Project ACT

Adapting Your Center for Children with Special Needs

This training is designed to provide participants with strategies for adapting their classroom environment for children with special needs.  Through interactions, lectures and videotapes, participants will learn how important room arrangements, schedules, toys, play, etc., can be when adapting your environment.  Participants will walk away from this workshop and strategies and techniques on how to adapt their center/home and provide a strong, caring, and learning environment for your children with special needs.
Knowledge Areas:  Special Needs and or Child Development (2 hours or 3 hours)

Adaptive Equipment and Positioning for Children with Physical Challenges

Participants will learn about different types of adaptive equipment including bracing, mobility equipment (wheelchairs, strollers, walkers), and positioning equipment (standers, sidelyers, wedges).  This equipment allows children with physical disabilities to interact more independently in a daycare or classroom environment.  Participants will learn when and why this equipment is used and participate in hands-on demonstrations of equipment use.  This knowledge will allow participants to feel more comfortable working with children with physical disabilities and helping them thrive and interact in a daycare setting.   This presentation can also include information on adaptive toys and augmentative communication devices if requested.
Knowledge Areas:  Special Needs (2 hours, 3 hours, or 6 hours)

Attachment-Based Circle Time

During this workshop, participants will learn a variety of attachment-based circle time activities that can be started in the daycare setting and carried out at home. Through the use of lecture and videotapes, participants will learn about six critical concepts (Contingency, Verbalness, Positioning, Sensitivity, Affect and Engagement, and Disengagement Cues) related to attachment theory. A make-and-take component allows participants to learn a number of attachment concepts and have the materials in hand for fast and easy implementation in the daycare setting. This training has a maximum of 20 participants
Knowledge Areas: Child Development and or Special Needs (3 hours)

Behavior Management: Focusing on the Positive

This interactive training is designed to help caregivers/providers focus on the positives of their daily activities, children and routine, eliminating the negatives.  During this training, participants will learn a number of factors contributing to behavior concerns in a classroom/home-based environment.  Through the use of lectures, videotapes and interactions, participants will learn why certain behaviors occur, how to prevent, and then treat such behaviors.  Participants will gain strategies and techniques to focus on the positives, which will help them, better manage challenging behaviors.
Knowledge Areas: Child Development and or Special Needs (2 hours or 3 hours)

Children with Asthma, Allergies and Anaphylaxis

This interactive training is designed to provide participants with a general knowledge of what asthma, allergies and anaphylaxis are. The providers will be able to identify asthma triggers, recognize signs and symptoms of asthma attacks and identify management methods. Methods to manage the child with allergies in the daycare environment will also be discussed. The providers will learn to recognize signs and symptoms of an exposure including anaphylaxis. The participants will have an opportunity to work with Epi-pen trainers to familiarize themselves with this treatment mode. Development of plans of care for these potential medical emergencies will also be covered in this training.
Knowledge Area: Health, Safety & Nutrition (2 hours or 3 hours)  Limit 30 people per session

Children with Gastrostomy Tubes

This interactive training is designed to provide participants with a general knowledge of what gastrostomy tubes are and their purpose. Indications will also be reviewed. The participant will be able to identify different feeding methods and signs and symptoms of feeding intolerance. They will learn about the various types of feeding tubes and their care. The participants will be able to develop a plan of care for a child with a feeding tube.
Knowledge Area: Health, Safety & Nutrition (2 hours or 3 hours)  Limit 30 people per session

Children with Seizures

This training is designed to provide participants with a general understanding of what seizures are. The providers will learn about the different types of seizures and what some of the causes of seizure disorders are. The participants will be able to recognize characteristic seizure activity and be able to develop a plan of care for this potential medical emergency. Information covered in this training will assist the daycare provider to manage a child with seizures safely in the daycare environment.
Knowledge Area: Health, Safety & Nutrition (3 hours)

Facilitating Inclusion for Children Born Prematurely

This presentation is designed to assist participants when accommodating premature infants into their daycare.  It will provide information on the continuum of care for children born prematurely from infancy through age 5 years.  These children are often faced with significant medical complications at birth and are risk for continued developmental delays as they grow.  Techniques used by therapists to promote cognitive, motor and speech development are discussed.
Knowledge Areas: Special Needs and or Child development (2 hours, 3 hours, or 6 hours)

Facilitating Inclusion for Children with Cerebral Palsy (CP)

This training is designed to provide an overview of Cerebral Palsy (CP) and will help participants understand the complexities related to working with children with CP.  Current research and types of successful intervention strategies are reviewed.  The training includes techniques used by occupational therapists, physical therapists and speech-language pathologists to promote participation in daily routines.  This presentation will follow a child though a typical day in daycare and provide strategies to facilitate inclusion.
Knowledge Area:  Special Needs (2 hours, 3 hours or 6 hours)

Facilitating Inclusion for Children with Down Syndrome

This training is designed to provide an overview of Down syndrome and will help participants understand the complexities related to working with children with this disorder.  Current research and types of successful intervention strategies are reviewed.  The training includes techniques used by occupational therapists, physical therapists and speech-language pathologists to promote participation in daily routines.  This presentation will follow a child though a typical day in daycare and provide strategies to facilitate inclusion.
Knowledge Area:  Special Needs (2 hours, 3 hours or 6 hours)

Feeding is More than Eating

Based on the work of Ellyn Satter, this workshop brings together attachment theory and feeding guidelines to help enhance family life. Ellyn Satter states, “Feeding demands a division of responsibility. Parents are responsible for the what, whenand where of feeding; children are responsible for the how much and whether of eating.” Participants will learn from videotape and hands-on activities how to implement this division of responsibilities. This training is available in 2-hour, 3-hour, or 6-hour formats depending on the audience’s needs.
Core of Knowledge Hours Pending
Knowledge Area: Health, Safety and Nutrition (2 hours, 3 hours, or 6 hours)

Immunizations: “What Are All the Shots For?”

This training is designed to provide participants with a greater understanding of what immunizations are and how they work. The providers will become familiar with the diseases that immunizations protect us against. The recommended immunization schedule will be reviewed as well as appropriate measures for obtaining and updating documentation. The providers will also be informed of the care of the child pre and post immunization.
Knowledge Areas: Health, Safety, and Nutrition (2 hours or 3 hours)

Introduction to Sensory Integration

Sensory integration is a part of everyday life.  It involves taking in sensory experiences, processing them, and responding.  Difficulties with sensory integration can result in behaviors that can be problematic (overly sensitive, too rough when playing, very controlling).  Sensory integration dysfunction is often seen with children who have learning disabilities or are on the autism spectrum.  This is a beginning level presentation designed to provide an introduction to sensory dysfunction and give practical suggestions for managing the behavior.
Knowledge Area:  Special Needs (2 hours, 3 hours or 6 hours)

It’s Really No Different: Conversations with Caregivers

This workshop starts with a 17 minute video produced by AGH Associates that explores caregiver’s speaking about their experiences, concerns and fears about caring for children with special needs. The workshop will help caregiver’s look at their areas of concern and see the benefits of inclusionary practices. This workshop is also designed for directors of centers as without their support of the providers in their centers welcoming children with special needs
Knowledge Area: Special Needs (2 hours)

Let’s Just Play: The Use of Dyadic Art Therapy with Very Young Children and Their Parents:

Become knowledgeable in how to utilize art and play therapy to enhance parent/child attachment. Participants will learn via hands-on activities about a number of attachment-based therapy strategies such as Mandalas, Filial Therapy, and Mutual Finger Painting. Discussion will also include how to implement this therapeutic model in a daycare setting.
Knowledge Areas: Child Development and Special Needs (2 hours or 3 hours)

Let's Play: Strategies for Developing Hand Skills and Adapting Toys for the Inclusion of All Children

This training is designed to provide participants with an understanding of how vital hand skills are for children to be able to explore and affect their environment; the challenges children may have developing hand skills and general tips for improving hand skills.  Childcare providers will learn creative ways to adapt the daycare environment accommodate and help children who need assistance, as well as ways to adapt items in the classroom to assist children with developmental delays.  Participants will learn how to select appropriate toys to assist in the development of hand skills and the qualities of the toys that can increase the child’s fine motor skills. This session will include hands on activities that go through the developmental stages of hand skill development, with facilitated learning activities to demonstrate how typical and atypical children explore and learn within their environments. 
Knowledge Areas: Special Needs and Child Development (2 hours)

Mealtime Challenges

This training is designed to provide participants with practical tips to help children in their child care setting who may experience difficulty with feeding. Feeding milestones and expectations for children with developmental delays will be discussed. Participants will learn ways to accommodate and help children who need assistance with self-feeding, who are “picky eaters”, and children who do not eat. Specialized tools for children with feeding delays and disorders will be presented at the training. Child care providers will also learn how to adapt their mealtime environment from seating, to lighting, to noise in order to improve success with feeding. Ways to improve feeding skills outside of mealtime, including “mouth play,” play with different textures and temperatures, and play with food, will be discussed. Participants will share in interactive case studies with “real life” examples of ways these techniques can be incorporated into the child care setting.
Knowledge Areas: Health, Safety & Nutrition and Special Needs (2 hours)

Partnering with Parents of Children with Special Needs

When parents learn that their child has a chronic illness or disability, their lives take a different path, one that is filled with strong emotions, difficult choices and decisions, interactions with a variety of professionals and specialists, and a continuous need for information and services.  This presentation will help providers gain an understanding of how to partner with families and to provide an atmosphere of support and trust.
Knowledge Areas:  Special Needs or Professionalism (2 hours or 3 hours)

Sensitivity Training, “Using People First Language”

During this interactive workshop participants will become familiar with the challenges that face children with disabilities on a daily basis, explore how we perceive a child with a disability, and learn appropriate and respectful language and methods of interaction with people with special needs.
Knowledge Area: Special Needs (2 hours or 3 hours)

Speech Development

During this workshop, participants will learn how a child’s speech develops.  This training focuses on articulation or the way a child produces speech sounds.  Typical and atypical speech development will be discussed.  Participants will learn at what ages children are expected to acquire specific speech sounds and ways to promote intelligibility and clear speech in a child’s daily routine.  Other atypical speech disturbances including stuttering and voice disorders will be described and discussed.  Basic intervention strategies which can be used in a child’s daycare will be described for these disorders.
Knowledge Areas:  Special Needs and Child Development (2 hours, 3 hours, or 6 hours)

Strategies for Working with Parents with Intellectual Challenges

During this training, participants will gain an overview of what an intellectual disability is, along with cues that a parent may have a disability of this type. Participants will be provided with strategies on how to best communicate with these parents, enlist their cooperation, and promote their roles as their children’s teachers.
Knowledge Area: Special Needs (2 hours or 6.5 hours)

Strategies to Promote Communication Skills

During this workshop, participants will learn techniques to improve children’s communication skills and learn ways that sign language, picture systems, and augmentative communication systems can be utilized. Child care providers will learn techniques to use in their child care setting to help these children express their wants and needs. The techniques discussed have been researched and studied by speech language pathologists who specialize in working with children with communication impairments. The techniques and methods discussed can help children communicate with staff and other children in the child care setting. Enhancing a child’s communication skills can often decrease the child’s frustration and disruptive behavior and improve socialization. Children with severe speech or language problems may rely quite heavily on standard techniques to communicate, such as speaking, as well as special techniques that have been specifically developed for them. Participants will take part in hands-on activities to learn ways to enhance communication skills for children with impaired language, including use of specialized gestures, simple sign language, and other communication aids such as language boards that contain pictures, drawings, or symbols to represent objects or activities in the child’s daily routine. Participants will learn ways to incorporate these methods into their own child care settings.
Knowledge Areas: Special Needs and Child Development (2 hours or 3 hours)

Theraplay Techniques with Young Children

In this workshop, participants will learn to use fun and engaging non-verbal activities to enhance attachment between very young children and their parents. Theraplayâ is lively, engaging, playful treatment methods used to replicate a healthy early parent-child relationship. Theraplayâ utilizes inexpensive household items to promote positive parent and child interaction. Participants will learn about the four dimensions that affect parent-child relationships: Structure, Nurturance, Engagement, and Challenge. This training is very interactive and allows participants to have hands-on experiences as well as an opportunity to view Theraplayâ treatment videos.
Knowledge Areas: Child Development and Special Needs (2 hours or 3 hours)

Typical/Atypical Early Child Development

In this workshop, participants will gain an understanding of typical and atypical development and how to screen for developmental disabilities and delays.
Knowledge Areas: Special Needs or Child Development (2 hours)

Wee Cuddle and Grow

This training is designed to create a therapeutic classroom milieu for very young children. Participants will learn to apply attachment theory to infant mental health. Participants will learn about internal states, state modulation, engagement and disengagement cues. In addition, participants will learn through videotapes, lectures, and hands-on activities how to implement a number of intervention strategies that enhance parent-child attachment. This training is available in 2-hour, 3-hour or 6-hour formats depending on the audience’s needs.
Knowledge Areas: Special Needs or Child Development (2 hours, 3 hours or 6 hours)

On-site Training

Mentoring

Mentoring sessions with PACT’s World of Care child care program can be arranged. These sessions will provide opportunities to observe child care staff, nurses, and occupational, physical and speech therapists as they work with children who have special needs. Professional activity units will be given.