Collaborative Child Find and Screening Activities Within EI/ECSE Delivery Systems

Contact Information: MaryAnn Demchak Nevada Dual Sensory Impairment Project Mail Stop 299 University of Nevada, Reno Reno, NV (775)

Contact Information: Annette Carey Low Incidence Coordinator Bldg. 6 Room Kanawha Blvd. East Charleston, WV (304)

Presentation Purpose The purpose of this presentation is to share information about EI/ECSE collaborative child find / screening activities in Nevada and West Virginia at the following levels: State level and statewide initiativesState level and statewide initiatives District level activitiesDistrict level activities Local or specific agency activitiesLocal or specific agency activities

Overview of Nevada Total of 17 school districts statewide Nevada Department of EducationNevada Department of Education Total of 3 early intervention agencies statewide (North, South, Rural) Nevada Department of Human Resources, Health Division, Bureau of EI ServicesNevada Department of Human Resources, Health Division, Bureau of EI Services

Overview of Nevada Much of the state is rural and remote Frequently long distances from one family to another No teacher licensure in area of deafblindness

Overview of West Virginia Total of 8 Regional Education Service Agencies (RESA) Total of 55 school districts (WVSDB is 56 th ) Part C completing its system redesign WV Department of Health and Human Resources, Office of Maternal Child and Family Health WV Department of Health and Human Resources, Office of Maternal Child and Family Health Summer 2004: 8 Regional Administrative Units (single point of entry, open vendor system for services) Summer 2004: 8 Regional Administrative Units (single point of entry, open vendor system for services) WVSDB operates statewide outreach B – 5 INSITE INSITE SKI*HI SKI*HI

Overview of West Virginia Much of the state is rural and mountainous with only 3 % considered “flat” Although close in distance, more travel time is often required due to the terrain No teacher licensure in area of deafblindness WV Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Marshall College of Graduate College has a collaborative agreement to support a personnel preparation program both Visual Impairments and Deaf/Hard of Hearing

Overview: Activities Aimed at State Initiatives Establish relationships with state-level Part C and Part B (ages 3-5) personnel Active committee member on state-level committees Embed deafblind project into EI/ECSE initiatives Newborn hearing screening activities

West Virginia: State Initiatives Established relationship between project director and Part C CSPD coordinator Serve as “Sensory Consultant” for Part C Member of Part C workgroup for system redesign Member, WV Early Transition Steering Committee (membership includes state representatives for all early childhood initiatives)

West Virginia: State Initiatives Member Newborn Hearing Screening Advisory Part C Sponsors Deafblind Conference Children’s Vision Rehabilitation Project Provides comprehensive visual access evaluations: Medical, Low Vision, OT, O & M, AT, & Educational Provides comprehensive visual access evaluations: Medical, Low Vision, OT, O & M, AT, & Educational Coordination between Part C, SKI*HI, INSITE Census Coordination Census Coordination Parent Advisors Parent Advisors

West Virginia: State Initiatives Part C support of CVI Mentorship Project Annual Project presentation on sensory impairments and early communication: Gizmo (AT Camp Birth – 8) Gizmo (AT Camp Birth – 8) Celebrating Connections (Early Childhood Conference 1,800) Celebrating Connections (Early Childhood Conference 1,800) PATHs (Partners in Assistive Technology Conference) PATHs (Partners in Assistive Technology Conference) Early Childhood Focus Committee for VI & D/HH

Nevada: State Initiatives Established relationships with both Parts B & C CSPD coordinators Chair, Nevada’s Special Education Advisory Committee Member, Part C workgroup OSEP Continuous Improvement Monitoring Process Member, task force for passage of newborn hearing screening law

Nevada: State Initiatives Project display and/or presentations on sensory impairments: Nevada Association for Education of Young ChildrenNevada Association for Education of Young Children Department of Education megaconferenceDepartment of Education megaconference Annual speech pathologist / audiologist conferenceAnnual speech pathologist / audiologist conference Co-sponsor of INSITE training Project information and training on sensory impairments to Nevada’s PTI

Overview: School District Level Activities Training initiatives Dissemination of technical assistance documents and project information Developing relationships with key personnel in school districts Available for TA for children with only one sensory impairment

Nevada: District Level Activities Statewide screening project of students identified as hearing impaired (included preschoolers) Dissemination of screening posters, screening brochures, and project brochures to school district child find coordinators Brochures in English and SpanishBrochures in English and Spanish

Nevada: District Level Activities Letters regarding project to district –School psychologists –School nurses & public health nurses –Tribal health clinics –Speech pathologists & audiologists –VI & HI teachers –Members of state AT consortium Relationships with key school district personnel: school nurse, administrators

Nevada: District Level Activities Attendance at special education administrator meetings Collaborative activities with state Assistive Technology project: Mailings to all consortium membersMailings to all consortium members Regular participation in consortium meetingsRegular participation in consortium meetings Assist in providing training at consortium meetingsAssist in providing training at consortium meetings Project overviews at consortium meetingsProject overviews at consortium meetings

Nevada: District Level Activities Provision of TA (e.g., telephone, print materials, videos) to districts upon request for children who are only VI or HI (NOT on-site TA)

West Virginia: District Level Activities Compulsory pre-enrollment screening for hearing, vision, and speech and language Dissemination of fall “Welcome Letter” to EI, Families, and Teachers (includes: project brochure, needs assessment and resources such as DB-LINK) Coordination of TA through: Marshall University Graduate College personnel preparation programs Marshall University Graduate College personnel preparation programs VI and D/HH CVRP CVRP

West Virginia: District Level Activities Low Incidence Coordinator Database of all special education teachers by area of assignment (2 nd month report) Database of all special education teachers by area of assignment (2 nd month report) Attendance at special education administrator and leadership conferences Attendance at special education administrator and leadership conferences Involved in monitor and compliance activities Involved in monitor and compliance activities Maintain relationship with teachers of vi and d/hh Maintain relationship with teachers of vi and d/hh Provision of TA Provision of TA Conference Coordinator: RESA VII

Overview: Other Local Activities EI Agencies and Other Agencies Training initiatives Dissemination of TA documents Available for TA for children with only one sensory impairment Parent training activities

Overview: Other Local Activities EI Agencies and Other Agencies Developing relationships with personnel at early intervention agencies Attending EI agency staff meetings Committee memberships

West Virginia: Local Initiatives EI Agencies Presentation: Impact of Sensory Impairment on Child Development and Learning Child Connection Agencies Agencies Relocation of families Relocation of families Available for TA for child with only a vision or hearing impairment Phone TA if not deafblindPhone TA if not deafblind Connecting to ResourcesConnecting to Resources

West Virginia: Local Initiatives Other Agencies FY 2005 BEST Training (birth – 3) Part C, Parent Advisors and Families Part C, Parent Advisors and Families Part C is providing the funding Part C is providing the funding Series of trainings on various issues related to deafblindness Developed relationship with EI providers Deafblind Project’s AT Mentor

West Virginia: Local Initiatives Other Agencies Disseminate project brochures and census information to Regional Administrative Units (RAUs) Part C Trails Van and RAUs Information Resource Packets Information Resource Packets Toys and AT Toys and AT

Nevada: Local Initiatives EI Agencies Series of trainings on various issues related to deafblindness for EI agency staff Developed relationships at each EI agency with development specialists with expertise in vision or hearing impairments Annual project overview presentation to each EI agency Dissemination of screening posters, screening brochures, and project brochures to agency directors

Nevada: Local Initiatives Other Agencies Member, Mental Health / Disabilities Advisory Committee for Head Start Training on sensory impairments for Head Start teachers and assistants Project info to all Head Start agencies

What Else Has Worked? Relationship of other job responsibilities to child find and screening activities

Nevada Information in teacher preparation classes Intro courses Intro courses Various courses in severe disabilitiesVarious courses in severe disabilities Collaboration with Audiology professor in School of Medicine

West Virginia Two Cycles ago began system analysis approach to: Increase child find Increase child find Decrease age of identification Decrease age of identification On-going attempt to embed project’s activities in both the system and training initiatives of Part C Today, few “stand alone”activities

West Virginia Not a stagnant approach Focus on all kids, birth – 21, who have sensory impairments (Low-incidence coordinator) Hosting VI seminars through Office of Special Education, birth-3 providers invited Hosting VI seminars through Office of Special Education, birth-3 providers invited Educational Interpreter Conference offered a pre-conference on language development for Part C and SKI*HI Educational Interpreter Conference offered a pre-conference on language development for Part C and SKI*HI

West Virginia Membership on select committee WV Assistive Technology WV Assistive Technology DD Council DD Council Early Childhood Early Childhood WV Newborn Screening Advisory WV Newborn Screening Advisory Gizmo Gizmo Part C/ Deafblind Project’s relationship has changed from cooperation to coordination to collaboration

West Virginia During the grant competition, WV was faced with an increasing child count, increased planned activities and a decrease in available funds. Part C increased there financial support for many of our activities: Summer Institute Summer Institute BEST Training BEST Training Family Weekend Family Weekend CVI Mentorship Project CVI Mentorship Project

Summary Process that began 2 or 3 funding cycles ago Reaching as many people as possible in all activities is an underlying philosophy / practice for both projects On-going nature of many of our activities