Kids Included Together (KIT)
Kids Included Together (KIT)
KIT stands for Kids Included Together, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was founded in San Diego, California in 1997. The mission of Kids Included Together is to support recreational, child development, and youth development programs that include children with and without disabilities. KIT’s goals are to enrich the lives of all who participate and to increase understanding and acceptance of disabilities as a natural part of life. We invite you to explore our site and learn more about our work in San Diego County and across the nation.
- Summer Camp Means Fun for All: How to Create a More Inclusive Camp May 20, 2022
Kids Included Together (KIT) says, “Pinpointing exactly what it means and looks like to be inclusive can be tough because creating a sense of belonging for each child will differ from person to person and camp to camp. But, that’s really what it is – creating a sense of belonging for each camper.”
“So, where do you start and how do you know if you’ve gotten there? Well, providing a meaningful experience for every camper may look varied, but it will be rooted in a few universal principles.” This article provides helpful considerations to add to KIT’s inclusion checklist.
- Additional Resources from KIT
- KIT: Top 5 Trends in Disability Inclusion 2018 Sept 2018
Kids Included Together (KIT) is leading the field in disability inclusion and behavior support through work with over 450 organizations in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Using research, media, and recent KIT data from 625 training sessions, 100 online courses, 325 onsite visits, and 1,752 support center calls, we have identified the top 5 trends in childhood disability inclusion. In 2018, we can exploit these trends to help increase meaningful inclusion of children with disabilities in schools and communities. - Inclusion Resources: Videos, Tip Sheets, Checklists, Guidebooks and Websites Sept 2018
- Who We Are-Our Work: Publications Sept 2018
- What is Inclusion? (PDF) Sept 2018
- KIT: Top 5 Trends in Disability Inclusion 2018 Sept 2018
Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR)
The Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR), produced under the US Department of Education Office of Special Education, serves as a central resource of information and products to the community of Parent Training Information (PTI) Centers and the Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs), so that they can focus their efforts on serving families of children with disabilities. The site provides resources by topic area, some in English and Spanish and when available, by state.
- Resources Especially for Child Care Providers and Preschools June 2017
- About Specific Disabilities June 2017
- Babies and Toddlers Oct 2017
- New to Disability?
- For Professionals New to Disability
- 10 Basic Steps in Special Education (age 3 to 21)
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Additional Resources from CPIR
- Trauma Informed Resource Collection Dec 2018
- Tools That Empower Spanish Speaking Families
- Index to Resources in Spanish for English speakers and link to the index that is entirely in Spanish
- A Resource Collection on Positive Behavior Supports, Functional Behavioral Assessment, and School Discipline Nov 2017
Welcome to this collection of resources on positive behavior supports and discipline of children with disabilities. The collection has been developed by a team of Parent Centers, specifically for the Parent Center network to use in their work supporting and empowering parents and families of children with disabilities. - Rare Disorders: Disability Fact Sheet Published: June 2017
Roughly 7,000 rare diseases/disorders have been identified as affecting the human race. Because they are rare, it can be a real challenge for a person to be accurately diagnosed. Finding effective treatments, especially medicine, can also be a challenge—and for the same reason. Rareness.If you have a rare disease, know someone who does, or work with people who might, here’s a core of resources we hope are helpful.
- Parent Technical Assistance Centers
Parent centers work to improve educational outcomes for children and youth with all disabilities (emotional, learning, mental, and physical). There are ten parent centers in California. - Fact Sheet on the Rights of Immigrant Children
- NICHCY’s New Home Sept 2014
September 30, 2014 was NICHCY’s last day after more than 20 years of service. Happily, most of NICHCY’s resources will stay in their new home at the Center for Parent Information and Resources. - Developing culturally Responsive Approaches to Serving Diverse Populations: A Resource Guide for Community-Based Organizations Mar 2017
This 30-page resource guide, produced by the National Research Center on Hispanic Children and Families, identifies easily accessible resources on cultural competency that CBOs can use to become more responsive to the needs of their targeted populations, and to help attract funds to support their important work.
Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA)
ECTA is comprised of several recent OSEP-funded TA centers (NECTAC, CELL and TACSEI and ECO within the next two years). The purpose of ECTA is to improve state early intervention and early childhood special education service systems, increase the implementation of effective practices, and enhance the outcomes of these programs for young children and their families.
- National Early Childhood Inclusion Indicators Initiative May 2019 The initiative is co-led by the Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center and the National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations (NCPMI) and includes partners from across the early care and education system. ECTA Center is leading the development of the state and local program leadership indicators and the NCPMI is leading the development of the classroom indicators. Santa Clara County Office of Education is one of the stakeholders.
- Your Child’s Move from Preschool Special Education to Kindergarten (PDF)
- Local District Preschool Inclusion Self-Assessment (PDF) Feb 2018
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Additional Resources from Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center
- State Early Childhood Inclusion Self-Assessment (PDF) July 2017
- Pennsylvania Preschool Inclusion Self-Evaluation Tool
- ECTA Center for Families to help families understand their right under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), connect with other families and find high quality resources related to caring for infants, toddlers and young children with disabilities.
- Recursos en Español (Resources in Spanish)
- Inclusion in Least Restrictive Environments
Designed for the administrators of state agencies responsible for services to young children and their families, including child care, Head Start, education, and early intervention. It has compiled information for administrators who are challenged with developing policies and programs that lead to inclusive comprehensive and coordinated services for all young children, ages birth to 8 years, and their families.- Preschool Inclusion Finance Toolkit 2017 (PDF)
An update of ECTA Center’s resource that addresses updated guidance in the Dear Colleague Letter on Preschool Least Restrictive Environments published earlier this year. Worksheets included in this toolkit:
- Preschool Inclusion Finance Toolkit 2017 (PDF)
- Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities (Part C of IDEA)
Provides a listing by state of the websites of the organizations responsible for early intervention for babies with developmental disabilities - Developing High Quality Functional IFSP and IEP Goals –Training Package
This training package has been developed collaboratively with staff from the ECTA Center and WRRC in response to the need expressed from state and local providers to have specific information and resources about developing Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) outcomes and Individualized Education Plan (IEP) goals. First introduced in September 2012, this revised training package includes: an introductory video; a set of six fully scripted PowerPoint presentations; handouts, activities and supplemental materials; and how states have used and adapted the materials. - Inclusion in Least Restrictive Environments
- Position Statements on Inclusion from National Organizations
- Research and Studies on Inclusion
- Personnel Development for Inclusion
- Recommended Practices
The OSEP funded Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA) has launched a campaign to bring widespread awareness about the DEC Recommended Practices (RPs). The latest ECTA resources to support implementation of the RPs include Performance Checklists for practitioners as well as Practice Guides for Practitioners and Practice Guides for Families. These resources were highlighted on a recent national webinar which was recorded and can be accessed in aRPy’s Corner of the ECTA web site. - ECTA Webinar Series: Upcoming and Archived:
- National Inclusion Webinar February 2016: Preschool Inclusion: What’s the Evidence, What Gets in the Way, and What do High-Quality Programs Look Like?
- Early Childhood Training Modules from the IRIS Center March – April 2016
- Session 1: Dual Language Learners with Disabilities: Supporting Young Children in the Classroom
- Session 2: Early Childhood Environments: Designing Effective Classrooms Module & Website Tour
National Professional Development Center on Inclusion (NPDCI)
The National Professional Development Center on Inclusion (NPDCI) is working with states to ensure that early childhood teachers are prepared to educate and care for young children with disabilities in settings with their typically developing peers.
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Additional Resources from NPDCI
- Early Childhood Inclusion
Two major early childhood organizations, DEC and NAEYC, created a joint definition and position statement on early childhood inclusion through a process facilitated by the National Professional Development Center on Inclusion (NPDCI). Return here often to discover new resources and examples for using these resources to improve early childhood services. - Foundations of Transition Video
Today, most families of young children use and move between different types of early childhood services — like Head Start, private child care, public preschool, or kindergarten. Moving between and among these various programs is often referred to as ’transition’.” This 8-minute video provides an overview of the desirable outcomes of transition, research identifying effective transition practices, as well as the legal requirements of early childhood transition (running time: 8 min. 19 sec.) - Speaking of Inclusion (Blog)
Inclusion insights, stories and resources for professional development providers as well as practitioners, policy makers and parents. An informative blog brought to you by the National Professional Development Center on Inclusion. Your comments are invited. - Response to Intervention in Early Childhood (RTI-EC)
The NPCDI facilitated a process with The Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children (DEC), the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), and the National Head Start Association (NHSA) to create a reliable source of information on the emerging practice of Response to Intervention in Early Childhood. - Quality Inclusive Practices: Resources and Landing Pads
Provides brief descriptions and supporting references for evidence-based and promising practices that support early childhood inclusion. - Building Inclusive Child Care
Universal Design for Learning rom North Hampton Community College
- Early Childhood Inclusion
Fathers Network
The Fathers Network is a nonprofit organization that serves as an advocate for men and believes they are crucially important in the lives of their families and children. The network provides supports and resources to fathers and families of children with developmental disabilities and chronic illness, as well as to the professionals who serve them.
Disability Is Natural
This Web site created by Kathie Snow includes her widely used article on “people-first language” and other resources to support inclusion. She challenges outdated ways of thinking and helps parents, people with disabilities, and professionals acquire new perceptions and attitudes—the first rung on the ladder of change.
Center for Inclusive Child Care (CICC)
The mission of the Center for Inclusive Child Care is to create, promote and support pathways to successful inclusive care for all children. The project is a comprehensive resource network for promoting and supporting inclusive early childhood and school-age programs and providers. We provide 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. The Center for Inclusive Child care envisions weaving the common threads of knowledge, respect and sensitivity to create and sustain opportunities for high quality, culturally responsive inclusive care in which children and their families are supported and nurtured.
- Bullying in Preschool – Tip Sheet (PDF) October 2018
Being bullied means to be exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more students. It may also include an imbalance of power. And research indicates that a child with a disability is more likely to be physically or verbally bullied than his typically developing peers. This tip sheet includes signs of bullying behavior and strategies for extinguishing bullying. - Resources to support transitions Oct 2018
- Tip Sheet: The Use of Visual Supports in Early Care and Education Oct 2018
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Additional Resources from CICC
- 10 minute Podcasts on Use of Visual Supports: One for preschoolers and one for Infants and Toddlers Oct 2018
- Tip Sheet: Attachment in Early Care and Education (PDF)
- Inclusion Matters Podcasts
Inclusion Matters is a new product of CICC in the form of podcasts about 10 minutes each on the full range of inclusion topics in an engaging, easy to listen to format. Podcasts are available for listening on the website and for download on itunes. CEU’s are available for podcasts. - Inclusion: Embedded Learning and Universal Design Definitions and Strategies-Self Study Course
Universal design is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for additional adaptation or specialized design. This self-study will discuss the philosophy and strategies for universal design and embedded learning.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is the professional, scientific, and credentialing association for more than 103,000 audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists. ASHA’s mission is to ensure that all people with speech, language, and hearing disorders have access to quality services to help them communicate more effectively.
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is the nation’s largest organization of early childhood professionals and others dedicated to improving the quality of early childhood education programs for children birth through age eight. NAEYC’s primary goals are to improve professional practice and working conditions in early childhood education and to build public understanding and support for high-quality early childhood programs.
- Every Child Belongs: Welcoming a Child with a Disability May 2019
- 10 Things Every Parent Should Know About Play Oct 2018
- 12 Ways to Support Language Development for Infants and Toddlers
- Top 10 No Cost Toys for Infants Toddlers and Preschoolers
- Ideas for Bringing Humor to the Classroom
Humor reflects our joy. And for children and adults alike, it’s a wonderful way of reducing stress. Humor helps put things in perspective. Encouraging children to see the humor in life is one of the greatest gifts you can give them. You will be enriching their spirit as well as making learning fun. You and the children can enjoy these activities together.
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Additional NAEYC Resources
- The Word Gap: The Early Years Make a Difference
A recent study shows that children’s vocabulary skills are linked to their economic backgrounds. This article explain the study and give 9 recommendations for early care and education providers on how they can close “the word gap”. - Position Statements including the DEC/NAEYC Joint Statement on Early Childhood Inclusion
Cultural Competency & Family Engagement
- The First Step for Addressing Bias is Infant and Toddler Programs, Young Children, November 2017
- Moving Beyond Anti-Bias Activities: Supporting the Development of Anti-Bias Practices
- Cultural Competence
Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) Implementation - Engaging Diverse Families
Engaging Diverse Families (EDF) is helping early childhood education programs effectively engage diverse families. Our goal is to learn how excellent early childhood education programs are effectively engaging diverse families and to share what we learn with other programs struggling to start and sustain family engagement practices. - I Dream of the Day
Isauro Michael Escamilla, M.A., an Early Childhood Education Teacher Researcher from the San Francisco Unified School District, spoke at the closing session of NAEYC’s Institute for Professional Development in San Francisco this year. Here is a particularly moving excerpt.
Healthy Mind, Health Body
- The Word Gap: The Early Years Make a Difference
A recent study shows that children’s vocabulary skills are linked to their economic backgrounds. This article explain the study and give 9 recommendations for early care and education providers on how they can close “the word gap”. - Position Statements including the DEC/NAEYC Joint Statement on Early Childhood Inclusion
- Big Body Play: Why Boisterous, Vigorous, and Very Physical Play Is Essential to Children’s Development and Learning
A book on encouraging physical activity for children, by Frances M. Carlson. - Increasing Children’s Physical Activity (PDF)
- Our Collection of Children’s Songs
- 10 Ways Baby’s Learn When We Sing to Them
Listening skills, new words, and so much more - Playing with Music at Home
Tips to explore music and connect it to children’s learning
- 10 Ways Baby’s Learn When We Sing to Them
Policy/Trends
- Public Policy Overview
NAEYC promotes national, state and local public policies that support a system of well-financed, high quality early childhood education programs in a range of settings, including child care centers, family child care homes, and schools.
Social-Emotional & Behavior
- Promoting Social–Emotional Development: Helping Infants Learn About Feelings (PDF)
Starting from birth, infants begin learning how to make sense of their world through interactions with caregivers. Responsive caregiving-which involves caregiver reflecting and validating a child’s feelings and behaviors-help very young children makes sense of their world. Over time, children who have this type of nurturing, reflective care better regulates their emotions. - 10 Tips for Raising a Compassionate Toddler
Recent research shows that infants and toddlers are far more empathetic than we once thought. While they have short fuses, and don’t cope well with sharing, they are capable of being compassionate. With this in mind, here are ten tips I use in the classroom to help infants and toddlers become pro-social that families can also try at home. - NAEYC Radio
NAEYC and BAM Radio Network partnered to bring NAEYC Radio. The program was developed to bring the best and latest insights on early childhood education directly to parents and educators. - 10 tips for Raising a Compassionate Infant Toddler
- Helping Infants Learn About Feelings (PDF)
- Standing Together Against Suspension and Expulsion Joint Policy Statement (PDF)
A group of more than 30 national organizations recently published a joint statement, Standing Together Against Suspension and Expulsion in Early Childhood: A Joint Statement (April 2016), which supports the recommendations from the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human services in their December 2014 Joint Policy Statement on Expulsion and Suspension. The organizations have also compiled a number of related resources to help states, districts, communities, and classrooms prevent, limit, and ultimately eliminate suspension and expulsion in early childhood education. - Caring Relationships: The Heart of Early Brain Development By Ron Lally and Peter Mangione
- The Word Gap: The Early Years Make a Difference
Infant Development Association of California (IDA)
The Infant Development Association of California (IDA) is a multidisciplinary organization of parents and professionals committed to optimal developmental and positive social and emotional outcomes for infants, birth to three, with a broad range of special needs and their families. IDA advocates improved, effective prevention and early intervention services while providing information, education, and training to parents, professionals, decision makers, and others.
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Additional Resources from IDA
- Public Policy
The public policy committee keeps the organization informed about and involved in the public policies and analyzes pressing policy issues related to laws and regulations, communicates key findings and program performance results, and makes recommendations to the organization for appropriate actions in the form of strategies to ensure quality outcomes. - Webinars on the social and emotional development of young children
Training & Technical Assistance
- IDA/MAP Webinar Series
“Ideas Worthy of Replication,” hosted by the Interdisciplinary Collaborations for Quality Committee of the Infant Development Association and co-sponsored by the Infant Development Association and the MAP to Inclusion and Belonging Project of WestEd Center for Child and Family Studies. The goals of this webinar series are to bring attention to quality trainings and programs rooted in the concepts and knowledge areas of the California Competencies documents including: - IDA/MAP Webinar Series Recordings
This series will inspire others to develop similar programs or training to make them more accessible to others throughout the state. Each recording last just under an hour.- Caring for Parents: Elements and Models of Support Recorded: 04/07/2014
- Mindful Leadership: Leading with You in Mind Recorded: 11/13/2014
- Talking to Parents When Conerns Arise Recorded: 05/19/2015
- Supporting Young Children’s Behavior: The Hourglass Model Recorded: 10/13/2015
- Tips for Supporting and Communicating with the Nonverbal Child
Recorded: 5/26/2016
- Public Policy