Early Childhood Universal Access

Module Series

The Universal Access Module series is comprised of presentations based on CARA's Kit (Creating Adaptations for Routines and Activities) adaptations to promote meaningful inclusion of all children in early care and education settings. This series provides professionals with an understanding of the foundations of early childhood inclusion and simple first steps any professional should take to build an environment that supports the individual participation and learning of each child.

The modules in the Early Childhood Universal Access series may be completed at your own pace; however, starting with the Welcoming All Children module will provide a solid, foundational understanding of the goals and objectives of the entire series. Once you feel comfortable with the content in this first module, keep going!

Five new modules have been added to the series. These modules dive deeper into adaptations to activities, the physical environment, schedules, routines, and transitions, with separate module for considering functional skills and participation. To finish the module series, we recommend saving the module Putting It ALL Together for last to give yourself the opportunity to apply everything you learned.

Welcoming All Children

This module focuses on strength-based approaches to describing children, early childhood settings, and professionals so that everyone is welcome. Participants will examine the meaning of inclusion, learn to reframe perspectives in order to ensure all children experience meaningful participation in early care and education programs.

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Adaptations & Assistive Technology Interventions

This module explains the value of adaptations and assistive technology to improve children's participation and learning. A variety of instructional strategies and examples of adaptations in practice within common routines and activities are discussed as they relate to increasing participation and learning of all children.

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Supporting Participation with CARA's Kit

This module describes how to use CARA's Kit to promote the participation of all children in your setting. Participants will learn how basic CARA ideas for adapting typical routines and activities in infant to preschool-aged early childhood settings increase engagement and participation.

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Adapting Activities and Routines

This module focuses on increasing access, participation, and engagement through adapting activities and routines. Participants will identify their activities and routines and apply tools available to assess activities and routines. Additionally, participants will apply tools that support generating ideas for a variety of adaptations. Participants will be able to identify different ideas for adaptations that support access and participation throughout daily activities and routines.

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Adapting the Environment: Routines, Schedules, and Transitions

This module focuses on increasing access, participation, and engagement through simple environmental adaptations. Participants will understand adaptations that can be used to address the physical environment (arrangement, noise, and lighting) before children even arrive. Adaptations can support all young children, regardless of their needs or abilities. Participants will also understand the individual adaptations that can be used to support a child with a disability to encourage access, participation, and engagement.

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Adapting the Environment: Physical Spaces, Noise, and Lighting

This module focuses on increasing access, participation, and engagement through simple environmental adaptations. Participants will understand adaptations that can be used to address the physical environment (arrangement, noise, and lighting) before children even arrive. Adaptations can support all young children, regardless of their needs or abilities. Participants will also understand the individual adaptations that can be used to support a child with a disability to encourage access, participation, and engagement.

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Supporting Functional Skills and Participation

This module focuses on the importance of functional skills and adaptations that support children\’s participation. You will understand what functional skills are and why they’re important for children\’s participation in various routines, activities, and learning opportunities in an early childhood environment. Participants will also understand how to apply team approaches to supporting functional skills and how to work within teams to identify assistive technology and/or adaptations to support functional skills.

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Putting it ALL Together

This module focuses on putting together the core concepts of supporting participation of all children. Participants will practice using CARA's Kit with a real life case study and problem solve adaptations to increase participation and independence for young children in various situations.

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Learn more about the Professional Early Childhood Inclusion Credential (PECIC). Find modules by PECIC Tier level 1, level 2, and level 3

Explore More

The Early Childhood Inclusion Center for Excellence and Center for the Young Child's Education Station offer a variety of learning modules from Preschool Special Education to the Suite of Resources: Inclusive Early Care and Education Series. Stay up-to-date on new learning opportunities by joining our mailing list.