ESC20 ONE Conference 2025

Toilet training a child can be challenging for educators and caregivers. Children may have communication deficits, maladaptive behaviors, motor challenges, and sensory issues that interfere with toileting progress and independence. In this session, participants will learn about 1) toileting readiness signs, 2) the importance of data collection before, during, and after the process, and 3) strategies to help troubleshoot specific toileting issues and longstanding challenges. With patience and persistence, a successfully potty-trained child is just a flush away!

Early literacy skills are critical for a child’s educational success, for it lays the foundation for developing essential language skills such as vocabulary, comprehension, and phonological awareness. The research shows that reading to young children helps increase these skills, but what if you have a child that doesn’t show interest in books? The answer: get interactive! This breakout session will focus on activating and maintaining student interest by making stories more tangible, audible, and hands-on. Participants will walk away with simple yet effective strategies to enhance a child’s literacy through active participation, turn-taking, visual vocabulary, using props, and pre-teaching emotions and other abstract concepts.