Skills such as taking the first step, smiling for the first time, and waving “bye bye” are called developmental milestones. According to the Center for Disease Control (2018) children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, act, and move (crawling, walking, etc.). Early identification of developmental delays is at the utmost importance in a child’s development. In order to have an efficient Early Identification and Early Intervention, certain practices must be set in place such as standardized instruments for screening and assessments as well as strategies for work with children with delays. In these modern times, we need to utilize all the available technology and create tools that are free and accessible to all. In that direction, this project will focus on creation of an e-learning OER that will contain various screening methods for identification of children with disabilities as well as early intervention working strategies.

Subsequently via the update of university curricula university staff and students in the relevant fields and practitioners and various experts in the relevant fields can benefit from such user-friendly OERs and apps which enable the use of high-education tools. The development and use of such a web-based OER will improve the digital skills of all, in alignment with the challenges set in the new century. Several HEIs are jointly working on different aspects of this web-based OER and updating their own University curricula in the process. In this way, the HEI professors will also acquire digital skills and improve the manner in which they teach special education and early intervention and they conduct practice. Addressing digital transformation through the development of digital readiness, resilience and capacity is the most relevant horizontal priority for the UPDEIT project. This project supports evidence-based practices and fosters innovative and creative IT solutions in the area of early childhood development and early intervention.

Objectives

The UPDEIT project aims to:

• Create evidence-based practices in the area of Early Intervention for children with developmental delays.
• Digitalize early intervention (video) practices by the creation of web-based OER for Early Intervention.
• Create of a milestone tracker app for tracking the children’s development.
• Update University curricula in the area of Early Intervention for children with developmental delay (with which we will ensure the sustainability of the project results).
• Foster quality improvements and excellence in innovation at the high education institution level through enhanced transnational cooperation between education and training providers and other stakeholders.
• Improve the level of key competencies and skills in professionals and future professionals in the disability area.
• Promote and strengthen knowledge and acceptance of diversity in society.
• Enable access (through dissemination) to the web-based OER and milestone tracker to parents, caregivers, and professionals in the area of disability.

Target Groups

Several target groups will directly benefit from this project:

• Pre-service early childhood and early intervention specialists (these are the future professionals in the field).
• In-service teachers and special educators that currently work with children in pre-schools or early intervention centers.
• Parents will also have the opportunity to track their children’s developmental progress with this application and find creative and innovative ways to boost their child’s development through the OER possibilities.
• Academic staff and students from other closely related fields will benefit from the final products envisioned within this project.
• Finally, the biggest benefit is for the children with developmental delays and their families, who will get to work with highly skilled and well-trained professionals introduced to all the novelties in the special education area. In this manner, we can achieve the goal of early intervention for children with developmental delay, and that is to give these children an equal opportunity in life.

Project Partners

• Coordinator: Ss. Cyril and Methodius University - Faculty of Philosophy
• Frederick University (UPDEIT App developed by the Mobile Devices Laboratory)
• University de La Laguna (ULL)
• Uchilnica Daskalovski