Young children with disabilities experience trauma at high rates. Early childhood special education teachers play a critical role in supporting these children through the use of trauma-informed care. This study explored early childhood special education teachers’ trauma-informed attitudes and practices. Twelve early childhood special education teachers in one Midwestern state participated in this study. A mixed methods study was conducted, with participants completing a survey to measure trauma-informed attitudes and participating in interviews to explore trauma-informed practices. Participants were aware of the impact of trauma on the children in their class and described various factors that impacted their use of trauma-informed care. Implications for research and practice are discussed related to the provision of trauma-informed care for young children with disabilities.

Despite high rates of children being exposed to potentially traumatic events, there are many barriers towards getting settings (e.g., schools) to adopt the principles of trauma-informed care (TIC). This is an adaptive approach that emphasizes the need for settings to be universally accommodating to children who have experienced trauma. Training providers on TIC is essential for shifting attitudes and instantiating these principles into practice. Given the logistical difficulties of in-person training, a free online training module using SAMHSA’s trauma-informed care model was developed and deployed. Results from the study of this module suggest that the training was effective in significantly shifting participants’ attitudes towards trauma-informed care. Additionally, these gains were seen regardless of workplace experience, and initial racial differences were resolved with similar post-test scores across demographic backgrounds. These findings suggest the viability of digital training as a low-cost option for disseminating trauma-informed care values.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004) governs the Early Intervention (EI) system for families of children aged birth-3 with developmental delays and disabilities. Within this system, families have a key point of contact, their service coordinator (SC), who manages their evaluations and services. Although their responsibilities are vast, the literature examining service coordinator supervision practices is limited. This scoping review was conducted to examine service coordinator practices and supports, and to identify areas of need that their supervisor could address. SC practices in EI are influenced by both program-level factors, such as service delivery models, and individual-level factors, including SCs’ background knowledge and training. Supervisors emerged as a central yet underexplored influence that can shape SCs’ accountability, facilitate professional development opportunities, and provide emotional support. These findings highlight supervision as a critical role for strengthening service coordination. Implications for future research on service coordination and supervision are discussed.

There have been an increasing number of calls for the use of trauma-informed practices with young children with disabilities. However, the use of trauma-informed practices without an equity-oriented approach can cause further harm to children in schools. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore early childhood special education teachers' use of trauma-informed, equity-centered practices. Semi-structured interviews using photo-elicitation were conducted with 12 early childhood special education teachers in one state. Our findings indicate that while participants did share using trauma-informed, equity-centered practices, they also reported using practices that did not align with an equity-centered approach. The findings from this study have implications for research, practice, and policy related to supporting early childhood special education teachers' use of trauma-informed, equity-centered practices.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) governs the Early Intervention (EI) system for families of children aged birth to three with or at risk for developmental delays and disabilities. In EI, families have a key point of contact who manages their evaluations and services, the service coordinator (SC). In Illinois, counties are grouped into 25 Child and Family Connection (CFC) regional offices to serve EI families. SCs in each CFC are overseen by an SC supervisor. There is limited research on the supervision of SCs. The purpose of this qualitative study was to offer an in-depth look at the barriers SC supervisors face and the supervisory characteristics that affect their work. During semistructured interviews, seven participants discussed the traits, motivation, and communication skills influencing their effectiveness, the systemic barriers they face, and the emotional strain these challenges place on SC supervisors. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

We aimed to understand the relation between child maltreatment and SPED service evaluation referrals in childcare settings. Extant data (n = 1,354) from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN) was used to address the study aims. Results indicated that the odds of teacher-initiated service evaluation referrals at age 6 were 2.5 times higher for boys than girls. Results for model 2 indicated that parental perception of the need for services was 2.6 times higher for children who were screened for developmental delays and 0.08 times lower for children who attended center-based childcare or preschool. Early identification and intervention are critical to improving the long-term outcomes for young children with disabilities. More research is needed to understand how to accurately make referrals for evaluation of SPED service needs and how to best support early childhood educators in accurately and effectively referring students for evaluation of SPED service needs.

The need for trauma-informed care in early childhood special education settings is well established. Previous research has suggested that training is a primary driver for use of trauma-informed care. However, not all states require training on trauma-informed care, suggesting that other factors might be influencing early childhood special education teachers’ use of trauma-informed care. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore what is influencing how early childhood special education teachers in Pyramid Model sites use trauma-informed care. In this qualitative research study, we recruited twelve early childhood special education teachers from Pyramid Model implementation sites to participate in two semi-structured interviews. We identified five main factors that participants shared as influences on their use of trauma-informed care: (a) school curriculums and frameworks, (b) experiences with children and families, (c) personal experiences with trauma, (d) previous training, and (e) colleagues. Implications for research, practice, and policy are discussed.

Learning Landscapes (LLs) are family-friendly structures that transform community spaces (e.g., parks and bus stops) into engaging activities. The community structures are designed to encourage children to explore their environment while fostering developmentally supportive interactions (DSI) and learning opportunities between caregivers and children, including children with disabilities. Playful learning provided through LLs could result in developmental gains for children from lower-income backgrounds. The purpose of this multiple methods study, conducted in the US, was to examine 10 caregivers' perceptions and play interactions with their children while at one outdoor LL. Observational data revealed high caregiver-child engagement, and interview data indicated that caregivers perceived improved positive interactions during LL activities. The LL also promoted caregivers' knowledge of child development and impacted some participants' perceptions of generalized strategy use. Taken together, environmental prompts, such as those within LLs, can promote DSI in everyday environments, offering opportunities to boost children's early development.

Children in the early childhood years experience trauma at high rates. Trauma can impact children’s social-emotional, cognitive, and physical development, as well as their behavior in the classroom. Therefore, early childhood education professionals need to be prepared to support children through the use of trauma-informed care. The Pyramid Model is a framework for early childhood educators that promotes social-emotional competence and strives to prevent and address children’s challenging behavior that is used to train both pre-service and in-service early childhood teachers. Because of this, it is critical to understand the connections between the Pyramid Model and trauma-informed care. The initial aim of this scoping literature review was to synthesize the literature available on the Pyramid Model and trauma-informed care. However, due to limited research on the topics together, we had to expand our search to examine the range of research on the Pyramid Model and identify gaps in the literature and future directions related to trauma-informed care and the Pyramid Model.

The field of special education has privileged positivistic paradigms and, consequently, has underutilized qualitative methods. For those skeptical of this claim or curious about its accuracy, the purpose of this literature review was to: (a) understand the prevalence of qualitative methods within the broader context of the research methods published in top special education journals and (b) compare quantitative and qualitative features of the qualitative research published in those journals. Using a positivistic lens historically privileged in special education, we demonstrate in this review that quantitative methods remain the most prevalent method in special education research and that quantitative ways of knowing often infiltrate qualitative research in top special education journals. Thus, rather than solely focusing on increasing the diversity of methods used, the more impactful and pressing need is to increase the diversity of thought (i.e., paradigms) represented in the researchers, reviewers, editors, and gatekeepers that determine the paradigms that are present and privileged in special education research.

How teachers perceive problem behaviors of young children has significant implications for disproportionate discipline practices. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with teachers' perceptions of children's social skills and problem behaviors. We conducted weighted descriptive analysis and hierarchical linear modeling with the 2014 head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey data. Research Findings: Teachers might perceive children's social skills and problem behaviors differently based on children's race, ethnicity, and disability status. Specifically, teachers perceived Black children as having lower social skills and displaying more hyperactive behaviors compared to their White peers. Teachers also perceived Hispanic children as displaying greater hyperactivity compared to White children. Children in the "Other" race category were perceived to be more aggressive than White children. Children with an Individualized Education Plan were perceived as having lower social skills and exhibiting more aggressive and hyperactive behaviors. The racial/ethnic match/mismatch between teachers and children was associated with differential perceptions. For example, Hispanic teachers rated Hispanic children as having lower social skills compared to their White colleagues' rating of White children. Practice or Policy: Implications for future research and professional development on anti-bias and culturally responsive pedagogy practices are provided.

We examined the experiences of early childhood teachers (ECTs) in the Philippines, a representative low-resource setting (LRS), focusing on the challenges and opportunities in providing inclusive education for autistic children. Using the socio-ecological model as a framework, we analyzed interview data from eight participants through inductive and deductive coding. The analysis revealed key themes across individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and public policy levels. Our findings highlight significant disparities between the needs of ECTs in supporting autistic children and the available resources, emphasizing the need for targeted professional development and systemic support. Our results offer insights into the factors affecting inclusive education in LRS contexts and proposes strategies to address these challenges. The results contribute to a broader understanding of inclusive education in LRS and suggest directions for future research and policy development.

The purpose of this study was to critically examine 14 early educators’ descriptions of their classroom discipline policies and procedures. A DisCrit lens was utilized to investigate if and how multiply marginalized young children may still experience exclusion. Participants described the use of discipline policies and procedures that were exclusionary, such as suspensions and ‘soft’ expulsions. Teachers also reported that they continued to be overwhelmed and frustrated by students’ behavior they found challenging, and felt they needed additional supports to effectively meet children's needs. These findings help us understand the need for more comprehensive policy reform, and continued support for teachers so that as we work to eliminate exclusionary practices, we provide teachers with a toolkit of inclusive, anti-biased, proactive, and preventative strategies they can use in its place to promote social emotional competence and prevent 'challenging' behavior.

Expulsion is unfortunately common in early childhood settings and has a negative impact on both children and caregivers. In this qualitative study, we conducted semi-structured interviews to learn about caregivers’ experiences with early childhood expulsion. We analyzed the data using a trauma-informed lens to examine how the experience of expulsion was potentially traumatic to children and caregivers. Our findings indicate that caregivers believed the experience of expulsion was deeply harmful for themselves and their children. The implications of this study highlight ways early childhood education systems and practices can improve to be more trauma-informed and prevent expulsion.

Nine-year old Eliza is a student at Meadows Elementary School where she receives special education services for her diagnosis of Emotional Disturbance. Her teachers are working together to try to bring Eliza back into the classroom after weeks of time spent in the office with no contact with her peers. Mr. Jimenez and Ms. Landon are collaborating to incorporate trauma-informed practices into their classrooms in an attempt to address the absence of secure attachments and feelings of safety in Eliza’s life, as well as her inability to control her emotional responses. Creating a trauma-informed classroom benefits everyone but especially students with disabilities who have experienced trauma. In this paper we discuss the need for trauma-informed practices and strategies for making classroom environments more trauma-informed.

The prevalence of early childhood expulsion has been documented for close to two decades, with known disparities for children of color, children with disabilities, and children who have experienced trauma. While empirical data on the lasting impact of early expulsion events continues to emerge, there has been little research focused explicitly on how expulsion impacts caregivers (inclusive of any adult that sees themselves in a primary caretaker role for a young child that had experienced expulsion, such as mothers, fathers, grandparents, and foster parents). The purpose of this research study was to examine the experiences of caregivers of young children who experienced expulsion from an early childhood setting. We used a semi-structured interview to capture caregivers’ experiences pre and post expulsion (N = 26). We used a multi-step, collaborative analysis process to analyze the interview data using thematic and constant comparative methods. Initially, most caregivers reported a positive association with their children’s early education setting. However, despite a positive start, relationships with staff deteriorated, and eventually their children were expelled. In most incidents, caregivers described feeling caught off guard by these expulsions, with lasting negative impact for their family. Implications for research and policy are discussed.

It has been well documented that experiencing trauma impacts all aspects of child development. Young children experience trauma at high rates, and children with disabilities are at an increased risk of experiencing trauma. One way to mitigate the effects of trauma is through the implementation of trauma-informed care, which requires a well-trained workforce. Yet, to date, minimal research has been conducted about the professional development needs of early childhood special education (ECSE) teachers related to trauma. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand ECSE teachers' professional development needs related to trauma and trauma-informed care. Eighteen ECSE teachers participated in interviews. Results indicate that while ECSE teachers are familiar with the basics of trauma-informed care, more training is needed, specifically in the areas of working with families, implementing trauma-informed classroom strategies, and supporting children with disabilities who have experienced trauma.

Children with disabilities experience trauma (i.e., neglect) at alarming rates.There is a critical need to provide interdisciplinary trauma-informed care (TIC) for children with disabilities, however, many special education professionals are unprepared to implement TIC practices.Trauma-informed care (TIC) utilizes an understanding of how the effects of trauma impact both physical and mental health.Participants will be introduced to key elements of TIC, ways to use those principles in their pre-service special education teacher preparation programs, and how pre-service special education teacher education programs can move towards a trauma-informed framework.This poster is relevant for faculty or other professionals who prepare teachers, specifically special education teachers.This poster will focus on how one program at the [name of university] is maximizing the value of pre-service special education teacher programs to ensure that children and families who have experienced trauma are at the core of their work.This poster will provide examples of how TIC principles have been embedded into existing evidence-based programming for children and families.The poster will also discuss how pre-service professionals across disciplines consider TIC principles and how these principles intersect with the primary goals of their professional role.Finally, this poster will highlight the importance of working across disciplines support children with disabilities in educational settings.

Background: Implementing trauma-informed care (TIC) practices in educational settings requires preparing school staff to understand adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and their impact to provide a restorative rather than a punitive response.Objectives: To assess learning outcomes of a TIC training delivered to kindergarten to 12-grade (K-12) staff.Participants and setting: A TIC training informed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Ser-vice Administration (SAMHSA) Framework was delivered August to December 2017 to twenty-seven K-12 staff in Southeastern U.S. Majority were women (93 %) aged 25 to 58 years; 52 % were White and 48 % were Black/African American (48 %).Methods: Curricular content included an overview of ACEs; stress physiology; recognition of symptoms in self and others; strategies for response; and self-care. A post-training questionnaire with 11 learning statements was administered to assess participants' level of agreement with learning each concept using a 5-point Likert scale. Self-reflective narratives of challenging situ-ations with students were also submitted and qualitatively analyzed for applications of TIC. Results: Between 62.9 % to 96 % of participants agreed/strongly agreed with learning new con-cepts related to ACEs and their symptoms. Qualitative data indicated that participants were able to recognize stress symptoms in students and in themselves and integrate strategies learned such as breathing and creating safe space to allow students to have voice and choice.Conclusions: TIC training curriculum that includes ACEs and toxic stress science is a critical component that promotes recognition of trauma symptoms in themselves and others. Self -reflective practice using narratives is an essential training tool for implementing TIC.

Young children with disabilities experience trauma at high rates. To mitigate and address the negative effects of trauma on young children's development, systematic implementation of trauma-informed care is needed. In schools, it is important that all staff members at every level are trained to implement trauma-informed care. In this qualitative study, we explored the experiences of ECSE professionals in one center, including administrators, teachers, paraprofessionals, and related service providers, as they planned and implemented trauma-informed care. We used Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory to guide the design of the study. Our findings suggest that ECSE professionals are impacted by factors at the micro-, meso-, exo-, and macrosystem level of the environment, which influenced the extent to which they were able to successfully implement trauma-informed care.