Early Learning Resources

Special Needs & Inclusion

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 All children are unique and special.  Children of all abilities thrive when they receive the supports and services that best meet their needs.  The resources below are intended to provide early educators with information about and access to inclusive services and supports for children and families with diverse needs.

English Learners with Disabilities Resources (CDE)

The diverse languages and cultures that California’s students bring to the classroom are assets on which to build.  This page includes a variety of resources geared toward supporting providers and families caring for English Learners with Disabilities.  Resources include distance learning, family resources, and those from a variety of organizations across the country.

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California Practitioners’ Guide for Educating English Learners with Disabilities

This guide emphasizes the importance of respecting and being responsive to student and family culture and language when developing programs, services, and instruction for ELs in the state who may have a disability that impacts their ability to learn. Children, including children with disabilities, can successfully learn two or more languages, and multilingualism has linguistic, social, cognitive, academic, economic, and cultural benefits.

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Child Care Providers’ VERY IMPORTANT Role in Early Intervention

Learn how to identify children who might need services and help their families get it for them as early as possible.

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A Guide to Adaptations (STEMIE)

At STEMIE, they use adaptations to ensure young children with disabilities can fully participate and engage in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) learning opportunities and experiences.  In this document, they describe an evidence-based inclusion framework and  provide definitions and examples of adaptations that adults can use to ensure young children with disabilities can participate fully in STEM learning experiences

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Sesame Street and Autism Playlist

Watch these short videos featuring Julia and her Sesame Street friends with your little ones to learn more about autism and how we are all a little different.  #SeeAmazing

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Sesame Street in Communities Autism Resources for Families

These resources from Sesame Street in Communities help support families, siblings, and children with autism.  As a parent or caregiver of a child with autism (or as someone who knows a person with autism), your understanding and support can help ease daily challenges…while celebrating the uniqueness of all children.

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Sesame Street and Autism: Resources You Can Use (Webinar)

In this webinar, you’ll learn how you can use Sesame Street Autism resources to build acceptance, inclusivity, awareness, and understanding among the children and families that you serve.

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Autism Speaks Resource Guide

Check out Autism Speaks’ valuable list of state by state resources to support you or the families you serve with advocacy, health, evaluation and diagnosis, school, and other community or state level supports available to children with autism and their families.

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Autism Speaks Early Childcare Providers Guide

The purpose of this guide is to present ways for early childcare providers to better manage challenging behaviors in a childcare setting. It describes intervention strategies and positive behavioral supports to help class time go more smoothly. This toolkit also briefly describes Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), basic developmental milestones, and potential developmental red flags to
monitor.

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Teaching Children with Autism (NAEYC)

This article by NACYE sharing instructional supports for children with autism spectrum disorder.  Teachers who purposefully use multiple instructional approaches optimize children’s opportunities for learning.

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QSLA is proud of the many resources available on our website and hope they support your program and your family. If you are interested in sharing any of our QSLA created resources with your communities or on your website, social media or other platforms, please give QSLA credit by tagging us on Facebook @QualityStartLosAngeles or Twitter @QualityStartLA or sharing the link to our website for the resource.