First Annual

Care About Childcare at USU Eastern Conference on

Strengthening Early Childhood Programs

Creating a Place for All Children:
Supporting children with autism and challenging behaviors










Funding provided by the Utah Department of Workforce Services, Office of Child Care


Utah State University - Eastern
Jennifer Leavitt Student Center
Price, Utah
September 26 & 27, 2014




















Welcome! We are excited to invite you to attend the first annual Care About Childcare at
USU Eastern Conference on Strengthening Early Childhood Programs. This year the
conference is about creating a place for all children - supporting children with autism and
challenging behaviors. We have excellent presenters that will share information that will
help you in the important work you do. We hope you can attend.



The conference will be held on the USU Eastern Price Campus. It will be at the J ennifer
Leavitt Student Center, which is located at 490 North 300 East, Price, Utah. Feel free to
contact us for driving directions or with any other questions you may have.


Care About Child Care at USU Eastern
435-613-5619 or 888-637-4786


















Conference Schedule


Friday, September 26
th


6:00 pm 7:00 pm Welcome BBQ
7:00 pm 9:00 pm Utah Child Care Licensing Program Training:
Child Care Rules on Discipline & Activities


Saturday, September 27
th


9:00 10:00 am Welcome, Help me Grow, Parents Perspective
10:05 10:50 am Workshop A and B
10:55 11:40 am Workshop A and B repeated
11:45 1:00 pm Keynote speakers / Lunch
1:05 2:00 pm Roundtable discussion
2:05 3:00 pm Learn and Take
3:00 3:30 pm Wrap-up, certificates, silent auction


~Licensing hours, CEU or Licensure hours for Education will be available.


We will have several gift baskets (valued up to $100) containing items that will help improve the
quality of your program. Throughout both days you will be receiving tickets that you can enter
into the silent auction item(s) you hope to win.





Creating a Place for All Children:
Supporting children with autism and
challenging behaviors conference

September 26 & 27, 2014

Sponsored by

Care About Child Care at USU Eastern


Presentation Information

Friday, September 26

BBQ & Child Care Licensing Training

BBQ

Have dinner with us! Come and enjoy a BBQ and mingle and enjoy conversation with other
conference attendees.

Joyce Hastings: Child Care Rules on Discipline & Activities

Child Care Licensing rules training



Saturday, September 27

Workshops A & B

LeeAnn Parker: Child Behavior Detectives: Finding Clues to Solving Cases in Child Behavior

Difficult behaviors in children can often seem like a mystery. But the truth is children in our care
give us clues about their behaviors. They tell their teachers exactly how they need to be taught.
Children are trying to tell adults who they are so they can be recognized and treated in a way
that honors them uniquely. If you are interested in learning some ideas on how to raising happy,
healthy, cooperative children, the key lies in understanding and responding to a child's inner
nature. Children's true natures are written in the shape of their faces and expressed daily in
their appearance, body language, tone of voice, and choice of words. Each child's unique laugh,
cry, joys, worries, and even tantrums speak volumes about the type of parenting/guidance they
need. In this workshop, we will learn about ideas from the author of THE CHILD WHISPERER
(Carol Tuttle):
- Have a happier, more cooperative child, using less discipline
- Foster more confidence and natural success in your child
- Recognize the clues from each childs behavior
In this workshop, we will share how to read unsaid clues that children naturally give every day,
and show how parenting, teaching, coaching, and mentoring children in your child care setting
can be an even more intuitive, cooperative experience than ever.


Anita Calder & Kristen Remington: "Making Sense of Autism Spectrum Disorders: Practical
Ideas for Teachers and Childcare Staff"

This presentation will address Autism Spectrum disorders (focusing on those with higher
functioning ability) and how an ASD diagnosis can impact functioning within the daily routine
and curriculum. Signs and symptoms will be discussed as well as practical ideas and
techniques. Additionally, we will specifically address sensory processing and social language
difficulties; deficits in these areas can significantly impact the behavior of a child.
Keynote


Robert Cox: No More IEPs (Individualized Education Program): How Using Early
Intervention Services Can Help Students Prior to Entering School
Mr. Cox will be speaking about early intervention services and how these services can help
students before entering school so that they do not need an IEP.
Early intervention applies to children of school age or younger who are discovered to have or to
be at risk of developing a handicapping condition or other special need that may affect their
development. Early intervention provides services to these children and their families for the
purpose of lessening the effects of the condition. Early intervention may focus on the child alone
or on the child and the family together. Early intervention may begin at any time between birth
and school age.

Kim Williams and Beverl y Martinez: Comprehensive Autism Planning System (CAPS):
Integrating Evidence-Based Practices Throughout the Student's Day
Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Martinez will discuss how CAPS is designed to provide an overview of a
child with ASDs daily schedule and activities. This presentation will share how the CAPS model
answers common questions asked by parents, caregivers, and teachers about finding the right
supports to fit a childs activities throughout the day in order to help him reach his full potential.


Roundtable Discussion:


A facilitated discussion on questions submitted by conference attendees. Facilitators: J oyce
Hastings - Child Care Licensing, Peggy Golding Care About Childcare @ USU Eastern, Mindy
Hardy Kindergarten Teacher at Wellington Elementary, Anneliese Clark Parent.


Learn and Take:


Mindy Hardy: Routines! Routines within routines!

Routines! Routines within routines! Environmental and Individual routines! When and how do we
use routines? Did I mention that we are going to go over routines? We will discuss why they
are important, how we can implement them in different times of the day, and why we would want
to use them. You will also walk away with a cool tool to help you implement routine into your
program!








Biographies



Anita Rothwell Calder, Special Education Teacher, Uintah School District

Anita has four children and twelve grandchildren. Anita earned her Master in
Speech Pathology at Brigham Young University in 1973. Professionally, she
has been a speech and language pathologist, special education teacher and
hearing impaired teacher for 40 years. Most of this time has been spent
working with preschoolers. Anita has been a strong advocate for children with
special needs within the community. She was instrumental in establishing the
AYSO VIP soccer team, which gives children with special needs the
opportunity to play on a team and let their parents experience the joy of
watching and cheering for their child with special needs. Additionally, she envisioned the Miss
VIP Uintah County beauty pageant to give the young women with special needs in the county an
opportunity to share their beauty during the Uintah County Fair.



Jeremy and Anneliese Clark, Parents

J eremy and Anneliese have been married 12 years and have 3
wonderful sons; Theron, Harrison and Findlay. They are 10, 7
and 17 months and keep the family very busy. The Clarks are
adjusting to living in the Price area since their move in December
after living in Boulder City, Nevada for the previous 13
years. J eremy currently works for Landon's Diesel as a diesel
mechanic and Anneliese works at Pinnacle Canyon Academy as
a music teacher.



Robert Cox, MS Ed, Director of Special Education and Human
Resources, Carbon School District

Robert Cox graduated from Southern Utah University, then Southern Utah
State College, in 1983, and received his Masters Degree in Education and
Administration from the University of Utah in 1995. Mr. Cox began his
educational career in 1983 as a Special Education Teacher and coach at
Carbon High School. Since that time Mr. Cox has been the Assistant Principal
and Principal at Carbon High, the Principal of Mont Harmon J r. High and now
serves as the Director of Special education and Human Resources for the Carbon School
District.









Mindy Hardy, Kindergarten Teacher, Carbon School District

Mindy is a wife and mother of two wonderfully busy children. She taught at
Head Start for 7 years before deciding to stay at home with her children. While
she was home with them, she completed her masters degree in Family and
Human Development from Utah State University. Mindy worked as a trainer for
Care About Childcare and has trained with them for 6 years. She also wrote
curriculum and was the Training Coordinator/Program Coach Coordinator/CDA
Consultant for three years. She truly loved this position and all the people she
worked with. However, she missed working directly with the children. She recently left Care
About Childcare to take a position as a kindergarten teacher at Wellington Elementary. She is,
however, getting the best of both worlds because she is going to continue working as a trainer
for Care About Childcare!




Joyce Hasting, Training Specialist, Utah Child Care Licensing Program
J oyce Hasting is currently employed as a Training Specialist for Utah Child
Care Licensing Program. J oyce has worked for Licensing since 2006. In her
time with the program she has worked as a Training Specialist, Licensing
Specialist and as a Playground Specialist. J oyce is a certified playground
inspector with national credentials. She received her education at Ricks
College and BYU majoring in early childhood education. Before her job with
the state, J oyce owned and operated a child care center in Utah County for 13
years. She also taught at Care About Child Care for 5 years. She has 3 boys, 3 daughter-in-
laws, 5 grandchildren and a supportive husband. J oyce is a strong advocate for children and
has served on several advisory and community committees to improve care for young children.




Help Me Grow
Help Me Grow was started by Dr. Paul Dworkin, Physician-in-Chief at
Connecticut Children's Medical Center. As a pediatrician, he repeatedly
confronted the question of where to send at-risk children for help. Help Me
Grow Utah is a free, evidence-based information line, bridging the gap to
connect families to local community resources and answer tough parenting
questions families dont know what to do about. Help Me Grow also
administers the Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) for families who cant access it anywhere
else. For more information, please contact Robin, Barbara or Rebekah at 801-691-5322.










Barbara Leavitt, Early Childhood Initiati ves Director, Help Me Grow
Barbara graduated with a degree in Business Management in 1981. She
spent over 23 years within the business world. Over 20 years were spent
co-running a small business which allowed her the opportunity to become
very involved on the community level. Her involvement included multiple
community councils, parent training and school level involvement focusing
energies to support parents. As a mother of four wonderful daughters she
has come to realize the great influence a community can have on parents in
increasing their perspective and skill level.
When a life transition brought the opportunity to reeducate she chose the public sector. She
received a Masters of Public Administration in 2008. For the last seven years she has worked
within the non-profit world directing a home visitation program manned with volunteers,
implementing the Help Me Grow system in Utah and working within the early childhood area to
build a regional and state system that supports parents.
Her unique skill sets of a business owner, community organizer and public administrator have
proven to be instrumental in building collaborative teams to meet the needs of an ever-changing
generation of new parents.


Beverl y Martinez, Carbon School District Autism Team

Beverly works as the preschool coordinator for Carbon School District and
serves a variety of children, including those with autism. Beverly holds a
Masters Degree from Utah State University and is also a graduate of Utahs
Coaching Network for autism teams. She has assisted Kim in providing
supports to both teachers and students, as well as assistance presenting a
variety of trainings both locally and statewide.




LeeAnn Parker, Educator, San Juan School District, Program
Consultant/Instructor, Care About Childcare ar USU Eastern
Over the past 25 years, LeeAnn has been an elementary school teacher, a
family daycare provider, and preschool teacher. She received her bachelors
degree from Brigham Young University, Early Childhood Education license
from Utah State University, and is currently working on a masters degree at
USU. She is a kindergarten teacher in San J uan School District and a
program consultant/instructor for Care About Childcare-Eastern Region. Her
TLC Learning Center provides individualized tutoring and emotional wellness
modules for young children. She and her husband, Steve, have five daughters, ranging in ages
from 11-23. In her spare time, she loves gardening, running, and learning how to incorporate
corrugated metal in home exteriors.



Kristen Calder Remington, MOT, OTR/L, Occupational Therapist, Uintah
School District

Kristen has three children, including a set of twins (a boy and a girl) and a son.
Her older son has an ASD diagnosis and sensory processing concerns. Kristen
earned her Masters of Occupational Therapy at the University of Utah in 2004.
Professionally, she has worked for ten years as a pediatric occupational
therapist specializing with kids who have sensory processing problems and/or
Autism. Kristen is also a certified autism specialist. Additionally, she is a
member of the Uintah School District Autism team which is dedicated to assisting kids with
Autism (and sensory issues). She also a committee member serving in two local VIP programs
for kids with special needs: the AYSO VIP soccer program and the Miss VIP Uintah County
pageant.



Kim Williams, team leader, Carbon School District Autism Team.

Kim and her team provide supports to students with autism spectrum disorders
(preschool 12
th
grade) throughout Carbon School District. Additionally they
provide training and support to classroom teachers who are working with
children with autism. Kim holds a Bachelors Degree from the University of
Utah. She is a graduate of Utahs Coaching Network, which is a 2 year training
program for autism teams. Although it was a 2 year program Kim and her
partner Beverley Martinez returned for another 2 years to keep up on the most recent research
of interventions for Autism. Kim has many hours of post-graduate education and training in the
area of autism. Kim has worked as a classroom special education teacher at Carbon High, and
the Lighthouse Alternative High School. She has a great deal of experience working directly
with children with autism. In addition to providing training for local teachers, Kim has been a
presenter at various statewide conferences on the subject of autism.

















Everyone benefits from quality child care parents, providers, and most importantly, children.
Care About Childcare (CAC) is an exciting new online program that the Utah Office of Child
Care created in partnership with parents, child care providers, and many other early childhood
stakeholders. More than a website, this system helps child care providers showcase the quality
in their programs, and gives parents information that will allow them to make good choices for
their families. The program does this by matching a familys specific needs to a child care
providers specific strengths. The website also provides links to child care and child
development resources.

Care About Childcare offers caregivers an opportunity to display indicators of quality they
provide the children entrusted to their care. The CAC Quality Indicator program is only available
to Licensed Centers that offer full-time care and Licensed Family. In order to be eligible to
participate, Centers and Family Providers must be licensed for 6 months or longer and be in
good standing with Utahs Child Care Licensing Program.

The Care About Childcare Quality Indicator program is 100% voluntary. Providers that meet
eligibility requirements can choose from up to 20 different criteria listed under 6 different Quality
Indicators to display on their individual profile page. All of the Quality Indicator Criteria have
been derived from research based standards on quality child care. All of the criteria are above
and beyond Utahs Child Care Licensing Program requirements.

The Quality Indicator Criteria are verified through inventories, documents and pictures submitted
by the child care provider to the Child Care Professional Development Institute or to Care About
Childcare agencies located Statewide.

There are approximately 100 different criteria that providers can choose from depending upon
their care type. Providers are not expected to apply for all of the criteria available. Not all criteria
are applicable to all programs. There are many right ways to offer quality child care. Providers
are encouraged to apply for the CAC quality criteria that are the right fit for their program and
the families that they serve.