Developing Child Conference

33rd Annual Developing Child Conference
Danville Area Community College in Danville, IL

Three different tracks:Birth-Preschool, Grades K-2, and Learning with Autism

Conference itinerary posted online by late December.
Register online starting today.
Conference Fee $40

The conference itinerary will be posted online by mid December.
Register online starting today.
Click on register for the Developing Child Conference
Keyword:conference

Dina Emser, M.A., CPDLT, CPCC
Rosa Milagros Santos Gilbertz, Ph.D.

Dr. Rosa Milagros Santos is an Associate Professor in the Department of Special Education at UIUC. Dr. Santos earned her Ph.D. degree in Special Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood Special Education from Utah State University in 1997. She has worked as a preschool teacher, early intervention provider, and special educator both in the Philippines and in the United States.

Dr. Santos’s research focuses on young children with disabilities and their families within the context of early intervention and early childhood special education services (EI/ECSE). Specifically, she is interested in developing an understanding of the ecologic influence of families and culture on parents and professionals in facilitating young children’s development and learning. To this end, she has engaged in research activities in three interrelated areas designed to advance the current knowledge base in the field of EI/ECSE. Her first research area is building empirical knowledge on how parents and other family members facilitate children’s learning and development. Her second research area is focused on developing a foundational understanding of the role that culture and language play in young children’s development. Her third research area focuses on translating research to practice for professionals in early childhood settings. Through these research activities, she aims to make a positive impact on the lives of children with disabilities and their families by enhancing the practices of professionals who work directly with these children and families.

Since 1995, Dr. Santos has worked on several grant projects in various capacities. She is currently co-Principal investigator for an IES-funded project investigating the effects of father involvement on outcomes for children with disabilities, a Head Start-funded training and technical assistance project (National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning), a leadership grant focused on preparing EI/ECSE leaders and researchers, a personnel preparation grant focusing on training EI/ECSE personnel.

Dr. Santos is currently the Editor for Young Exceptional Children and serves on the editorial board for various research journals including Journal of Early Intervention and Topics in Early Childhood Special Education. Dr. Santos has authored numerous publications related to working with families of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with disabilities. Dr. Santos is an active member of the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children serving in various leadership roles for the Illinois subdivision and national DEC, most recently as president of DEC.