Education Commons^™

Advancing A Universally Designed (Ud) Curriculum: How Nh-Me Lend Is Creating An Accessible Program For All, Susan Zimmermann, Amy Frechette, Kathleen Bates, Marnie Morneault, Stacy Driscoll, Susan Russell, Betsy Humphreys

Poster Presentations

To meet the recent requirement for LEND programs to develop a Self-Advocacy Discipline, faculty and staff members of the NH-ME LEND Program established a workgroup to consider how best to support trainees and faculty, including those with disabilities. The focus of the group evolved to include universally designed (UD) principles into the curriculum to accommodate the wide range of learning styles of all NH-ME LEND trainees.

Connection Impacts Experience During Early Intervention And Elco Process, Gabriela Fuentes

Poster Presentations

This partnership with the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MECDHH) led to a comprehensive understanding of program management and immersion in the Deaf community, providing insight into their unique cultural norms. The poster showcases the early intervention experiences of families and children through the Exploring Language Communication Opportunities (ELCO) process.

Collaboration To Empower Every Learner, Shilo Goodhue

Poster Presentations

A review of how two nonprofit agencies in Maine are collaborating with the creators of Empower the Learner, a student advocacy program, to make the materials accessible to students who are more significantly impacted by disability.

A Study Of Evidence Based Practice In Health Professional Education: Advantages And Dangers, Elizabeth Depoy, Stephen F. Gilson

Poster Presentations

Evidence-based practice is highly valued by health professionals for its predictive capacity. Yet, as affirmed by the NASDDDS/AUCD Evidence-Based Policy Initiative, this approach to health care may inadvertently contribute to inequity of access to health support services and policy. This study was conducted to examine how health professional faculty, students, and curricula understand and reconcile evidence-based knowledge with other valuable forms of knowing that support diversity and health equity.

"Forensic Analysis" Thinking: Promoting Equity Of Access For All Persons, Stephen F. Gilson, Elizabeth Depoy

Poster Presentations

While forensic analysis often conjures images of criminal justice investigation, it is actually a valuable and innovative analytic process to identify “what went wrong” as the empirical basis to inform creative repair and advancement. This poster presents an innovative forensic educational process and its evaluation in a disability studies curriculum which engages students in analyzing and advancing responses to unequal access in all arenas of health and welfare.

Collaboration To Empower Every Learner, Shilo Goodhue

Poster Presentations

The vision of Empower the Learner is that “Each child is unique and needs to be understood, valued and empowered to…..achieve agency, self-advocate for their learning and realize their hopes and dreams.” To support this, ETL has created a tool to help students recognize their strengths and learning challenges and express those to the educational team. The Maine Parent Federation and the Autism Society, with funding through the Maine Developmental Disabilities Council, joined with ETL to modify the program to make it accessible to children who are impacted more significantly by their disability. The goal is to not only empower …

Digital Transformation Impacting Programme Delivery At Cct College Dublin, Alan Foran, Tracy Gallagher, Ken Healy, Marie O' Neill

Poster Presentations

Since its foundation in 2005, CCT College Dublin has had a strong focus on digital innovation to enhance the teaching and learning experience. In February of 2019, prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning's Irish National Digital Experience INDEx Survey indicated that 78.3% of students positively rated digital teaching and learning approaches at CCT (31.9% excellent and 3.4% best imaginable). With the emergency online pivot in March 2020 and QQI’s approval of CCT’s blended learning extension of scope application, CCT has subsequently upgraded all of its classrooms for hybrid …

Student-Centred Enhancements To Programme Delivery At Cct College Dublin, Naomi Jackson, Marie O' Neill

Poster Presentations

In February 2020, CCT College Dublin convened the Monitoring and Review Team (MRT), to identify risk and mitigating actions required to ensure the continuity of programme delivery and supports to learners during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the event of potential campus closure. The team investigated good practice in online teaching, learning and assessment, regulatory frameworks and practices, technology supports, and human resources required to proactively support any potential shift to online delivery and supports. A peer consultation was also conducted with online teaching and learning experts across the sector (CCT College Dublin, 2020). Maintenance of academic standards and integrity were …

Private Third Level Education Teaching: The Challenges And Opportunities When Implementing Student-Centred Learning As A New Lecturer, Gerard Keating

Poster Presentations

This presentation recognises the limitations of a new lecturer, the resources required in an academic portfolio and the ways and means of utilising technology to enhance the student experience in a collaborative environment.

Using Anonymous Student Feedback To Enhance Digital Teaching And Learning Practices In It Modules, John Snel Phd, Greg South

Poster Presentations

This case study outlines the use of four digital tools to enhance student learning across several Information Technology modules (Level 7 and 8 in the Irish National Framework of Qualifications). Survey feedback on the use of these digital tools was positive, particularly towards the use of in-class polling and the supplementary instructor-made videos.

Immersion For Change: A Cultural Discovery Project To Lessen Educator Bias By Increasing Perspective, Kari Payne

Poster Presentations

This cultural project focused on increasing cultural competency and lessening implicit bias for both myself and the agency I work for. The process highlighted how important relationships and ongoing connection are when blending the needs of the New Mainer Population with those serving the children in the community.

Inclusion/Services And Family Engagement: Leadership Opportunities, Nicole Drown

Poster Presentations

Project was created to provide: data driven materials to Maine's Child Development Services; resources and supports to families; and exploration into Applied Behavioral Analysis for Behavioral Intervention Support learning.

Examining Restraint, Isolation, And Seclusion: The Process, The Literature, And The Data Of A Research-Based Lend Leadership Project, Desiree Peña

Poster Presentations

The University of Maine’s Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies (CCIDS) embarked on a study, funded by the Maine Developmental Disabilities (DD) Council, to analyze the effect of increased support and training may have in reducing restraints, isolation, and seclusions at a private agency with residential and educational programs in various cities in Maine.

• Across all of its sites, this private agency has been utilizing Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI), a comprehensive crisis management program, designed by researchers at Cornell University. A team from Cornell is currently providing additional training in TCI implementation to agency staff at a specific site. …

Partnership Of Nh-Me Lend And New Mainers Public Health Initiative To Offer Training Experiences With Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Populations, Susan Russell, Betsy Humphreys

Poster Presentations

Over the past two decades, the geographic area served by the NH-ME LEND Program has experienced rapid growth of racially, ethnically and linguistically diverse populations, as has the U.S. in general. While the NH-ME LEND clinical and leadership placements provide opportunities for frequent contact with underserved populations, Maine trainees, in particular, have had few opportunities for training or fieldwork with culturally and linguistically diverse populations. With funding support from a 2018 Focused Assistance to Support Training Project (FAST) grant, the NH-ME LEND partnered with New Mainers Public Health Initiative (NMPHI) in Lewiston, Maine, to build the LEND’s capacity to offer …

Children With Disabilities Tend To Stay In A Highly-Resourced Early Head Start/Head Start Program Longer Than Children Without Disabilities, Alan Cobo-Lewis, Dale Walker, Noreen Yazejian, Shinyoung Jeon, Sandra Hone, Karen Stoiber, Diane Horm, Gabriela Guerrero, Donna Bryant

Poster Presentations

Using data from 21 Educare schools, the researchers measured the rate at which children from birth to kindergarten-age enter the school and rate at which they exit the school. Educare schools are highly resourced Early Head Start/Head Start programs targeting children at risk, especially children from low-income backgrounds. About 10% of the children have a disability. Results showed that children with a disability tended to stay in the program longer, especially when enrolled in Early Head Start.

Collaborating For Change: Nh-Me Lend/New Mainers Public Health Initiative (Nmphi) – An Interagency Parent Advocacy And Information Project, Marnie Morneault, Hibo Omer

Poster Presentations

Over the past two decades, Maine has experienced rapid growth of racially, ethnically and linguistically diverse populations, as has the US generally. Although Maine’s population is largely White (95%), children in Maine are disproportionately from minority populations; currently 9% of children in Maine are from a race other than White. With funding support from a Focused Assistance to Support Training Project (FAST) grant, the NH-ME LEND Program partnered with New Mainers Public Health Initiative (NMPHI) to develop and deliver parent advocacy training modules for Somali parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). NMPHI is a public health and …

Cds State Data Review Project: Data Tells The Story, Katharine Appleyard

Poster Presentations

This poster presents data that identifies state and regional site-level trends, outliers, etc., with regard to federal reporting indicators and other factors, in the Child Development Services system.

Educational Videos About Restraint And Seclusion, Jodie Hall

Poster Presentations

The Coalition Against Restraint and Seclusion (C.A.R.S.) is a group of stakeholders whose mission is to prevent the overuse of restraint and seclusion within the educational setting. As part of Jodie Hall’s training with the New Hampshire-Maine LEND Program, she worked with C.A.R.S. to update their resources and parent education materials. This poster presentation reports on the outcome of her work and the development of a series of short informational videos which may be accessed via the internet.

Coaching Lend Faculty In Implementing Team-Based Learning Across Two States: Lessons Learned Over Four Years, Alan Kurtz, Rae Sonnenmeier, Betsy P. Humphreys, Susan Russell

Poster Presentations

This poster describes the implementation of team-based learning (TBL) in the didactic seminar component of the NH-ME LEND program over four years. TBL has been found to be an effective instructional method, fostering communication, collaboration, and conflict negotiation among interdisciplinary teams. The process of coaching a large faculty across two states to implement TBL, faculty perceptions with TBL, lessons learned, and quality improvement strategies is described.

Developing The State Interagency Coordinating Council For Maine Child Developmental Services, Olivia Shaw

Poster Presentations

Each state is required by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), 20 U.S.C. 1441 to have a State Interagency Coordination Council to act as an advising council for their state Early Intervention Program. My leadership project mentor, Roy Fowler, the state director for Maine’s Early Intervention Program, Child Developmental Services (CDS), tasked me with helping him to develop a new and effective SICC for CDS. Doing this required extensive research into the federal requirements for an SICC including, participant requirements, responsibilities of the SICC, and the overall process for applying to be a member. Once the research was completed …

Enhancing A Disability Advocacy Organization's Online Capacity To Provide Families With Essential Information About Secondary Transition, Taylor Harris

Poster Presentations

This poster describes my work assisting the Maine Coalition for Housing and Quality Supports conducted as part of my NH-ME LEND Leadership Project. The purpose of the project was to enhance an existing online timeline designed to help family members of individuals with developmental disabilities in Maine. In particular, I searched for essential resources, materials, and data related to effective secondary transition. The outcome was to provide a better resource for families as they identify services and supports that will help their children to have a smooth transition to adult life. Throughout this project, I collaborated with my leadership mentor …

Educational Videos About Restraint And Seclusion, Jodie Hall

Poster Presentations

The Coalition for Restraint and Seclusion (C.A.R.S.) is a group of stakeholders whose mission is to prevent the overuse of restraints and seclusion within the educational setting. As part of my training with the New Hampshire-Maine Leadership in Education in Neurodevelopmental Related Disabilities Program (LEND), I have been working with C.A.R.S. to update their resources and parent education materials. We created a series of short informational videos which will be accessed via the internet, in order to provide materials which are easily digestible and accessible for parents. My poster will provide descriptions of the content included in each of the …

Improving Effective Interdisciplinary Team Work Using Team-Based Learning Within The Nh-Me Lend Curriculum: Comparing Years 1 – 3, Alan Kurtz, Rae Sonnenmeier, Betsy P. Humphreys, Susan Russell

Poster Presentations

This poster provided an update on an ongoing effort by faculty in the New Hampshire-Maine Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (NH-ME LEND) Program to implement Team-Based Learning (TBL). Three years of evaluation data was presented. Changes made to improve the process were identified as well as some of the unique obstacles to implementing TBL in a seminar that was conducted in two classrooms connected through video conferencing and had a high faculty-to-student ratio.

Engaging Lend Trainees In A Leadership And Policy Experience, Susan Russell, Betsy P. Humphreys, Alan Kurtz, Rae Sonnenmeier

Poster Presentations

This poster illustrated how faculty from the New Hampshire-Maine Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (NH-ME LEND) Program re-envisioned and implemented a comprehensive set of leadership, policy and advocacy experiences to further build upon the leadership potential of 23 LEND trainees by intentionally threading leadership skill development throughout the LEND curriculum.

Partnerships Promoting A Culture Of Inclusion In Maine's Early Childhood Workforce, Linda Labas

Poster Presentations

This poster session highlighted the Maine UCEDD’s role as a statewide resource and collaborative partner in advancing inclusive practice in Maine’s early care and education system. It covered the delivery of a continuum of supports for inclusion; examined collaborations that create systemic impact; and reviewed the services needed to increase knowledge, skills and application of practices to improve the quality of early care and education settings in Maine.

Picture Vocabulary Growth In Students With And Without Disabilities In An Early Childhood Program That Targets Poor Families, Alan B. Cobo-Lewis

Poster Presentations

We compared growth in the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test between children with disabilities and children without disabilities in Educare Central Maine, a highly resourced data-driven Birth-5 early care and education program that targets children at risk of school failure because of socioeconomic factors. Children with disabilities made up 13% of enrollment. Children with disabilities tended to catch up with the typically developing children as they spent more time in Educare.

Assessing Trainee Understanding Of Health Equity & Diversity, Betsy P. Humphreys, Susan Russell, Alan Kurtz, Rae Sonnenmeier

Poster Presentations

The NH-ME LEND Program engages in quality improvement efforts aimed at increasing trainee’s understanding of health equity and cultural competence. This poster 1) provided an overview of the curricular components related to health equity and diversity, 2) reported on six cohorts of trainees’ self-assessments in these areas, and 3) shared trainees’ personal reflections on their growth. Finally, ongoing program improvements efforts in these areas were discussed.

Nh-Me Lend: Advancing Health Equity For Children And Youth With Asd/Ndd And Their Families Through Continuous Quality Improvement, Betsy Humphreys, Susan Russell, Rae Sonnenmeier, Alan Kurtz

Poster Presentations

Over the past two decades NH and Maine have experienced rapid growth of racial, ethnic, and linguistic minority populations. New Hampshire’s foreign-born population was 5.7% in 2013, while Maine’s foreign-born population was 3.4% during the same time period (American Immigration Council, 2017). In addition, NH and Maine are designated refugee resettlement areas. NH is now home to refugees from over 40 countries (NH DHHS, 2010) and Maine is home to refugees from over 30 countries (Catholic Charities Refugee and Immigration Services, 2015).

Reaching Local Community With The Message Of Developmental Milestones And Early Identification Of Autism, Hope M. Duncanson

Poster Presentations

This poster presents project activities for a pilot program for effectively distributing Learn the Signs, Act Early materials to a small study group in a community in Maine.

Computerized Adaptive Assessment Of Infant-Toddler Language Development: Demonstration And Validation Of An App For Screening, Alan B. Cobo-Lewis, Curtis Meadow, George Markowsky, Barbara Z. Pearson, Shawn A. Collier, Rebecca E. Eilers

Poster Presentations

We have developed a computerized adaptive test (an app), based on the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (CDI), that can rapidly gauge infant and toddler language development based on parent report. The app can be very useful in screening for developmental disabilities in IDEA Part C or Section 619. We will demonstrate the app and present validation data for toddlers.