Meet Chris – He and his family have moved 7 times since he was born and are now staying with friends. Chris was referred to your program by his mother at the suggestion of her friend’s mom. The referral said that Chris was 29 months old and not walking. When you arrive for the screening, you see …
Preaching to the Choir about Early Screening Resources – Spread the Word!
Posted on November 13, 2014
by
Dana Childress, PhD
in All, Local EI System Management, Practical Strategies, Teamwork
Twins & Siblings: Supporting Families of Multiples
Posted on November 04, 2014
by
Dana Childress, PhD
in All, Engaging Families, Intervention Visits, Practical Strategies, Service Coordination
A set of new referrals comes across your desk: two children in the same family. Twins! Wow, you think…twice the paperwork, twice the visits, twice the fun. The funny thing is that you probably wouldn’t have balked if you’d just gotten two referrals about children from different families. Why is it that multiples in the same …
Coaching: It’s About More than Just Asking Questions!
Posted on October 30, 2014
by
Dana Childress, PhD
in Adult Learning, All, Coaching Practices, Engaging Families, Intervention Visits, Practical Strategies, Service Coordination, Teamwork
Jackie receives a call from Tate’s mother, Mrs. Comer. Mrs. Comer is really frustrated because she feels like she’s not benefiting from her visits with the physical therapist. She tells Jackie that she feels like all Alex (the PT) does is ask her questions. She says “I don’t want to just be asked questions that …
A Facebook Friend Request from A Parent…What Do You Do?
Posted on October 01, 2014
by
Dana Childress, PhD
in All, Engaging Families, Practical Strategies, Service Coordination, What Would You Do?
You’re sitting in your car between visits and your phone beeps. You check your email and find a Facebook friend request from Hakeem’s mother. You know that he’s often in and out of the hospital and she keeps her friends and family up-to-date about his health using her Facebook page. She mentioned it to you …
Supporting Teen Parents by Understanding THEIR Development
Posted on August 21, 2014
by
Dana Childress, PhD
in All, Engaging Families, Intervention Visits, Practical Strategies
“Parent info: Chelsea’s mother, Jill, is 15 years old.”
Reading that tiny bit of info on the referral form can spark different reactions from early interventionists, ranging from those who see working with teen parents as a great opportunity to others who just sigh, expecting a huge challenge ahead. Perhaps the best approach to meeting Chelsea’s mom …
Jesse Won’t Sit in the Shopping Cart!
Posted on August 19, 2014
by
Dana Childress, PhD
in All, Coaching Practices, Intervention Visits, Practical Strategies
“Jesse keeps standing up in the shopping cart. He won’t hold my hand in the parking lot either. How can I keep him safe?”
Jesse’s mom is desperate for advice. She’s struggling because, with Jesse’s developmental delays, he’s not yet understanding simple instructions very well. He also has a toddler’s typical strong will. If you were Jesse’s service …
Can Service Coordinators Use Coaching?
Posted on July 31, 2014
by
Dana Childress, PhD
in All, Coaching Practices, Engaging Families, Practical Strategies, Service Coordination
Answering this question with a “Sure you can!” makes the answer sound simple, but if you’re a service coordinator you may be finding that using coaching strategies isn’t as easy as you thought. In Virginia, we’ve heard from some service coordinators that coaching is not a good fit with what they do. We’ve heard that …
Will Mason Ever Walk?
Posted on July 24, 2014
by
Dana Childress, PhD
in All, Engaging Families, Intervention Visits, Practical Strategies
About 30 min into your first visit with Mason’s family, his father asks “Will he ever walk?” Mason had a stroke shortly after he was born which affected the left side of his body. He is just under two years old and is beginning to sit with very little support. His father is an athlete …
Adult Learning Principle #1: Making Intervention Immediately Relevant
Posted on July 08, 2014
by
Dana Childress, PhD
in Adult Learning, All, Bridging the Gap, Coaching Practices, Engaging Families, Intervention Visits, Practical Strategies
We could call this one the “what’s in it for me?” principle. We know how we are…as adults, we usually pay attention to information that is most relevant to our current situation. We tend to remember information that is most immediately useful, skills that get our needs met, and strategies that we can practice right …
She Answers the Door in Nothing but a Nightie…What Do You Do?
Posted on June 24, 2014
by
Dana Childress, PhD
in All, Intervention Visits, Practical Strategies, What Would You Do?
After knocking three times, you hear someone inside the apartment. You wait a bit, trying to decide whether to knock again. Jessa’s mother hollers that’s she’s coming, then a few seconds later she opens the door. She’s tells you to come on in but you hesitate.
Jessa’s mother is wearing a see-through nightie and nothing else.
What do …
