Affiliation:
1. California State University, Los Angeles, USA
Abstract
This present chapter describes the focus and aims of the partners in improving social communication in early childhood special education (PISCES) program at California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA). The chapter begins with an overview of the aims and focus of the PISCES program in general; providing an interdisciplinary and collaborative training experience to graduate students in early childhood special education and applied behavior analysis who provide services to minimally verbal children with disabilities. After describing the context of the University, the shared experiences of students in the two programs are described in detail. These shared experiences include coursework, fieldwork, and PISCES specific activities. After describing the PISCES program, the authors consider some of the lessons learned, and importantly, how some features of the PISCES program can be sustained going forward. The chapter concludes with a call for ongoing, community-based action research to further inform service provision with early childhood special education populations.
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