The Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) Advisory Committee selected the Infant-Toddler Connection of the Heartland (ITC-H) for its 2018 Friend of Communications Sciences and Disorders Program Award.
During the May 3rd, 2019 advisory committee meeting, Tori Bunch, advisory committee chair and the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department Chair, Dr. Lissa Power-deFur officially presented The Infant and Toddler Connection of the Heartland the Friend of the CSD Award.
The Infant and Toddler Connection of the Heartland is a program that helps identify if any developmental delay exists and provides supports and services to address the delay. The Infant and Toddler Connection is not only co-located with the CSD program at Longwood’s Speech, Hearing and Learning Services but, they are an essential part of the preparation of CSD graduate students.
At the meeting, CSD faculty commented on how the ITC-H has supported CSD undergraduate and graduate students over the years. All graduates receive interprofessional practice experience when participating in eligibility and assessments and many graduate students get the opportunity to participate in the interventions provided in the natural environment. The ITC staff provides valuable guidance to the students. ITC staff regularly present in CSD classes – on the role of early intervention and on coaching approaches. In addition, ITC has employed both undergraduate and graduate CSD students, giving them experience in service coordination and working as a team member. This has opened career pathways for many students to work in early intervention.
A recent new initiative is “Babies and Books,” a collaboration between ITC-H, Project JumpStart, a preschool early language, and literacy program offered at SHLS, and the Virginia Quality Initiative, an early childhood mentoring program. Each family served through ITC receives a bag with a book and hints on reading and language development. CSD graduate students have had the opportunity to demonstrate book reading to families during home visits.
The CSD Advisory Committee joins the faculty in thanking the ITC-H staff for their support of the students and the program. Congratulations to the Infant and Toddler Connection of the Heartland!
For more information about ITC and the services offered please contact:
Infant & Toddler Connection
315 W. 3rd Street
Farmville, VA 23901
(434) 395-2967
(866) 392-8502
leekl@longwood.edu