2025 International Inclusion Institute

This hands-on and interactive session will explore myths and facts related to the use of assistive technology (AT) in early childhood environments to help participants plan for and use AT as part of children’s everyday routines and activities. We will include specific examples of AT that attendees can explore, make/fabricate, and try out during the session, and engage in interactive activities to learn, practice, and plan for using AT to foster belonging and inclusion for children with disabilities. After the session participants will be able to:
1. Describe assistive technology and its benefits for young children.
2. Explain specific ways that they will be able to embed assistive technology into their own early childhood/early intervention work settings.
3. Leave with a set of resources and create an action plan to embed assistive technology to fully include children with disabilities across early childhood environments.  

In this session, we will discuss how there is need for continued support for early childhood educators so that as we work to eliminate practices such as suspension and expulsion, we provide early childhood educators with a toolkit of inclusive, proactive, and preventative strategies they can use in its place to promote social emotional competence. We will also address how exclusionary discipline disproportionately impacts young children of color and young children with disabilities. We will provide strategies to facilitate the meaningful inclusion of all young children. This includes strategies on how to seek additional support for children with disabilities who may have behavior viewed as challenging.

This session will focus on ways in which to build the capacity for early childhood educators to recognize, create, implement, evaluate, and advocate for high-quality inclusive learning and development opportunities for young children. Tools and strategies that help promote emphasis on the full participation of each and every child and their family will be highlighted. Presenters will share examples of how to bring an inclusive lens to any course or professional development offering. Focused tabletop discussions will provide opportunities for participants to follow their interests and learning priorities.

Through the use of the ECEE Indicators, this workshop will share strategies and practices providers can use to support inclusion and belonging in their setting. The ECEE Strengths and Needs Assessment will be shared to support the development of an action plan that immediately recognizes what providers are doing to support inclusion and belonging and aids the provider in planning next steps to enhance inclusive practices. Participants will explore how practices can be embedded into the context of daily early childhood routines. The session will include opportunities to review videos and discuss implementation of the ECEE indicators in small groups and individually.  A resource site for supporting learning about the ECEE will also be shared with participants.