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Resources for Early Childhood from Division for Early Childhood/Council for Exceptional Children

Review by Susan Donahoe, Early Childhood Coordinator--updated 3/21/2011



DEC continues to research and offer materials designed to increase the accessibility of evidence -based practices. Some current offerings include the 2005 version of DEC Recommended Practices series, entitled DEC Recommended Practices: A Comprehensive Guide. This guide is appropriately used for programs serving children birth-5 and contains all of the information from the 2001 DEC: Program Assessment book in a reorganized and updated format that includes more examples and strategies for program assessment and improvement. The companion workbook offers a way to organize and document your data and plans. The final piece to this helpful package is the Toolkit CD that provides tutorials, including video clips and self-tests, in each of four essential practices.

The information contained within these resources was gathered through an extensive process, including a comprehensive literature review, focus groups of parents, teachers, and administrators, and wide consensus among nationally and internationally acclaimed experts in the field of early childhood.. As is true for many special education practices, the DEC recommended techniques are widely recognized to be appropriate for children in general education settings as well.

All three of these resources are affordably priced and can be ordered from the DEC website.

While ordering resources for your early childhood team, don't forget to include a subscription to Young Exceptional Children Journal. (Professional)
or Young Exceptional Children Journal. (Families)
or Young Exceptional Children Journal. (Students)
Other options are available above, as well.
The articles are timely, well written and full of examples and illustrations that help practitioners relate theory to practice. Call the DEC office at (406) 543-0872 to order or use the links above.