Act Early Network News, Winter 2022 Issue

Winter 2022 Issue

The Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) has expanded its National Center on Disability in Public Health efforts with the funding of two, one-year pilot studies using administrative data to evaluate “child find” early identification systems in Indiana and Minnesota, made possible by a cooperative agreement with the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Continue Reading to learn more about the Child Find project and the early identification efforts that will be conducted by the Indiana and Minnesota team.

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The Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) has expanded its National Center on Disability in Public Health efforts with a one-year project to identify states or territories with coordinated and integrated data systems for the early identification (CIDSEI) of young children with developmental delays or disabilities and to use this information to develop and pilot tools, materials, and resources to support additional states and territories in the development of a CIDSEI. This project, beginning September 1, 2021, has been made possible with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) administered through a cooperative agreement with AUCD. AUCD is excited to partner with the Help Me Grow National Center (HMG National) as a subcontractor for this work.

The CIDSEI Advisory Council will work in tandem with AUCD/CDC and HMG National to inform the activities of this project. We encourage you to follow along with the progress of the CIDSEI project and reach out to Betsey Howe for further information about this effort.

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The University of New England Maine LEND's trainees Amanda Nalls and Kelsey Teegan partner this winter to bring the Learn the Signs. Act Early. (LTSAE) presentation to high school students attending the Bath Regional Career and Technical Center in Maine. Both trainees bring their previous experience working in public education to their passion for future professions working in MCH populations. UNE's Maine LEND LTSAE program offers an ideal opportunity to further goals in professional collaboration and interdisciplinary care by sharing knowledge about children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and related disorders while also partnering with local community schools. Trainees focused on providing student's enrolled in Certified Nursing Assistant, Health Science, and Early Childhood programs with information about milestones associated with development, neurodevelopmental disorders, resources available through the CDC's website, the importance of the parent-provider relationship, and strategies for early intervention available to families in the state of Maine. The trainees’ goal was to prepare and educate high school students on these critical topics before entering their chosen fields where they will interact with children and families with various strengths and challenges. The students at the Bath Regional Career and Technical Center were knowledgeable and engaged for the presentation, highlighting the importance of trust, communication, and plain language within service delivery. Check out the LTSAE MaineLEND presentation and visit the University of New England Maine LEND's website for more information about the programs and participants.

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Working with Dr. Kate Barlow, CDC's Act Early Ambassador for Massachusetts, four LEND Fellows have undergone 8 hours of training and are now participating as Deputy Ambassadors for the LTSAE program.

Alisa Lin (Registered Nurse), fluent in Chinese, is connecting with area programs that cater to Chinese-speaking families, and Adriana Mason (Family Fellow) is reaching out to prenatal and NICU programs. Riley Schweig, a Genetic Counseling Fellow is focusing on implementing LTSAE within Early Intervention programs. Katherine Prince, also a Genetic Counseling Fellow, has taken on the social media campaign and marketing responsibilities of the MA Act Early Team promoting LTSAE through Facebook, the MA Act Early website, and the creation of an Instagram account.

All the Boston LEND fellows connect with community-based organizations and programs as part of their affiliation with LEND and this is the first year that this connection has been made with Act Early Massachusetts. Adriana says "I love this placement! It has given me the autonomy to work in a target area that is new to the MA Act Early Campaign".

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Early identification of developmental delays or disabilities ensures that children receive the support they need to develop important skills so they can thrive and be prepared for school. Crossroads Youth and Family Services (CYFS) Head Start (HS) and Early Head Start (EHS) programs located in Oklahoma incorporated key resources from the Learn the Signs. Act Early. program to support Head Start mandated screening requirements. In partnership with the Oklahoma Act Early COVID Response Team, CYFS took the lead on piloting the integration of LTSAE checklists and Milestone App in their parent-teacher conferences, starting with one county in Spring 2021. For the Fall 2021 conferences, this model was expanded to all of their HS/EHS across the state, engaging approximately 600 families across 5 counties and 30 sites. Additionally, CYFS staff at all sites completed the CDC’s “Watch Me! Celebrating Milestones and Sharing Concerns” online training and created an LTSAE landing page on their website highlighting resources from LTSAE, Participating Head Start educators reported that these newly integrated activities were valuable for the staff and for educating families about developmental milestones and have improved developmental monitoring to identify concerns between scheduled screenings.

Learn more about the Crossroads Youth and Family Services in Oklahoma and view the LTSAE landing page on their website.

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The Act Early Utah team (AEUT) and the South Main Clinic (SMC) are collaborating on a fun and unique way to increase developmental monitoring at well-child visits. SMC provides family care for underserved populations with 65% of its patients being Latinx/Hispanic.

Activities to increase awareness of development in LTSAE materials are displayed in the clinics waiting areas, down the hallways, and in exams rooms. QR codes for the milestone app have been added to the wide variety of materials displayed and the materials distributed to families. In a new partnership with the Prescription for Play Project, a program coordinated and funded by the LEGO Foundation, it is designed for healthcare providers for 18-to-36-month-old patients. Health providers use the bricks and related educational material as prompts to engage caregivers around the benefits of play for the development of emotional, cognitive, creative, social, and physical skills. This partnership is focused on ensuring that families at the 24-month healthcare visits are presented with the LTSAE children’s book and a LEGO set. These materials are accompanied by a discussion of milestones and the importance of monitoring between visits. The recommended developmental screening assessment is conducted and appropriate referrals to agencies are made. These are then documented in the electronic medical record of the child to ensure providers follow up with families.

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Shayna Hamiel is a DNP (Doctor of Nurse Practitioner) student in the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program and University of Minnesota LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities) fellow mentored by Dr. Jen Hall-Lande, CDC Act Early Ambassador to Minnesota. Shayna's project goal was to promote the Learn The Signs. Act Early. campaign and neurodevelopmental disability education in her rural MN community. Shayna enjoyed hosting information tables at a couple of large community events where she distributed materials to promote developmental monitoring. She provided milestone checklists to local clinics for well-child visits to promote family education, initiate conversations about development, and provide tools for early intervention referrals. Education was given to clinic staff with emphasis placed on acting early and eliminating the wait-and-see approach to developmental delays in well-child care. She also gave several presentations to community parent groups, daycare staff, regional HeadStart staff, and Public Health home visiting nurses, teaching about the importance of developmental monitoring and basic education about autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities. Developmental monitoring materials and books were shared with families. Shayna’s work not only reached members of her local community but also organizations that impact families at both county and regional levels across rural Minnesota.

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In the field of pediatric feeding disorder, over the past few years, Feeding Matters has been the catalyst for a consensus definition, a conceptual framework that details the associated domains, and a new ICD code. This year’s International Pediatric Feeding Disorders Conference theme, “Stepping into the Future” celebrates these achievements and looks towards the future of the field. Please join us virtually for a 3-day event where families and healthcare professionals can come together to get the most up-to-date education and research on pediatric feeding disorders. Attendees will have the opportunity to network, visit a virtual exhibitor hall and obtain continuing education.

Learn more and register today!

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Columbia University researchers found that babies born during the pandemic’s first-year scored slightly lower on a developmental screening test of social and motor skills at 6 months—regardless of whether their mothers had COVID during pregnancy—compared to babies born just before the pandemic.

The study, which included 255 babies born at New York-Presbyterian’s Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital and Allen Hospital between March and December 2020, was published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics. View the full article for more information.

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Associations between in utero exposure to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection and neurodevelopment are speculated but are currently unknown. This study examined infants between March and December 2020 to determine associations between maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy, being born during the COVID-19 pandemic regardless of maternal SARS-CoV-2 status, and neurodevelopment at age 6 months.

Learn more about featured countries, registration rates, specific event details, and frequently asked questions.

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The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has posted a draft research plan on screening for speech and language delay and disorders in children age 5 years or younger. The draft research plan is available for review and public comment from January 20, 2022, through February 16, 2022. To review the draft research plan and submit comments, go here.

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Would you like to share important Act Early updates or innovative practices from your state, program or organization?

Submit your updates for the next Act Early Network News (Spring 2022) by emailing Danielle Webber ([email protected]).