2026 Early On Conference - Be a Game Changer: Coaching and Teaming for Impact

Discover how early attachment shapes a child's psychological world from birth to three. We will explore how babies rely on adult relationships to thrive physically, emotionally, and socially. We will examine early relational challenges and provide actionable strategies for Early On providers to support families and young children when mental health and relationship issues emerge.

Early On providers play a critical role in supporting children and families, but developmental support extends beyond intervention services. Help Me Grow is a family-centered care coordination program that connects families with community resources, including developmental screenings, basic needs supports, child care, home visiting, health resources, and other local services that promote healthy development. This session will introduce the Help Me Grow model and explore how it complements Early On by providing coordinated support before, during, and after Early On services. Participants will learn when and how to make referrals, strategies for collaborating with Care Coordinators, and how partnerships between Early On and Help Me Grow can improve family experiences and strengthen local early childhood systems.

Despite the known neurotoxic effects, lead exposure remains a persistent and often under-recognized environmental health threat, particularly for infants and young children during critical periods of brain development. Even low levels of lead exposure—previously considered “safe”—are now known to have measurable and lasting effects on neurodevelopment, behavior, and learning. For Early Intervention (EI) professionals, understanding the implications of lead exposure is essential to identifying risk, supporting affected children, and partnering effectively with families.

This presentation shares a book project for children who have significant disabilities, providing ways for professionals and family members to learn how to read their cues, find ways to motivate communication, and to engage with their environment. All done in a positive way, focusing on what the child can do and what more is possible.

In this session, we will review key ideas about what well-written outcomes are and are not and ground ourselves in a simple formula for writing outcomes (who, what, where, how). We will also use seven fundamentals of writing individualized, functional, and meaningful IFSP outcomes to guide our thinking as we consider real-life stories, share ideas, critique examples, and practice writing outcomes that are meaningful to all team members, especially families.

This session explores the critical connection between oral motor development, feeding skills, and early speech and language outcomes in children from birth to three years. Designed for professionals serving families through Early On Michigan, this presentation provides a practical, developmentally informed approach to understanding how early oral motor patterns influence both feeding success and later communication skills.

This session shares a collaborative journey to build an early childhood workforce using the Pyramid Model across programs. Learn how modules, tiered thinking, an implementation team, and Practice-Based Coaching supported staff buy-in and application. Designed for leaders, participants will gain practical strategies to align programs, strengthen workforce capacity, and move from training to consistent practice.

Early On and Michigan’s Home Visiting programs each bring unique strengths to supporting infants, toddlers, and their families. When these systems work together, families experience smoother referrals, coordinated developmental supports, and stronger connections to community resources. This session will highlight how Early On and Home Visiting partners can build shared processes that improve outcomes and reduce duplication for families. Through pair and share activities and group discussion, participants will explore real examples of effective collaboration, reflect on their own local practices, and identify actionable steps to enhance partnerships in their communities.

Transitioning from Early On to preschool special education can feel overwhelming for families and challenging for providers coordinating services across systems. This interactive session explores practical coaching and teaming strategies that strengthen collaboration, reduce family anxiety, and support smooth transitions from the IFSP to the IEP process. Participants will leave with tools, communication strategies, and planning resources to help prevent service gaps and improve outcomes for young children and families.

Changes in state leadership and federal events have created uncertainty regarding funding for early childhood programs. This session clarifies budget processes and their impacts on early childhood system building and services like Early On and Head Start. Participants will learn about the Early On Coalition and strategies for communicating effectively on behalf of early intervention.

Research indicates that the most successful toilet training programs include individualized scheduled sit times, positive reinforcement, playful teaching including visual supports, child readiness, and strong parent-teacher collaboration; this program includes all of these layers of support. Presented by an occupational therapist who has supported potty training for 20 years, this is a practical session for all team members (it takes a team to get it done!), including parents and administrators.  At the end of this session you will walk away with the knowledge and ambition, the visuals, and data sheets to toilet train all children before they leave preschool.

Practice-Based Coaching (PBC) is an evidence-based approach for supporting early intervention providers in implementing effective caregiver coaching practices with greater confidence and fidelity. This introductory session provides an overview of the PBC framework, including collaborative partnerships, shared goals, focused observation, and reflection with feedback. Participants will explore how coaching promotes reflective practice, strengthens provider capacity, and supports improved outcomes for young children and families.

Do the children you care for appear more dysregulated than ever? Do you wonder what causes this dysregulation, and more importantly, how can you help your families help their children feel settled in their bodies? In this session, we will dig deeper into the body and the understanding of brain science and dysregulation. You will also be provided with many strategies to add to your toolbox to help calm the chaos that is occurring in your children’s bodies and in the care you provide.

Centering children and families in early intervention requires physicians and Early On providers to work together more collaboratively. This session will review results from a pilot study in which primary care pediatricians adopted an eFax system to submit referrals to 1-800-EarlyOn. We will discuss lessons learned, the structural changes that have resulted, and additional opportunities to strengthen communication and collaboration.

Early identification of vision needs is a game changer for infant and toddler development. This session moves participants from awareness to action by building skills in recognizing early signs, embedding observation into routines, and using coaching strategies with families. Participants will strengthen teaming practices to support timely referrals, ensuring children access the sensory experiences critical for learning and development.

Is your Early Intervention practice truly neuro-affirming? Join us for an evidence-informed session that bridges the gap between traditional developmental milestones and the authentic autistic experience in children aged 0–3. We will dismantle ableist intervention goals and replace them with strategies that support Gestalt Language Processors, sensory regulation, and self-advocacy from the earliest age. Attendees will leave with a toolkit for coaching families on how to validate scripts (echolalia) as meaningful communication and how to build inclusive IFSPs that celebrate neurodiversity.

This presentation examines procedural safeguards and dispute resolution within Early On Michigan under IDEA Part C. It outlines family rights, including consent, notice, confidentiality, and IFSP participation, including informal resolution, mediation, state complaints, and due process hearings. Emphasis is placed on proactive communication, documentation, and family-centered practices to promote compliance, reduce conflict, and strengthen equitable early intervention services.

Childcare is the natural environment for many infants and toddlers with disabilities, however, supporting children in this setting can be challenging. This session will provide a modifiable framework, step by step how to establish the necessary relationships, and ways to educate daycare providers to feel confident in the "when" and "how" to make a referral to Early On if necessary.

This session explores factors influencing early intervention enrollment, the impact of parent and audiology support, and strategies to improve outcomes for children with hearing loss. Providers working with birth-to-three populations will learn practical tools to enhance clinical practice, promote timely identification, and strengthen family-to-family support through Michigan Hands & Voices.

Ready to revolutionize your early intervention practice? Discover how one service area leverages TORSH to transform video into a powerful catalyst for growth. Learn actionable strategies to elevate caregiver reflection, sharpen provider skills, streamline staff evaluations, and boost data collection. Turn standard video into a dynamic tool that strengthens teaming and drives meaningful, real-world outcomes.

Young children’s screen exposure is widespread, yet families and family-facing professionals often lack a simple, non-judgmental approach for building sustainable screen habits that protect development and family routines. This session introduces the Digital Diet, a practical framework grounded in four pillars, Type, Amount, Balance, and Timing, to support intentional screen use in early childhood contexts. Participants will learn how to move beyond time-only guidance to identify patterns, reduce conflict around transitions, protect sleep and play, and strengthen caregiver-child connection. The session emphasizes feasible, strengths-based strategies that educators and caregivers can use together, including shared language for “guided” versus “screen-free” moments and routines that prioritize high-value interactions such as conversation, movement, and hands-on exploration. Attendees will leave with an approachable framework and actionable steps to support families in making small changes that add up to healthier digital habits for young children.

Strong teams don’t happen by chance—they are built with intention. In this engaging session designed for Early On providers, participants will learn how to create sustainable teaming structures within the Primary Service Provider (PSP) model. Discover practical tools for establishing team norms, clarifying expectations, and implementing structured problem-solving protocols that promote trust, shared accountability, and family-centered practice. Participants will walk away with ready-to-use templates and strategies to strengthen collaboration across disciplines and improve outcomes for infants, toddlers, and families.

Early On evaluators are often the first professionals communicating information to families about their child’s disabilities. This session focuses on incorporating strengths-based evaluation/assessment methods and neurodiversity-affirming language into reports and eligibility conversations. Participants will critically analyze their current practices and identify strategies to implement neurodiversity-friendly evaluations and report writing as well as sharing and creating strengths-based assessment materials.

Early screening is just the beginning. Many children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing still face gaps in specialized supports, local practices, and team knowledge. This session explores these inequities from statewide and local perspectives and shares practical strategies to ensure timely, coordinated, and equitable early intervention for children and their families.

This session introduces a social network approach to understanding interprofessional collaboration. Presenting data from over 200 Early On providers, we will visualize current teaming patterns and explore how network characteristics, including professional diversity, and interprofessional collaboration attitudes shape practice. This session will teach you how to map, evaluate, and adapt your social network to support your professional and clinical goals.

Communication shapes nearly every aspect of our personal and professional lives. According to Stephen Covey, “Communication is the most important skill in life. We spend most of our waking hours communicating.” We spend years learning to speak, read and write, but very few of us have received training or education on listening for deep understanding. This learning opportunity will focus on how to be an effective listener and how listening contributes to mutual understanding, trust, and collaboration.

True early intervention happens in the moments between home visits. To be a "game changer" for families, educators must move beyond providing suggestions and master the art of coaching. This session is designed for intermediate-level professionals who want to deepen their ability to empower parents to be their child’s "first best teacher" during life’s most challenging behavioral moments.
Drawing on 30 years of experience and the evidence-based frameworks of Sheldon and Rush, Cari Ebert, and Conscious Discipline, this interactive session focuses on shifting parent mindsets from overwhelmed to capable. Through a combination of instructional dialogue and hands-on practice, attendees will learn how to facilitate joint planning and reflective feedback that sticks. You will leave with practical strategies to build caregiver confidence, ensuring that when tough behaviors arise, parents have the tools and the self-assurance to implement solutions successfully on their own.

Participants will understand and learn how to accurately document and report early childhood transition data within the Michigan Student Data System (MSDS), with attention to common reporting challenges and sources of error.

Motor delays are a common referral reason for Early On in Michigan. This session will explore typical motor development including gross motor and fine motor skills. We will then learn and practice strategies to address common motor delays and deviations from typical. We will utilize power points, videos, and hands-on practice to explore these introductory skills. You will leave this session with the confidence to say, “Put me in coach!”

Adaptive switches empower individuals with disabilities to engage with items they might otherwise find inaccessible. The foundation for success with more advanced technologies, such as assistive augmented communication devices, starts with simple switches. In an article by Marotta and Dumitrescu featured in the August/September 2023 issue of Closing the Gap, they note: “When first developing cause and effect skills, one of the most widely used motivators is switch-adapted toys.” These toys offer children the chance to cultivate vital skills, including cause and effect, motor planning, and joint attention. Discover the benefits of switches for early communication, enjoy hands-on play with switches, and create a battery interpreter to take home.

This dynamic session will introduce the DIR (Developmental, Individual-Differences and Relationship-based) model. Learn to foster strong, meaningful connections and support infant and toddler social emotional development using child-led play. Participate in hands-on practice, applying strategies learned with peers during breakout activities. We will end by collaborating together to brainstorm strategies to utilize with families and children on current caseloads.

Early intervention is most effective when it reflects families’ languages, cultures, and everyday experiences. This session highlights evidence-based practices that strengthen partnerships with multilingual and multicultural families through shared understanding and collaboration. Participants will explore practical strategies to embed supports within meaningful routines and build more responsive, relationship-centered approaches to service delivery.

Do you struggle to get caregivers to reflect during their home visit? Video feedback has been proven to help adults improve self-reflection, motivation, and skill acquisition. Join me and learn how to use video feedback during your home visits to help caregivers better facilitate their child’s development.

This session is intended to provide an overview of the current Michigan Mandatory Special Education Birth to Three Eligibility Guidance documents developed by the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) with the assistance of stakeholder/field perspectives and input.

This session reframes early interventionists as guides—not gatekeepers—by strengthening family voice, advocacy, and leadership during the transition to preschool. Participants learn practical strategies and simple storytelling tools families can create to share their child’s strengths, needs, and identity, fostering more inclusive, family‑driven transition practices.

Participants will explore how services delivered in medical settings (including audiology and speech-language therapy) differ from supports provided through Early On and educational programs, and why both are essential for long-term success. The presentation will also share strategies for improving communication, aligning goals across settings, and building sustainable partnerships that promote consistent, child-centered support from early identification through school-age services.

The MiEarlyChildhood.org data system serves as the centralized intake and referral platform for Early On services across the state of Michigan. While all ISDs currently utilize the system to receive referrals, many districts are not yet leveraging the full range of features and functionality available through recent system enhancements. This presentation will provide an overview of key tools within MiEarlyChildhood.org that support referral management, workflow organization, communication, and multi-user collaboration. Participants will also hear practical examples from local ISDs demonstrating how the system can be used beyond referral intake to improve coordination and streamline processes across teams of varying sizes. Attendees will leave with strategies and ideas for expanding use of the system to maximize efficiency, strengthen collaboration, and enhance data management practices within their own ISDs.

Early language can’t wait! This session highlights research linking early communication delays to later literacy and academic outcomes and the powerful role of early intervention. Participants will understand the "why", learn to translate research into clear talking points, and embed simple, evidence-based strategies into everyday routines with families.

Compassion is a powerful attribute of the Early On team in coaching families, though can result in compassion fatigue. Identifying and addressing compassion fatigue within Early On teams, including strategies to address it, allows team members to stay in the game of supporting families and each other.

Pediatric feeding intervention often defaults to therapist-directed models, hindering sustainable outcomes. This session provides an advanced framework for early intervention providers to transition to a comprehensive, coaching-based approach. We will explore integrating trauma-informed, responsive, and routines-based strategies to address complex feeding difficulties, fostering caregiver capacity and knowledge. Participants will gain actionable tools to empower families daily.

This session will equip you with foundational knowledge of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), including causes, symptoms, and developmental impacts. Explore team-based supports, and assessment practices to maximize impact in early childhood classrooms. Attendees will leave with data collection tools, resources for collaboration, forms to assist with recognizing TBI, and materials to boost learning outcomes for young children.

This session explores how early intervention providers can use a DHH‑informed lens to move from language assessment to actionable support for infants and toddlers who are deaf or hard of hearing. Participants will examine LEAD‑K Michigan tools, learn strategies for accessible assessment, interpret results beyond scores, and connect findings to functional, family‑centered outcomes that strengthen early language development.

This session will provide an intro to the child welfare system with an understanding of Child Protective Services (CPS) investigations and how Early On can best engage with those families. We will cover topics including Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), IDEA, who is referred to Early On, barriers to working with families involved in the child welfare system, and the Uninterrupted Scholars Act.

What does it truly mean to change the game for a family? Dr. Jamie McClintic explores the intersection of professional expertise and a mother’s heart. Drawing on 24 years as an OT and her daughter’s Down syndrome diagnosis, Jamie moves beyond checklists to show how coaching and humanity transform early intervention from a service model into a literal lifeline.

This session explores how IECMH Endorsement^® strengthens Early On professionals’ competence, confidence, and resilience by centering caregiver-child relationships. Participants will learn how Endorsement aligns with daily practice, supports reflective, trauma-informed care, and reduces burnout. The session also demystifies the application process and provides a clear roadmap for using Endorsement as a quality marker in early intervention work.

How do early childhood leaders sustain inclusive practices when systems are not always designed for inclusion? This session shares findings from a grounded theory study exploring how early childhood leaders develop inclusive consciousness, a process through which awareness and action combine to support inclusion for young children with disabilities. Participants will explore common system challenges and reflect on leadership strategies to sustain inclusive practices in early childhood programs.

Attendees will learn why we must report on the three global child outcomes, when to report them, brief review of how to report them and the four essential components of the Child Outcome Summary (COS) Process.  Strategies will be shared to ensure quality, timely data to ensure matched records are achieved for all.