The shortage of highly qualified speech language pathologists (SLPs) with specialized training in early intervention and early childhood special education (EI/ECSE) is a pressing issue facing the field and dramatically impacts young children’s social and academic success. SLP personnel preparation programs focused on training specialists in EI/ECSE are crucial to building a highly qualified workforce to meet the needs of young children with disabilities and their families. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe the design and implementation of one such program. The guiding principles, competencies, and practica experiences of this federally funded program are illustrated. Outcomes are delineated in terms of student competencies, feasibility of implementing an early childhood specialization within an SLP graduate program, and the impact on the local community and EI/ECSE workforce.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2008). Roles and responsibilities of speech language pathologists in early intervention: Guidelines. Retrieved from http://www.asha.org/policy
2.
BartonE. E.MooreH. W. (2011, November). Language and play every day (LAPE): An interdisciplinary training model. Paper presented at the 2011 Division for Early Childhood conference, National Harbor, MD.
3.
BrickerD.WiderstromA. (1996). Preparing personnel to work with infants and young children and their families: A team approach. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brooks.
4.
BrownJ. A.WoodsJ. A. (2011). Performance feedback to support instruction with speech-language pathology students on a family centered interview process. Infants & Young Children, 24, 42–55.
5.
BrownellM. T.RossD. D.ColonE. P.McCallumC. L. (2003). Critical features of special education teacher preparation: A comparison with exemplary practices in general teacher education(Executive summary) (COPSSE Document No. RS-4E). Gainesville: University of Florida, Center on Personnel Studies in Special Education.
6.
CamarataS. M.NelsonK. E.CamarataM. N. (1994). Comparison of conversational-recasting and imitative procedures for training grammatical structures in children with specific language impairment. Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 37, 1414–1423.
7.
CampbellP. H.ChiarelloL.WilcoxJ. M.MilbourneS. (2009). Preparing therapists as effective practitioners in early intervention. Infants & Young Children, 22, 21–31.
8.
CaseyA. M.McWilliamR. A. (2008). Graphical feedback to increase teachers’ use of incidental teaching. Journal of Early Intervention, 30, 251–268.
9.
CheathamG. A.ArmstrongJ.SantosR. M. (2009). “Y’all listenin’?” Accessing children’s dialects in preschool. Young Exceptional Children, 12(4), 2–14.
10.
ChenD.KleinD. M.LavadaM. (2009). Interdisciplinary perspectives in early intervention: Professional development in multiple disabilities through distance education. Infants & Young Children, 22, 146–158.
11.
CraisE. R.BooneH. A.HarrisonM.FruendP.DowningK.WestT. (2004). Interdisciplinary personnel preparation: Graduates use of targeted practices. Infants & Young Children, 17, 82–92.
12.
DunstC. J.HambyD.TrivetteC. M.RaabM.BruderM. B. (2000). Everyday family and community life and children’s naturally occurring learning opportunities. Journal of Early Intervention, 22, 151–164.
13.
DunstC. J.KassowD. Z. (2008). Caregiver sensitivity, contingent social responsiveness, and secure infant attachment. Journal of Early and Intensive Behavioral Interventions, 5, 40–56.
14.
DunstC. J.TrivetteC. M. (2009). Using research to inform and evaluate early childhood intervention practices. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 29, 40–52.
15.
DunstC. J.TrivetteC. M.HambyD. W. (2006). Family support program quality and parent, family and child benefits. Asheville, NC: Winterberry Press.
16.
Ellis WeismerS.RobertsonS. B. (2006). Focused stimulation approach to language intervention. In McCauleyR.FeyM. (Eds.), Treatment in language disorders in children: Conventional and controversial approaches (pp. 175–202). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.
17.
FixsenD. L.NaoomS. F.BlaséK. A.FriedmanR. M.WallaceF. (2005). Implementation research: A synthesis of the literature (FMHI Publication #231). Tampa: University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, The National Implementation Research Network.
18.
GastD. L.WoleryM. (1990). An applied research model for teacher preparation in the education of persons with severe disabilities. In KaiserA. P.McWhorterC. M. (Eds.), Preparing personnel to work with persons with severe disabilities (pp. 243–269). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.
19.
GillonG. T. (2000). The efficacy of phonological awareness intervention for children with spoken language impairment. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 31, 126–141.
20.
GillonG. T. (2005). Facilitating phoneme awareness development in 3-and 4-Year old children with speech impairment. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 36, 308–324.
21.
HarbinG. L.McWilliamR. A.GallagherJ. J. (2000). Services for young children with disabilities and their families. In ShonkoffJ. P.MeislesS. J. (Eds.), Handbook of early childhood intervention (2nd ed., pp. 387–415). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
22.
HemmeterM. L.SantosR.SnyderP.HysonM.Harris-SolomonA.BaileyD.. . . FewellR. (2005). Young children with, or at risk for, developmental disabilities. In LakinK. C.TurnbullA. (Eds.), National goals & research for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (pp. 15–37). Washington, DC: American Association on Mental Retardation.
JoyceB.ShowersB. (1983). The coaching of teaching. Educational Leadership, 40(1), 4–10.
25.
KaiserA. P.HancockT. B. (2003). Teaching parents new skills to support their young children’s development. Infants & Young Children, 16, 9–21.
26.
KirkC.MooreH.CapriG.FeusahrensM. (2010, November). Improving the efficacy of intervention for preschoolers with speech sound disorder. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association, Philadelphia, PA.
27.
KnightD.WadsworthD. (1998). A national survey of special education teacher preparation programs regarding their inclusion of family focused components of CEC common core of knowledge and skills. Teacher Education and Special Education, 21, 214–226.
28.
KrajewskiR. J. (1993). The observation cycle: A methodology for coaching and problem solving. In AndersonR. H.SnyderK. J. (Eds.), Clinical supervision: Coaching for higher performance (pp. 99–111). Lancaster, PA: Technomic Publishing.
29.
LRP Publications. (1999). How to address the shortage of speech-language pathologists. Special Educator, 14(15), 8–10.
30.
MacyM.SquiresJ.BartonE. (2009). Providing optimal opportunities: Structuring practicum experiencing in early intervention and early childhood special education preservice programs. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 28, 209–218.
31.
McWilliamR. A. (2010). Routines-based early intervention. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.
32.
OdomS. L.BoydB. A.HallL. J.HumeK. (2010). Evaluation of comprehensive treatment models for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40, 425–436.
33.
PowellD.DunlapG. (2010). Family-focused interventions for promoting social-emotional development in infants and toddlers with or at risk for disabilities (Roadmap to Effective Intervention Practices No. 5). Tampa: University of South Florida, Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention for Young Children.
34.
PrezasR. F.HodsonB. W. (2010). The cycles phonological remediation approach. In WilliamsA. LMcLeodS.McCauleyR. J. (Eds.), Interventions for speech sound disorders in children (pp. 137–158). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brooks.
35.
RobertsJ. E.CraisE.LaytonT.WatsonL.ReinhartsenD. (1995). Developing an early intervention preservice specialization in speech-language pathology. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 4, 31–36.
36.
RoggmanL. A.BoyceL. K.InnocentiM. S. (2008). Developmental parenting: A guide for early childhood practitioners. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brooks.
37.
SandallS.HemmeterM. L.SmithB.McLeanM. (2005). DEC recommended practices: A comprehensive guide for practical application in early intervention/early childhood special education. Missoula, MT: Council for Exceptional Children, Division for Early Childhood.
38.
StaytonV. D.MillerP. S.DinnebeilL. A. (Eds.). (2003). DEC personnel preparation in early childhood special education: Implementing the DEC recommended practices. Missoula, MT: Council for Exceptional Children, Division for Early Childhood.
39.
StrainP. S.BoveyE. H. (2011). Randomized, controlled trial of the LEAP model of early intervention for young children with autism spectrum disorders. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 31, 133–154.
40.
SwansonL.FeyM.MillsC.HoodL. (2005). Use of narrative-based language intervention with children who have specific language impairment. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 14, 131–143.
41.
WhiteheadA.JesienG.UlanskiB. (1998). Weaving parents into the fabric of early intervention interagency training: How to integrate and sustain family involvement in training. Infants & Young Children, 10, 44–53.
42.
WintonP. J.McCollumJ. A. (2008). Preparing and supporting high quality early childhood practitioners: Issues and evidence. In WintonP. J.McCollumJ. A.CatlettC. (Eds.), Practical approaches to early childhood professional development: Evidence, strategies, and resources (pp. 1–12). Washington, DC: Zero to Three.
43.
YoderP. J.WarrenS. F. (2002). Effects of prelinguistic milieu teaching and parent responsivity education on dyads involving children with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 45, 297–310.
