March 2021
Christopher Staton, MA, has 10 plus years of direct service experience in early intervention and early childhood special education as an early childhood special education behavior interventionist, early intervention specialist, and early childhood adjunct professor and professional development grant coordinator. Christopher is a father of three, who in his spare time enjoys outdoors activities and sports.
Stanton holds a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from Hampton University, a Master's degree in Special Education and Human Development from The George Washington University, and a Graduate Professional Certificate in Early Intervention from Georgetown University.
ECC Welcomes Christopher Staton
ECC Welcomes Nancy Simmons
March 2021
Nancy Simmons joins the Early Childhood Center at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community as a Research Assistant. She has worked as an occupational therapist with both children and adults, practicing for most of her career with infants and toddlers enrolled in the early intervention system. She recently relocated to Bloomington from the southern Illinois area. Nancy holds a Bachelor's Degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Southern Indiana and a Master's of Health Sciences Degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Indianapolis. In her spare time, Nancy enjoys gardening, travel, and planning adventures with her husband and three children
ECC Welcomes Antonieta Barces
March 2021
Antonieta Barces started her career working with adults with disabilities as a medical assistant for two years. Later, she spent 13 years working with young children in the Early Childhood Intervention program in Texas. Barces found her passion working with children and families from diverse backgrounds, assuming different roles as a service coordinator and developmental therapist/early intervention specialist. Moreover, Barces worked extensively conducting assessments to determine eligibility for early intervention services and lead a group of children to support their transition into the preschool program. It has always been her focus to provide services grounded on evidence-based practices.
Barces holds a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine from the University San Martin de Porres in Lima, Peru and a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of North Texas.
ECC Presents at ICASE Conference
February 10, 2021
On February 10, 2021 Michael Conn-Powers, Director of the Early Childhood Center, Sally Reed Crawford, Research Associate, Lynne Hall, Research Associate, and Susan Dixon, Research Associate presented at the Indiana Council of Special Education Administrators (ICASE) conference. The session provided an overview of the Early Childhood Center and the Indiana Department of Education Office of Special Education partnership by highlighting its Preschool Inclusion and Early Literacy projects. Best practices in preschool inclusion and early literacy were outlined and universal and targeted resources developed by ECC and available to support districts in navigating change were showcased (e.g., Least Restrictive Environment Decision Tree, the Online Directory of Preschool Inclusion Models, data dashboards to inform district decision-making).
ECC Welcomes Dr. Lauren Padesky
February 9, 2021
Lauren Breckenridge Padesky is a recent Bloomington transplant, coming to IU from the University of Wyoming. Dr. Padesky holds a PhD in Curriculum & Instruction with a literacy concentration. She researches early literacy professional development, literacy coaching, school equity, and how teachers and children use language to make meaning during classroom literacy events.
Governor's Report
December 9, 2020
The Early Childhood Center provides administrative support for the First Steps Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC) where members are appointed by the Governor. Part of the responsibility of this council is to provide an annual report each November to the Governor’s office to highlight what has been happening in Indiana’s early intervention program. This report is also part of the state’s federal annual performance report (APR) that is submitted to the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) in Washington D.C. each February. Click here to find the highlights of the program.