Abstract

Since 1993, the field of early intervention has embraced the goal of full inclusion for all children with disabilities. Despite increases in conceptual and legislative support, quality care in natural environments is not yet an option for most young children with disabilities and their families. Simply placing a young child with disabilities in a generic early childhood setting does not equal successful community-based inclusion. Implementation problems are complex, persistent and multiple, and have been defined at policy, administrative, classroom and community levels. However, a common theme at every level is well-prepared personnel.

An enormous challenge to realizing the vision of quality services for young children (0-5) in inclusive community settings (natural environments) is how to meet increasing demands for well-trained personnel to provide those services. To address this challenge, we must meet three interrelated needs.

• First, large numbers of early childhood teachers* need preparation on how to serve young children with diverse abilities in inclusive community settings.
• Second, early childhood teacher preparation programs, faculty, and administrators at community colleges need training and support on infusing exceptionality into their coursework and practica to address the needs of young children with disabilities. National survey data support the fact that community colleges are the place where early childhood teachers are most likely to participate in coursework or practica experiences.
• Third, federal personnel preparation funds need to support community college programs and faculty in optimizing their capacity to address new training requirements and family/community expectations for inclusion.

Natural Allies will address these needs by developing, implementing, evaluating and disseminating a model that will yield change and improvement in community college coursework and practical experiences related to serving young children with disabilities in inclusive natural environments. This project is based on a proven systems change model that has produced documented, long lasting and meaningful changes in preservice personnel preparation at individual, program and state levels. Values of the project include building on existing resources and expertise, campus-community collaboration, and team-based, ecological approaches that include the participation of family, campus, community and state agency partners in personnel development efforts.

Salient features of the Natural Allies implementation plan include:

1. working with family members, adults with disabilities, early childhood faculty** , early childhood teachers, early interventionists, and state agencies in eight states to identify priorities for change in early childhood teacher preparation (n= 320);
2. providing instructional resources and educational experiences, including a four-day intensive institute designed to address individual and state priorities, to interprofessional teams of faculty, community, family, and state agency representatives (n= 120);
3. facilitating the development of state and individual action plans for improving the quality of community college preparation; and
4. providing technical assistance over an 18-month period in support of the action plans.

Key to Natural Allies is a commitment to increasing opportunities for culturally diverse individuals and individuals with disabilities to participate in all aspects of the projectâs statewide change efforts.

The anticipated outcomes that will result from this project include:

• Increased knowledge and skills of community college faculty related to using innovative instructional approaches for infusing exceptionality and early intervention content in their instructional programs;
• Enlarged capacity of community colleges to prepare students for instructional and supervisory roles in natural environments serving all young children and families; and
• Strengthened linkages among state agencies, community colleges, early intervention programs, early childhood teachers, families and consumers.

*"Early childhood teacher(s)" refers to all personnel (professional and paraprofessional) serving young children (0-5) with and without disabilities, in community settings (natural environments).

**"Early childhood faculty" refers to faculty from disciplines preparing professional and paraprofessional personnel to work with young children with disabilities and their age mates (e.g., child development, early childhood education, early childhood special education, nursing).

Projects of National Significance CFDA#: 84.325N

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