questions and get a variety of answers and viewpoints. I often come away with the confidence to ask a doctor to further explain a procedure or the guts to pursue funding for something I believe my daughter truly needs.

Lisa Pugh is a training specialist for the Wisconsin Personnel Development Project. Contact her at pugh@waisman.wisc.edu

Help and Opportunities for Parents

By Jan Serak
The Wisconsin Family Assistance Center for Education, Training and Support, Inc. (WI FACETS) affects the lives of children and youth with disabilities in Wisconsin daily. Whether it’s the family of a Milwaukee preschooler who will need to come to school with a ventilator, a Beloit nine-year old who is deaf and struggling through spelling class, or a Sturgeon Bay teen with autism seeking a job, WI FACETS is there to help.
Founded in 1995 by three parents, WI FACETS serves children and youth - birth to age 21 - who have special needs, their families, and those who support them.
The organization was recently awarded a 5-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs to establish a Parent Training and Information Center to provide statewide services, especially to unserved and underserved families. There are now WI FACETS regional centers in Appleton, Madison, Minocqua, Racine/Kenosha and Wausau.
To arrange a workshop for your group, call 877.374.4677 or 414.374.4645. If you know a family who has a child with a disability, please let them know they are welcome to call for support. (WI FACETS resources listed on page 6.)
Jan Serak is parent of a child with special needs and is co-director of Wisconsin FACETS. Contact her at jserak@execpc.com.

What Are We Learning about the Birth to 3 Workforce?

By Linda Tuchman
If you asked a group of early intervention providers, “Why have you chosen to work in Birth to 3?” what do you think they would say? The response to that question is just what the ICC Personnel Development Work Group wanted to explore through a pilot workforce questionnaire.

The preliminary information gathered from a small group of early childhood special educators, therapists, and service coordinators revealed that many professionals have chosen to work in Birth to 3 because they want to work with young children and families to make a difference in their lives.

Respondents reported satisfaction in watching children grow and change as well as developing relationships with families. At the same time, many commented that they weren’t prepared for their roles related to working in partnerships with families or for specific interventions needed to work with infants and toddlers.

When asked about their ideas of early intervention best practices, most comments clustered around these topics: natural environments, family involvement, team-based approaches, interventions within family routines and activities, and individualized, functional outcomes.
We also gained a few insights into challenges and barriers faced by the Birth to 3 workforce. For example, some of the people described stress they experience around paperwork, lack of administrative support, high case loads, staff shortages and focus on funding as barriers to their work.

These and other related issues such as why people choose to leave early intervention will be further studied through a more comprehensive survey that will be made available to Birth to 3 professionals this fall. Watch the Birth to 3 ETN listserv for information about opportunities for you to contribute to this growing body of knowledge about our Birth to 3 workforce.
Linda Tuchman is the director of the Early Intervention Program at the Waisman Center, UW-Madison, a member of the Wisconsin Birth to 3 Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC) and the chair of the ICC Personnel Development Work Group. Contact Linda at tuchman@waisman.wisc.edu.


Receive Birth to 3 Alerts
Join the only statewide Birth to 3 e-mail listserv. In concise, once-a-month alerts, you will: 

* Receive updates on program changes
* Gather information on training opportunities
* Receive alerts about upcoming ETN topics
* Stay in touch with state staff

To sign up for the listserv, send a blank e-mail to: b3etn-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. 

Welcome to New RESource Staff

By Amy Wilson
I started my position as the Eastern Region RESource specialist at the end of February. I am very excited to join the experienced and well-versed RESource staff in providing technical assistance to County Birth to 3 programs in the Eastern Region.

I have seven and a half years of experience working for the Fond du Lac County Birth to 3 Program as a Service Coordinator/Special Instructor.

I know first-hand the hard work that program staff do on behalf of families and children in the Birth to 3 Program. I will continue my role in Fond du Lac as well as begin this new opportunity. I look forward to learning more about the programs in the Eastern Region!
Amy can be reached by phone at 920.924.4493 or through email at awilson@waisman.wisc.edu.
Head Start Embarks on Early Literacy Initiative
By Rita Elliott
Wisconsin’s Head Start programs are busy meeting the expectations of the “No Child Left Behind Act.” Three months ago President Bush signed the education reform act to ensure that every child entering school is ready. The act means the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will implement an accountability system for every Head Start Center in America. Each center will teach literacy skills to children and demonstrate that this teaching is effective.

To help programs meet these standards, Head Start teachers will be part of an intense training effort this summer. DHHS will offer research-based training to 2,500 teachers who will be designated as Early Literacy Specialists. These educators will then instruct Head Start teachers around the country. The trainees will receive four days of instruction and then provide in-service training to their programs as well as train classroom teachers and other interested community partners in literacy activities for children.

Staff of Head Start programs in Region V, a six state region which includes Wisconsin, will be attending sessions in Detroit in July. Local Wisconsin in-service training will follow the regional training. For more information about opportunities to become a part of this effort in your community, contact your local Head Start program or Becky Kearns at Qnet, CESA 5: kearnse@cesa5.k12.wi.us or 1.800.862.3725 or 608.742.8814, Ext. 240.
Rita Elliott is a QNet program specialist,with CESA 5 and Waisman Center, UW-Madison. Contact her at elliott@waisman.wisc.edu.

WI FACETS Services 
  • Information and referral support. Toll-free phone line: 877.374.4677
  • Website: www.wifacets.org
  • Workshops - Special Education: Rights & Responsibilities; How to Develop IEPs; Your Individualized Family Service Plan: Good Beginnings; Transition into Adulthood; Section 504 and Your Child’s Rights; Special Education and Early Conflict Resolution; Self-Advocacy for Students; Parent Leadership
  • Individual assistance
  • Support for families related to mediation
  • Support Groups 

Identifying Depression in Children
Although he admittedly didn’t have all the answers, national researcher Dr. David Fassler told attendees at the recent Division of Early Childhood conference in Wisconsin Dells that we must all try harder to identify mental health issues in young children.
The child psychiatrist from Vermont told early childhood interventionists and parents that infants do demonstrate signs of depression, but it is often difficult to detect.
“The challenge with young children who are depressed is finding ways to help them communicate,” says Fassler. “Two-year-olds are not typically treated with medications. There is a real risk/benefit analysis with using meds this young.”
Listed below are advice and resources to help early interventionists identify and work with children.

Resources on Mental Illness 
  • American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry – Facts for Families
    www.aacap.org
  • National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
    www.nami.org
  • Wisconsin Family Ties – Support for Parents
    www.wifamilyties.org
  • “Help Me, I’m Sad: Recognizing, Treating, and Preventing Childhood and Adolescent Depression” –
    Dr. David. G. Fassler, M.D. 

SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION
Infants & Toddlers  Preschoolers 
  • Sad expressions
  • Excessive sleepiness
  • Loss of interest in food 
  • Loss of interest in toys
  • Weight loss
  • Physical complaints
    (e.g.stomachaches, headaches)
  • Loss of interest in toys
  • Sad themes in play
  • Drawings which show the child separate from others  
Source: Dr. David G. Fassler presentation, May 3, 2002, Wisconsin Dells. 

Attention Parent Leaders

Look for your exclusive invitation to the Fourth Annual Summit Creating Change: Celebrating Our Successes


Friday, June 21, 2002
Stevens Point

A unique opportunity for parents and providers involved in leadership and community change. Keynote address:
“True Confessions of a Parent-Advocate.”

This event is open only to past participants in the following activities: ELN, PALs, PIP, CPLs, Head Start PALs, DAWN mini-grants and FACETS trainings.

Contact Julie - schears@waisman.wisc.edu or 800.532.3321 for more information.


 Wisconsin EVENTS Calendar
Summer-Fall

Summer

Fall

EVENTS Editors:

Wisconsin Personnel Development Project
Editor: Lisa Pugh, WPDP

Contributors:
Rita Elliott, Head Start
Lisa Pugh, WPDP
Jan Serak, Wi-FACETS
Linda Tuchman, WPDP
Amy Wilson, RESource

Desktop Publishing: Cheri Sanders, Media Specialist, WPDP

Director: Linda Tuchman
EVENTS is published three times each year by the Wisconsin Birth to 3 Personnel Development Project with funding from the Wisconsin Birth to 3 Program, Department of Health and Family Services, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, and the Head Start QNet. WPDP, housed at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, is funded by the Birth to 3 Program to address the need for well qualified early intervention service providers in the state. WPDP offers a wide range of educational opportunities for parents, service providers from all disciplines, and program managers/administrators, through a multifaceted program. Activities include statewide and regional in-service workshops, Parents as Leaders (PALS), a video lending library, technical assistance, a web site, and materials development and dissemination.
For additional information, call 608-263-5022, 1-800-532-3321, or email pugh@waisman.wisc.edu

Deadline for submissions to next EVENTS: August 16, 2002

WPDP website: www.waisman.wisc.edu/earlyint/ei_perso.html
Natural Enviroments website: www.waisman.wisc.edu/earlyint/natenvir/index.html

Return to the B-6 Events Index Page
Return to The Wisconsin Personnel Development Page


Home
Return to the Early Intervention Home Page

This page has been visited times since July 14, 1997.

Last updated 3-June-2002 by sanders@waisman.wisc.edu

Document source: http://www.waisman.wisc.edu/earlyint/b6april02.htmlx