ELCPBC AWARENESS TOPICS

March 2020: Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

Milestones Matter! We want to encourage all parents to learn the signs of healthy development, monitor every child’s early development, and take action when there is a concern.

According to the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD), we can recognize Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month to:

• Create awareness about developmental disabilities,
• Teach the importance of inclusion within every aspect of life,
• Share the stories of individuals with a disability to show that a successful life is possible!

At the Early Learning Coalition, it is our vision that every child in Palm Beach County is ready to succeed in school and life. Our Early Intervention, Inclusion, and Developmental Screening teams work day-in and day-out with our local, contracted child care providers enhancing their staff’s knowledge and competence in serving children with disabilities or behavioral challenges!

Identifying developmental delays and disabilities EARLY is important!

• 1 in 6 children aged 3–17 years have developmental disabilities— conditions that affect how children play, learn, speak, act, or move.
• Many children with a developmental disability are not identified until after starting school.
• Early intervention (before school age) can have a significant impact on a child’s ability to learn new skills as well as reduce the need for costly interventions over time.

Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR)

This site features resources, in English and Spanish, to support families who have children with or at risk for disabilities. Topics range from parental rights and dispute resolution to evidence-based practices and accommodations. While CPIR specifically focuses on supporting families of children with disabilities, it provides a wealth of resources and links to support all families.

Practice Guides for Families Available!

The Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA) has released Practice Guides for Families based on the Division of Early Childhood's Recommended Practices. These guides are intended for practitioners to share with families who have children with disabilities.

The Family Practice Guide, Everyday Learning at Home, helps families who have children with disabilities find ways to better support their participation in learning activities at home. This practice guide includes tips and ideas for arranging your home to promote learning. The guide also includes a video that can be shared with families that shows ways they can support their children's participation in everyday learning opportunities and provides a link to the article, News You Can Use: Learning At Home and Homelike Environments, by Head Start.

Additionally, the following are recommendations to support your child in continuous learning:

• Learn the importance of environmental adaptations to support disabled children's learning development in the home.
• Watch the Everyday Learning at Home video to understand the ways you can support your children's development at home.
• Learn about the Outdoor Play Benefits for young children.
• Find ways to use assistive technology to help young children learn at home.

Other Child Development Resources Available:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Free Child Development Tracking Tools for Parents
• CDC: Milestones in Action (FREE library of photos and videos of developmental milestones)
• Zero To Three: "Magic of Everyday Moments" Series (How To Support Your Baby's Social, Emotional and Intellectual Development)
• Zero To Three: Your Child's Development (Age-Based Tips From Birth to 36 Months)
• Zero To Three: Healthy Minds (Nurturing Your Child's Development)

Download the CDC's Milestone Tracker app today!

Milestones matter! Track your child’s milestones from age 2 months to 5 years with CDC’s easy-to-use illustrated checklists; get tips from CDC for encouraging your child’s development; and find out what to do if you are ever concerned about how your child is developing.

From birth to age 5, your child should reach milestones in how he or she plays, learns, speaks, acts, and moves. Photos and videos in this app illustrate each milestone and make tracking them for your child easy and fun!

Download it free!

The use of this app is not a substitute for the use of validated, standardized developmental screening tools as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

For additional community resources, contact our Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) team at 561-514-3300.

These links are to external websites. ELCPBC does not endorse the sites. If you find a link that is broken or leads to unrelated material, please email Contacts@ELCPalmBeach.org.