California MAP
California MAP
Working Together

Professional Development Opportunities Supporting Children with Disabilities: Virtual Conferences and Webinars

The COVID-19 Pandemic has given us all the opportunity to participate in virtual conferences that may not have been within our reach with the cost of travel. Find descriptions and links to upcoming virtual conferences supporting inclusion of young children with disabilities. Smaller bites of professional development are available with links to different webinars with an array of options to expand your knowledge in educating all children.

California Conferences

Head Start California Annual Conference
  • Location: Hilton Long Beach, California
  • Dates: February 26-March 1, 2024
    • Parent & Family Engagement: February 26-27, 2024
    • Education Conference: February 28-March 1, 2024 (3 days)

National Conferences

2023 Zero-to-Three Learn Conference
  • Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • Dates: September 19-20, 2023

The ZERO TO THREE LEARN Conference is 4 days of virtual, experiential learning to create multidisciplinary connections and turn concepts into action. 

Upcoming Webinars

Head Start Upcoming Events

These events are opportunities from across the early childhood field that may be of interest and helpful to the Head Start community. Some of them may charge a fee. Inclusion in this list does not imply endorsement from the Office of Head Start (OHS).

Recorded Webinars and Conference Sessions

2021 Early Edge California – Designing the TK World: Ensuring Equity for Dual Language Learners (DLLs)
  • October 20, 2021 Part 1: How to Design Your TK Classroom to Support Dual Language Learners
  • November 3, 2021 Part 2: Effective Classroom Practices for Equitably Serving Preschool-Age Dual Language Learners
  • November 10, 2021 Part 3: Dialogue with Early Learning and TK teachers: Learning how to transform challenges into opportunities

Please join us for a 3-part webinar series focused on supporting and affirming the needs and assets of preschool-aged Dual Language Learners, who represent a large and growing population of young children in California. This series, intended for teachers and administrators, will provide participants with practical strategies and takeaways to apply to their own contexts. The series will also feature expert practitioners from the field, who will share their experiences and key resources.

DEC and ECTA Equity Series: In Pursuit of Equity in Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education

“This (free) five-part series will be offered live as well as recorded and available on the DEC website for future viewing.”

“Various experts in the field of early childhood special education and early intervention will discuss how to disrupt the pervasive inequities of our systems. Topics will include troubling notions of "at risk," challenging biases about families in home based services, suspension, and expulsion in early childhood settings, counteracting racism and ableism in early childhood systems, and engaging in systems change in pursuit of equity. Sessions will be offered live as well as recorded and available on the DEC website for future viewing.”

The June 7, 2021 webinar is with Dr. Rosemarie Allen. Dr. Allen takes a gentle approach to educating us about bias, race, and microaggressions in early childhood. She uses her personal experience to enlighten us and then provides actionable recommendations on what we can do to be anti-racist.

Early Start Online: Transition from Early Start

Transition From Early Start is a free self-paced online course focused on the transition of services for children with disabilities out of Early Start, early intervention, at age three. This course features 10 modules that focus on state and federal regulations governing the transition process, strategies for supporting families throughout their child’s transition, and the roles and responsibilities of Early Start Service Coordinators, local education agency (LEA) staff, family support personnel and parents. Modules are between 8 and 25 minutes long and takes approximately 2 hours to complete the entire course. No pre-registration is required.

Just login or sign up at CPEI Online. Check out other free online courses while you are there!

Equity Chat Series
  • Presented by: Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH)

The Equity Chat Series is designed to provide a forum to further dialogue on equity topics in order to support more equitable systems and strengthen culturally responsive IECMHC practices to reduce disparities and improve child outcomes. Recorded webinars and handouts are posted on this site. Below are the titles of the first three webinars in the series:

  • Equity Chat on Systemic Racism and the Consultative Stance
  • Equity Chat on the IECMHC Equity Toolkit
  • The Revised IECMHC Competencies: Examining the Role of the Consultant in Advancing Equity in IECMHC
Experiencing Inclusion Through the Pyramid Model
  • Date: March 19, 2021
  • Length: 54 minutes

The Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children is designed to promote the inclusion of children with disabilities within community programs. In states where there is a focus on increasing the use of high-quality inclusion practices, the implementation and scale-up of the Pyramid Model offers an effective approach. Join us for a webinar featuring new products and resources focused on increasing the use of inclusive practices in Pyramid Model programs to better support children diagnosed with disabilities or needing individualized supports. Learn about important research, statewide implementation potential and an assessment used to support inclusive practices in the classroom.

Family Child Care At It’s Best (FCCB)

Family child care and family, friend, and neighbor providers are a critical source of support for working families. The Family Child Care at Its Best program delivers high-quality, research-based workshops that help home-based caregivers improve their knowledge, skills, and quality of care for working with mixed-age groups of children. FCCB is now offering two types of training:

  • Facilitator Training NEW! Trainers, coaches, and community leaders who provide support to family child care or family, friend, and neighbor providers can learn how to facilitate FCCB workshops and gain access to all necessary curriculum to offer FCCB workshops.
  • Direct Service Workshops are offered at no cost to the host agency. Simply complete the request form to choose from the available topics, languages, and date(s) you are looking for. You conduct outreach and registration, and FCCB does the rest! We will provide you with a flyer template, all needed materials, and an instructor to lead your selected workshop. Availability is based on current funding.
Head Start ECLKC: Inclusion Webinars
Head Start ECLKC

Explore these webinars about inclusion issues related to children with disabilities or suspected delays. Topics include interactions, individualization, effective teaching practices, clarification of the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS), practice-based coaching, and more! Find three series to choose from:

  • High-Quality Inclusion Federal Series focuses on clarification of issues with insights from federal staff
  • Highly Individualized Practices Series focuses on strategies that education staff can use every day in their classrooms and on home visits
  • Disability Services in the Head Start Program Performance Standards Series focuses on the issues that are unique to the Head Start community
Highly Individualized Practice Webinar Series

This webpage holds high-quality recorded webinars directly focused on resources and professional development related to inclusion. Here is a sample:

  • Inclusion Resources to Boost Professional Development
    Find out about best practices in the field of adult learning. Discover a range of resources from the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC) and the Head Start Center for Inclusion (HSCI) websites. Learn how to use these resources for professional development and training with Head Start education, disability services, and mental health staff. These resources are useful for programs that operate virtually as well as those returning to in-person programming.
  • Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) for Everyone
    Discover ways to support young children with identified disabilities or suspected delays as they acquire science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) skills. Examine effective teaching practices to help them access and explore STEAM materials and concepts. Learn practical strategies to plan the learning environment and embed individualized learning opportunities related to STEAM.
Highly Individualized Practice Webinar Series
Head Start ECLKC

Find effective strategies that teachers, home visitors, and coaches can use in their efforts to support children with disabilities or suspected delays. The webinars in this series include:

  • Preventing Suspension and Expulsion of Children with Disabilities or Suspected Delays
  • Supporting Interactions for Children with Disabilities or Suspected Delays
  • Environments That Support High Quality Inclusion
  • IDEA 101: Partnering with Service Providers to Support Effective Inclusion
National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations – Recorded Webinar: Indicators of High Quality Inclusion: A Comprehensive Set of Tools
The Early Childhood Education Environment (ECEE) Indicators detail the key elements that are necessary for implementing high-quality inclusive practices in early childhood settings. They are designed to assist personnel in providing effective supports and services to young children with disabilities. It is assumed that all federal and state legal requirements are in place. These indicators are not meant to examine federal and state requirements. They are intended to enhance high-quality inclusive practices implemented by early care and education personnel. The ECEE Indicators detail 9 key elements that are necessary for implementing high-quality inclusive practices in early childhood settings. They are designed to assist personnel in providing effective supports and services to young children with disabilities. ECTA and the National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations introduced the ECEE Inclusion Indicators in the fall of 2019 in the webinar, Indicators of High Quality Inclusion: A Comprehensive Set of Tools. On this web page you’ll have access to the archived webinar as well as related tools and information to support your understanding of the Indicators.
Program for Infant-Toddler Care (PITC) Past Webinar Events

Among the many high quality webinars that are available at this site, you can find the 2021 Webinar Series: Exploring Updates to Inclusion Works!, Second Edition: Universal Design for Learning and Practices to Support Best Practices for Inclusive Programs. Both are presented by Linda Brault.

Sesame Street in Communities: Webinars
Develop strategies for working with families. Certificates of completion available. Webinars in both English and Spanish.
Supporting Children with Disabilities Who Are Also Dual Language Learners
  • Presented by: Head Start, National Center for Quality Teaching and Learning
  • Length: 1 hour

In this hour long webinar, discover myths and facts about and ways to support children with disabilities who are also dual language learners (DLLs). Listen as presenters share high-quality screening practices to determine if a child who is a DLL needs further evaluation. Explore teaching practices for promoting engagement once a child has been identified as having a disability.

Supporting Inclusive Practices (SIP) Archived Virtual Events

SIP provides a wealth of recorded trainings, podcasts, webinars, and other resources including content on Universal Design for Learning, equity in special education, designing inclusive preschools, a paraeducator series, and more. 

Teacher Time Series: 10 Tips for Creating Supportive Environments That Can Prevent Behaviors That Challenge Us
Head Start ECLKC | Published: August 11, 2022

You can prevent challenging behaviors in preschool-aged children by being intentional about and proactive in creating a supportive, inclusive environment. This special Teacher Time episode focuses on useful tips for setting up the physical environment, establishing routines, making expectations clear, and more. Taking these kinds of steps can support  children as they engage with their learning environment and transition from one task to the next.

Teacher Time Series: Infant Toddler Inclusion and Belonging
Head Start ECLKC

The new season of Teacher Time (2020–2021) focuses on inclusion and belonging with infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and their families. Learn ways to support child and family inclusion and belonging in the learning environments and through learning materials. Three episodes are dedicated to infant and toddler teachers and family child care providers, and three episodes are for preschool teachers and family child care providers. Watch teachers and family child care providers use effective strategies to ensure all children and families can fully engage in learning opportunities and typical activities and routines across home, educational, and community environments.

These three episodes focus on supporting inclusion and belonging with infants, toddlers, and their families:

Understanding Inclusion Training Modules for Families and Caregivers
  • Presented by: Early Choices
  • Date: February 2021
  • Language: Available in English and Spanish

The Understanding Inclusion series contains 6 topics that explore key ideas about inclusion in early childhood. The series covers a range of topics from defining inclusion to understanding the benefits to advocating for inclusion. This is a series of bite-size videos with embedded resources and activities to help understand, promote, and advocate for inclusion for children birth to age 5. Developed for families with family input, it is just as meaningful and useful for practitioners working with families who have children from birth to 5.

In each module topic, a topic guide is available for reflecting and applying what you learn to your own experience. The guide also has additional resources to explore the topic further.

We hope this series supports you on your journey of inclusion and provides you with resources that you can share and build upon.