The Early Childhood Direction Center
An Information and Resource Center for Families and Professionals

We can supply information about a variety of topics related to young children and their development. Our particular expertise lies in the young child with a disability. A more detailed listing follows. We have handouts, articles and booklists of varying complexity and reading levels. We can generally respond to your request within 24 to 48 hours.

Our information comes from a variety of sources, including journal articles, books, internet resources, or our own expertise. Because we are based at Syracuse University we have access to cutting edge information. We can synthesize and/or simplify the information so it is useful to those who need it.

The ECDC can save you time by researching and supplying the information you need.

Help is a phone call away. Our staff are trained listeners and will match the request for information to meet the specific need of the caller. We can supply information to professionals for themselves or the families they work with. We encourage case managers, service coordinators, teachers, etc. to have the families call us directly. We are especially skilled at helping a caller zero in on what they are really asking for so that the material we send will be relevant.

We develop individual packets based on a caller's needs and requests. Although there are some exceptions, we generally do NOT supply multiple copies for mass distribution. However, you may feel free to copy any material we send you.

The following is a partial list to give you a flavor of the resources we have. If you don't see what you need, call anyway. Chances are we have something that will interest you or if not, we can research your topic and find information that will be helpful to you

CHILD DEVELOPMENT

• Information on topics of concern to parents such as toilet training, sleep problems, biting, tantrums, etc.
• Discipline and challenging behaviors
• Information on the above topics but with a slant toward the particular needs of a child with a disability
• Ages and stages checklists

• Information ranging from one page handouts to full articles on a variety of disabilities including but not limited to:
• Syndromes and rare disorders
• Autism, ADHD, Mental Retardation, Communication Disorders, Visual and Hearing Impairments, Mobility Disorders, Neurological Disorders, health impairments
• Prematurity and low birth weight
• Information on current treatments, theories etc.
• Information on gifted children
• Booklists and suggested reading for more information

• Language stimulation activities
• Motor activities
• Reading to kids
• Play

(These activities can be especially helpful to parents while they are waiting for services to begin).

• "How to talk with your doctor"
• "How to talk with your child's teacher"
• Things to think about at meetings, parent-school conferences, etc.
• Articles to help understand various diagnositc tests and evaluation tools and what their usefulness might be for a particular child
• Articles and handouts on assertiveness and advocating

• Articles and handouts on coping with a child's disability
• Articles and handouts on stress and taking care of one's self
• Articles of particular interest to mothers, fathers, siblings, grandparents

• Handouts on key provisions of federal and state Special Education Law and Regulations
• Actual copies of Law and Regulations
• Handouts describing other government programs such as SSI, Medicaid Waivers and Physically Handicapped Children's Program
• Handouts describing Early Intervention and Preschool Special Education

• Specific suggestions for child care professionals on adapting activities and materials for children with disabilities
• Suggestions for teachers and child care professionals on handling challenging behaviors
• Information on how to develop partnerships between special educators, child care professionals and parents
• Book lists for more information

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| Inclusion For Young Children | Information Packages | Parent Training Initiative |
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