Inclusive Early Education for All Children

by Rafael Otto | Feb 16, 2024 | Podcast

Summary

In this episode of The Early Link Podcast, host Rafael Otto sits down with Liane Chappell, at the Hillsboro Early Childhood Center in Hillsboro, Oregon, to talk about Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education. Chappell is the principal at the Early Childhood Center, located at the Northwest Regional Education Service District (NWRESD).

The goal of the Early Childhood Center is to serve kids who have delays and disabilities, and to help them make progress in the areas where they need support. Notably, their aim is to serve every child in an inclusive, natural environment – whether that’s at home, in the classroom, or running errands with their family.

“I’ve always had a passion for inclusion and for wanting to see kids with disabilities be a part of their community like every other kid,” said Chappell. “That’s what has driven me throughout my time at NWRESD and even prior to that in early childhood. I’m working to see every kid be included and get the opportunities that they deserve.”

We think you’ll want to hear the rest of Liane’s story. Listen now!

Children's Institute · Inclusive Early Education for All Children

More about The Early Link Podcast

The Early Link Podcast highlights national, regional, and local voices working in early childhood education and the nonprofit sector. The podcast is written, hosted, and produced by Rafael Otto, Children’s Institute’s director of communications.

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Inclusive Early Childhood Classrooms Support All Children

by Suze Wehr | Feb 15, 2024 | News, EI/ECSE, Health and Development, Oregon Policy

This image features our podcast guest Liane, who has short grey brown hair and is wearing a black and white checked shirt while sitting in front of the mic to record

This week, the CI communications team visited the Hillsboro Early Childhood Center in Hillsboro, Oregon. The goal? To meet with Liane Chappell, principal and former instructor in the Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education program located at the Northwest Regional Education Service District (NWRESD).

We arrived on a bustling Tuesday morning as educators and students emerged from classrooms, the children holding star-shaped links of a guiding rope as educators gently led them to their next learning station. Handmade art covered the walls, and the evidence of Valentine’s Day crafts and treats filled the air.

Liane greeted us warmly in the main hall, leading us back to a playfully decorated office complete with a giant Harry Potter themed Lego set, and a collection of crocheted succulents. As we settled in and set up our recording equipment, we got to know our guest. Liane Chappel has been in the early childhood field for a long time, and her passion for teaching and caring for young children came through immediately.

This image features an instructor and two students in an Inclusive classroom at NWRESD.

Chappell shared that the center’s goal is to serve kids who have delays and disabilities, and to help them make progress in the areas where they need support.

“We’re looking to serve every kid in an inclusive, natural environment. Natural meaning, wherever that kid would usually be, that’s where we serve them—at home, in the classroom, or even on an errand with their family,” said Chappell.

Often, the Early Childhood Center is a family’s first exposure to special education. Chappel also explained that, not only does the center collaborate with children, but it also works with caregivers and families to help them advocate for themselves and create the best outcomes possible during the earliest years of a child’s life.

this image features a young boy and a young girl student sitting at a table for snack time in an inclusive classroom at NWRESD.

“When we’re working with parents and caregivers, we’re helping them develop as advocates for their kids,” she said. “Helping families develop the skills to advocate for their child as they go on in their special education journey is really valuable. And at the same time, the preschool teachers and child care providers we work with are getting the opportunity to learn skills that will benefit many other kids down the road.”

A lot of people realize that the school experience for kids comprises an important part of their healthy development. But not everyone knows how early this impact starts. As we talked with Liane about what brought her to this field, she shared more about the potential in young children and the value of early intervention.

“EI/ECSE has been an overlooked field for a long time,” Chappell said. “But research keeps showing the importance of starting at a younger age and how it can positively impact children for the rest of their lives.”

She continues, sharing that she’s always had a passion for inclusion – because kids with learning challenges or different abilities should be part of their communities like every other kid. “I’m working to see every kid be included and get the opportunities they deserve.”

This image features Suze from the Comms team with recording equipment in an EI/ECSE inclusive classroom at NWRESD.

After our conversation, we toured one of NWRESD’s inclusive classrooms, where children of all abilities come together to learn. Beautiful, kid-made art, stations for practicing different developmental skills, and opportunities for curiosity to flourish filled the room.

It was snack time, and the kids made joyful comments about the crackers and veggie straws on their plates. The instructors were smiling, asking questions, and handling the variety of emotions expressed with grace. It was a happy, safe space, and our team left the center smiling – both from being around the kids and from seeing these dedicated teachers soar.

We think you’ll want to hear the rest of Liane’s story. You can find it in our latest podcast: Inclusive Early Education for All Children on Spotify, Stitcher, Soundcloud, or wherever you get your podcasts.

As the 2024 legislative session continues, we want to emphasize the importance of Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education opportunities for children across Oregon. EI/ECSE services are effective at increasing school readiness, reducing K-12 special education costs, and supporting families to foster life-long success.

In 2022-23, over 15,000 children received EI/ECSE services. This represents 2-3% of infants and toddlers and 6-7% of preschool-age children in the state. But here’s the deal: EI/ ECSE programs need a minimum of $22M during the 2024 Legislative Session to maintain the current service level (CSL) for children ages 0-5 years with disabilities.

Tell your representatives to fund EI/ECSE – because no child should be left out of quality, accessible early childhood education opportunities.

Video Series Highlights Importance of High-Quality Inclusion

by Ashley Walker | May 28, 2021 | National Research, EI/ECSE, Health and Development, Professional Learning, Equity

Despite ample research showing that high-quality inclusive settings support children’s learning and development, children with disabilities are still not reliably included in many preschool programs. In fact, there has been virtually no improvement in this area over the past forty years. Why aren’t we moving the needle?

Attitudes & Beliefs

The first video in a new series from STEMIE outlines the attitudes and beliefs that will move us toward progress. These include:

Optimism rather than pessimism about the capabilities of individuals with disabilities
A belief that everyone belongs, rather than reliance on policies that permit participation only when certain behavioral expectations are met (for example, “A child must be toilet trained, must be able to walk into the classroom on their own, or must be able to communicate verbally in order to participate in a preschool program.”)
An understanding that while high-quality inclusion is hard work, it is beneficial to everyone

Key Characteristics of High-Quality Inclusion

The second video in the series outlines the key characteristics of a high-quality inclusive education. These characteristics — which include the use of evidence-based practices, data-based decisionmaking, transdisciplinary service delivery, consistent environmental elements, and full utilization of peer influence — add up to a high-quality inclusive learning environment only when all are present. Without any one of them, the bar is not met.

Social Outcomes of Inclusion

Children who have a friend at ages three, four, and five are on a totally different developmental path than children who do not have a friend at those ages. The final video in this series discusses the social outcomes associated with participation in high-quality inclusive early learning.

Benefits to both typically developing children and children with disabilities include improved communication, cognitive, and academic skills, as well as reductions in challenging behaviors. For children with disabilities, early friendships are linked to better high school graduation rates, the need for fewer special education services, and increased longevity. And unsurprisingly, typically developing children who participate in high-quality inclusive programs develop more accepting attitudes toward individuals with differences, leading to a lasting potential social impact in all our communities.

The Latest from Salem: May 10, 2019

by Rafael Otto | May 10, 2019 | Podcast, Oregon Policy, Policy Trends

Dana Hepper, director of policy and advocacy at Children’s Institute, and James Barta, strategic director at Children First for Oregon, provide a timely policy update on the current legislative session.

Key takeaways:

The Senate vote on HB 3427, which has passed the House and allocates $2 billion to education, continues to be delayed.
Approximately $400 million in this package is dedicated to early childhood.
Oregon Business and Industry is neutral on the bill.
Many Republican senators are pushing for further negotiations.
If the bill secures 18 votes in the Senate it will become law; it’s likely it will then be referred to voters.
Your voice matters! Use the link below to contact your senator.

Visit our policy page for more information about our full policy agenda.

Tell your senator to vote YES on the Student Success Act!

Rural Parents Scramble to Get More Special Education for Young Kids

by Bill Graves | May 10, 2019 | Successful Students, EI/ECSE, Oregon Policy

Miles Wolpoff, 5, with his family, photo courtesy of Darcy Jeffs. Photo by Dan Haberly.

One Oregon couple in a rural town south of Eugene sends their 3-year-old autistic son on a two-hour round trip bus ride so he can attend a special state-sponsored preschool.

A couple living on the coast rent an apartment in Eugene where the mom lives during the week so their 4-year-old autistic son can get services beyond what the state provides.

A single-mom on Oregon’s eastern border makes 90-minute round trips two or three times a week to the Boise area in Idaho so her son with Down syndrome can get therapy unavailable locally.

Oregon Lacks Resources for Young Kids With Special Needs

Administrators and parents say Oregon lacks resources and professional staff to adequately help young children with special needs, especially in rural areas where services are strained by distance, limited public transportation, a scarcity of therapists and language barriers.

As required by federal law, the Oregon Department of Education provides early intervention for children under 3 with developmental delays and disabilities and early childhood special education for children 3 to 5 until they enter kindergarten. The Early Intervention/ Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE) program operates through Oregon’s education service districts (ESDs) and their contractors to help children with physical, cognitive and social-emotional development.

But providers and parents say Oregon’s resources have not kept pace with rising costs and a growing number of young children eligible for services. By investing more in these children early, Oregon could reduce the number needing special education later, says Judy Newman, director of Early Childhood CARES, which is based at the University of Oregon and contracts with Lane ESD to provide education and therapy services for 1,500 children countywide.

“We know from brain development research, the earlier we get on this, the better chance we have of minimizing or eliminating problems,” says Newman.

But sometimes in Oregon, especially in rural areas, it is not so easy to act early.

The Long Bus Ride

Jessilyn and Nathan Whiteman discovered the formidable challenge of getting services for their autistic son, Christopher, when he reached his third birthday. Until then, the Douglas ESD based in Roseburg sent specialists 40 miles north to the Whiteman’s home in the small town of Drain to help Christopher with speech and occupational therapy twice a month.

But once the boy turned 3, he had to go to the ESD’s special education preschool in Green, a small town just south of Roseburg, for services.

Jessilyn, 35, works at an insurance company in Drain and her husband, Nathan, 36, works for a railroad company on the Oregon coast. Neither could take Christopher to the preschool. So, on the advice of professionals, they reluctantly put him on a small bus alone and sometimes as sole passenger for two-hour roundtrips to the Green preschool twice a week. Strapped in his seat on the long bus rides, Christopher sometimes screamed, threw his shoe at the bus driver, and vomited.

Christopher Whiteman, photo courtesy of Jessilyn Whiteman.

“There were things he liked about it,” says Jessilyn. “But to go to a two-hour preschool, he would be gone four hours…Too much.”

Administrators elsewhere in Oregon, however, say it is not uncommon for parents to put their 3- and 4-year-old children on long bus rides for special education services. Children, for example, sometimes ride an hour from rural outskirts of the 688-square-mile Columbia County to preschools supported by the Northwest Regional ESD in five cities, says Cindy Jaeger the county’s EI/ECSE service center administrator.

The Whiteman’s have since moved into the big, boxy home Jessilyn grew up in among trees and fields on the edge of Yoncalla, a small town six miles from Drain. Now four mornings a week, Christopher attends school at Yoncalla Elementary, both in the preschool established with help from the Children’s Institute’s Early Works program years ago and in a second special education preschool the Douglas ESD recently opened there. The ESD also gives Christopher a weekly half-hour of speech therapy. Having him close has produced enormous benefits, says Jessilyn, who also home schools her older son.

“If he is having a meltdown at school,” she says, “I can just drive over there and get him.”

Once a week, Jessilyn drives her son 44 miles north to Eugene for an additional hour of speech therapy. Despite his dramatic improvements in speech and behavior, she says she wants to somehow do even more for Christopher.

“I’m nervous about kindergarten,” she says, “because I’m not sure he’s ready.”

Some, But not Enough

Like the Whitemans, rural parents across Oregon get state help for their young children with special needs, but many feel it is just not enough.

In Tillamook County, for example, the Northwest Regional ESD provides early intervention visits to children under 3 only one hour a month, though occasionally two hours a month for children with severe needs, says Kim Lyon, the county service center administrator. The ESD operates preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds only two hours a day twice a week.

Services are “very limited,” Lyon says.

Neighboring Columbia County has seen the number of children qualifying for services jump by 49 percent, from 150 to 223, over the last two years with a minimal budget increase, says county administrator Jaeger. The county employs “excellent professionals,” she says; “There are just not enough of them.”

Early Childhood CARES, the program directed by Judy Newman, operates a preschool in the coastal town of Florence that was a godsend for Miles Wolpoff, the 5-year-old son of Darcy Jeffs, 39, and her fiancé, Kevin Wolpoff, 42.

Miles Wolpoff, photo courtesy of Darcy Jeffs. Photo by Dan Haberly.

Miles, who would soon be diagnosed with mixed receptive expressive language disorder with autism, enrolled in the preschool in September of 2017 for three morning hours four days a week. Darcy, a freelance graphic artist, attended school with him for two months and saw that he struggled to “fall into line” with the class of eight, all with special needs. Sensitive to loud noises, for example, Miles would stray when children were grouped in a circle to sing or dance.

But when Darcy revisited the class the following April, she was astounded by changes in her son. He could follow directions, both verbal and those represented by photos and pictures.

“He’s sitting for circle time,” she says. “He was singing. He was doing all the motions. I started crying.”

The state-sponsored preschool in Florence helped Miles take big leaps in his speech, social, and daily living skills. Even so, says Darcy, “I felt like he needed more.”

To get more, she had to leave Florence. She’d already been driving him each Friday 75 miles away on the winding State Highway 126 to Eugene for an hour of speech and occupational therapy. The parents then enrolled him in another Eugene program offered by a non-profit agency called The Child Center, which combines applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy with preschool for six hours a day, five days a week. Enrolling Miles meant Darcy drove three hours round trip daily. Fortunately, she soon found an affordable Eugene apartment for her and Miles during the week.

The Right Therapy Makes a Big Difference

The ABA therapy is data driven, designed specifically for autistic children and has powerfully improved Miles’s communication, adaptive, emotional regulation, and social skills, says Darcy.

“Communication has been the biggest hurdle,” she says. Now, after his Child Center experience, she says, “not only can he tell us what he wants to eat or activities he wants to do, but he also can tell us what he doesn’t want to do.”

Miles’s gains come at the cost of missing time with his father, a contractor in Florence, who reads bedtime stories to him via Facetime. Darcy says she knows other Florence parents who cannot afford to take their children with special needs to Eugene.

“Seeing how much positive effect we’ve had from this more rigorous therapy, it just makes me feel bad for other families that can’t or don’t,” she says.

Melissa Tyler, 43, a single mom studying in college to become a social worker, also had to leave her town—and state—to get additional help for her 4-year-old son, Mason, who has the Down syndrome genetic disorder.

With state support, Mason attends a preschool in his home town of Ontario with a population of 11,000 on the state’s eastern border, and he gets 100 minutes a month of speech and occupational therapy. But it is “not enough,” says Tyler. She makes the 90-minute round trip two or three times a week across the border to the Boise area to give her son the additional therapy she thinks he needs.

“He has made huge improvements in his verbalization and in his fine motor skills since we started doing the additional speech and occupational therapy,” she says.

Mason Tyler, photo courtesy Melissa Tyler

Oregon’s Investment

Oregon’s Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education program, which includes some federal funding, operates on a two-year budget for 2017–19 of $228 million, about 15 percent of it federal. Between 2012 and 2018, the number of students in the program rose 21 percent to 13,832, and state funding per child climbed 33 percent to $8,726.

Despite funding increases, challenges remain statewide in getting adequate services, and those are compounded in rural areas by distance and limits on access to specialized staff, quality child care and early learning programs, says Kara Williams, director of EI/ECSE and Regional Programs for the Oregon Department of Education

The department reports one third of eligible kids under 3 get the recommended level of early intervention service they need. “Recommended level” means about average as opposed to low- or high-quality, says Newman, the Early Childhood CARES director. About two thirds of 3- and 4-year-olds in special education with low needs get the recommended level, and among those with moderate needs, the portion is 14 percent. Only two percent of those with high needs get the recommended level of service.

The state education department projects that if Oregon increased annual spending on early intervention and special education by $76 million per biennium, it could provide all children with recommended levels of services. That would save money downstream in kindergarten and public school by reducing the number of children in special education and the scope of services they would need.

Heavier investments early also could ease the stress, travel time, and costs that afflict so many rural parents striving to help their children succeed in school and life.

Learn More

Fact Sheet on Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education

Our 2019-20 Legislative Recommendations

Parents, Educators Call for “More Time, More Hours” to Improve Early Special Education Outcomes

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