ABC's of Inclusion Early Childhood Conference

Also, here is a link to Hannah Bricker's speech!

Hannah Bricker.mp3

Thank you ALL for coming! We are so thankful for the turnout! Here is a link to Dr. Erik Carter's speech.

Erik Carter.mp3

Thank you ALL for coming! Here is a audio link to Dr. Erik Carter's speech.

We do have a change of venue tomorrow morning. We will be meeting at

All Saints Presbyterian Church and Preschool
7808 Rialto
Austin, TX 78735

We want to thank both Austin Ridge for making every effort to accommodate us and for All Saints Presbyterian Church for graciously making their facility accessible to us!

We got word this evening that the Austin Ridge Bee Cave does have power. However, we’ve had to move the main room from Building D to Building A due to a technical issue. Please make note of that. We truly hope everyone is safe.

We would like to say THANK YOU to HEB for providing us with breakfast pastries this upcoming Saturday!

Do you have a favorite children's book that has represents disability well? We have several giveaways that do! Thank you to local authors and Down syndrome parents - Debbie Zapata and Bob Feiner for donating copies of their books! And thanks to publisher Brookes Publishing Co. for their Erik Carter and Paula Kluth donations!
Link your favorite book with disability representation in the comments!

What does disability inclusion look like at my preschool, CDC or after school program?

Here are 12 Key Practices for High Quality Early Childhood Inclusion.

12 Key Practices for High-Quality Early Childhood Inclusion - Brookes Blog Which inclusive practices do early childhood programs need to master in order to welcome and support all learners? In today’s blog post, we’ll take you through the 12 inclusive practices with the strongest research base for supporting young children in inclusive programs. Where did these practic...

Meet Isabel Huerta. She is the Executive Director and founder of Sammy’s House. She has a Bachelor of Science in Biology, supplemental education in early childhood education, and 23 years of experience working with individuals with unique abilities. She has been the recipient of the Madeline Sutherland Award, Champion of Children Award, Martha Arbuckle Meritorious Service Award, the Phyllis Richards Icon for Children Award, and is the 2022 TAEYC Administrator of the Year.

Thanks Texas Faith and Disability Network and CPATHtexas offering some scholarships to make attendance possible for those who want to attend. Please reach out directly to [email protected] if scholarships are no longer available and you need assistance to financial assistance to attend.

❤️ someone with a disability? you should join us 2/4 tinyurl.com/abcsofinclusion

Meet Amy Sutherland, the Director of the Special Needs Embrace ministry at the Austin Ridge Bible Church. Amy is a native Austinite and graduate of Baylor University. She is passionate about making church accessible and welcoming for all families. She loves to help others identify their strenghts and use them to serve others!

We would like to say thank you to The Arc of Texas for being a major underwriter for our conference! We really appreciate your contributions! The Arc of Texas promotes, protects, and advocates for the human rights and self-determination of Texans with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The Arc of Texas The Arc of Texas promotes, protects, and advocates for the human rights and self-determination of Te

Meet our keynote speaker, Dr. Erik Carter. Erik Carter's passion is helping churches and communities become places of contribution and belonging for individuals with disabilities and their families. At Baylor University, he serves as the Luther Sweet Endowed Chair in Disabilities and Executive Director of the Baylor Center on Developmental Disabilities. His research and writing addresses the spiritual lives and flourishing of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the practices and postures of inclusive churches, and faith-based partnerships with disability service systems. www.erikwcarter.com

Meet Hannah Bricker. As the Head of School at The Rise School of Austin, Hannah Bricker works to provide a high-quality early education for all children of all abilities. With nearly 2 decades in the education field, she belives that all children can thrive with access to an individualized education, all families deserve community and support, and all teachers can be empowered to support any child in their classroom. Hannah also lectures on early childhood at Texas State University.

Join us 2/4/23 as we learn about offering acceptance, belonging and community to our Austin families who have young loved ones with disability. Register today: tinyurl.com/abcsofinclusion

Happy New Year! We are looking forward to learning together about inclusion and how to involve children of all abilities!

We would like to thank our sponsor, DSACT, for presenting our conference! The mission of DSACT is to provide education, support, and resources to individuals with Down syndrome, their families, professionals, and the community while building public awareness and acceptance of the abilities of individuals with Down syndrome. Learn more about them here. www.dsact.org

Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas Down Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas provides education, support, and resources to individuals with Down syndrome.

Meet the hosts of the ABC’s of Inclusion Conference, Travis Rand and Suzanne Wilson. We met through Texas Partners in Policymaking. We both live in Austin, and discovered we had a common interest to see faith communities be more inclusive of people with disabilities. Travis is a native Austinite, a graduate of Concordia University and a self-advocate with Cerebral Palsy. Suzanne is a graduate of SMU, mom to 3-her middle son, Jack is 15 and has Down syndrome and has lived in Austin 12 years. We both have a passion for faith communities and local schools to grow in their ability to include children with disabilities.

Welcome to our page! We want to provide the highest quality professional development education to practitioners looking to take the next step in creating communities where children with disabilities are valued and can participate with their neighborhood preschools and congregations. The conference will be held on Saturday, February 4, 2023. Join us!