Examples of using pausing to encourage development are more powerful than me describing why this technique works so let’s start with a few examples from real intervention visits:
Sandy
One day on a visit with Sandy and her nurse, we played with Sandy’s favorite toy and assisted her as she activated it. Sandy had multiple disabilities and difficulty with communication. After she …
I think safety is on everyone’s mind this week. Safety is an important issue in early intervention since we so freely visit with people we don’t really know in neighborhoods that range from very safe to places police are wary of going. Above all else, your personal safety is most important. It is more important than …
You’re sitting on the living room floor ready to start the assessment and the child is no where to be seen. His mother says that he always hides from strangers and is probably behind the couch. One peak back there and yup, there he is. As soon as he sees you he turns away. How …
How do you keep your early intervention knowledge and practices current? It’s not always easy!
Keeping up with current practices and thought in the field can be very challenging for interventionists for lots of reasons – lack of time, expenses involved with journal subscriptions, etc. Here are a few links, ideas, and suggestions to help you keep up!
Journals
I know …
The baby is in the high chair and you cover her snack with a bowl. Does she look under the bowl to find her goldfish crackers? Or maybe she drops her green ball on the floor. Does she look for it? Or does she just cry because her snack or favorite toy has disappeared?
It all …
Does a day go by when you don’t have a question about the work you do??
The willingness to learn, try new things, be flexible, and adjust to each family’s priorities and environments are all must-have skills for early interventionists. With each new family you meet, each new IFSP outcome, and each new colleague who joins your team …
You’re sitting in an IFSP meeting discussing outcomes that the family would like to see for the child. The child is eligible for early intervention (EI) due to global developmental delays as well as cerebral palsy. The IFSP outcomes include the child learning to move about independently, feed himself, and learn to ask for what he wants, like …
Balloons, cake, friends…who doesn’t like a party? And how many invitations to a child’s birthday party have you received?
In early intervention, we constantly walk that thin line between establishing rapport and maintaining professional boundaries with families. It is important that a collaborative, trusting relationship between family members and early interventionists is established and nurtured. This …
