Introducing new resources for families and professions related to language topics: Extraordinarily Committed to Enrichment in Language & Literacy (EXCEL²). EXCEL² is a series of flyers within our IDEAL initiative. These are intended for professionals and families and cover a variety of important topics related to deaf and hard of hearing children’s literacy and language development. EXCEL² documents can be downloaded and many have links to additional resources on each topic.
You may also consider printing and sharing with others. Perhaps Grandma and Grandpa want to know more or a school principal would benefit from the information. The flyers can be found under the IDEAL technical assistance tab. EXCEL²
· Beyond Letters, Colors, and Numbers
· Emotional Health and Resilience Language
Another resource that has been added to our list of IDEAL technical assistance resources is American Sign Language and English Language Milestones—The Next Steps. The Next Steps cover milestones middle school through young adulthood and include expectations for language needed for independence and college.
These milestones are perfect for use when developing Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and determining long-term goals or engaging in Person Centered Planning. The Next Steps milestones are available in English and Spanish.
The Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Conference took place virtually from March 13 through 15 and offered sessions reflecting on early intervention practice and sharing information with families, among a plethora of other topics for audiologists, interventionists, families and medical providers.
We are sharing some nuggets of information related to brain building in infants and toddlers. Dr. Jack Shonkoff shares, “Building your babies’ brain sounds a little intimidating– so step back and take a deep breath. Parenting is much more of an art than it is a science.”
Did you know that play builds brains? Play, such as peek-a –boo, patty cake and singing songs with repetition and movement is a way for children to explore and develop a sense of mastery of the world. The baby will want to continue these activities, telling you that their brain is learning. See the mini Parenting Master Class video on Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child’s website.
Parents know it is important to celebrate their child. Resources dedicated to fostering joy are available from Hands & Voices Fostering Joy for Families website. Check out their tip sheets (ASL, English, Spanish as well as many other languages!) Let us know if you would like a copy of the Fostering Joy Journal, available to a limited number of families from the CDHHE Early Intervention Network. There is a separate website dedicated for Fostering Joy information for professionals.