Faculty & Future Early Interventionists

teacher with students in classroomAre you a faculty member who is looking for resources and tools to expand and embed information about Part C, early intervention or children birth to age three with disabilities into your coursework? Are you a student who is interested in a career in early intervention (EI)? This page is a starting place to link students and faculty to information about early intervention.

Preparation of qualified future early interventionists is important to deliver equitable, individualized, evidence-based services that support positive child and family outcomes."

More Information



EI/Preservice Consortium

 

ei preservice consortium logo The Virginia Early Intervention/Preservice Consortium provides opportunities for faculty and staff across Virginia universities to collaborate to improve the availability of high quality early intervention (EI) student placements, build stronger relationships with local EI systems, conduct research, and share resources for educating future early interventionists.

The Consortium is dedicated to “Relationships, Communication, and Preparation” among members and local early intervention system leadership to adequately prepare future early interventionists."

The Consortium is composed of multidisciplinary faculty members (early childhood education, early childhood special education, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech-language pathology), local EI system leadership, and state-level EI staff.

Membership List

Mission and Vision

This interactive map provides information about each EI system and universities that provide EI-related preparation coursework and field placements.


FAQs for Students

 

Early intervention (EI) is a rewarding career that will offer you the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of infants and toddlers with disabilities or developmental delays and their families. The primary role of an EI service provider is to support families to increase their child’s participation in everyday routines and activities. EI service providers use coaching interactions during in-person or virtual EI visits to help caregivers develop their abilities to interact with their children in ways that support their child’s development. Visit the VA Early Intervention Videos page or the VEIPD Videos YouTube Channel to find many videos about the importance and benefits of EI and to listen to families and service providers share their stories.

EI uses multi-disciplinary teams of individuals from a broad array of backgrounds and educational pathways including developmental service providers (educators), service coordinators, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, infant mental health specialists, social workers, and more. Job opportunities are available for those with two-year, four-year, and advanced degrees. The Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia (ITCVA) Practice Manual, Table C: Practitioner Qualifications and Responsibilities chart provides details.

Table C: Practitioner Qualifications and Responsibilities

Virginia EI practitioners except physicians, audiologists and registered dieticians, must be certified by the State Lead Agency as an Early Intervention Professional, Early Intervention Specialist, or Early Intervention Case Manager. This additional certification ensures that EI practitioners are knowledgeable about Virginia’s EI key principles, evidence-based practices, effective service implementation, typical birth-age three child development, provider responsibilities, etc. The type of certification needed depends on the practitioner’s discipline-specific qualifications and job requirements. Review The Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia (ITCVA) Practice Manual, Table C: Practitioner Qualifications and Responsibilities chart for information about the types of certification and requirements. For more information about the EI certification process, visit the Initial Certification page.

Table C: Practitioner Qualifications and Responsibilities

In Virginia’s EI system, educators are called Developmental Service Providers. They typically have a background in early childhood special education (ECSE), early childhood education (ECE), special education, deaf education or education of the visually impaired. Sometimes, professionals from disciplines other than education provide Developmental Services, such as nursing or child development. Developmental services is another name for the federal term, special instruction. For information about the role of special instruction, read the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) Position Statement - The Role of Special Instruction. The DEC EI/ECSE Standards may also be informative.

For information about current employment opportunities, visit the Infant & Toddler Connection of VA Employment Opportunities page or contact any of the 40 Local System Managers in locations of interest


FAQs for Faculty

 

Faculty from 2-year and 4-year colleges/universities will find resources in this section to support them to integrate up-to-date information about EI principles and practices into their coursework.

The LSM | Supervisor | Faculty page will provide you with an array of preservice products that can be used in your courses. Resources include videos, webinars, podcasts, etc.

Virginia’s 40 local early intervention (EI) systems within the Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia (ITCVA) are divided into six regions. Each system has a local system manager (LSM) who provides oversight and management. Local system managers can assist faculty in identifying potential guest speakers including EI practitioners, service coordinators, and administrators. See the ITCVA LSM page for more information.
Additionally, COMING SOON…an EI Speaker’s Bureau where faculty can put in a request for a guest speaker for classes. Stay tuned.

See the Virginia’s EI/Preservice Consortium tab on this webpage for relevant preservice research, articles, and other written materials.

All individual Virginia EI practitioners, except physicians, audiologists and registered dieticians, must be certified by the Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia (ITCVA) as an Early Intervention Professional, Early Intervention Specialist, or Early Intervention Case Manager. The type of certification depends on the practitioner’s discipline-specific qualifications and job requirements. Check out the initial certification process page.

Contact Cori Hill, VEIPD Center Director and EI Professional Development Specialist, at cfhill@vcu.edu for more information.


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