1-888-232-7733
The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving the educational success of individuals with disabilities and/or gifts and talents. CEC advocates for appropriate governmental policies, sets professional standards, provides professional development, advocates for individuals with exceptionalities, and helps professionals obtain conditions and resources necessary for effective professional practice.
406-543-0872
Professional association for those who work with or on behalf of young children with developmental delays or disabilities. Multiple resources for professionals.
The DEC Recommended Practices were developed to provide guidance to practitioners and families about the most effective ways to improve the learning outcomes and promote the development of young children, birth through age 5, who have or are at-risk for developmental delays or disabilities. The purpose is to help bridge the gap between research and practice by highlighting those practices that have been shown to result in better outcomes for young children with disabilities, their families, and the personnel who serve them.
An extension of the DEC Recommended Practices (April 2014), including accompanying examples for each practice, further explaining the real-world application of instructional disciplines developed by the DEC Recommended Practices Commission.
800-396-6144
Membership association for parents and professionals involved in home-based services.
847-434-4000
A professional association for pediatricians. Resources on the health and development of young children specifically for pediatricians but als families and other professionals.
301-652-2682
Professional association for occupational therapists. multiple resources for professionals.
703-684-2782 or 800-999-2782
Professional association for physical therapist. Multiple resources for professionals.
Members: 800-498-2071; Nonmembers; 800-638-8255
Professional association for speech-language pathologists and audiologists. Multiple resources for professionals.
Cross-Disciplinary Resources
Finding a Common Lens: Competencies Across Professional Disciplines Providing Early Childhood Intervention
This article from Infants and Young Children (2019) discusses the results of an initiative from the Early Childhood Personnel Center (ECPC), which identified core cross-disciplinary competencies for all personnel serving infants and young children aged birth through 5 years with disabilities and their families. Seven national organizations representing disciplines providing services in early childhood intervention have been participating in this initiative. Alignments of personnel standards, practice guidelines, and competencies yielded the following 4 areas of competence that are common across service providers serving infants and young children with disabilities and their families:
- Collaboration and Coordination;
- Family-Centered Practice;
- Evidence-Based Practice; and
- Professionalism.
Bruder, M. B., Catalino, T., Chiarello, L. A., Mitchell, M. C., Deppe, J., Gundler, D., Kemp, P., LeMoine, S., Long, T., Muhlenhaupt, M., Prelock, P., Schefkind, S., Stayton, V., Ziegler, D. (2019). Finding a Common Lens. Infants & Young Children, 32(4), 280–293.
Cross-Disciplinary Personnel Competencies Alignment
A product of the ECPC work mentioned above is this site, which has details on the alignment, such as methodology, the development of the core competency areas, case studies and more.
