EARLY SPOTS PROGRAM
Early SPOTS was established as a new course of study to address the shortage of services personnel in early intervention.
What Is The Early SPOTS Program?
The graduate-level interdisciplinary personnel preparation program for Early Speech, Physical and Occupational Therapy Services (Early SPOTS) focuses on effective early intervention services for infants and young children with significant disabilities and their families. This project will ensure a group of fully credentialed related services personnel, speech-language pathologists (SLPs), physical therapists (PTs) and occupational therapists (OTs), will have the knowledge and skills derived from evidence-based practice to be successful in serving infants and toddlers with significant disabilities and their families. These SLPs, PTs and OTs, will be prepared to work in early intervention settings, including family homes and childcare programs, using direct service, family coaching, consultative interdisciplinary practice and tele-intervention methods.
Program Goals
The Early SPOTS program seeks to alleviate the statewide shortage of highly qualified personnel in occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech-language pathology who are able and willing to work collaboratively in early intervention and schools. Faculty from the College of Education and Human Development, the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions and the School of Public Health have established a new course of study to address the shortage of related services personnel in early intervention.
Join Our Program
The program seeks to admit four Early SPOTS Scholars from each program (SLP, PT and OT) each academic year. The Early SPOTS program spans a full academic year. It includes a summer intensive orientation, an interdisciplinary program of three courses (9 credit hours), an interdisciplinary practicum and an interdisciplinary professional learning community.
Early SPOTS Scholar Profiles
To become an Early SPOTS Scholar, you must either first apply or be enrolled in your degree program. After being admitted into your degree program, the Early SPOTS faculty will share more information about the Early SPOTS program's application process. The program seeks to admit four Early SPOTS Scholars from each program (SLP, PT, OT) each academic year. The Early SPOTS program spans a full academic year. It includes a summer intensive orientation, an interdisciplinary program of three courses (9 credit hours), an interdisciplinary practicum and an interdisciplinary professional learning community.
Communication Sciences and Disorders, College of Education and Human Development
Physical Therapy, Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions
Occupational Therapy, Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions
Center for Leadership in Disability, School of Public Health
Early SPOTS Scholars
Each scholar will receive:
- Full waiver of tuition and assistance with fees
- Scholar stipend
- Travel support
- Professional development support
- Opportunities to research and collaborate with faculty
Apply to Early SPOTS
Applications for the 2021-2022 cohort have closed.
Applications for the 2022-2023 cohort will open in spring 2022.
Contact earlyspots@gsu.edu with questions about application status or cycles.
Curriculum
This course illustrates the centrality of the family in the life of infants and young children with disabilities, and subsequently, in early-childhood intervention. It facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration to help students understand the roles and responsibilities of health professionals in providing family-centered early intervention. This course will facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration to understand roles and responsibilities of health professionals in providing family-centered early intervention. Students will examine established models and innovative approaches while exploring the application of telerehabilitation in providing family-centered care.
8340 Evidence-based Practice for Early-Childhood Interventions (Fall Semester)
This course prepares students to use techniques with evidence-based practices for young children with disabilities. Students will learn to develop clinical questions, develop search strategies to access best available evidence, begin to analyze selected literature and use information to facilitate clinical decision-making. They will explore the impact of evidence-based practice on early intervention, such as the implementation of evidence-based practices for young children through a telehealth platform and identify the gap of current evidence on early intervention.
8440 Teaming and Collaboration within Early-Childhood Systems (Spring Semester)
This course provides a foundation in teaming and collaboration practices that foster and sustain interdisciplinary partnerships and interactions to ensure the inclusion of infants and young child with disabilities and their families in community settings and programs. Students will learn strategies to promote supportive and culturally sensitive early-intervention services and supports to respond to the unique needs of children and their families. They will apply systems change approaches to evaluate and improve the delivery of evidenced-based, inclusionary early-intervention practices.
FAQs
The Interdisciplinary Personnel Preparation for Early Speech, Physical and Occupational Therapy Services (Early SPOTS) program provides specialized training to students in SLP, PT or OT graduate programs. Scholars will gain interdisciplinary knowledge and skills on early-intervention services for infants and young children with significant disabilities and their families.
The Early SPOTS program includes:
- an intensive summer orientation
- an interdisciplinary program of three three-credit courses taken jointly
- an interdisciplinary practicum
- an interdisciplinary professional learning community
- mentorship
These SLPs, OTs and PTs will be prepared to work in early-intervention settings, including family homes and childcare programs, using direct service, family coaching, consultative interdisciplinary practice and tele-intervention methods.
The Early SPOTS program takes place over two semesters.
- Does not need experience in early intervention.
- Team player.
- Accepted and in good standing in SLP, PT or OT graduate program.
- In addition to program coursework, completes Early SPOTS courses and is prepared to manage additional coursework and requirements.
- Is committed to the two-year service obligation to work with the early-intervention population.
- Full waiver of tuition and assistance with fees.
- Scholar stipend.
- Travel/professional development support.
- Collaboration with community-based early-intervention services.
- Work with families and young children.
- Opportunities to conduct research and collaborate with faculty.
- Opportunities to network with prospective employers.
1. Participate in the offsite Summer Orientation
- Four-day, three-night Early SPOTS orientation at Amicalola Falls State Park & Lodge to meet the faculty and your fellow scholars
- Dates: Sunday, August 15, 2021 – Wednesday, August 18, 2021
- All expenses paid for Scholars
- Virtual if indoor social gatherings have not resumed
2. Enroll in three Early SPOTS courses
- 8240 Family-Centered Care in Early Childhood Systems
- 8340 Evidence-based Practice for Early Childhood Interventions
- 8440 Teaming and Collaboration within Early Childhood Systems 8440 will include an intensive interdisciplinary practice experience in addition to traditional course content. A group research project will be embedded across the three courses. There will be a culminating research presentation in late spring.
3. Participate in the Early Intervention Professional Learning Community
- Monthly one-hour virtual seminar through which you will learn from and connect with early intervention leaders from across Georgia
- A brief reflection paper will follow each seminar
4. Complete the two-year Service Obligation post-graduation
- Each scholar must complete two years of Service Obligation
- Service Obligation begins immediately upon graduating from the training program (SLP, PT, OT)
- You have five years post-graduation to complete the Service Obligation
Early SPOTS Faculty
Dr. Sutanuka Bhattacharjya, OTR/L
Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions
Dr. Akilah Heggs Lee, CCC-A
College of Education and Human Development
Angela M. Miles, M.S., CCC-SLP
College of Education and Human Development
Contact Us
Early Speech, Physical, and Occupational Therapy Services
(Early SPOTS) Program
earlyspots@gsu.edu
This website was made possible by U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) award #H325K200060. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.