Raising Children's Voices: Lessons Learned from EC PLACE
Main Article Content
Keywords
autism, early childhood special education, preschool intervention
Abstract
The Early Childhood Program for Language Acquisition and Community Engagement (EC PLACE) is a program designed to support language, communication, and social development of children with significant disabilities within a public preschool setting. This article describes program design and eight effective program practices which contributed to remarkable gains in children’s skills and outcomes.
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Lissanna Follari, University of Colorado Colorado Springs
Dr. Lissanna Follari has been working with and for young children and families for 23 years. She began her teaching career as a teacher of infants and toddlers, and has worked in classrooms throughout the elementary grades. Lissanna has spent the past 14 years as an Early Childhood Development and Education faculty with colleges and universities in 5 states. Her work focuses on diversity studies and innovative approaches to inclusive early care and education, and she actively participates with numerous community agencies and schools advocating for high quality practices in inclusive early care and education. Lissanna has authored two books: Foundations and Best Practices in ECE and Valuing Diversity in Early Childhood, both published with Pearson, and her research and scholarship focus on diversity in early childhood and teacher education. She joined the College of Education at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs in January 2014. Lissanna also provides coaching and mentoring for early childhood teachers to enhance their implementation of effective inclusion and trauma and resilience informed practices. Lissanna lives in Fountain with her son, and together they spend most of their free time in the mountains and exploring our great outdoors.
Ashley Lawless, University of Colorado Colorado Springs
Ashley Lawless, MA, ECSE, is a faculty in Inclusive Early Childhood Education with extensive background in early intervention, early childhood special education and care, and supervision of early childhood educators. Her knowledge of and experience with inclusive early childhood programs has been rural grown in Colorado for over sixteen years. Ashley earned her Master’s in Special Education in 2021 and her scholarship focus is fully committed to equity, inclusion, diversity, and social justice for all children. She joined the College of Education at the University of Colorado–Colorado Springs in January 2019.
Peggy Wallace, University of Colorado Colorado Springs
Peggy Wallace, MA, ECSE, has served in early childhood for over 20 years in a variety of roles in and out of the classroom. Throughout her service, she has demonstrated excellence in providing and leading inclusive early childhood classrooms, creating supportive community spaces for families with young children, and advocating for equitable policy at local, state and national levels. Her passion is rooted in supporting a more just and equitable life experience by honoring the dignity of all humanity through collective and individual action. She earned her Master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education from University of Northern Colorado in 2008 and joined the University of Colorado Colorado Springs Inclusive Early Childhood Education Program team as a Clinical Instructor in Spring 2023.