Social Emotional Development in the Early Years: Promoting Positive Relationships

About This Webinar

The focus of this webinar is the importance of social-emotional development and lifelong outcomes for young children with disabilities. Presenters discuss research evidence highlighting the importance of healthy and positive relationships between children and their caregivers. Cultural, ethnic, racial, and linguistic variations on parent-child interactions and expectations and considerations for military families (e.g., absence due to deployments, reunification, parenting from afar, etc.) are shared. Family-Centered Practices and parent coaching strategies to support parents and caregivers to develop healthy and positive relationships with their children are explored.

Continuing Education (CE) Credit

CE credits are no longer available for this event. 

Certificates of Attendance are available at the link below:
Certificate of Attendance

Presenter Information

Kimberly Hile, Ph.D.  is an assistant professor of curriculum and instruction at the University of Alabama at Huntsville.  She earned a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies (2001), as well as her Ed.M. (2007) and Ph.D. (2017) in Early Childhood Special Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her research interests focus on personnel preparation and exploring how early intervention service providers are trained to support families of infants and toddlers with special needs.

Amy Santos, Ph.D. is a professor in the Department of Special Education and currently, in her role as Associate Provost for Faculty Development at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Dr. Santos engages in professional development every day.  For over two decades, she has worked in various settings as a special educator, teacher educator, and researcher. Her research activities focus on understanding the unique needs and strengths of families of young children with disabilities and how best to train providers to work with families from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

Her passion and commitment to strengthening the capacity of professionals and family members to support their young children has helped in her role as one of the Principal Investigators of the OneOp FDEI Concentration Area, along with Dr. Ostrosky.  Dr. Santos assists in planning and implementing the yearlong professional development activities offered by MFLN-FDEI, along with providing fiscal and management oversight of the project.

Especially during her busy days, she tries to carve out time to go on long walks for both her mental and physical health. She enjoys the challenge of Soduko. She especially loves to spend time with her family. Her child’s school and after-school activities keep her on her toes after work hours and on weekends!

This presentation is not endorsed by the Department of Defense and the information, as well as any opinions or views, contained herein are solely that of the presenter.

Event Materials

Watch the Recording

After the Webinar: A Vlog from the Early Intervention Team

Webinar Slides (PDF)

Additional Resources From Webinar Presentation (PDF)

OneOp Archived Webinar – Fathers, Work, and Family Life