In this episode, Bridget Meis and Katie Suchy talk with Grace Matzke, a Speech-Language Pathologist dedicated to bringing therapy directly into the heart of the classroom. Grace is here to discuss how to meet children’s needs in real-time through embedded therapy. We’ll explore her strategies for seamless collaboration with classroom teams—from aligning on student goals to weaving weekly curriculum vocabulary into every session.

In this podcast Roseann Slaght shares some insights into how self-care, for children and adults, can be an important factor in our mental and physical health. Some of the topics she covers are breathing, nutrition, movement, relaxation, and more. Roseann also shares some tips and tricks for children and adults to help achieve some of those goals.

Below are links to some of the things discussed in the podcast.

- Breathing Techniques (including Box Breathing and 4-7-8 Breathing)

- 4-7-8 Breathing Video Example (Dr. Andrew Weil)

- A Guide to Mudras

Featuring: Natalie Doyle, Katie Madigan, & Shonda Ronen

This is the third and final episode in a three-part series on inclusion and leadership. This series covered topics such as: getting started in inclusion, maintaining staff-inclusive beliefs, and how to keep the inclusive culture thriving in schools when changes occur. This third episode will focus on how to keep the inclusive culture thriving in schools when changes occur, with insights from professionals in positions of leadership in the early childhood field.

Resources: STAR NET and Early CHOICES

Featuring: Natalie Doyle, Katie Madigan, & Shonda Ronen

This is the second episode in a three-part series on inclusion and leadership. This series will cover topics such as: getting started in inclusion, maintaining staff-inclusive beliefs, and how to keep the inclusive culture thriving in schools when changes occur. This second episode will focus on maintaining staff-inclusive beliefs, with insights from professionals in positions of leadership in the early childhood field.

Resources: STAR NET

Featuring: Natalie Doyle, Katie Madigan, & Shonda Ronen

This is the first episode in a three-part series on inclusion and leadership. This series will cover topics such as: getting started in inclusion, maintaining staff-inclusive beliefs, and how to keep the inclusive culture thriving in schools when changes occur. This first episode will focus on getting started in inclusion, with insights from professionals in positions of leadership in the early childhood field.

Resources: STAR NET, Early CHOICES, CARA’s Kit

Featuring: Kathy Slattery, Megan Carlson, and Nikki Norman

In this episode our conversation is on the topic of Selective Mutism. There is a wide range of information in this podcast about Selective Mutism as our guests share stories of their journeys learning about SM as professionals and family members. Below is a list of resources discussed in the podcast and on the topic.

Resources

Welcome back to the STAR NET Regions I & III Podcast. I’m Bridget Meis, an Early Childhood Special Education Professional Development Specialist. Joining me today is Kristy Doan from the Illinois State Board of Education. Today, we are going to talk about what the itinerant model looks like when related service providers embed services into the classroom setting and community based settings.

Resources:

Advancing Preschool Inclusion in Community Based Early Childhood Education Programs

Policy Statement on Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs

Dinnebeil, L.A., McInerney, W.F. (2011). A guide to itinerant early childhood special education services. Baltimore, MD: Paul H Brooks Publishing Co

Dinnebeil, L. A., Weber, G., & McInerney, W. F. (2019). The challenges of itinerant early childhood special education: The perspectives of practitioners. International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education, 11(1), 18–30. https:// doi. org/ 10. 20489/intje cse. 583501 http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2012.03.001

In this podcast, we will speak with Allyssa Harpist, a teacher for students with visual impairments in the Urbana School District 116, and Hong Phangia Dewald, PhD, Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, about strategies that can be implemented for children with visual impairments in inclusive early childhood classrooms.

Resources:

Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

ISVI Opening Doors

Family Connect

Seedlings

Perkins School for the Blind

Paths to Literacy

Hadley

American Foundation for the Blind

Exceptional Teaching Aids

Independent Living Aids