Comments on: How to Get from “I just want him to walk” to a Measurable IFSP Outcome

By: Dana Childress, M.Ed.

Dana Childress, M.Ed. — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:39:59 +0000

This is a great process, Lynne! What really struck me is how you ask the parent to think about what would make them proud. I’ve never thought of asking that but it’s a really nice prompt. Following your first sentence with asking when they want to see it happen gives the context and can lead right into a discussion that helps make the goal measurable. The answers to these questions could be different for every family and really help you truly individualize the IFSP. I love these strategies!

By: Lynne Blythe

Lynne Blythe — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:24:03 +0000

I sometimes ask parents to complete the following sentence- “Things will be easier or better or make me proud when “My child can…….” I ask them to complete the sentence with an action, and I provide some prompts (based upon what was discussed previously) such as- walk, sit in a grocery cart for 15 minutes, point to request a toy, give me a hug, say good bye, good to church nursery, etc). Then I ask them what time of day or activity or place would they most want to see that happen? If they have talked about how hard it is for the child to separate- is the hardest time at bedtime, drop off at child care, etc? Or is it something that they want the child to do in the same tradition as other children in the family? Participate in worship services by saying ‘Amen!’- at the right time, for example.

By: Dana Childress, M.Ed.

Dana Childress, M.Ed. — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:59:34 +0000

In reply to Sarah Nichols.

I really like your question, Sarah, about what will be different or better for the family. Every family has ideas about how things could be better so it can be a great place to start the conversation. In VA, our IFSP is used as a payor document meaning that it’s tied to reimbursement sources such as insurance and Medicaid. Because of this, we try to be as specific as we can when making goals measurable. We hope that being specific helps everyone on the team understand when the outcome will be met too. How outcomes are written does vary somewhat across states, but like you said, at the end of the day, the outcome needs to be meaningful and measurable over time – two very important points about outcome development. Thanks for adding your voice to this discussion!

By: Sarah Nichols

Sarah Nichols — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:41:38 +0000

I also love this topic and when I was a service coordinator I used many of the same strategies to help get from the family’s priority to a measurable outcome. My favorite follow up question was “What will be different or better for you, your family, and/or Jason when he is able to walk”….or talk….or whatever the priority is. One thing I will say though is that the outcomes we often developed were not quite as specific as the example that was given in this article as we tried to stay away from specific numbers (i.e 20 feet and once a week for 4 weeks). We likely would have generalized the outcome to the activity the family wanted to improve…so an example would have maybe looked more like this: “Jason will walk independently from the elevator to the play area when his family visits the mall.” I am not sure there is a right or wrong way when it comes to the specifics as long as it is meaningful to the family and measurable upon review.

By: Dana Childress, M.Ed.

Dana Childress, M.Ed. — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 13:14:06 +0000

In reply to Cori Hill.

This is another great example of what happens when you ask the right questions! Every person on the team can perceive the outcome differently without all of the info. Thanks Cori!

By: Cori Hill

Cori Hill — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:01:12 +0000

I LOVE this topic and as a trainer, it is near and dear to my heart. I think that question, “What does it look like?” really opens up that discussion. One SC shared a story when she asked this question about meal time and it turned out that what the family REALLY wanted was for the child to be able to sit at the table while the family was eating. It was about a social activity much less than an “eating goal.” Without that additional question and hearing how the parent would perceive success, the IFSP outcome probably would have included something like, “Sally will eat three bites of food without choking”…blah, blah, blah when REALLY what the family wanted was a better seating situation so Sally could be comfortable and participate in this important family mealtime routine.