How to support the inclusion of children with disability using embedded learning support practices

Content type
Webinar
Event date

30 October 2024, 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm (AEDT)

Presenters

John Forster, Patricia Snyder, Liz Hudson, Rhonda Livingstone, Liz Neville

Location

Online

This webinar was held on Wednesday, 30 October 2024. A captioned recording and full transcript will be available in the next 2 weeks.

About this webinar

Children with disability have the same rights as all children and should have access to the necessary supports and adaptions so they can enjoy those rights. This includes being able to access and participate in early learning and community programs alongside their peers.

Practitioners and caregivers who interact with these children should understand and use practices that support learning and development in ways that enhance equity and inclusion.

Embedded learning support practices are an evidenced-based approach that can be used to support inclusion for children with disability. Although developed in early childhood education and care settings, anyone working with children with disability can use these practices. This approach can support children with disability to learn important skills during everyday activities, such as at home with familiar people, in early learning programs and in the community.

This webinar will introduce a framework for embedded learning support practices for children with disability – including what and when children can learn, how to support learning, and how to make decisions about learning for children with disability. 

After the presentations, AIFS Acting Director, Liz Neville, will be hosting a live Q&A with the panellists.

This webinar will help you:

  • gain insight into the current Australian policy and practice context for early learning supports for children with disability
  • understand what inclusive practice is, including the key features of inclusion (access) and practices that support inclusion for children with disability (embedded learning supports)
  • develop insight into the key elements of an evidence-based framework for embedded learning supports and how this can be applied in practice when supporting children with disability

This webinar will interest practitioners who work in early childhood education and care sector and broader child and family sector who may work with children with disability and their families.

Presenters

John Forster

John Forster has been CEO at Noah’s Ark Inc in Melbourne, Australia, since 2000. Noah’s Ark supports over 1,600 children with disabilities and their families each year, through services provided at home, in children’s services and school in Victoria, ACT and NSW.

John is a strong advocate for children with disabilities having an inclusive, full life. He is a former National President of Early Childhood Intervention Australia (ECIA) and led the development of the first joint Position statement on the inclusion of children with a disability in early childhood education and care by Early Childhood Australia and ECIA in 2011.

John has participated on many governmental advisory groups, including the Victorian Disability Advisory Council and the Victorian Government’s NDIS Implementation Taskforce. He is a founding Director of Practitioners and Researchers in Early Childhood Intervention and is the co-author the resource book Participating and belonging: inclusion in practice with Alison Webster.

Distinguished Professor Patricia Snyder

Dr Patricia (Pat) Snyder is a Distinguished Professor of Special Education and Early Childhood Studies, an affiliate Professor of Pediatrics, the David Lawrence Jr. Endowed Chair in Early Childhood Studies, and Director of the Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies at the University of Florida. Over her 45+ year professional career, Pat has been an early intervention provider, preschool teacher, director of early intervention and inclusive early childhood programs, higher education faculty member and researcher. Pat’s current projects focus on working with diverse stakeholders to develop, validate, implement and examine effective professional learning, including practice-based coaching, to enhance practitioners' and familial caregivers' use of equitable and evidence-informed embedded learning, social-emotional, and other recommended practices to support desired outcomes.

Liz Hudson

Liz Hudson is the Policy and Research Manager at Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA). Liz has a PhD in the social sciences, a teaching background; Master of Education and Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Liz’s research interests include NDIS, disability rights and social inclusion, community mental health and disability service provision, person-centred and recovery-oriented practice.

Rhonda Livingstone

Rhonda Livingstone is the National Education Leader, ACECQA and brings a wealth of experience to this role, having worked in preschools and long day care centres and as an assessor of programs and services for both government and non-government organisations.

Rhonda’s extensive involvement in the National Quality Agenda reforms saw her contribute to the development of the National Quality Standard and its Guide, assessment and rating tools and processes, and the training and testing program for authorised officers. Rhonda continues to contribute to the development and delivery of resources and professional development programs for both the sector and regulatory authorities.

Facilitator

Liz Neville profile photo

Liz Neville is the Acting Director of AIFS. Her background is in disability, aged care and community services, and she has qualifications in social work, education and evaluation.

Liz has previously worked in management roles in service delivery and peak body organisations in the not for profit sector. She has also worked as as a senior manager in provision of government advisory services. Before joining AIFS, she was a senior executive with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).

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