FIRST START

TABLE OF CONTENTS Curriculum Enrollment Training Coordinators Objectives Collaborative Plan Family Centered Inclusion Books	*FIRST START - Birth to Five* Training for paraprofessionals, paraeducators and other caregivers working with infants, toddlers and young children with disabilities or chronic conditions University of Colorado Denver School of Nursing Denver, Colorado *THE PROGRAM* First Start is a national training program that was initiated at the University of Colorado Denver (UCD) through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. First Start offers a 45-hour interdisciplinary course designed to prepare paraprofessionals, paraeducators and other care givers to work with infants, toddlers, and young children with disabilities and chronic illness. First Start is a program that relates to the implementation of Part B and Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, (IDEA). The First Start Program is also closely linked to another program at UCD, the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care (NRC) Representatives from public or private child care, educational and health agencies and others who teach paraprofessionals, paraeducators and other care givers to provide services to children and families can bring First Start to their communities. Nurses, social workers, educators, early childhood educators, therapists, early interventionists, child care consultants, providers, parents, licensing personnel, community college faculty, and others are invited to become trained coordinators.

*Curriculum* An interdisciplinary team teaches the First Start curriculum. Professionals from nursing, education, social work, psychology, medicine, and physical, occupational, and speech therapy are involved in teaching the First Start classes. (See Curriculum Overview).		*Enrollment* Health, education and other related professionals may become trained coordinators of the course, which may be offered as a complete 45-hour course or in individual modules. Becoming a trained coordinator requires sponsorship by an agency, or college program. Team applicants are encouraged. (See CU Online Courses).	*Training* The Coordinator Training Session will be held in Denver, Colorado for three days, May 16, 17 and 18, 1999. The cost of this three-day Coordinator Training Session is supported in part through funding from the U.S. Department of Education, Personnel Preparation. Each attendee will be responsible for personal travel, lodging, per diem, and a fee of $300.00 for pre-registration, training, and materials, or $325.00 for registration on site. For more information, please email: Dalice Hertzberg@UCHSC.edu

Trained Coordinators

The trained First Start Coordinator will be able to administer a 45-hour course or selected modules designed to prepare students paraprofessionals, and education aides for:

Direct care of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with disabilities and/or chronic conditions

Special procedures and skills

Communication with parents and others

Cooperation among heath, education, child care and other services

Objectives of the Trained Coordinator

Upon completion of the week-long Coordinator Training Session, The First Start Coordinator will be able to:

Administer a 45-hour course to paraprofessionals including child care workers, education aides, and foster parents, in the care of infants, toddlers and preschoolers with developmental disabilities and/or chronic conditions

Facilitate teaching of the 45-hour course, or offering selected modules as an inservice, by interdisciplinary professionals and parents

Have familiarity with methods/techniques for training/teaching paraprofessionals

Have familiarity with resources available to assist in teaching each of the lesson plans

Collaborative Plan

The interdisciplinary curriculum emphasizes the caregiver's role in providing a developmentally appropriate environment. The program reinforces this priority by requiring each agency sponsoring training to develop a plan that assures cooperation and collaboration among health, education, child care and other agencies serving children with disabilities and chronic illness in their area. Participants in the training session will learn how to facilitate teaching of the course to paraprofessionals and education aides in their community utilizing interdisciplinary approaches and a variety of teaching strategies.

Family Centered

First Start encourages students, paraprofessionals, and education aides to serve as important community resources, and helps them develop family-centered values. It helps providers explore ways to help families and find needed community resources, while balancing their own emotional and financial needs. In addition, it is effective in alleviating the fears and uncertainties that many paraprofessionals and education aides have about caring for children who are developmentally challenged.

Inclusion

As the survival rate of infants and young children with disabilities and chronic health conditions increases, child care providers and paraeducators, including preschool teachers, and primary grade elementary school personnel, are challenged to provide inclusive services to meet these children's unique needs. These children have, or are at risk for, chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional conditions and require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that generally required by children. Approximately 4% or 3.1 million, of America's children under the age of 21 have some disability or chronic illness.

These children are entitled by law to participate with their peers in community life, which includes child care, preschool, and primary grades of elementary school. Although many providers and agencies support the concept of inclusion, many barriers continue to exist. Barriers include lack of knowledge about chronic health conditions and the care needs of children, negative attitudes toward inclusion, and lack of administrative support. Early childhood program personnel, child care providers, early interventionists, respite care providers and paraeducators must be prepared to provide adequate services including health and safety of children with disabilities and chronic health conditions if the goal of inclusion is to be realized.

First Start Books

In addition to the curriculum, First Start has produced a valuable resource: "Handbook for the Care of Infants, Toddlers, and Young Children with Disabilities and Chronic Conditions". The handbook is a reader-friendly resource written for child care workers who need quick access to information to help them respond to specific health needs of children. The Handbook's four major sections are: Human Development, Chronic Conditions, Care Needs, and Communication and Community Support. The work includes a detailed index and annotated reference section. In addition to the Handbook, First Start also produced an "Instructor's Guide for the Care of Infants, Toddlers, and Young Children with Disabilities and Chronic Conditions". The Guide is modeled after the Handbook, and also contains coordinated First Start lesson plans, teaching strategies, and suggested audiovisuals. It is available to support the presentation of the First Start curriculum in a comprehensive course or in selected modules. Both of these books can be ordered from Pro-Ed, Inc.