Loving and Embracing the Differences in Our Youngest Learners [Video]

Dr. Calvin E. Moore, Jr., CEO, Council for Professional Recognition

Every parent has certain preconceived ideas of how their child will fit into our complex world. The unexpected joy of parenthood is accepting that each child has unique abilities and challenges — some of which may be difficult to initially understand. I began my career as an early childhood educator and was privileged to teach children from all types of backgrounds and abilities. My professional training gave me the skills to develop personalized strategies for a child who was experiencing learning challenges.

Earning a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, which is based on a core set of competency standards that guide early childhood professionals, really propelled my teaching practice. A key part of earning the CDA is understanding traditional educational models may not be enough to support early communicative development for children with disabilities. In my teaching, I also realized …