The University of Toledo

National Centers Supporting Inclusion in EC Education

The following national centers work to support the inclusion of young children with disabilities. These centers provide information and resources that can help early childhood educators as they work to meet the needs of children with disabilities within inclusive settings.

Center for Early Literacy Learning
The Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL) has resources for early childhood intervention practitioners, parents, and other caregivers of children, birth to five years of age, with identified disabilities, developmental delays, and those at-risk for poor outcomes.

CONNECT: The Center to Mobilize Early Childhood Knowledge
CONNECT offers web-based, instructional resources for faculty and other professional development providers that focus on and respond to challenges faced each day by those working with young children with disabilities and their families. The modules help build practitioners’ abilities to make evidence-based decisions.

National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center
The NECTAC web site provides information for early childhood programs funded under the individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Research and Training Center (RTC) on Early Childhood Development
The major aim of the Research and Training Center (RTC) on Early Childhood Development is to implement a coordinated and advanced program of applied research on knowledge and practice that improves interventions associated with the healthy mental, behavioral, communication, preliteracy, social-emotional, and interpersonal development of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with or at risk for developmental disabilities. The web site includes information about effective early childhood intervention practices based on research.

SpecialQuest
The SpecialQuest Group provides responsive services to achieve successful and enduring professional development and systems change for high quality Early Childhood Education and inclusion of young children with disabilities and their families.

Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention for Young Children (TACSEI)
The Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention for Young Children (TACSEI) offers free products and resources to help decision-makers, caregivers, and service providers apply research based practices.

The Iris Center
The IRIS Center is a national center that aims to provide high-quality resources for college and university faculty and professional development providers about students with disabilities.

The National Center on Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness
The National Center on Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness provides culturally responsive, user-friendly materials and training for staff and families to use to promote strong language and literacy skills in children's home language and in English.

Tracking, Referral and Assessment Center for Excellence(TRACE)
The major goal of TRACE is to identify and promote the use of evidence-based practices and models for improving child find, referral, early identification, and eligibility determination for infants, toddlers, and young children with developmental delays or disabilities who are eligible for early intervention or preschool special education.